Book-Notes

Stillness is the Key, Ryan Holiday This is the fitting conclusion to Ryan’s Stoic trilogy. (The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy, being the other two) Must read! Quick Read. Stillness, intention, doing the work with deliberation, and focus; the book delves through it all in a beautiful manner. Passages I loved … “Wrestle with big questions. Wrestle with big ideas. Treat your brain like the muscle that it is. Get stronger through resistance and exposure and training.” ...

A Life in Parts, Bryan Cranston fun read when a working actor, tells their story, it’s always a treat. when a working actor, who struck it big, tells their story, it’s a roller coaster :) Bryan has fun with the book; there are tales that appear so real, until he yanks the rug, telling you it wasn’t. And there are passages that are unbelievable, but true. Loved this passage in the book … ...

Did I need to read a fifteen hundred page book to learn Python? At the end of fourteen hundred pages, I can safely assure you, I did not. If you want to just solve your pressing issues or scratch your itch, or just plain get started with programming (and programming in Python specifically), I’d recommend starting with a simple, fast paced book, like Python for you and me, and then doing tons of practice.1 ...

If you want to build a habit, this is the definitive book on the topic. 1 You could read about habits in other books, to learn more, but if you actually want to be building them, look no further. This was the first book in a long time that moved me to actually take action. Succinct, pithy and packed with advice, there isn’t a wasted word in its 300 odd pages. And unlike other self help or non fiction books, it does not feel like three-hundred-pages. Moving from introduction to positing its arguments to tactical advice to conclusion, this feels more like a fast paced novel. ...

As the year draws to an end, here’s what the folks I follow read this year. Vishal Khandelwal, has a couple of short, sweet posts on “The Books That Made Me.” Here’s Part 1 and here’s Part 2. If you’ve already read (and reread) Taleb’s books, here’s a list of books he loves (and hates). Here is Ryan Holiday’s evergreen list and here’s what he was unto in 2018. Patrick Collison has a whole antilbrary. (via this ttfs episode). ...

A Simple Marketing Worksheet Who’s it for? What’s it for? What is the worldview of the audience you’re seeking to reach? What are they afraid of? What story will you tell? Is it true? What change are you seeking to make? How will it change their status? How will you reach the early adopters and neophiliacs? Why will they tell their friends? What will they tell their friends? Where’s the network effect that will propel this forward? What asset are you building? Are you proud of it? — “This Is Marketing”, Seth Godin ...