They ruled the planet for 150 million years. And then they were just…gone. Millions of years later, the traces of these giant reptiles—their strange skeletons, with teeth the size of railroad spikes—still inspire a powerful sense of awe. Our Instaread on Steve Brussate’s THE RISE AND FALL OF THE DINOSAURS captures the current state of […]
Weekend Wisdom: T-Minus 5
What’s more difficult, breaking a bad habit or trying something new? Even successful people sometimes find themselves stuck in a rut. All too often, we spend too much time wallowing in fears and worrying about changes, and too little time acting actually working on our goals. Instead of agonizing over decisions or procrastinating, try the […]
Saving Face Time
It’s no secret: office meetings usually inspire dread. They’re long, boring, and interrupt workflows for an entire team. Worse, they’re often a source of confusion. Employees can easily leave an hour-long gathering with no clear understanding of what the meeting was about, or what the boss expects. That’s why Jason Fried and David Heinemeier […]
Activate Your Creativity
Fear is a powerful motivator, but one thing that fear can’t fuel is creative projects. Nothing will mute or silence your creative instincts quite like the fear of failure. And it can be difficult for high achievers in particular to let go of the exacting standards they adhere to in their work. According to author Elizabeth […]
Food for Thought: The Mindless Mishap that Unraveled Brian Wansink’s Bestseller
Is there any story more delicious than a proud man’s fall from grace? Discredited food psychologist Brian Wansink, a Cornell professor and formerly the head of the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and promotion, built his career by fanning the flames of public interest in his gimmicky food lab projects. As a frequent fixture in […]
Choosing Ease Over Excellence
Customer service is hard to get right. When customers have a terrific experience, they might mention it to a few friends. But research shows that negative experiences tend to stand out more in people’s minds—and those unhappy campers have tools like Yelp and Twitter to amplify their grievances. Authors Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick […]
How to Formulate a Battle Plan
Military strategy isn’t just for wars. It’s also a useful set of tools that can help us face life’s more mundane challenges, like meeting an ambitious sales quota. To win any battle, you’ll need more than positive affirmations and good instincts, according to self-help guru Robert Greene. The key to success is methodical planning. In THE […]
Insights on Mindset The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, written by psychology researcher Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., uncovers the differences between two core mindsets, the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. Through analysis of research and real-life accounts, Dweck examines the two mindsets and discusses why one, the growth mindset, tends to lead to a more successful and […]
The Art of Perfect Timing
As any athlete knows, it is difficult, if not impossible, to overcome an early disadvantage. In WHEN, author Daniel Pink writes about how perfect timing is often a matter of optimizing the beginning, middle, and end of projects. One of Pink’s most important observations is that getting off to a bad start is likely to […]
What to Do When You Can’t Relate
When you find it difficult to connect with someone, try to see the world from their point of view. Empathy is easy enough in theory. But in practice, the act of imagining the world through someone else’s eyes doesn’t always come naturally. Usually, the more distant and different a person’s life is from your own, the […]
