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Book Summaries by Wise Words#88 Nonviolent Communication - Concise Book SummaryNonviolent Communication Explained: Transform Conflict into ConnectionEver felt misunderstood or unheard? In this episode, we dive into Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg, exploring a revolutionary approach to building connection and resolving conflict. This comprehensive discussion provides a clear nonviolent communication summary, packed with actionable insights to transform your relationships and conversations.🎙️ What You'll Learn in This Episode:Nonviolent Communication Explained: Discover the 4-step process to make communication clearer and more compassionate.How to Resolve Conflict: Learn to navigate disagreements constructively and create solutions that meet every...2024-12-1125 minBook Summaries by Wise Words#87 The Death of Expertise - Concise Book SummaryWhy is society rejecting expertise, and what are the consequences of this shift? In this episode, we delve into Tom Nichols’ The Death of Expertise, exploring the cultural, psychological, and technological forces driving distrust in experts and the rise of misinformation. This book review unpacks the most impactful insights, offering a deep dive into why expertise is under attack and what this means for our future.📖 What You’ll Learn:The Rise of Distrust: How opinions are replacing expertise and the role of narcissism in fueling this trend.The Internet’s Influence...2024-12-0519 minBook Summaries by Wise Words#86 The Six Pillars of Self Esteem - Concise Book SummaryImagine having the secrets to unshakable self-confidence—a mindset resilient against criticism, self-doubt, and setbacks. In this episode of Wise Words, we dive into Nathaniel Branden's transformative book, The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, delivering a concise guide on how to improve self-esteem and build lasting inner strength.Self-esteem isn’t just a feel-good concept—it’s the mind’s ultimate immune system. With low self-esteem, even small challenges can feel insurmountable. But with strong self-esteem, you gain the confidence to tackle life’s biggest obstacles. Whether you're searching for a practical self-esteem guide or actionable steps on how to be mo...2024-12-0319 minBook Summaries by Wise Words#85 Age of Propaganda - Concise Book SummaryDiscover 12 Secret Tools for Persuasion in this actionable summary of Age of Propaganda. This episode dives deep into the best ideas for mastering influence and persuasion, offering practical strategies and psychological insights to become more persuasive in daily life. Whether you're learning to negotiate, sway opinions, or decode modern propaganda, this guide equips you with essential tools to influence effectively and protect yourself from manipulation.📖 Key Takeaways:Tools of Persuasion: Master 12 powerful techniques like the Granfalloon strategy, the Decoy Effect, and Pre-Persuasion.The Psychology of Influence: Learn how fear, guilt, and...2024-12-0238 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#84 How Westminster Works and Why It Doesn’t - Book SummaryWelcome to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries! Today, we’re dissecting How Westminster Works... And Why It Doesn’t by Ian Dunt—a revealing exposé on the dysfunction embedded in British politics and why our government seems rigged to fail.In this episode, you’ll uncover:1. The Roots of Dysfunction 📉🕳️: Understand how short-term thinking and unchecked power lead to flawed policies that fail to address the needs of society.2. The Reality Behind the Role of Parliament 🏛️💼: Discover how rushed laws, party loyalty, and influence of the Whips Office hinder genuine leg...2024-11-142h 33
Book Summaries by Wise Words#83 Magic Words - Book SummaryWelcome to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries! Today, we’re exploring "Magic Words" by Jonah Berger, a fascinating guide that delves into the power of language and how the right words can change minds, spark action, and influence outcomes.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Six Types of Magic Words 💬✨: Discover key phrases that activate identity, convey confidence, ask the right questions, and more, helping you influence how others perceive and respond to you.Turning Actions into Identities 🔄👥: Understand how shifting from asking someone to "help" to as...2024-10-2153 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#82 Exactly What to Say - Book SummaryWelcome to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries! Today, we're diving into Exactly What to Say by Phil M Jones, a powerful guide that shows you how using the right words at the right time can influence conversations and create impact.In this episode, you'll discover:The Magic Words of Influence 🗣️🔑: Learn specific phrases that can change the outcome of any conversation by subtly guiding people toward your desired result.How to Navigate Difficult Conversations? 💬🧭: Unlock strategies to communicate effectively, even in high-stakes or uncomfortable situations.The Psychology of Persuasion 🤔🎯: See how understandin...2024-10-1458 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#81 The Charisma Myth - Book SummaryWelcome to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries! Today, we're diving into "The Charisma Myth" by Olivia Fox Cabane, a groundbreaking book that reveals how anyone can master the art of charisma through practical techniques and mindset shifts.In this episode, you'll discover:The Science of Charisma 🧠✨: Learn how charisma isn’t an innate trait, but a skill you can develop by balancing presence, power, and warmth.How to Project Confidence in Any Situation? 💼💬: Unlock techniques to exude confidence, even when you don’t feel it, and captivate a...2024-09-241h 25
Book Summaries by Wise Words#80 Never Split the Difference - Book SummaryWelcome to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries! Today, we're breaking down "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator who shares his expert strategies for winning negotiations in any scenario.In this episode, you'll discover:The Art of Tactical Empathy 🧠❤️: Learn how understanding emotions can transform your negotiation outcomes.How to Use Calibrated Questions to Your Advantage? 🔍🗨️: Guide conversations with strategic questions that lead to valuable insights.Why "No" is Not the End, but the Beginning 🚫🔄: See how hearing "no" can become a tool for advancing negotia...2024-09-161h 04
Book Summaries by Wise Words#79 Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy - Book SummaryWelcome to the ultimate book summary of 📚 "Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy" by Greg Dean! 🎙️Greg Dean is a trailblazer in comedy education. Forty years ago, he noticed a missing element in the industry: a foundational approach to teaching comedy. Motivated by his love for the craft, Greg shifted from his successful career to focus on teaching stand-up comedy. His impressive resume includes performances on Saturday Night Live 🎤, roles as a clown and ringmaster with the Ringling Bros Circus 🎪, and regular appearances at the Comedy Store 🎭. Despite these achievements, Greg's true passion lies in sharing his expertise and gui...2024-08-211h 16
Book Summaries by Wise Words#78 Say It Solve It - Book Summary🎧 Welcome back to Wise Words Book Summaries! 🎧In this episode, we're diving into "Say It, Solve It" by Karl James. Here's what you'll learn:The 10 Elements of Impactful Conversations 🗣️💬: Discover the essential elements that make conversations meaningful and effective.Navigating Conversations Like a Pro 🧭🎯: Learn techniques to smoothly steer conversations and achieve your desired outcomes.How to Be a Better Listener 👂🔒: Improve your listening skills with 3 bullet-proof ideas.Wow with Your Words 🌟📝: Enhance your storytelling with 5 effective description techniques.Speak Up Without Being Rude ✋✔️: Use 5 simple points to interject polit...2024-08-141h 15
Book Summaries by Wise Words#77 Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln Part 2 - Book Summary🎧 Welcome back to Wise Words Book Summaries! 🎧Today, we're exploring Part 2 of "Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln." Here's what you'll learn:Churchill's CREAM Framework 🖋️💬: Master the art of crafting memorable quotes using Churchill's CREAM framework.Sound Like a Famous Orator 🗣️📜: Discover a simple hack to turn your prose into poetic speech, making you sound like a renowned speaker.The Power Button Technique 🔘🎯: Learn how to use a "Power Button" phrase to grab your audience's attention and highlight key messages.Creating a Strong Last Impression 💥🏁: End your talks with a dramatic closer...2024-08-0753 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#76 Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln Part 1 - Book Summary🎧 Welcome to Wise Words Book Summaries! 🎧In this episode, we're diving into Part 1 of "Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln." Here's what you'll learn:🗣️⏸️ The Power of Pausing: How strategic pauses can make your speech more impactful.📊🎉 Making Statistics Engaging: Tips to present data in an interesting way.🎩💼 Using Props for Presence: How props and style can enhance your public image.📜🎭 Wielding Quotes Effectively: Mastering the art of dramatising quotes for a stronger impact.🔍 Interested in learning more? Tune in to the full episode as...2024-07-311h 03
Book Summaries by Wise Words#75 How to Have Impossible Conversations Part II - Book Summary🎧 Welcome back to Wise Words Book Summaries! 🎧In Part 2 of our summary of "How to Have Impossible Conversations" by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay, we cover:🌟 Improve Your Interventions:Let Friends Be Wrong: Accept different beliefs.Build Golden Bridges: Create pathways to understanding.Use Effective Language: Connect with the right words.Introduce Scales: Clarify discussions.💬 Advanced Skills for Tough Conversations:Rapoport's Rules: Build trust and respect.Seek Disconfirmation: Challenge your own views.Use "Yes, and":2024-06-282h 07
Book Summaries by Wise Words#74 How to Have Impossible Conversations Part I - Book Summary🎧 Welcome to Wise Words Book Summaries! 🎧In this episode, we're exploring Part 1 of "How to Have Impossible Conversations" by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay. Here's what you'll learn:🗣️ Navigating Tough Talks: Tips for handling difficult discussions in today's divided world.📋 Seven Conversation Essentials: Goals, partnerships, rapport, listening, avoiding preaching, positive intentions, and knowing when to walk away.🤝 Collaborative Conversations: Treating others as partners in understanding, not opponents to defeat.👂 Modeling Behavior: Listening to be heard and providing direct answers.📚 The "Unrea...2024-06-211h 49
Book Summaries by Wise Words#73 Storyworthy - Book Summary🎧 Welcome to the Book Summary for "Storyworthy" by Matthew Dicks! 🎧In this episode, we dive into advanced storytelling techniques to help you craft unforgettable stories. Here's what you'll learn:🌟 Transformative Moments: Center your story around a life-changing five-second moment, ideally placed near the end.🎬 Opposite Beginnings and Endings: Start your story close to the end for focus and engagement, with the beginning contrasting the end.🔥 Using Stakes for Engagement: Keep your audience hooked with high stakes, creating tension and interest.📝 Permissible 'Lies...2024-06-141h 26
Book Summaries by Wise Words#72 Better Small Talk - Book SummaryThis is the Ultimate Book Summary for "Better Small Talk" by Patrick King. In this episode, we dive into advanced communication skills, focusing on mastering the art of small talk. These insights will boost your confidence and help you handle conversations effortlessly while connecting with others effectively.In our in-depth podcast review of "Better Small Talk" by Patrick King, you'll discover:- The Importance of Meaningful Conversations: Engaging in profound conversations correlates with higher well-being and happiness, while small talk can detract from overall happiness.- How to Prepare Effectively for Small Talk...2024-06-051h 36
Book Summaries by Wise Words#71 Win Every Argument Part II - Book SummaryThis is Part 2 of the Ultimate Book Summary for "Win Every Argument" by Mehdi Hasan. In this episode, we dive into advanced communication skills, focusing on arguments and debates. These insights will boost your confidence and help you handle tense situations while effectively arguing your points.In our in-depth podcast review of "Win Every Argument Book Summary Part 2" by Mehdi Hasan, you'll discover:The Rule of Three: This principle suggests that presenting ideas or arguments in groups of three makes them more captivating, enjoyable, and memorable for the audience. This technique can enhance the effectiveness...2024-06-051h 27
Book Summaries by Wise Words#70 Win Every Argument Part I - Book SummaryThis is Part 1 of the Ultimate Book Summary for "Win Every Argument" by Mehdi Hasan. In this episode, we delve deeper into advanced communication skills specifically focusing on arguments and debates. These ideas will improve your confidence and ability to deal with tense situations and argue your points effectively.In our comprehensive podcast review of "Win Every Argument" by Mehdi Hasan, you'll learn:1. The three key stages to captivating and persuading your audience effectively.2. Why emotions often have a stronger impact than facts in winning arguments.3. Strategies for using logical fallacies, like ad...2024-05-131h 14
Book Summaries by Wise Words#69 Think Faster, Talk Smarter Part II - Book SummaryThis is Part 2 of the Ultimate Book Summary for "Think Faster, Talk Smarter" by Matt Abrahams. In this episode, we delve deeper into advanced communication skills that enhance your interactions, whether they're casual or critical.Let's explore these key topics together:Mastering small talk and making connections through genuine curiosity.Enhancing conversations by balancing sharing and asking insightful questions.Structured approaches for impactful speaking in toasts and pitches.Effective techniques for handling Q&A sessions with clarity and relevance.Offering sincere apologies and constructive feedback using proven frameworks.If these...2024-04-291h 01
Book Summaries by Wise Words#68 Think Faster, Talk Smarter Part I - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating installment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of ‘Think Faster, Talk Smarter’ by the esteemed Matt Abrahams, unraveling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:* How to tame your anxiety around starting up conversations* How to maximise mediocrity using heuristics and reframing* How to shift your mindset tone an effective conversation machine* How to listen well and get rid...2024-03-221h 36
Book Summaries by Wise Words#67 How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating instalment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of 'How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere' by the esteemed Larry King, unraveling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:- How to break the ice with anyone- How to master small talk- How to build confidence in conversations- How to initiate conversations - How b...2024-03-151h 12
Book Summaries by Wise Words#65 The Art of Explanation Part I - Book SummaryWelcome back Wise Wordians,Our new Video is the "The Art of Explanation," Book Summary written by Ros Atkins.Ros Atkins is a senior BBC News anchor who hosted on BBC World Service radio for many years and is now the anchor and creator of the innovative primetime programme Outside Source on BBC World News television.This book summary is an essential watch for anyone eager to refine their ability to convey complex ideas in a simple, engaging manner. Whether you're in education, marketing, any professional field, or simply keen on enhancing your...2024-03-121h 30
Book Summaries by Wise Words#66 The Art of Explanation Part II - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to the second part of 'The Art of Explanation.'Join us on the second half of this summary as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:- Seven-Step Dynamic Explanation- Organise your Information- The importance of Verbalising- How to use Memory Techniques to improve your explanations- How to predict questions- How to effectively answer questions in the moment- Expecting the UnexpectedIf any of these subjects pique your curiosity...2024-03-1247 minBook Summaries by Wise Words#64 New Years Special - Our Favourite Books of 2023Hello, incredible Wise Words community!We're thrilled to have you back for another enthralling edition of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In today's episode, we're spicing things up to usher in the New Year. Join us for a special twist as we reflect on the past year, unveiling our favourite books and sharing the transformative insights we gained from them.We touch on many topics throughout this episode, including:HabitsPropagandaNutritionFitnessCorruptionTotalitarianism If any of these subjects pique your curiosity, we i...2024-01-141h 13
Book Summaries by Wise Words#63 Seeing Like a State - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating instalment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of ‘Seeing Like a State’ by the esteemed James C Scott, unravelling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:How societal transformations can take unexpected turnsThe 4 critical factors leading to catastrophic outcomes in state-led changesState projects of legibility and simplificationThe repercussions of applying measures to realityThe metric revolution and its implicationsThe fascinating story behi...2023-12-082h 11
Book Summaries by Wise Words#62 Why Leaders Lie - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating installment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of ‘Why Leaders Lie’ by the esteemed John J. Mearsheimer, unravelling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:The difference between lying and deceptionWhat is Lying?The Inventory of International LiesWhy States Lie to Each OtherWhat happens when States Tell Each other LiesFearmongering and Why Lead...2023-11-032h 08
Book Summaries by Wise Words#61 Corruptible Part II - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating installment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of ‘Corruptible’ by the esteemed Brian Klaas, unraveling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:How Power CorruptsHow Power Changes Your Body Attracting the incorruptible 10 Lessons for Preventing CorruptionThe Weight of Responsibility How Being Watched Changes Our BehaviourActionable IdeasIf any of these subjects pique your curiosity, we invite you to tune...2023-10-271h 20
Book Summaries by Wise Words#60 Corruptible Part I - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating installment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of ‘Corruptible’ by the esteemed Brian Klaas, unravelling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:The 4 elements of corruptionThe Evolution of PowerWhat kind of person is drawn to powerThe Power DelusionThe Recipe for Darkness - The Dark TriadBad Systems or Bad People?Why It Appears That Power Corr...2023-10-271h 47
Book Summaries by Wise Words#59 The Psychology of Totalitarianism Part III - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating instalment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we continue to delve into the last section of ‘The Psychology of Totalitarianism’ unravelling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:Ideological IdeasConspiracies and ideologiesWhat is a conspiracy theory and how does it work?How does an ideology spread?Living beyond a mechanistic worldviewCan adopting a chaos theory perspective of the world help?We invite you to tune in i...2023-10-021h 43
Book Summaries by Wise Words#58 The Psychology of Totalitarianism Part II - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating instalment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we continue to delve into ‘The Psychology of Totalitarianism’ by the esteemed Mathias Desmet, unravelling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:Can the universe really be measured?The danger of relying on numbers and measuring everything The Subjectivity of Data Can the solution be the problem?The rise of narcissism Is there such a thing as too many rules?T...2023-10-021h 49
Book Summaries by Wise Words#57 The Psychology of Totalitarianism Part I - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating instalment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of ‘The Psychology of Totalitarianism’ by the esteemed Mathias Desmet, unravelling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following thought-provoking topics:How science became corruptedWhat is required for true science to be conductedScience Ideology and its Psychological EffectsThe problem with measurementsHow the mechanistic ideology governs our livesScience and its Practical ApplicationsThe artificial societyWe invite you...2023-10-011h 42
Book Summaries by Wise Words#56 Functional Training and Beyond - Book SummaryGreetings, Esteemed Wise Wordians,Welcome back to yet another captivating instalment of 'Wise Words Book Summaries.'In this episode, we delve into the insightful pages of ‘Functional Training and Beyond’ by the esteemed Adam Sinicki, unravelling the profound essence of its central theme.Join us as we embark on a journey through the following fascinating topics:What is functional training and why do we need it?What is super functional training?Do we gravitate towards types of fitness that are easier to measure?The science of m...2023-09-262h 42
Book Summaries by Wise Words#55 Metabolical Part III - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we summarised the final part of “Metabolical’ by Robert Lustig which explores the relationship between processed foods and their overwhelming consequences on our health.In this episode, we touch on topics such as:The criteria for food to be considered ‘processed’Food adulterationsFood subtractionsFood additionsFood addictionsFood fraudHow food fraud is tested and regulatedPossible solutions for solving the processed food epidemicIf any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to...2023-08-221h 53
Book Summaries by Wise Words#54 Metabolical Part II - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Metabolical’ by Robert Lustig which explores the relationship between processed foods and its overwhelming consequences on our health. In this episode, we cover topics such as:Debunking ‘Chronic Disease”The Eight Sub-cellular PathwaysPathways that are Foodable, Not DruggableWhat Does “Healthy” Really Mean?The Nutrition MythologyPharmacokinetics and PharmacodynamicsIf any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to give it a listen, and if you enjoy what you hear, why not leave us...2023-06-292h 11
Book Summaries by Wise Words#53 Metabolical Part I - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Metabolical’ by Robert Lustig which explores the relationship between processed foods and its overwhelming consequences on our health. In this episode, we cover topics such as:How food has become poisonDebunking “Modern Medicine”Does Modern Medicine Treat the Disease or Just the Symptoms? Is Obesity the Root Cause of Health Problems or Just a Symptom?Why Doctors Need to Unlearn NutritionThe Relationship Between Mouth Health and Metabolic HealthThe Birth of Big Pharma If any of the...2023-06-071h 38
Book Summaries by Wise Words#52 Good to Go Part II - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Good to Go’ by Christie Aschwanden which explores the science of recovery and performance, removing popular myths that have become so prevalent in today's society.In this episode, we cover topics such as:The impact of sleep on recoveryThe sssue with fixating on sleep metricsSports nutrition and the problem with the supplement industryThe magic of metrics, objective measuresThe importance of listening to your body The placebo effectIf any of these topics so...2023-05-211h 35
Book Summaries by Wise Words#51 Good to Go Part I - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Good to Go’ by Christie Aschwanden which explores the science of recovery and performance, removing popular myths that have become so prevalent in today's society.In this episode, we cover topics such as:What is recovery and how has the meaning of the word changed over timeWhat is good scienceThe paradigm of ‘recovery’Do we need sports drinks to replenish our electrolytes?Do sports drinks even work?Is there such a thing as a metabolic wi...2023-04-172h 14
Book Summaries by Wise Words#50 The World's Fittest Book Part II - Book SummaryPart II: Optimise fat loss, build strength, increase speed, improve enduranceHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘The World’s Fittest Book’ by Ross Edgley which strips down fitness to its basics, covering the fundamentals of how to build strength, muscle, speed and endurance.In this episode, we cover topics such as:How to Lose FatHow to Get Big and StrongHow to Increase Speed and PowerHow to Improve EnduranceIf any of these topics sound interesting to you then m...2023-04-141h 39
Book Summaries by Wise Words#49 The World's Fittest Book Part I - Book SummaryPart I: The Five Laws of FitnessHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘The World’s Fittest Book’ by Ross Edgley which strips down fitness to its basics, covering the fundamentals of how to build strength, muscle, speed and endurance.In this episode, we cover topics such as:The Five Laws of FitnessThe Law of Body BasicsThe Law of Progressive OverloadThe Law of Specificity The Law of RecoveryThe Law of MoreIf any of these to...2023-04-111h 21
Book Summaries by Wise Words#48 The Sports Gene - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ’The Sports Gene’ by David Epstein which explores the contribution of both genes and sports training on human athleticism. In this episode, we cover topics such as:The predictive ability athletes acquire from their many hours of experience 10,000-hour rule, does it work?Genetic trainability How sports and sport technique shape the bodies of high-performing athletesHow our environments and culture shape our bodies and our genesIf any of these topics sound inter...2023-03-232h 06
Book Summaries by Wise Words#47 Exercised Part II - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This is the 2nd part of ‘Exercised’ by Daniel Lieberman which attempts to debunk a number of myths we assume are true about exercise by using an anthropological and cross-cultural perspective.In this episode, we cover the remaining myths Daniel Lieberman attempts to debunk, such as:That Normal Humans Trade Off Speed for EnduranceThat We Evolved to Be Extremely StrongThat Sports = ExerciseThat You Can't Lose Weight by WalkingThat Running is Bad for your KneesThat It's Normal t...2023-03-142h 15
Book Summaries by Wise Words#46 Exercised Part I - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Exercised’ by Daniel Lieberman which attempts to debunk a number of myths we assume are true about exercise by using an anthropological and cross-cultural perspective.In this episode, we cover some of the different myths Daniel Lieberman attempts to debunk, such as:That we evolved to exerciseThat it is unnatural to be lazyThat sitting is intrinsically unhealthyThat you need eight hours of sleep every nightIf any of these topics sound interest...2023-03-121h 36
Book Summaries by Wise Words#45 Hooked - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Hooked’ by Nir Eyal which explores the habit formation process and how applications utilise this process to influence our behaviour. In this episode, we cover topics such as:The Hooked ModelStep 1: TriggersStep 2: ActionStep 3: Variable RewardStep 4: investmentThe Five Fundamental Questions for Building Effective HooksHow to Apply the HOOK model?If any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to give it a listen, and if you enjoy...2023-02-282h 05
Book Summaries by Wise Words#44 Tiny Habits - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Tiny Habits’ by BJ Fogg which lays out a science-based approach to building habits in an easy and simple way, assuring lasting results.In this episode we cover topics such as:The Information-Action FallacyThe B-MAP Behaviour ModelHow to manipulate ability, motivation, and prompts to build habits.The Ability/ Friction FactorsPearl HabitsHow to design your environment for consistencyIf any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to give...2023-02-241h 25
Book Summaries by Wise Words#43 Good Habits Bad Habits - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Good Habits Bad Habits’ by Wendy Wood which explores the mechanisms that underpin habit formation from both a psychological and neuroscientific perspective.In this episode we cover:The difference between our conscious selves and our habitual selvesThe importance of persisting, despite our conscious intentions, to do otherwise.The areas of the brain responsible for habit formation and development. The four basic building blocks of habits; creating a stable context, reducing friction, making it reward...2023-02-061h 45
Book Summaries by Wise Words#42 The Power of Habit - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg which looks at the process of habit change by analysing its impact on an individual, organisational, and societal level.In this episode, we cover topics such as:How habits workHow to Create New HabitsThe Golden Rule of Habit ChangeWhat a keystone habit isHow willpower plays a part in habit formationIf any of these topics s...2022-12-131h 27
Book Summaries by Wise Words#41 Elastic Habits - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘Elastic Habits’ by Stephen Guise which proposes a flexible framework that can be adopted to help the process of habit formation.In this episode we cover topics such as:Why flexibility is so fundamental to building habitsLateral and Vertical FlexibilityHow to build motivation using the elastic habits frameworkWhy you should focus on strategies rather than tacticsHow to fully apply the elastic habits frameworkIf any of these topics sound interest...2022-11-211h 28
Book Summaries by Wise Words#40 The Now Habit - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising ‘The Now Habit’ by Neil Fiore which outlines a toolkit to help us reframe how we perceive our work so that we no longer engage in self-destructive procrastination.In this episode, we cover topics such as:Why we procrastinateHow we procrastinateWays of overcoming blocks to actionIf any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to give it a listen, and if you enjoy what you hear, wh...2022-11-071h 30
Book Summaries by Wise Words#39 The Habit Blueprint - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising 'The Habit Blueprint' by Patrick Edlab which proposes a simple 15-step guide to building good habits and eradicating bad ones.In this episode, we cover topics such as:- How to choose a habit to work on- How to approach habit formation- How to stay consistent with your habits- How to stay accountableIf any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to give...2022-10-261h 23
Book Summaries by Wise Words#38 Atomic Habits Part III - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising the third part of ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear which attempts to lay out a four-step process for breaking bad habits and adopting good ones.In this episode, we cover topics such as:The Fourth Law in James Clear's 4 Step Process - Make it SatisfyingHow to Stick with Good Habits Every DayHow an Accountability Partner Can Change EverythingAdvanced Tactics for Making Habits StickHabits, Genes and Natural AbilitiesHow to Stay Motivated with HabitsThe Downside to Creating...2022-10-041h 35
Book Summaries by Wise Words#37 Atomic Habits Part II - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising the second part of Atomic Habits by James Clear which attempts to lay out a four-step process to breaking bad habits and adopting good ones.In this episode, we cover topics such as:The Second Law in James Clear's 4 Step Process - Make it AttractiveThe Role of Family and Friends in Shaping your HabitsHow to Find and Fix the Causes of Your Bad HabitsThe Third Law in James Clear's 4 Step Process - Make it Easy...2022-09-301h 19
Book Summaries by Wise Words#36 Atomic Habits Part I - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’.This week we are summarising Atomic Habits by James Clear which lays out a four-step process to breaking bad habits and adopting good ones.In this episode, we cover topics such as:The Fundamentals of HabitsThe Difference Between Goals and SystemsHow your Habits Shape your IdentityHow to Build Better Habits in 4 Simple StepsThe First Law in James Clear's 4 Step Process - Make It ObviousIf any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to give it a...2022-09-261h 19
Book Summaries by Wise Words#35 Propaganda Part II - Book SummaryHello Wise Wordians,Welcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’. This week we are continuing on with the second part of propaganda by Edward Bernays. Last week we talked about the origins of propaganda, how it was used during the Great War, and how it works.This episode will look more at the contexts with which propaganda is used, such as: Political leadershipEducationArt and ScienceThe Mechanics of Propaganda If any of these topics sound interesting to you then make sure to give it a listen, and if you enjoy w...2022-09-171h 02
Book Summaries by Wise Words#34 Propaganda Part I - Book SummaryHey Wise WordiansWelcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’. Naturally, we thought it would be remiss of us to do a propaganda sequence and not summarise the original manual on propaganda itself - 'Propaganda' by Edward Bernal's, so here it is in two parts. Unlike the more modern books on propaganda that tend to emphasise the nefariousness of the topic, Bernays' approach is more academical, seeing it as a neutral mechanism that is essential to organise societies and influence the citizens to make the right choices in life. We...2022-09-101h 19
Book Summaries by Wise Words#33 Age of Propaganda Part III - Book SummaryHey Wise WordiansWelcome back to another episode of ‘Wise Words Book Summaries’. Today we summarised the final part of ‘Age of Propaganda’ by Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot AronsonThis is a fantastic book full of so many insights that are both practical and informative. Today we covered topics such as:Guilt and PersuasionHow to diagnose percussive communication Propaganda vs EducationSelection is PropagandaPropaganda and Value MisalignmentSeven steps to becoming a cult leaderIf these sound like interesting topics to you then make sure to give it a listen, and if you enjoy what...2022-09-031h 33
Book Summaries by Wise Words#32 Age of Propaganda Part II - Book SummaryHey Wise Wordians and welcome back to another episode of Wise Words Book SummariesBuilding on last week, in this episiode we summarise the second part of ‘Age of Propaganda’ By Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson. In this episode we covered a lot, including:Role Models and PersuasionHeuristics and Product QualityThe Self SellVividness and PersuasionRepetition and PersuasionHow Advertisers Use RepetitionChanging Peoples Minds with DissonanceProtagoras’ IdealCan Two Sided Arguments Be More Persuasive?Fear and PersuasionThe Use and Abuse of Fear AppealsThe Granfalloon Technique (Labelling Others)Defending Against GranfalloonsIf any of these topics sounds interes...2022-08-271h 48
Book Summaries by Wise Words#31 - Age of Propaganda Part I - Book SummaryHey Wise Wordians, Welcome back to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries.Building on our previous episode where we summarised 'Influence' by Robert Cialdini, this week we are summarising 'Age of Propaganda' By Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson.Whereas 'Influence' looked at the means at which an individual can be influenced through psychological manipulation, Age of Propaganda explores how these influential techniques are used on an everyday basis, especially in regards to business and politics. This is such a great book and is definitely worth a read if you don't wa...2022-08-191h 56
Book Summaries by Wise Words#30 - Influence Part II - Book SummaryHey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries.Today we will be summarising the second half of 'Influence' by Robert Cialdini.Last week we explored the first three principles laid out in his book; Reciprocity, Commitment and Consistency, and Social Proof. This week, however, we will be summarising the remaining three; Liking, Authority, and Scarcity. Remember, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to show us some love by leaving us a like, a comment or even better subscribe to our channel so you can be updated on...2022-08-011h 36
Book Summaries by Wise Words#29 - Influence Part I - Book SummaryHey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Wise Words Book Summaries.Today we will be summarising the first half of 'Influence' by Robert Cialdini.This book is heralded as the bible of persuasion and influence in sales despite being a psychology book. It has some amazing insights and is laid out in a simple and understandable way. Cialdini uses much scientific research to back up his claims while communicating them in a clear and comprehendible manner. The book highlights 6 influential principles that are effective due to the way our...2022-07-241h 26
Book Summaries by Wise Words#28 - Conflicted - Book SummaryHey wise people, we’re back!Sorry its taken us so long to upload another book summary, you know how it is, exam season, summer, and all these endless bank holidays. But no need to worry, we’re back and looking to stay on track.To start you off we’ve summarised Conflicted by Ian Leslie which takes a refreshing new view of arguing, stating that we need to argue and have conflict now and then as it helps to bring us closer together, inspire us, and even improve our intelligence. The...2022-06-131h 40
Book Summaries by Wise WordsShort Intros Ep.4 - RhetoricHello wise people and welcome to our series 'Short Intros.' In this series, we focus on summarising books from the 'Very Short Introduction (VSI)' series published by Oxford University Press. ----------------- Welcome back, wise people. Today we are going to be summarising a Very Short Introduction to Rhetoric by Richard Toye.Rhetoric can be defined as the art of persuasion and although it has been viewed somewhat negatively throughout history, it is a tool like any other that derives its value from the person using it. The book is...2022-02-231h 11
Book Summaries by Wise Words#27 - Difficult Conversations - Book SummaryWelcome back wise people to another episode of our Wise Word Book Summaries.This week we are summarising the book 'Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most' by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen.As the title suggests, this communication book offers a great guide on how to navigate tough conversations. It must be noted that before learning how to communicate properly we must first understand what conversations are made up of. By decoding hundreds of difficult conversations, the authors were able to identify three key areas that seemed to be responsible for...2022-02-101h 08
Book Summaries by Wise WordsShort Intros Ep.3 - JungHello wise people and welcome to our series 'Short Intros.'In this series, we focus on summarising books from the 'Very Short Introduction (VSI)' series published by Oxford University Press. -----------------We hope you had a good break, full of lots of festive cheer. I know we did.As you will have noticed we took a bit of time off, but now we are back and we have a bunch of plans in motion for the next couple of months to bring you some really great content. 2022-01-281h 12
Book Summaries by Wise Words#26 - Selfie - Book SummaryHey wise listeners and welcome back to another episode of our wise words book summaries.This episode is on Selfie by Will Storr which tries to explore ‘the self’ from the perspective of the west in terms of individualism and in particular perfectionism. To do this, Will Storr approaches the self from a biological, social and cultural perspective. Tracing back the roots of individualism to Ancient Greece, he is able to show how the conceptualisation of the self has evolved through different historical periods and become what it is today. Jes and I touch o...2021-12-041h 37
Book Summaries by Wise Words#25 - Social Warming - Book SummaryThis episode on Social Warming by Charles Arthur takes a look at social media platforms and their negative effects on society caused by their business model as well as their increasing size; such as the breakdown of trust, the increase in fake news, and political polarisation.He uses real-world examples of how social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and WhatsApp have all played a role in the breakdown of society in one way or another. Jes and I explore a lot in this episode, touching on the three main areas mentioned previously as w...2021-11-141h 23
Book Summaries by Wise WordsShort Intros Ep.2 - Philosophy of ScienceHello good people and welcome to another episode of our Wise Words Short Intros.Today we build on top of our previous episode on philosophy by summarising 'A very Short Introduction to Philosophy of Science.' this is a fantastic book that really makes you question, what is science? I highly recommend it as it gives you another tool to your toolbox for understanding the world and getting that one step closer to the truth.We explore a lot of areas in regard to philosophy science, such as;What is science?Scientific InferenceExplanation of S...2021-11-061h 16
Book Summaries by Wise Words#24 - 12 more Rules for Life Part II - Book SummaryWelcome back to the 2nd part of Beyond Order, 12 More Rule for Life. In this episode, we will be covering the other 6 rules, these being:Rule 7: Work as Hard as You Possibly Can on At Least One Thing and See What HappensRule 8: Try to Make One Room in Your Home as Beautiful As PossibleRule 9: If Old Memories Still Upset You, Write Them Down Carefully and CompletelyRule 10: Plan and Work Diligently to Maintain Romance in Your RelationshipRule 11: Do Not Allow Yourself to Become Resentful, Deceitful, or ArrogantRule 12: Be Grateful in Spite of Your SufferingIf you e...2021-10-1558 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#23 - 12 More Rules for Life Part I - Book SummaryIf you’ve been tuning in to our previous episodes you would’ve realised Jes and I are big fans of JBP (that is Jordan B. Peterson), so we thought it was about time we should summarise his new book '12 More Rules for Life - Beyond Order.' This book is in line with the previous book episodes on Shattered Assumptions and Evil as it conveys the same underlying concept of overcoming adversity and self-transformation. Now just like the last JBP book we summarised, we will also be splitting this into two episodes of 6 rules, that way we...2021-10-061h 08
Book Summaries by Wise WordsShort Intros Ep.1 - PhilosophyHello good people and welcome to our new series 'Short Intros.'We are going to be moving on from our Roam Recap series to focus on summarising books from the 'Very Short Introduction (VSI)' series published by Oxford University Press. The VSI is a book series that introduces different subjects in a concise manner and is aimed at a general audience but written by experts. If you haven’t heard of them go and check them out. They are amazing and give you a real insight into practically any topic you can think of...2021-09-291h 20
Book Summaries by Wise Words#22 - Evil - Book SummaryThis episode leads on from shattered assumptions in the sense that it looks at our assumptions about evil, what it is, how it manifests, and whether it actually exists. Roy Baumeister does an excellent job of defining what evil is and then taking us on a journey of how relatively normal people can become what we consider evil. The process that he describes in his book looks at the 4 key causes of evil; means to an end, egotism, idealism and lastly sadism. He then dives into the reasons how these 4 causes can even happen in the first p...2021-09-221h 23
Book Summaries by Wise Words#21 - Shattered Assumptions - Book SummaryIf you’ve been tuning in for the last couple of episodes, you would’ve noticed that we’ve been touching a lot on the topic of trauma. This book is a perfect accompaniment to the others as it explains how we construct a framework of the world and what happens when it is broken or in this case, shattered due to a traumatic event.Although this book refers to people who have experienced traumatic events, it is applicable to anyone as it reflects what happens when an assumption of any kind is broken… therefore causing anxiety. This...2021-09-081h 31
Book Summaries by Wise Words#20 - The Myth of Mental Illness - Book SummaryThe Myth of Mentall Illness book summary can be found here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/myth-of-mental-illness-book-summary/Today we are reviewing 'The Myth of Mental Illness by Dr Thomas Szasz which gives a critique of the psychiatric field and tries to explain why there is no such thing as mental illness. Now as you can tell by the title of this episode, this is quite a controversial book, we mean no offence but we thought it would be interesting to review it and see how it compares with the mainstream idea of therapeutics and psychiatry. D...2021-08-301h 14
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep.8In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes and discuss topics that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.--Today we kept it short and sweet only touching on a few topics:Emotional Conjugations - how by using specific adjectives, one can distort an interpretation of an event/ action. Arguing with specificity - how it is better to argue on a specific level rather than a general one in order to get to the crux of an issue.Refining assumptions - h...2021-08-1839 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#19 - The Body Keeps the Score - Book SummaryThe incredibly well-received book ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel Van Der Kolk dives into the world of trauma and methods of rehabilitation. Van der Kolk argues that conventional methods of treatment such as prescription drugs only deal with the symptoms whereas the methods he emphasises tend to do a lot more to help the underlying problem. Being a pioneer of the field and having had over 30+ years of dealing with traumatised victims, Van der Kolk has been able to observe that the brain, mind and body all play an equal part in dealing with traumatic events...2021-08-111h 07
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep.7In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes and discuss topics that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.--Today we touched on some really interesting topics such as:The direction of thoughts - how by keeping track of your thoughts by noting them down and referencing them you are able to see which direction they were going in, allowing you to pick up where you came from and continue your chain of thought. Gymnastics - how its ethos of training your muscles f...2021-08-041h 05
Book Summaries by Wise Words#18 - Mistakes Were Made (but not by me) - Book SummaryMistakes Were Made (but not by me) is a fantastic book by Carol Tavris and Eliot Aronson. It explores the world of excuses, self-justification, false memories and much more. The book summary write up can be found on - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/mistakes-were-made/A lot of the time, we tend to act in ways that are incongruent with how we see ourselves, however, in order to make ourselves feel better about it we create reasons that justify our behaviour. For example, an individual may see themselves as honest, meaning that when they do lie they are...2021-07-281h 11
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep.6In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes and discuss topics that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.In this weeks episode, we touch on a wide variety of topics, such as productivity and how to find time to complete projects, gratitude in regard to reframing a negative situation in a positive light, and sex difference in relation to over and under perception bias. We also talked about the ever-increasing technological scammers and how they have proliferated over lockdown and why this may be the case.2021-07-2157 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#17 - Made to Stick - Book SummaryMade to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath is such a great book, one that is well written as well as so simply laid out. This is thanks to their acronym which they like to attribute to making things memorable - SUCCES.Simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and stories. Each one of these is crucial in the ability to express ideas in a way that is easy to understand and therefore more memorable. Jes and I explore each one of these elements in-depth while also touching on topics such as the curse of...2021-07-141h 16
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep.5In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes and discuss topics that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.In this weeks episode, we explored topics such as the OODA loop, schemas and reframing failure, as well as talking about paired metrics like leading and lagging measures. We also spoke a lot about how the world is becoming more convenient and how this is having devastating effects on society as a whole. If any of these areas sound interesting to you, give it a listen a...2021-07-071h 22
Book Summaries by Wise Words#15 - 12 Rules for Life Part I - Book Summary12 Rules for Life is a fantastic book written by no other than Jordan B Peterson. As the name suggests, it is made up of 12 rules that he believes to be beneficial to your life. The full write up of the book summary is here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/12-rules-for-life-book-summary/The book itself has a lot of religious examples from the Bible as well as evidence from clinical psychology and philosophy to illustrate his points. The idea behind this is that due to the scientific revolution we have lost touch with any of our moral guidelines, guidelines t...2021-02-241h 18
Book Summaries by Wise Words#16 - 12 Rules for Life Part II - Book Summary12 Rules for Life is a fantastic book written by no other than Jordan B Peterson. As the name suggests, it is made up of 12 rules that he believes to be beneficial to your life. - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/12-rules-for-life-book-summary/The book itself has a lot of religious examples from the Bible as well as evidence from clinical psychology and philosophy to illustrate his points. The idea behind this is that due to the scientific revolution we have lost touch with any of our moral guidelines, guidelines that aren't quite provable by science but are no less i...2021-02-241h 20
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep.4In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes, notes that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.This weeks episode, we explore one of Jordan B Petersons papers 'Three forms of meaning and the management of complexity.' This is an incredible paper and sheds light on how we envisage the world and how objects present themselves to us.In addition to this, we also talk about low and high-resolution categories, what rules govern them and whether or not these rules are vulnerable to inaccuracies...2021-02-1248 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#14 - The Origins of Virtue - Book SummaryThe Origins of Virtue written Book Summary can be found on https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/origins-of-virtue-book-summary/In 1976 Richard Dawkins shone a light on our inherently selfish behaviour with his 'Selfish Gene Theory.' This has been an ultimate force in understanding mankind from an evolutionary perspective. This finding is rather odd when you consider that we are social creatures that have managed to build global societies through altruistic behaviour. So how can an individual be both inherently selfish and yet behave in what seems an altruistic manner?In 'The Origins of Virtue' Matt Ridley dives i...2021-01-1858 min
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep.3In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes, notes that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.This weeks episode, we look at the origins of anxiety and how it manifests in society. We also dive into the benefits of understanding abstract concepts and applying them to other areas of life. In addition to this, we touch on stories, particularly the heroes journey and how it is relevant to anyone who has overcome adversity... this being everyone. And finally, we review the impacts of labelling and how...2021-01-171h 04
Book Summaries by Wise Words#13 - Peak - Book SummaryThis is Book Summary of Peak by Anders Ericcson. The full write up can be found here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/peak-book-summary/Would you like the ability to get better at anything? To have the superpower to improve at anything you put your mind to? Well, 'Peak' by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool does exactly that.This fantastic book goes into detail about why some people excel at certain skills and others find it hard. We are constantly fed this narrative that more equals better, that it only requires 10000 hours for you to become a...2020-11-071h 02
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep. 2In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes, notes that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.This weeks episode, we look at skill performance in the form of deliberate practice. This is a method discovered by Anders Ericson, which allows you to push past that threshold and obtain better results. Linked to this topic, we also talk about goal orientation, angular thinking, mental representations and subjective experiences. On a broader note, we also touch on topics such as imagination, reality, expertise, categorising and last b...2020-10-2257 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#12 - How to Have Impossible Conversations - Book SummaryHow to have impossible conversations is a fantastic book that is becoming more and more relevant by the day. The full write up is here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/how-to-have-impossible-conversations/With the current state of polarisation due to social media and ideological differences, it is clear that people find it hard to talk about certain issues without the possibility of conflict.As many psychology books illustrate, truth comes second to social conformity. Therefore we need to create an environment that allows people to speak up. By acknowledging everyone's opinion no matter how much you d...2020-10-051h 14
Book Summaries by Wise WordsRoam Recap Ep. 1In our roam recap podcast, Jes and I review some of our weekly notes, notes that we weren't able to talk about in our book review episodes.Roam research is a note-taking tool for networking thought. It is incredibly good at linking ideas which makes it much easier for us to link between different books and articles.Sometimes we are quite restricted in terms of how much we can say about a book without taking too much of a tangent. Roam recap allows us to talk about ideas, thoughts and the occasional hypothesis. I...2020-09-2254 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#11 - The Control Heuristic - Book SummaryThe Control Heuristic Book Summary - You can find full written summary here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/the-control-heuristic-book-summary/Why do we find it hard to act on some thoughts but easy to act on others? Why can't we put our mind to something and just do it? Well, it turns out that our brains have a set of requirements to turn our thoughts into actions.Luca Dellanna brings a whole new perspective to actionability, describing why we might procrastinate, make excuses or be lazy. The book is split into 3 volumes, the first b...2020-09-1350 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#10 - A More Beautiful Question - Book SummaryA more beautiful question book summary full write up can be found here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/more-beautiful-question-book-summary/Questioning is like a superpower. It allows us to question our own realities and come up with new ones. Too often we take answers as absolutes and never check in on them, never see if their value has diminished over time. Answers are dependant on time and context, if one was to open a petrol station during the horse and carriage times, it would sound ridiculous, however, that would be far from the case if it was done...2020-09-0246 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#9 - What Game Are You Playing - Book SummaryRobin Moriarty's book 'What Game Are You Playing?' is a great reminder that we should all be doing what we want to do rather than what others want us to do. Although many self-help books talk about finding happiness and pursuing a passion, Robin uses a great analogy of 'games' to make it simple and understandable for anyone reading it. You can find the full book summary - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/what-game-are-you-playing-summary/In a society that puts so much emphasis on making money, it's easy to think t...2020-08-1744 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#8 - Atomic Habits - Book SummaryIn this great book Atomic Habits by James Clear, we are shown how to optimise our lives through the use of habits. The book is laid out beautifully and is very easy to follow. See our full written Atomic Habits Book Summary here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/atomic-habits-book-summary/The book is all about how change comes from incremental improvements, not overnight successes. The tiniest changes over time can make a world of difference.Clear breaks down what habits are made up of and then explains why they're so important and how to take advantage...2020-07-2345 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#7 - The Elephant in the Brain Part II - Book SummaryThe Second Episode of our exploration of Human Nature. Taking the Scalpel to the role of humour, conversation and charity in human relationships. -- If you enjoyed this podcast make sure to check out our other content on our other platforms:Website: https://wisewords.blog/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisewords.blog/Twitter: https://twitter.com/wisewordsblogFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiseWordsBlogYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWeK869x5kMOadyLiW2zQgIf you enjoyed this podcast make sure to check out our other content on our other platforms: Website: https://wisewords.blog/ Ins...2020-07-101h 04
Book Summaries by Wise Words#6 - The Elephant in the Brain Part I - Book SummaryThe Elephant in the Brain thesis: - Full Book Summary is here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/the-elephant-in-the-brain-book-summary/1. People are judging us all the time. They want to know whether well make good friends, allies, lovers, or leaders. And one of the important things they're judging is our motives. Why do we behave the way we do? Do we have others' best interests at heart, or are we entirely selfish?2. Because others are judging us, we're eager to look good. So we emphasize our pretty motives and downplay our ugly ones. It's not...2020-06-2759 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#5 - Factfulness - Book SummaryFactfulness by Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Hans Rosling, and Ola Rosling explains how we can all cultivate a fact based view of the world by dealing our 'instincts'. You can see our full written summary of this book summary here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/factfulness-book-summary/The books main thesis, we all have an overdramatic view of the world and believe the world is getting worse. Factfulness is a book to correct your false assumptions. In this conversation we go through the 10 instincts from the book and discuss all the things the book claims we are...2020-06-1756 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#4 - What We Learnt This Month SummaryThis podcast is a discussion around what we've learnt this month from the books, articles and conversations we've been having. This conversation goes into Metaphors and why they are surprisingly important in our everyday lives, prescriptions (how-to) advice and why it doesn't always work and how man-made tools like the clock shape our lives. If you are curious to how language secretly structures your life then this podcast is for you.If you enjoyed this podcast make sure to check out our other content on our other platforms: Website: https://wi...2020-06-0750 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#3 - A Mind for Numbers - Book SummaryIn A Mind for Numbers, Dr. Oakley lets us in on the secrets to learning effectively—secrets that even dedicated and successful students wish they’d known earlier. https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/mind-for-numbers/The learning strategies in this book apply not only to math and science but to any subject in which we struggle.In this review, we delve into the key learning strategies we took from the book and how you can apply them yourself.If you're interested in learning how to learn or want to learn how to acquire knowl...2020-05-2748 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#2 - The Molecule of More - Book SummaryThe Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman is all about Dopamine, the chemical of desire that always asks for more—more stuff, more stimulation, and more surprises. For a full written book summary check out - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/molecule-of-more-book-summary/In the pursuit of more, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality. Dopamine is the source of our urges, the biology that makes an ambitious business professional sacrifice everything in pursuit of success, or that drives a satisfied spouse to risk it all for the thrill of someone new. Simply put, it is w...2020-05-1944 min
Book Summaries by Wise Words#1 - How to Read a Book - Book SummaryThis is the How to Read a Book - book summary! You can find the full write up of this summary here - https://wisewords.blog/book-summaries/how-to-read-book-book-summary/Not every book is the same, so why would we approach them in the same way? Mortimer Adler's book 'How to Read a Book' dives into the process of reading and how we need to master rudimentary reading before proceeding onto what he calls, inspectional, analytical and syntopical reading. Here we discuss the key takeaways from his book and how you can apply them to your reading.2020-05-1344 min