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ToSummarise.com

I summarise non-fiction books with more detail and critical analysis than you'll find elsewhere. Join my newsletter to get new summaries delivered straight to your inbox!

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New Book Summary: Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie

I've just published a new summary for Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet by Hannah Ritchie. Hannah Ritchie was the Head of Research at Our World in Data, so it's not surprise that the book is well-researched and backed up with a lot of, well, data. I've split out into separate posts the Solutions (both good and bad) discussed in the book, as well as some Environmental myths that it debunks so you can also jump straight to those. I'd...

6 days ago • 1 min read

Happy Easter to you if you're celebrating it or just getting some time off work! This month, I published 2 book summaries and 1 blog post: Book summaries Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky - this book sets out a 4-step approach and dozens of practical tips to help you make time for the things that matter most to you. It's written by two former Googlers who have run lots of design sprints with startup companies. How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner - I'd recommend...

27 days ago • 1 min read

Why did the Sydney Opera House ruin its architect’s career? What can we learn about megaprojects from Pixar’s movies? My latest book summary is for How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner, which explores why so many megaprojects are disasters and how to prevent these failures. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS Most megaprojects fail. Less than 1% of megaprojects come in on time, on budget, and...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

My latest book summary is for Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. The book sets out a simple four-step approach and includes dozens of practical tips to help you spend more time on the things that matter to you. The key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS Make Time is about making time for the things that matter to us. It's about changing our defaults so that we spend our time more...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

February was a quieter month, with only 2 book summaries and no blog posts. Book summaries How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt - the authors caution that American democracy is more fragile than we usually assume, and has been weakening for several decades now. Platonic by Marisa Franco - this book argues we tend to underrate platonic relationships, and explains some common mistakes we make in our friendships. I'm a little behind in my publishing schedule now thanks to...

2 months ago • 1 min read

I've just published a book summary for Platonic: How Understanding Your Attachment Style Can Help You Make and Keep Friends by Marisa Franco. I really loved this one — the book challenges some common assumptions about friends and explains how to form deep, rich friendships. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's already changed my life and my approach to making and keeping friends. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY...

2 months ago • 1 min read

In How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt explain how American democracy is more fragile than we may think and suggests ways to prevent it from dying. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS Democracy is hard work, and can be frustrating for all involved. Outsiders may find democracy’s checks and balances too frustrating and seek to bypass them. Elected leaders...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Hope the first month of 2024 has been treating you well. And welcome to all our new subscribers - January was a month of record growth, more than doubling the number of subscribers in December, and it's great to have all of you on board😊 This month, I posted 2 book summaries and 1 blog post: Book summaries Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal - Ali Abdaal is a popular productivity YouTuber, who suggests a variety of small ways to increase your productivity without relying on discipline or...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows explains how systems thinking can help us better understand and change the systems in our lives. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS What is a system? Systems are things where the whole is more than the sum of its parts. There are three essential components: Elements, Interconnections and a Purpose/Function. In the real world, systems don’t have clear boundaries...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Happy New Year everyone! It's the self-improvement season and popular YouTuber Ali Abdaal has recently released his first book, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You. In it, he suggest ways to increase your productivity without relying on discipline or motivation, and sprinkles lots of small experiments throughout. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM FEEL-GOOD PRODUCTIVITY Feeling good...

4 months ago • 1 min read
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