The World's Best Book Summaries
What’s Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard about? How does the clothing company Patagonia help the environment? According to Let My People Go Surfing, Patagonia was founded as an eco-friendly company that’s conscious of its environmental footprint. Founder Yvon Chouinard shares how he grew from a nature enthusiast to the founder of the company. Read below for a brief overview of Let My People Go Surfing.
What’s the connection between time perception and stress? Can you alter the experience of time? On his podcast Huberman Lab, Dr. Andrew Huberman connects the perception of time with stress levels. He suggests that directing focus can alter how we experience time, much like the varied pacing of an Alfred Hitchcock film works to create tension. Let’s dive into Huberman’s stress-improvement advice by changing how you understand time.
How did a little girl from Pakistan become a Nobel laureate? Why did Malala leave Pakistan? Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai was only 10 years old when the Taliban arrived in her hometown in Pakistan. When Malala was 15, the Taliban shot and nearly killed her. I Am Malala, a New York Times best-seller, is Malala’s autobiography. Continue reading for an overview of I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.
What was Malala Yousafzai’s family like? What values did they pass on to her? Malala Yousafzai was born into poverty in a society that valued boys over girls and religious tradition over secular education. Yet, she became a Nobel-winning activist for girls’ education. The values of her family—compassion, gender equality, education, hospitality, and compassion—shaped her life early on. Read more to learn about the childhood of Malala Yousafzai.
Can food make you smarter? What’s wrong with traditional medical diagnosis? How can your brain physiology affect your behavior? Many people suffer from physical, mental, and cognitive problems. In Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, psychiatrist and brain health expert Dr. Daniel Amen argues that, to effectively treat and overcome these problems, you must help your brain recover from physical damage and enhance its overall health. Continue reading for several Dr. Daniel Amen quotes from Change Your Brain, Change Your Life that will give you a good sense of the book’s ideas.
Who was Maulana Fazlullah? Why was he called the Radio Mullah? What was life like under his rule? It started with aid to remote Pakistani villages devastated by an earthquake. But, Maulana Fazlullah and other mullahs used this disaster to preach against women and girls and increasingly (and violently) restrict their liberties. Keep reading to learn about the actions of a brutal ruler that motivated Malala Yousafzai to speak out.
What did Yvon Chouinard do before Patagonia? Where did Chouinard’s love for the environment come from? The founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, never wanted to be a traditional businessman. His true passion was the outdoors, and more specifically, advocating for environmental protection. Take a look at what inspired Chouinard to become an entrepreneur.
What role has Malala’s father played in her life? How did he feel about having a daughter? In her memoir, Malala Yousafzai recounts how her father and she came of age against the backdrop of the Taliban’s rise to power. She discusses how her father was willing to defy tradition and fundamentalist religious views to raise her in an environment of compassion, gender equality, and secular education. Continue reading to learn about Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai.
How did the Taliban change the life of a young girl and her society? Why did she speak out against them, at the risk of her own life? Malala Yousafzai was only 10 years old when the Taliban arrived in her hometown in Pakistan. As their attacks on women’s and girls’ freedoms rapidly escalated, Malala began to speak out against them, even as she and her family faced death threats. When Malala was 15, the Taliban shot and nearly killed her. Read more to learn about Malala, the Taliban in Pakistan, and why they’re such fierce enemies of each other.
How did Malala Yousafzai survive being shot? What was her recovery like? What did she do after she left Pakistan? On October 9, 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Malala Yousafzai in the face when she was on her way home from school. Miraculously, she survived. In her autobiography, she discusses her recovery and what she’s done since. Keep reading to learn about Malala after the shooting that nearly took her life and silenced her voice.