The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

February 11, 2014 by Shane Parrish

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Atul Gawande. A reader recently pointed out that I hadn’t covered his most recent book, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. I had only covered an interesting subset of the book—why we fail.

In this post, we’ll take a quick look at some other parts of the book.

To put us in the proper context, we’re smart. Not scary smart but smart enough. We have skills and we generally put them in the most highly trained and hardworking people we can find. We have the most educated society in history. And we’ve accomplished a lot. Nevertheless, sometimes success escapes us for avoidable reasons. Not only are these failures common—across everything from medicine to finance—but they are also frustrating. We should know better but we don’t. The reason we don’t learn, Gawande argues, is evident: Read more of this post

Love is Wise, Hatred is Foolish

Love is Wise, Hatred is Foolish

February 14, 2014 by Shane Parrish

“Love is wise, hatred is foolish.”

The British philosopher Bertrand Russell gave us some of the more enduring developments in 20th-century philosophy. His 10 commandments of teaching andwriting on avoiding foolish opinions demonstrate how Russell wanted philosophy to speak to ordinary people.

In this rare 1959 interview with BBC, Russell is asked to pass along advice to a later generation. In just under two minutes he articulates two things: one intellectual and one moral that still resonate today and cut through our noisy world. Read more of this post

The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant: Twelve Keys to Successful Living

The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant: Twelve Keys to Successful Living Hardcover – Bargain Price

by Terry Felber  (Author) , Dave Ramsey (Foreword)

Every life requires a spiritual foundation.

“Grandfather, you left this…” Julio lifted the leather-bound journal and stepped toward the old man.

“It is yours now,” said Antonio, with a gleam in his eye. “I’ve lived my life according to the twelve principles recorded in it. And if you will apply its principles as I did, your success will be greater than you could ever imagine.” Read more of this post

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy Hardcover

by William B. Irvine  (Author)

One of the great fears many of us face is that despite all our effort and striving, we will discover at the end that we have wasted our life. In A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine plumbs the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and successful schools of thought in ancient Rome, and shows how its insight and advice are still remarkably applicable to modern lives. Read more of this post

The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius [Paperback]

Pierre Hadot (Author), Michael Chase (Translator)

Book Description

Release date: January 27, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0674007077 | ISBN-13: 978-0674007079

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are treasured today–as they have been over the centuries–as an inexhaustible source of wisdom. And as one of the three most important expressions of Stoicism, this is an essential text for everyone interested in ancient religion and philosophy. Yet the clarity and ease of the work’s style are deceptive. Pierre Hadot, eminent historian of ancient thought, uncovers new levels of meaning and expands our understanding of its underlying philosophy. Read more of this post

Aristotle for Everybody by Mortimer J. Adler, Chairman of the Board of the Encyclopaedia Britannica

Aristotle for Everybody Paperback

by Mortimer J. Adler (Author)

Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C.) taught logic to Alexander the Great and, by virtue of his philosophical works, to every philosopher since, from Marcus Aurelius, to Thomas Aquinas, to Mortimer J. Adler. Now Adler instructs the world in the “uncommon common sense” of Aristotelian logic, presenting Aristotle’s understandings in a current, delightfully lucid way. He brings Aristotle’s work to an everyday level. By encouraging readers to think philosophically, Adler offers us a unique path to personal insights and understanding of intangibles, such as the difference between wants and needs, the proper way to pursue happiness, and the right plan for a good life. Read more of this post

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True InspirationHardcover

by Ed Catmull (Author) , Amy Wallace (Author)

From Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios, comes an incisive book about creativity in business—sure to appeal to readers of Daniel Pink, Tom Peters, and Chip and Dan Heath.

Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about how to build a creative culture—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.” Read more of this post

What Is Love? “Love requires you to be physically and emotionally present. It also requires that you slow down.”

What Is Love?

February 14, 2014 by Shane Parrish

“Love requires you to be physically and emotionally present. It also requires that you slow down.”

What better day is there than today to explore love? In Love 2.0, psychologist Barbara Fredrickson looks under the hood to explore love.

She begins by exploring longing before connecting it to love. Read more of this post

Rhinoceros Success : the Secret to Charging Full Speed Toward Every Opportunity

Rhinoceros Success : the Secret to Charging Full Speed Toward Every Opportunity Hardcover

by Scott Alexander  (Author) , Dave Ramsey (Foreword)

Dave says, “I believe in this book so much. It’s one of the 4 books that I require my team to read when they start working on my team.” Scott Alexander has discovered the REAL secret of success: becoming a rhinoceros. Read it and go rhino! Read more of this post

Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil Hardcover

Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil Hardcover

by Paul Bloom  (Author)

A leading cognitive scientist argues that a deep sense of good and evil is bred in the bone.

From John Locke to Sigmund Freud, philosophers and psychologists have long believed that we begin life as blank moral slates. Many of us take for granted that babies are born selfish and that it is the role of society—and especially parents—to transform them from little sociopaths into civilized beings. In Just Babies, Paul Bloom argues that humans are in fact hardwired with a sense of morality. Drawing on groundbreaking research at Yale, Bloom demonstrates that, even before they can speak or walk, babies judge the goodness and badness of others’ actions; feel empathy and compassion; act to soothe those in distress; and have a rudimentary sense of justice. Read more of this post

Leverage: The CEO’s Guide to Corporate Culture

Leverage: The CEO’s Guide to Corporate Culture Paperback

by John R. Childress  (Author)

LEVERAGE: The CEO’s Guide to Corporate Culture: A book specially written for the CEO and business leader to better understand what corporate culture is, why it matters, the impact on performance, where culture comes from, how to better understand the strenghts and weaknesses of your own culture, and importantly, how to develop and sustain high performance culture.  Read more of this post

On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes

On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes Hardcover

by Alexandra Horowitz  (Author)

From the author of the giant #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog comes an equally smart, delightful, and startling exploration of how we perceive and discover our world.
Alexandra Horowitz’s brilliant On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes shows us how to see the spectacle of the ordinary—to practice, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle put it, “the observation of trifles.” On Looking is structured around a series of eleven walks the author takes, mostly in her Manhattan neighborhood, with experts on a diverse range of subjects, including an urban sociologist, the well-known artist Maira Kalman, a geologist, a physician, and a sound designer. Read more of this post

The organization that renews itself: Lasting value from lean management; Applying lean principles to management, rather than just operations, can help large organizations reimagine how they work and unlock value through continuous improvement

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life Paperback

by Twyla Tharp  (Author) , Mark Reiter (Contributor)

One of the world’s leading creative artists, choreographers, and creator of the smash-hit Broadway show, Movin’ Out, shares her secrets for developing and honing your creative talents—at once prescriptive and inspirational, a book to stand alongside The Artist’s Way and Bird by Bird.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly Read more of this post

The Artist’s Way

The Artist’s Way Paperback

by Julia Cameron  (Author)

The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. Still as vital today—or perhaps even more so—than it was when it was first published one decade ago, it is a powerfully provocative and inspiring work. In a new introduction to the book, Julia Cameron reflects upon the impact of The Artist’s Way and describes the work she has done during the last decade and the new insights into the creative process that she has gained. Updated and expanded, this anniversary edition reframes The Artist’s Way for a new century. Read more of this post

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life [Paperback]

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life [Paperback]

Anne Lamott (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 1, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0385480016 | ISBN-13: 978-0385480017 | Edition: 1

“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my  brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy.  Just take it bird by bird.'” Read more of this post

Making Habits, Breaking Habits: Why We Do Things, Why We Don’t, and How to Make Any Change Stick

Making Habits, Breaking Habits: Why We Do Things, Why We Don’t, and How to Make Any Change Stick Paperback

by Jeremy Dean  (Author)

At least one third of our waking hours are lived on autopilot. But habits of the mind do not have to control us—we can steer them. Drawing on the latest research, psychologist Jeremy Dean explains why seemingly easy habits can prove difficult to form and how to take charge of your brain’s routines to make any change stick. Making Habits, Breaking Habits explains that it is possible to bend habits to your will—and become happier, more creative, and more productive. Read more of this post

Strategy: A History

Strategy: A History Hardcover

by Lawrence Freedman  (Author)

Selected as a Financial Times Best Book of 2013

In Strategy: A History, Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of the world’s leading authorities on war and international politics, captures the vast history of strategic thinking, in a consistently engaging and insightful account of how strategy came to pervade every aspect of our lives.  Read more of this post

The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life – Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process Paperback

The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life – Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process Paperback

by Thomas M. Sterner  (Author)

In those times when we want to acquire a new skill or face a formidable challenge we hope to overcome, what we need most are patience, focus, and discipline, traits that seem elusive or difficult to maintain. In this enticing and practical book, Thomas Sterner demonstrates how to learn skills for any aspect of life, from golfing to business to parenting, by learning to love the process. Read more of this post

The Fortune Cookie Principle: The 20 keys to a great brand story and why your business needs one

The Fortune Cookie Principle: The 20 keys to a great brand story and why your business needs one. Paperback

by Bernadette Jiwa  (Author)

“This should be the next book you read. Urgent, leveraged and useful, it will change your business like nothing else.” SETH GODIN —Author The Icarus Deception

It’s not how good you are. It’s how well you tell your story.

Big corporations might have huge marketing and advertising budgets but you’ve got a story. Your brand story isn’t just what you tell people. It’s what they believe about you based on the signals your brand sends. ‘The Fortune Cookie Principle’ is a brand building framework and communication strategy consisting of 20 keys that enable you to begin telling your brand’s story from the inside out. It’s the foundation upon which you can differentiate your brand and make emotional connections with the kind of clients and customers you want to serve. Read more of this post

The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny

The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny Hardcover

by Peter McGraw  (Author) , Joel Warner  (Author)

Two guys. 19 experiments. Five continents. 91,000 miles. And a book that will forever change the way you think about humor.

Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist detail their epic quest to discover the secret behind what makes things funny.
Dr. Peter McGraw, founder of the Humor Research Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, teamed up with journalist Joel Warner on a far-reaching search for the secret behind humor. Their journey spanned the globe, from New York to Japan, from Palestine to the Amazon. Meanwhile, the duo conducted their own humor experiments along the way—to wince-worthy, hilarious, and illuminating results. Read more of this post

Thinking: The New Science of Decision-Making, Problem-Solving, and Prediction

Thinking: The New Science of Decision-Making, Problem-Solving, and Prediction [Paperback]

John Brockman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 29, 2013 | ISBN-10: 0062258540 | ISBN-13: 978-0062258540

Unlock your mind

From the bestselling authors of Thinking, Fast and Slow; The Black Swan; and Stumbling on Happiness comes a cutting-edge exploration of the mysteries of rational thought, decision-making, intuition, morality, willpower, problem-solving, prediction, forecasting, unconscious behavior, and beyond. Edited by John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org (“The world’s smartest website”—The Guardian), Thinking presents original ideas by today’s leading psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers who are radically expanding our understanding of human thought. Read more of this post

The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion

Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion Hardcover

by David Zweig  (Author)

An inspiring look at the hidden stars who perform essential work without recognition

In a culture where so many strive for praise and glory, what kind of person finds the greatest reward in anonymous work?
Expanding from his acclaimed Atlantic article, “What Do Fact-Checkers and Anesthesiologists Have in Common?” David Zweig explores what we can all learn from a modest group he calls “Invisibles.” Their careers require expertise, skill, and dedication, yet they receive little or no public credit. And that’s just fine with them. Read more of this post

How to Execute Innovation in Any Organization

Beyond the Idea: How to Execute Innovation in Any Organization Hardcover

by Vijay Govindarajan  (Author) , Chris Trimble (Author)

The New York Times bestselling authors of Reverse Innovation and How Stella Saved the Farm distill more than a decade of exclusive research into one short, powerful, action-oriented book.

Companies stumble when they imagine that innovation is mostly about ideas. The reality is that ideas are only beginnings. Indeed, even a company with the world’s best idea still faces a devilish challenge: it must build the business of tomorrow without endangering the business of today. Read more of this post