“What you focus on from this moment on will create the life and person yet to be.”
-Winifred Gallagher
Online writers
Farnam Street - Creator Shane Parrish shares “the best of what people have already figured out.” His writing is phenomenal. Discovering Farnam Street three years ago opened my eyes to the vibrant world of the intellectual “Twitter-Blogo-sphere”, where I found lots of my other recommendations.
Stratechery - Ben Thompson considers how tech giants are transforming business. His writing contains a distinct meta-understanding of new developments and trends. Some have called his Aggregation Theory “21st Century Tech 101”. We all sense the world feels different - Ben knows why.
David Perell - David explores how new forms of media are reshaping society. His essay What the Hell Is Going On (notes) describes the dramatic upending advertising, education, and politics that’s occurring real-time in the Information Age.
Brain Pickings - Maria Popova’s rich collection of thoughts on the human condition. Maria is a “cartographer of meaning in a digital age” — she is stunningly well read, and her writing brims with wisdom from our culture’s past.
Raptitude - David Cain is one of the best writers I’ve found on being present and appreciating the life you have. I always look forward to his new articles. Ex: Your Whole Life is Borrowed Time. He aims for quality over quantity, and it shows.
James Clear - in addition to his NYT bestselling Atomic Habits, James’ blog offers, well, clear and thoughtful advice on daily habits to improve your life. His Thursday 3-2-1 Newsletter is a must-read — the “most wisdom per word” of anything online.
Cal Newport - Cal is laser-focused on how to best live in our tech-saturated age. His newest book, Digital Minimalism, debuted in February.
Of Dollars and Data - Nick Maggiulli writes an investment blog, but his articles also consistently share great book recommendations and wisdom on how to live.
Design Luck - Zat Rana’s blog. Difficult for me to summarize, but I just flat-out enjoy his writing. “I try to observe and express the nuances of the human condition…My hope is to fuse wisdom from all angles so I can create a sharper map of reality.”
Other favorite writers/sites: Wait But Why, Ryan Holiday, Ribbonfarm, Ben Hardy
Sites I’m exploring: Guzey, Melting Asphalt, Slate Star Codex, Marginal Revolution
Podcasts
Conversations with Tyler [Tyler Cowen] - The most information-dense listening I’ve found. Tyler unloads a blitz of questions on his guests at a brisk pace with no words wasted. Dynamic guests and thoughtful questions lead to phenomenal insights.
The Portal - A fascinating new project by Eric Weinstein.
The Portal Overview Notes (Ep. 2)
Making Sense [Sam Harris] - Sam has terrific guests and asks thoughtful questions. He explores the nature of consciousness, major themes of history, and what the hell is going on in the early years of the information age.
After On [Rob Reid] - Explore physics and technology through the mind of a humanities major. Rob is a science fiction author who asks (intelligent) layman questions to unpack the latest findings in quantum mechanics, artificial intelligence, and cosmology.
The Knowledge Project [Shane Parrish] - From my favorite blog comes one of my favorite podcasts. Shane has fantastic guests who often aren’t household names, but are experts in unique combinations of fields. I always learn from this one.
On Being [Krista Tippett] - Included thanks to two transcendent episodes - John O’Donohue and Maria Popova
North Star Podcast [David Perell] - David combines thoughtful guests with high energy and an enthusiasm to learn.
Made You Think [Nat Eliason and Neil Soni] - Deep, deep dives into notable works of non-fiction. Insightful and filled with knowledge if you don’t mind the digressions.
Exponent [Ben Thompson] - Companion to the Stratechery blog. Ben analyzes the business side of tech better than anyone I’ve found.
The Remnant [Jonah Goldberg] - One of the few remaining backboned conservatives (in my eyes) with a large public platform in 2019. He helps guide the “remnant” of American conservatives through the chaotic mess of politics in the Trump era, with ample humor and political theory thrown in.
The Axe Files [David Axelrod] - David hosts the best political guests, hands down. Combine that with his immensely listenable style and excellent questions.
Long Now: Seminars | Conversations [Stewart Brand] - Newer to my list, but I like what I’ve heard. Stewart Brand’s Long Now Foundation hosts this pair of podcasts - they explore important themes in contemporary society through a long-term lens.
YouTube Channels
Nerdwriter - Concise, insightful breakdowns of film, music, art, and pop culture. Start with The Epidemic of Passable Movies.
Shots of Awe - Jason Silva hits you with intense verbal jazz in three minute flow-induced bursts that explore technology, language, love, psychedelic breakthroughs, and everything in between. I’ve never seen anything like it. Start with Can Language Shape Reality and Awe.
The B1M - “The definitive video channel for construction” takes you to the most ambitious and innovative building projects around the globe. Start with 10 Hyperloops That Will Change the World.
The School of Life - British philosopher Alan de Button’s wide-ranging exploration of being human. Many of these videos contain highly subjective opinions, and should be taken with a grain of salt, but School of Life has phenomenal playlists summarizing literature, philosophy, art, and political theory. Start with Nietzsche on Amor Fati.
Wired | 5 Levels series - an expert breaks down a complex tech concept for five different people — a five-year-old, a thirteen-year-old, and undergrad student, a graduate student, and a fellow expert. This series helped me understand quantum computing and blockchain far better than before. Also, as a sales rep, I appreciate the nimble communication skills of each presenter as they “level up” to each new person. Start with The Connectome.
OverSimplified - Hilarious, informative summaries of major historical events, complete with stick figures. Start with WW2 OverSimplified (Part 1).
Veritasium - Complex science topics presented clearly for the layman. Start with Magnetic Micro Robots.
Colin Tribe - the best, most hidden ukulele teacher on the internet. Colin has adapted hundreds of popular songs for the uke over the past ten years, and he will email you any sheet music you like. Start with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
Other channels I love: Kurzgesagt, Pursuit of Wonder, Caspian Report, Aperture, Wendover Productions, Real Life Lore, Wen Zhao, Dreksler Astral, Second Thought
Channels I’m exploring: The Exoplanets Channel, Think Big Animation, Two Minute Papers
Life is Short - Paul Graham’s stirring piece about harnessing and savoring life.
Relentlessly prune bullshit, don't wait to do things that matter, and savor the time you have. That's what you do when life is short.
One heuristic for distinguishing stuff that matters is to ask yourself whether you'll care about it in the future. Fake stuff that matters usually has a sharp peak of seeming to matter. That's how it tricks you. The area under the curve is small, but its shape jabs into your consciousness like a pin.
What You Can’t Say - Paul Graham on thinking clearly, seeing what others miss, and noticing fashionable societal taboos.
The statements that make people mad are the ones they worry might be believed. I suspect the statements that make people maddest are those they worry might be true.
The Augmented World of 2030 - Futurist and XPrize founder Peter Diamandis offers a tour of the AR-infused world to come. Prepare for AR to replace your smartphone by the late 2020s.
The Digital Maginot Line by Renee DiResta - A fascinating look at the present and future chaos of information warfare. It’s not shaping up as predicted.
In a warm information war, the human mind is the territory. If you aren’t a combatant, you are the territory. And once a combatant wins over a sufficient number of minds, they have the power to influence culture and society, policy and politics.
Kafka on Books by Maria Popova - This piece is short and to the point. It contains a favorite quote of mine:
“If the book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow on the head, what are we reading it for?…A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.”
The Machine Stops by Oliver Sacks - Neuroscientist Oliver Sacks provides an elder’s view of our rapidly changing world. It’s beautifully written; an ache for bygone times with a few slivers of hope in the final paragraph. Prepare for a twist in the author’s bio at the end of the piece.
Thoughts on Facebook’s Libra Coin by Preston Byrne - What is Libra? Why could it potentially disrupt the geopolitical/financial order and alter sovereignty as we know it? Preston explains.
Camile Paglia interview on the state of American politics and society. In this interview she talks about politics, but it's really more about the present state of our culture. She seems to have tapped into a meta-understanding of what's really going on.
The Hound of Basketville - An old Grantland piece (RIP) by Bryan Curtis, one of my favorites from the pre-Ringer days. It’s mostly about Kareem Abdul Jabar’s creative writing career (who knew?!), but it also considers the nature of sports fandom. As I ponder the paradox of watching sports often these days – enjoyment mixed with a latent sense of meaninglessness – Curtis captured my feelings better than I could have expressed them myself.
Articles
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Wow, what a novel! This won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015 and there’s no doubt why. A gripping story about two young characters caught up in the madness and fury of World War II (French girl, German boy). A great “entry point” (h/t Tyler Cowen) for learning about the war from personal narratives rather than a history book. But even more importantly, Doerr’s writing is like music to the ears. I’d rather show you than tell you. Here’s two metaphors he weaves for describing the brain and time:
“What mazes there are in this world…None more complicated than the human brain, Etienne would say, what may be the most complex object in existence; one wet kilogram within which spin universes.”
“To men like that, time was a surfeit, a barrel they watched slowly drain. When really, he thinks, it’s a glowing puddle you carry in your hands; you should spend all your energy protecting it. Fighting for it. Working so hard not to spill one single drop.”
Novels
Barbarian Days - A Surfing Life - William Finnegan, writer for the New Yorker, recounts his youthful days spent surfing around the world. He takes you from Hawaii and SoCal to years stretching across the South Pacific, Sri Lanka, East Africa, Portugal…but also it’s a poignant coming-of-age story for someone filled with passion and self-doubt. One of those books where you pause every few pages and admire just how well written it is. It won the 2016 Pulitzer for autobiography.
Hillbilly Elegy - In the aftermath of the 2016 election, JD Vance’s memoir took the country by storm. Vance is a self-identified hillbilly who worked his way from a rough Kentucky/Ohio upbringing to Yale Law School. A rare “coastal elite” with working class roots, Vance’s memoir shares his chaotic upbringing in the declining Middleton, Ohio. His story offers a window into the difficult lives of voters in “Trump’s America” that so many well-educated Americans struggle to understand.
River of Doubt by Candace Millard, on Teddy Roosevelt’s impossibly daring post-presidency adventure in Brazil. Who knew Teddy almost died trekking and canoeing through the Amazon jungle, fighting native tribes, deadly wildlife, and malaria while discovering one of the Amazon River’s largest tributaries?
The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt - River of Doubt led me here. Dense but compelling. Teddy’s wife and mother died on the same day when he was 26 but he kept moving forward; he was shot giving a speech in Milwaukee and finished the speech…there’s lots more perseverance and heroism inside, not to mention Teddy’s surprisingly lyrical prose.
The Return - Hisham Matar’s poignant memoir about his 20-year search for his father, who was imprisoned by Qaddafi’s regime. A touching book and a perfect “entry point” for learning about Libya. Won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for biography.
A Good Life, Ben Bradlee’s autobiography. I picked it up from a used book store on a whim and was treated to decades of stories about editing The Washington Post, daring moments in the Pacific Theater of World War II, and insider stories about being best friend with JFK and running in DC’s most elite circle. A good one if you love US politics.