This Week’s BIG Idea
In the past two years or so, I read well over one hundred books, most of them which I summarized for the site. But it’s now getting to the point where I’m finding it incredibly difficult to find life-changing books. When I first started reading, I didn’t have a basic understanding of philosophy, psychology, personal finance, happiness, or stoicism. And while I’m by no means an expert, I find myself reading less because I already read most of the groundbreaking books. In a way, this inevitably leads to one of my greatest fears: starting more books that I never get to finish and therefore, posting fewer summaries.
When I first started summarizing books, I wanted to include nothing but the best content. That said, once the “definitive” books are covered, it gets incredibly difficult to find more of them. As I recently discussed in a previous newsletter, 80 percent of the knowledge I have comes from 20 percent of the books I read. So where does this leave me? The way I see it, there’s only one option. While I may start dozens of books that I’ll never finish because they have nothing new to offer, you’ll never see them summarized on the site. But while you may see fewer summaries over time, the ones who make it will be some of the best books I could find. In a weird way, I’m really looking forward to this and I hope you do too.
What I’m Working on
For the purposes of finding new books to read, I’m constantly updating an Amazon wishlist, as well as a list on Google Keep. Since finding books to read has been incredibly difficult, I’m going to be updating both lists to reflect my interests. This means that a lot of books won’t make the cut, so I’ll be including the absolute best. I might share this with you if you’re interested, so let me know.
What I’m Listening to
I’m still going over some classic episodes of The Tim Ferriss Show. Recently, I started listening to Ferriss’s interview with Mr. Money Mustache where they go over some ideas about personal finance and the FIRE movement.
What I’m Reading
12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson: 12 Rules for Life has been one of the best-selling books in the self-help section for some time. I gave the book a chance a while ago, but the way in which its ideas are presented didn’t resonate with me. I like the concept of the book: introducing a series of rules that can teach you the best way to live life. However, Peterson’s academic style and constant religious references sometimes made some of the chapters hard to follow. That said, I’m glad I gave this book a second chance.
What I’m Watching
When I was younger, I used to watch documentaries on a regular basis. Now, I don’t do it nearly as often as I used to be and the closest I get to watching documentaries involves watching them on YouTube. One of my favorite YouTube channels is NoClip, a team of two led by Danny O’Dwyer, and they have made some of the best video game documentaries ever made. In their latest video, NoClip focuses on the making of Vampire Survivors. In this overnight sensation, you assume the role of a vampire hunter who attacks the enemies that surround him automatically.
This Week’s Quote
“Writing is one of the only ways to outlive yourself. People still read books from hundreds or even thousands of years ago. The author’s physical life ended long ago, but their mental life remains alive and meaningful even today.”
James Clear
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