I teach Python programming for work, but my reading is largely about world betterment, self improvement, and interesting, insightful, or fun fiction. I pretty much exclusively listen to audiobooks.
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I really enjoyed this. There was quite a bit of overlap with Atomic Habits.
This book focused more on research and how our brains work and Atomic Habits focused more on action (how can I apply this to me).
I wish I had read this before Atomic Habits, but I would probably recommend Atomic Habits over this (if I had to recommend just one).
In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember …
This was a weird, fun book.
I didn't think it was my kind of book but after an hour or two I couldn't put it down.
The story of humanity is the story of textiles -- as old as civilization itself. …
This was a really interesting read/listen (audiobook as usual), mostly because I knew/know so little about textiles and their long history. I've never considered how crucial they were/are to humanity and I very much taller then for granted (and it's so easy to now that they're so cheap).
Think Again is a book about the benefit of doubt, and about how we can …
I thought this would be more similar Julia Galef's The Scout Mindset. I'm glad I read both books because this didn't overlap The Scout Mindset as much as I expected it would.
I took a lot of notes in the first 3 chapters and on chapter 12 (teaching students to question knowledge) but most of the middle chapters didn't feel as noteworthy/actionable for me.
I expect I'll be referring back to many of the analogies (preacher, prosecutor, politician, and scientist modes), some of the mantras/pithy phrases, and a few of the studies referenced.
A better way to combat knee-jerk biases and make smarter decisions, from Julia Galef, the …
This was a great book and I'd like everyone to read it. The discussion about soldier vs scout mindset is a framing of the world that will stick with me. I need to re-read the various sections on strategies for adopting a more truth-oriented life, as those ideas I'll need to do work to internalize.
The discussion near the end of the book on identity really resonated with me.
Holding an identity (athlete, Democrat, feminist, etc.) is neither bad nor good. Identity can make hard things rewarding (e.g. "I'm the kind of person who keeps promises"). But when making decisions related to our identity we often find ourselves at a crossroad, choosing between an identity-affirming and a more impactful (but non-affirming) action.
A quote that stuck out to me: "You can make the effort to think honestly no matter what community you're embedded in, but your friends, coworkers, and audience …
This was a great book and I'd like everyone to read it. The discussion about soldier vs scout mindset is a framing of the world that will stick with me. I need to re-read the various sections on strategies for adopting a more truth-oriented life, as those ideas I'll need to do work to internalize.
The discussion near the end of the book on identity really resonated with me.
Holding an identity (athlete, Democrat, feminist, etc.) is neither bad nor good. Identity can make hard things rewarding (e.g. "I'm the kind of person who keeps promises"). But when making decisions related to our identity we often find ourselves at a crossroad, choosing between an identity-affirming and a more impactful (but non-affirming) action.
A quote that stuck out to me: "You can make the effort to think honestly no matter what community you're embedded in, but your friends, coworkers, and audience can either provide a headwind or a tailwind for your efforts." Julia then goes onto note that this tailwind is why she joined the effective altruism movement.
This type of thinking is very important to me and I suspect I'll be re-reading this book (which is something I do rarely) within the next few years.
If you'd prefer not to read the whole book, I'd recommend any of these interviews about it (I finally read the book because I kept hearing interviews with Julia in various podcasts):
If you want a sample before you read the whole thing, Julia gave a TED talk on this topic years ago and she's done some interviews recently about her book (Clearer Thinking, Vox Conversations, EconTalk, The Weeds).
Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of depravity. Taking advantage …
A dystopian future (2030's) plagued by a pandemic with a xenophobic president running on the slogan "make America great again", and the president's Christian extremist supporters aren't explicitly supported or admonished by then president. Slightly familiar.
I liked the different perspectives in this one. Unlike the first book, the variety of narrators in this sequel allowed the author to point out flaws (and perceived flaws) in the protagonist.
In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future. …
This may be the best book on productivity and time management I've read. I would probably recommend this before reading Deep Work, Atomic Habits, and The 12 Week Year (though I did get a lot out of all of those books as well).
I'm going to be gradually shifting my work practices for a while based on the ideas in this book.
From an early age, we are told that restlessness, distraction, and ignorance are the enemies …
Similar to Make it Stick. I wish I'd taken notes while reading because there were definitely some things I have trouble remembering about learning (quite a few of counter-intuitive things).
I'm not sure what I thought this book would be but it was on much more than exercise and movement. There's a lot in here about habits that modern humans have lost but which still help our bodies thrive (contact with dirt, witnessing greenery and nature, welcoming help from others, etc).
There's definitely a lot of anecdote in this book but there is discussion of the science behind many of the stories as well.
This book inspired me get back into regular movement habits, which is what I was hoping for.
After reading Deep Work and 12 Week Year, this book was mostly a recap of concepts I was already familiar with. Some overlapping concepts included focusing on a long time horizon and progressively zooming in, aggressively time blocking and getting family/coworkers bought-in on your time blocked time, and the importance of defaulting to saying "no" so that you can say "yes" in the few cases it really matters.
I would recommend Deep Work before The One Thing and I might recommend 12 Week Year for someone who wants more specific action items, but The One Thing seems like a good slightly-less-opinionated-and-actionable alternative to 12 Week Year.
I definitely don't regret my time listening to the audiobook. It was a very easy and quick listen.
Provocative and illuminating essays from women at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage, and solutions …
I'm not sure what my takeaway is from this book. I assumed this would be a critique of the effective altruist movement. It mostly wasn't. But I'm not entirely sure what it was.
A lot of these stories are about people whose lives seem like a mess, but who (hopefully?) left a positive impact on the world, obsessively.
I don't want to be any of these people. But I do want to help enrich the lives of humanity (plus more?), both alive and dead as much as I can. Maybe this is simply a series of cautionary tales.
My understanding of race and racism (and culture, politics, and the world in general) is US-centric. This book expanded my thinking a bit. I feel a bit more ignorant after reading it and I think that's a good thing (hoping a bit of that humility will be lasting...).
