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The 4 Minute Read

Civil September
Sep 16, 2023 || Read in browser

Now, if only people's fists would stop automatically in front of everyone else's nose too, right Neil?

Hello there! It's Nik with this week's 4 Minute Read, hot off the press. Here's what we made for you this week:

Starry Messenger by Neil deGrasse Tyson (looks at our biggest problems from a cosmic perspective)
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek (will teach you long-term thinking in life and business)
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (is the OG book about habits and a must-read)
Shortform AI* (removes fluff on the internet with a single click, thus helping you learn 10x faster)

Time to jump into great ideas and learn something new!

Hot Off The Press

Starry Messenger
by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson might be the most important science teacher of our time, but he is definitely the coolest. Not only does he explain complex scientific phenomena, from time to black holes, in simple words everyone can understand, he also has a sense of humor and a poetic way with words. In Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization, Tyson looks at the big debates of our time — from gender and race beauty and truth, to politics and war — from the perspective of the universe, bringing insight, rationality, and calm to heated, emotional topics. If you want to get a 100,000-foot view on life and look past our differences, read this summary.

Read the Summary »

Quote of the Week

"Arguing with people you disagree with takes less effort than exploring why they think differently from you."

— Neil deGrasse Tyson

The Big 3 From the Book

1. Without the moon landing, we might never have grown to care so much about saving the environment.

2. If we want to keep up with life's exponential pace, we must continue to explore and discover.

3. Nature's exponentiality can show us why we are special and should be grateful to be alive.

Master the Book in 4 Minutes »

A Book Brought to Life

When Simon Sinek went to two, back-to-back events at Microsoft and Apple, he observed the following:

"At the Microsoft event, the majority of the presenters devoted a good portion of their presentations to talking about how they were going to beat Apple. At the Apple event, 100% of the presenters spent 100% of their time talking about how Apple was trying to help teachers teach and help students learn."

This marks the difference between a company that thinks with a finite mindset and one that thinks with an infinite mindset. The concept stems from a 1984 book by James Carse, called Finite and Infinite Games.

In The Infinite Game, Sinek applies the idea to business, but it is a great approach to long-term thinking in life in general. Here's what today's video will teach you:

There are finite and infinite games. Business is an infinite game and must therefore be played as such.
A Just Cause is an appealing vision of the future that pulls people in, and it must satisfy 5 criteria to work.
Every infinite-minded business needs a Worthy Rival to learn from.

If you want to build a business that is focused on winning and has the power to endure for decades or learn to think more long-term in life, watch this video.

The Deal

How would you like to never waste time while on the internet, ever again? Okay, that may be a stretch, BUT, with Shortform AI*, you can screen nearly every piece of content on the web before you dive in.

This one-click browser extension is like the Thanos-snap of web browsing: it instantly eliminates all the fluff (for more on that metaphor + tons of examples, see here).

Shortform AI* will save you tons of time, add valuable context where you need it, and even make you less biased. You'll learn a lot faster and understand everything a lot quicker.

What if you could get an executive summary of the New York Times deep dive on the latest financial crisis?
What if you find a health expert's claims suspicious and need some counterpoints for a more nuanced view?
What if you could quickly skim the main points of a 1-hour-Youtube interview instead of just listening and hoping you strike gold?

Well, with Shortform AI*, you can do all of those things, and you can do them in seconds. Open any article, Youtube video, or email in your browser, click "Get Summary," and voilà — a summary in a few bullets, some context, additional resources, and even a few counterarguments will appear.

This brilliant tool is part of Shortform's* larger offering: A library of over 1,000 incredibly detailed book guides, complete with audio features, a mobile app, and custom book recommendations. Best of all, you can try the whole experience completely free for 5 days and get 20% off through our exclusive Four Minute Books link.

If you want to waste less time on the internet, learn faster, and be able to summarize everything at the click of a button, try this tool.

Try Shortform AI* for Free »

Dusty But Brilliant

The Power of Habit
by Charles Duhigg

This is the original, definitive book on habits. I know nowadays, everyone sees Atomic Habits as that title, but the truth is, without this book, there would be no Atomic Habits. Three quarters of James Clear's model comes straight from this book — and he credits it, too! Did James improve upon it? Absolutely. Is his book more polished and up to date? Yes. But The Power of Habit is still a fantastic read more than 10 years after its original publication. Whether you're a behavioral psychology nerd or just want to get to the absolute bottom of what makes habits stick and humans tick, this classic is a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in self-help. Check it out!

Read the Summary »