Shortform Books

What Does “Soul” Mean? An Eastern Perspective

What does “soul” mean? Is it distinct from the body? Are there individual souls and group souls? Inspired by Eastern mystical traditions, Gary Zukav argues that a soul is part of the divine consciousness. He distinguishes the soul from the body and provides his explanation for how the soul and body interact and why. He also discusses what he believes are the differences between human souls and the souls of other material things. Keep reading for this view of what “soul” means.

3 Benefits of Having a Mentor: Accelerate Your Learning

Do you want to enrich your growth? Have you considered finding a mentor? While self-directed learning can take you far, Robert Greene asserts that finding a mentor will accelerate and enrich your learning. He identifies three benefits of having a mentor, explains how you should go about finding one, and discusses when it’s time to move on from that relationship. Keep reading for more on mentorship.

The Importance of Happiness in the Workplace

Does happiness in the workplace matter? How can you measure the happiness levels of your employees? Management expert Jeff Sutherland argues in his book Scrum that happiness in the workplace is essential. He explains that happy employees are more productive and creative, therefore managers and team leaders should be making sure their teams are happy. Continue reading to learn how to measure and increase workplace happiness.

Toyota Company History: The Start of Toyota’s Success

What is Toyota’s company history? How did lean manufacturing become popular? In The Toyota Way, Jeffrey Liker recounts Toyota’s history as a car manufacturing company. He explains the beginning of the Toyota Production System, better known as lean manufacturing. Continue reading to learn more about the history of Toyota.

Tips for Finding and Retaining Top Talent

Does it feel like many of your applicants are underqualified? How can you find and retain talent at your company? With such a competitive job market, there’s an abundance of applicants to sift through. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell which of those applicants would be a good fit for your company. Additionally, once you’ve chosen to hire someone, it can be just as challenging to keep them. Here are some tips on finding and retaining talent from the book Execution.

The Alchemist: Dreams and Their Meanings

What do dreams symbolize in The Alchemist? What are the two major dreams in the book? In The Alchemist, dreams play an important part in the story—it was a reoccurring dream that set Santiago out on his journey in the first place. It’s also a dream that brings his treasure hunt to an end. Let’s take a look at dreams in The Alchemist.

Understanding Technical Analysis: Trading 101

What is technical analysis in trading? How does technical analysis predict the price of financial assets? Which approach is superior: technical or fundamental analysis? Technical analysis looks at patterns in the price of an investment to predict how that investment’s price is likely to shift in the future. In contrast to fundamental analysis, technical analysis takes into account traders’ activity by attempting to uncover behavioral patterns. Keep reading to learn how technical analysis trading works, its pros and cons, and why it’s superior to fundamental analysis.

Keep Going by Austin Kleon: Overview and Takeaways

What is Keep Going by Austin Kleon about? What are the main takeaways of the book? In Keep Going, Austin Kleon provides methods for overcoming emotional obstacles to creativity. He suggests an approach to creativity that finds joy in the process of making art, rather than the external rewards it might bring you. Keep reading for a brief overview of Keep Going.

Behave by Robert Sapolsky: Book Overview

What is Robert Sapolsky’s Behave about? What is the key message to take away from the book? Understanding people is crucial to disciplines and careers ranging from psychology to sales. While there are countless books about how to relate to people—and sometimes how to manipulate them—few try to get to the core of human behavior in the same way that Sapolsky’s Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst does. Below is a brief overview of the key themes.

How to Start Fasting: The 4-Week Transition Period

Are you considering adopting intermittent fasting (IF) as a lifestyle? What are some things you should keep in mind when beginning your transition to the IF feeding schedule? Transitioning to intermittent fasting (IF) is a big step, especially if you’re used to following the standard three-meal feeding approach. According to Gin Stephens, the author of Fast. Feast. Repeat., the key to successfully transitioning to the IF lifestyle is to adapt your body to the IF feeding over a four-week period. Keep reading to learn how to start fasting by committing to a four-week adaptation period.