Blinkist Part One
More than one year ago, I found handy pages called Blinkist. It is a website worth checking if you don’t have much time to read whole books, but you want to improve yourself anyway. The pages provide a summary of hundreds of book in fields like productivity, management, self-improvements and many more nonfictional books. There is a free version where you will get one book per day, but you cannot choose which one. It is super if you have a problem with deciding … I bought a premium membership almost a year ago, and since then I have read nearly 100 books, so it was worth it - the cost is $6.67 per month if you pay the whole year in advance. You can also highlight parts of the books, and it is also the reason why I will be making these pages - to share my highlights from books which I have read there so far.
12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos
Care for yourself with the same tenderness you would a loved one.
care for yourself like you would a loved one.29 May, 2019 08:08
The wrong companions can drag you down, so choose your friends wisely.
You’ll know you have good friends when they don’t tolerate your wallowing in negativity; they’ll want what’s best for you, so they’ll encourage you to snap out of it and get back on track.29 May, 2019 08:08
Progress is made by comparing yourself to your past achievements, not to others.
This is why the fourth rule is to never compare yourself to others, and to always judge yourself against your own prior accomplishments.29 May, 2019 08:08
There’s a reason for this tendency, as it helps us stay motivated to push forward and take action.29 May, 2019 08:08
Sacrifice can be a meaningful act, and we should seek meaning over immediate pleasures.
seek meaningful goals over instant gratification29 May, 2019 08:08
Lies are a common tool of self-deception, but we should strive toward truthful living.
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche believed that you could measure the strength of a person's spirit based upon how much undiluted truth they can tolerate.29 May, 2019 08:08
Conversations are an opportunity to learn and grow, not compete.
An easy tip for being a better conversationalist is to listen and then summarize, or recap out loud what the other person just said.29 May, 2019 08:08
listen to what others have to say, while presuming you have something to learn from them29 May, 2019 08:08
When you engage in genuine conversation, it should be a similar process to thinking29 May, 2019 08:08
This is one big reason why people talk to each other, so that they can more easily present the two sides of an issue and come to a conclusion29 May, 2019 08:08
About the book:
12 Rules For Life (2018) provides readers with an inventory of life’s most pressing concerns and the issues that have been present in the human psyche since ancient times. Author Jordan B. Peterson has collected some of the most enduring philosophical and religious assertions, as well as the lessons from our most cherished tales, to provide us with 12 guidelines to ensure a life of meaning. Drawing on philosophy, psychology, history and myth, these are clear and consistent principles that everyone can live by.
About the author:
Jordan Peterson is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, as well as a clinical psychologist and cultural critic. He has garnered widespread publicity and media coverage for his often controversial YouTube videos and public appearances, in which he critiques political correctness.
Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent
Ego is the desire to gain recognition without working for it.
Ego is the desire to get fame and recognition without doing the good deeds that are required for us to deserve it.9 July, 2018 05:42
Rein in your ego by reminding yourself that there’s always more to learn.
It is impossible to learn that which one thinks one already knows.9 July, 2018 05:45
You can prevent this by reminding yourself that there’s always someone who’s better than you.9 July, 2018 05:45
in order stay humble, fighters must not only learn from the very best and train with peers at their skill level, but should also dedicate time to training beginners.9 July, 2018 05:47
Pride makes us deaf to warnings and blind to things we could improve.
Pride doesn’t just stop us from continuing to learn and achieve, it also makes us overly sensitive to criticism and deaf to warnings. Proud people are very prone to becoming defensive – or even aggressive9 July, 2018 16:12
When you do your best and things don’t work out, find out why so you can do better next time.
Rather than feeling disappointed, we can start by acknowledging the work we’ve done and recognize that we can’t always control the outcome of that work, or people’s opinions of us. An unexpected result should be welcomed as an opportunity to honestly reflect on our performance.9 July, 2018 16:22
About the book:
Ego is the Enemy (2016) outlines the dangers of egotism and the strategies we can use to rein in our pride, using historical and cultural examples. From finding a mentor to learning how to delegate tasks, these blinks show us why staying grounded can secure future success.
About the author:
Ryan Holiday is an editor-at-large for the New York Observer and former Director of Marketing at American Apparel. His other bestsellers include Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator and The Obstacle Is the Way.
How to Find Fulfilling Work: The School of Life
We’re dissatisfied when our expectations about work aren’t met.
People used to be happy with having a roof over their heads and food on the table.20 July, 2018 05:01
In today’s world, there is an overwhelming number of job choices.
we're not psychologically able to deal with an overload of choice.20 July, 2018 05:04
It's not easy to leave the career path we're already on – but if it isn’t fulfilling, make a change!
The problem is that we’re asked to make career decisions too early20 July, 2018 05:05
psychological research has shown that the regret of not taking action on things that are really important to you is one of the most corrosive emotions you can experience.20 July, 2018 05:07
Following your passions and finding your flow experiences will make you happy.
Don’t be too broad; ask specifically if they ever experience flow in their job.20 July, 2018 06:54
If you want fulfilling work, you should seek freedom.
Working less might seem unrealistic financially, but if you make it your goal to cut the fat on your expenses, spending less time and money on things you don't really need, you won’t need to work as much and you’ll have more time to enjoy your life.20 July, 2018 06:57
In order to find fulfilling work, you should abandon meticulous planning and test it out.
flirt with a wide range of jobs, either by shadowing people or by volunteering.20 July, 2018 16:43
Final summary
Write a job advertisement for yourself.Step one: Imagine you have to advertise yourself in a newspaper. Describe your qualities, passions and talents and your minimum expectations of a future job. Don’t be overly specific and don’t mention a particular job you want.Step two: Send your job advertisement to 10 people you know. Make sure these people have varied experiences – send it to a police officer as well as a cartoonist. Then ask these 10 people to suggest three jobs that they think would suit you best.20 July, 2018 16:47
About the book:
If you feel trapped in your job or long for more fulfilling work, you’re not alone. How to Find Fulfilling Work (2012) explores the core components of what makes work meaningful and full of purpose, detailing exactly which steps you need to take to find work that brings out the best in you and keeps you truly happy.
About the author:
The Observer named author Roman Krznaric one of Britain’s leading popular philosophers. He teaches at The School of Life, of which he’s a founding member, and is a counselor to organizations such as Oxfam and the United Nations. His other works include Empathy and The Wonder Box.
No Bullsh*t Leadership: Why the World Needs More Everyday Leaders and Why That Leader Is You
Leadership is all about execution, decision-making and not being afraid to make mistakes.
the 40/70 rule, created by former US Secretary of State Colin Powell. It’s basically this: you should only execute a decision if you’re sure that it has a 40 percent chance of success. But once you feel that the chances of success are 70 percent, you know that you’ve spent too much time ruminating over it.13 May, 2019 08:20
Final summary
So don’t be afraid to be selfish sometimes. You’re no good to your team if you’re not good to yourself29 May, 2019 08:08
About the book:
No Bullsh*t Leadership (2019) dispels the myths we often hear about what makes a great leader. Whether you’re managing a company, school or sports team, the principles behind effective leadership aren’t rocket science. Nor do they require impressive titles or expensive suits. In this timely volume, experienced leader Chris Hirst explains how any of us can learn the philosophy behind great leadership if we put our minds to it.
About the author:
Christ Hirst is Global CEO of Havas Creative, a marketing services company based in London. His contributions are featured regularly in the press, appearing in outlets such as the Financial Times, the BBC and Sky News. The Evening Standard ranked him as the third most powerful CEO in his industry.
Talk Lean: Shorter Meetings. Quicker Results. Better Relations.
What’s in it for me? Learn how to get what you want out of a meeting.
Talking lean means saying something clear, direct and to-the-point, in a polite, calm, courteous manner. That’s the best way to stop wasting everyone’s time and get the most of meetings!11 July, 2018 16:38
Start every meeting by politely expressing exactly what’s on your mind.
ask yourself, “What do I hope will happen at the end of the meeting?” Use the answer to structure your opening comments12 July, 2018 13:48
For a productive meeting, create an environment of openness and listen carefully.
speak from your own point of view.12 July, 2018 13:51
Respond appropriately.
you don’t understand something the other person said, it’s a good idea to use the past tense13 July, 2018 05:34
if you want to project a certain amount of forcefulness, state your opinion using the present tense13 July, 2018 05:34
About the book:
Talk Lean will teach you how to express your thoughts in a direct, candid, yet courteous manner. The author shares effective, easy-to-apply tips for having a productive conversation that helps achieve your goals.
About the author:
Alan H. Palmer is an Oxford graduate who previously worked in the international advertising industry. Today, he conducts seminars and develops training programs all over the world to help people have productive conversations.
© [Alan Palmer: Talk Lean] copyright [2014], John Wiley & Sons [Inc. or Ltd. as applicable] Used by permission of John Wiley & Sons [Inc. or Ltd. as applicable] and shall not be made available to any unauthorized third parties.
Thinking, Fast and Slow:
Gut feeling: why rather than making decisions based solely on rational considerations, we are often swayed by emotional factors.
Both of them feature our loss aversion — the fact that we fear losses more than we value gains.20 July, 2018 16:52
About the book:
Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking,FastandSlow (2011) – a recapitulation of the decades of research that led to his winning the Nobel Prize – explains his contributions to our current understanding of psychology and behavioral economics. Over the years, Kahneman and his colleagues, whose work the book discusses at length, have significantly contributed to a new understanding of the human mind. We now have a better understanding of how decisions are made, why certain judgment errors are so common and how we can improve ourselves.
This is a Blinkist staff pick
“Complex processes put in simple words, accompanied by adequate examples – this book-in-blinks made me reflect on the way I make decisions and interpret major events in life. If you’re looking for thought-provoking reading material, that’s your pick!”
– Plamena, Customer Support
About the author:
Daniel Kahneman, PhD, won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002. He is the Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs Emeritus at the Woodrow Wilson School, Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Princeton University, and a fellow of the Center for Rationality at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Written on May 30, 2019