The World's Best Book Summaries
What factors contributed to the rise and spread of knowledge in Eurasia? What advantages did knowledge provide in Eurasian society? According to Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, three factors lead to the spread of knowledge in the history of Eurasia. Those factors were: a head start in food production, a large area with a dense population, and the ease of diffusion. Continue reading to learn the history of how Eurasia thrived.
Is knowledge your secret weapon? How can you leverage your learning to strengthen your startup? If you have considerable or specialized knowledge, you have a leg up over the competition. Knowledge is one of the unfair advantages identified in the book The Unfair Advantage by entrepreneurs Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba. The authors discuss a potential drawback of knowledge, how to know if knowledge is your unfair advantage in particular, and how to improve and make the most of your knowledge. Continue reading to learn about the importance of knowledge in entrepreneurship.
Do you have difficulty processing information? Do you process information at a slower speed? One of the reasons why many people process information at a slower speed is because of information overload. According to Johann Hari in Stolen Focus, our brains can’t keep up with the speed information is released. Learn how the acceleration of information causes people to be slow to process information.
What is the difference between mean and mode? Which of the two is a more accurate measure? Both the mean and the mode are measures of central tendency. For non-skewed distributions, the mean is more accurate because it takes into account every value in the data set. For skewed data, the median is better because it isn’t influenced by outliers. Keep reading to learn about the difference between mean vs. mode and when to use which.
What are some basic economic terms you should know? How does Thomas Piketty define them? Before discussing income and wealth inequality in-depth, Thomas Piketty establishes the broader intellectual framework that supports his analysis in Capital in the Twenty-First Century. He does this by defining some key economic terms. Read more for a list of basic economic terms and definitions you should know.
Is abstracted empiricism a constructive approach to social science? What are its flaws? In The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills contends that not all ways of doing social science are equal. He believes that his way (sociological imagination) is the only one that serves the main purpose of social science—preserving freedom. He offers a critique of other approaches, especially abstracted empiricism, asserting that they fail to protect a free and open society in the way sociological imagination does. Keep reading for Mills’s evaluation of abstracted empiricism.
What is grand theory in sociology? How well does it uphold the main purpose of social science? In The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills contends that not all approaches to social science are equal. He believes that his approach (sociological imagination) is the only way to preserve freedom. He offers a critique of other approaches, including grand theory, asserting that they fail to protect a free and open society in the way sociological imagination does. Let’s take a look at what grand theory is—and how Mills thinks it fails to deliver.
What can social scientists do to improve their work? How can they do a better job of connecting personal and social problems? In The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills advocates for a different way of doing social science. Sociological imagination involves the development of one’s own methods, which Mills argues makes it easier to make a connection between personal and social problems. He believes that using sociological imagination can help social scientists more easily recognize their own bias, understand others’ perspectives, and maintain a broad scope. Keep reading to better understand the three benefits of sociological imagination.
What if the general public were more scientifically aware? What’s the path to get there? In The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan shares his concern about science illiteracy, especially in America. He believes that a general public that’s equipped with more knowledge about scientific principles and methods would be a positive force in the world. He outlines two ways to increase science literacy: improving science education (including instilling more enthusiasm for science) and increasing funding for scientific research. Let’s take a close look at this advice from Sagan.
What makes an effective presentation? What are some things you should keep in mind when putting together a slideshow? An effective presentation is one that’s put together with the audience in mind. If you are creating slides, simplify things as much as possible: make sure the text is easy to read and digest, minimize distractions (e.g. animated slide transitions), and avoid superfluous language. Here are a few useful tips for a good presentation.