Book recommendation – Donald Sull, Kathleen M. Eisenhardt – Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World

Posted on August 16, 2025November 22, 2025 by admin

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Overview & basic idea

In a world characterized by complexity and uncertainty, Sull and Eisenhardt advocate using less complex rules instead of complicated strategies. These simple rules provide a framework that enables quick, intelligent action—flexible, practical, and appropriately measured.

Simple Rules – Wikipedia

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The six types of rules

The authors identify six categories that help you make clearer and more effective decisions:

Boundary Rules – What you can (or cannot) do
Prioritizing Rules – What is most important? (when resources are limited)
Stopping Rules – When should you stop or end something?
How-to Rules – Recommendations for action under time or information pressure
Coordination Rules – How can multiple parties work together efficiently?
Timing Rules – When should you take action?

BOOK REVIEW: “Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World” by Donald Sull and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt

Functionality & Benefits

Structure instead of overload: Simple Rules reduce complexity and help you make quick decisions even in confusing scenarios. They offer less noise than highly complex models.
Balance between structure and flexibility: Queues that have neither too many nor too few rules are the most successful—they enable adaptability without chaos.
Relevance to everyday life: Whether in business, sports, institutional contexts, or personality structure—simple rules enable better actions everywhere.

The best rules are simple, flexible and purposeful, Stanford professor says | Stanford Report

Simple Rules – How To Thrive In A Complex World – The Future Leadership Institute

Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World – Gihan Perera – Futurist Australia – Futurist Perth – conference speaker, author – AI, disruption, change, leadership, innovation

Creation & application of rules

The rule development process follows three core steps:

Identify goals—What does the organization or person really want to achieve?
Identify bottlenecks – What bottlenecks or recurring challenges are delaying progress?
Write & iterate rules – Design, test, refine as a team – an ongoing learning process.

Simple Rules for a Complex World

Examples of applications

Start-up founders use “boundary rules” to select the best projects.
Netflix uses clear criteria to decide which series to produce.
Athletes use “stopping rules” to conserve energy at the right time.

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Book recommendation – Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now: The Global Phenomenon: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Posted on August 15, 2025November 22, 2025 by admin

Overview & central idea

Eckhart Tolle’s spiritual classic conveys a clear message: life only ever takes place in the present moment. All suffering—whether fear, worry, or stress—arises because we dwell on the past or escape into the future. Those who dwell in the present experience inner peace and a deeper consciousness.

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Structure & content

The book is structured as a dialogue between the author and the reader: Tolle answers frequently asked questions about consciousness, identity, and spirituality. It is divided into core topics such as:

You are not your mind – The constant flood of thoughts is not the essence of our being.
Awareness as the key – Observe thoughts and feelings without identifying with them.
Transforming emotions – Pain arises when we have inner resistance to what is.
Seeing through the ego – The ego feeds on separation, control, and drama.
Living in the present – Practical ways to integrate mindfulness into everyday life.

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Book recommendation – Mark Manson – The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Posted on August 14, 2025November 23, 2025 by admin

Mark Manson brings a refreshingly unconventional approach to the world of self-help with his bestseller. Instead of positive affirmations and boundless optimism, he advises readers to be aware of what they really want to give their “F*” (i.e., their energy, time, and mind) to—and what they don’t.

Manson’s basic idea: Life is limited, pain is part of it, and you can’t control everything. That’s why it’s important to set priorities and consciously decide what’s really important to you – and let go of the rest.

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Key messages of the book:

You only have a limited number of F****s (priorities)
– Your energy is finite. Don’t waste it on things that you shouldn’t really care about.
Suffer for something worthwhile
– Pain is inevitable. The question is not whether you suffer, but what you suffer for. True fulfillment often comes through effort and challenges.
Take responsibility
– even if it’s not your fault– You can’t control everything, but you can decide how to deal with it. Personal responsibility is the key to change.
Question values
– Not everything we define as success is really important. Manson urges us to seek better, deeper values – such as honesty, curiosity, or integrity instead of superficialities like money, fame, or popularity.
Failure is progress
– Mistakes are necessary for growth. Those who fear failure block their own development.

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Book recommendation – Rolf Dobelli – The Art of Thinking Clearly: The Secrets of Perfect Decision-Making

Posted on July 30, 2025November 22, 2025 by admin

52 Thinking errors you should leave to others

From an evolutionary perspective, our brains are not programmed for the modern world we live in today. This results in thinking errors that should not be underestimated and can have a significant negative impact, e.g., on finances, career, and well-being.

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Overview & central idea

In his bestseller, Rolf Dobelli presents 52 thinking errors, cognitive biases, and typical fallacies that cloud our judgment. From “confirmation bias” to the “halo effect” to the “clustering illusion,” the book is a compendium of psychological pitfalls that accompany us in our everyday lives, at work, and when making decisions. The goal: to raise awareness of these errors in order to think more clearly, rationally, and calmly.

Structure & content

Short chapters: Each of the 52 chapters is devoted to a single error in thinking, compactly presented in 3–5 pages.
Relevance to everyday life: Examples are taken from economics, history, psychology, or everyday situations.
Language: concise, understandable, sometimes pointed and humorous.

Examples of cognitive biases covered:

Survivorship bias – We only see the successful and forget the invisible ones who have failed.
Confirmation bias – We only look for information that supports our opinion.
Action bias – We prefer to act immediately, even when doing nothing would be smarter.
Halo effect – A single positive characteristic overshadows our overall judgment.
Clustering illusion – We recognize patterns where there is actually only coincidence.

Impact & benefits

Dobelli does not offer ready-made solutions, but rather aims to raise awareness. He does not advocate a “perfectly rational” life, but rather greater distance from our spontaneous misjudgments. Those who recognize the patterns can pause at crucial moments and make better decisions—whether in finance, career, or personal relationships.

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Book recommendation – Kibeom Lee, Michael C. Ashton – The H Factor of Personality

Posted on July 10, 2025November 22, 2025 by admin

Overview & central idea

In “The H Factor of Personality,” psychologists Kibeom Lee and Michael C. Ashton present their scientifically based HEXACO personality model—an extension of the well-known Big Five model. The focus is particularly on the H factor (honesty-humility), i.e., the dimension of honesty-modesty. The core thesis: This personality trait influences our behavior, our morals, and our interactions with others more than is often assumed.

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Structure & content

The book provides a generally understandable introduction to the six dimensions of the HEXACO model:

Honesty-Humility – Fairness, sincerity, modesty versus manipulation, greed, selfishness.
Emotionality – Anxiety, dependence, empathy.
Extraversion – Sociability, self-confidence, activity.
Agreeableness – Patience, forbearance, willingness to cooperate.
Conscientiousness – Orderliness, sense of duty, diligence.
Openness to Experience – Curiosity, creativity, interest in new ideas.

Key messages:

The H factor is morally decisive: people with a high H value act fairly, modestly, and cooperatively; people with a low H value tend to display narcissistic, manipulative, or Machiavellian traits.
Practical relevance: The H factor affects relationships, professional success, political attitudes, and even social trust.
Research & everyday life: Lee and Ashton combine scientific studies with easy-to-understand examples from everyday life and pop culture.

Style & readability

The book is deliberately not purely academic, but written in a way that is easy to understand. It combines research findings with entertaining illustrations and everyday stories.