Book Summaries 2024

In our guide to Cohen’s You Can Negotiate Anything, you’ll learn how to conduct the most productive kind of negotiation possible: one where both sides win. You’ll also learn how to win at competitive negotiation—we’ll detail what secrets you need to learn about your opponent to secure a favorable deal, no matter the situation. In our commentary, we’ll provide counterpoints and supplemental advice from other books on negotiation like Getting to Yes and Never Split the Difference. Additionally, we’ll give you specific ways to protect yourself from the more manipulative negotiation techniques Cohen describes.

In this guide, we’ll explore Lyubomirsky's thoughts on what contributes to long-term happiness and how you can amplify it in your life. Additionally, we’ll supplement her ideas with psychological research and actionable methods from other self-improvement authors and practitioners.

Stanley contends that by asking yourself a series of questions, you can take control of any decision you face. This guide will begin by examining how Stanley defines a good decision and a bad decision. Then we’ll examine the reasons we make bad decisions and the methods Stanley recommends using to get around our worst impulses. We’ll also compare Stanley’s ideas to those of other decision-making experts who have researched how you can make stronger, sounder decisions.

Our guide outlines Zinn’s interpretation of significant events, themes, and historical trends in American history. Through our commentary, we’ll provide alternative opinions on the motivations behind and consequences of historical events. We’ll also further explain Zinn’s approach to history and provide additional context for his arguments as well as his perspective on events that happened after the book’s publication.

In this guide, we’ll explain what estrogenics are, the common ways we encounter them, and the health risks they pose to humans and the environment. We’ll also provide some practical prevention tips to minimize your exposure. In commentary, we’ll provide scientific evidence that supports or contradicts the author’s arguments, and we’ll present additional tips for avoiding these chemicals.

In this guide, we’ll explore Hardy’s theory that you can increase the speed you’re traveling toward your goals while simultaneously decreasing the rate at which time seems to pass—effectively buying yourself more time to enjoy the ride. Along the way, we’ll look at how other psychology, physics, and even science fiction experts have explored the principles that Hardy incorporates into his method.

From dating to sex to marriage, this guide equips men with the tools to initiate, build, and sustain a successful and mutually fulfilling relationship. We’ll supplement the authors’ advice with a range of perspectives on psychology, gender, love, and marriage from authors like Esther Perel (Mating in Captivity), Ian Kerner (She Comes First), and Rollo Tomassi (The Rational Male).

In this guide, we’ll look at common ways we avoid dealing with difficult emotions. Then, we’ll explore Hawkins’s strategies for identifying, accepting, and releasing unhelpful emotions and discuss the benefits of this process. Finally, we’ll examine how the energies of different emotions affect our lives. In commentary, we’ll explore alternative perspectives on dealing with emotions from psychology and neuroscience. Additionally, we’ll explore commonalities between Hawkins's ideas and those from various spiritual traditions.

In this guide, we’ll discuss Hughes Johnson’s four key processes: process #1, defining your guiding principles and solidifying your operating system; process #2, building a promising hiring pipeline to hire the best candidates; process #3, turning these new hires into thriving teams; and process #4, continuously coaching employees through informal feedback and formal reviews. We’ll also supplement Hughes Johnson’s advice with more concrete strategies for employee management and consider alternative management approaches from other business experts.

In this Master Guide, we’ll examine what causes anxiety and how it affects your physical health, impairs rational thinking, and fuels unhealthy habits. We’ll also provide practical advice for preventing and overcoming anxiety. Our guide compiles research and methods from a range of experts, including psychologist Daniel Goleman, emotional well-being specialist Nick Trenton, neuroscientist Judson Brewer, self-help guru Tony Robbins, and biologist Robert Sapolsky.