The Final Word on Building Habits – Atomic Habits

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. ...

January 13, 2019 · Mario Jason Braganza

How do we protect our work? How do we get paid for it?

How do we protect our work? How do we get paid for it? (Or is that really the question we should be worried about when seeking to make our mark. And the importance of writing, of showing up, regularly.) This is what I admire about Seth Godin. His unique ability to get to the heart of the question. The question lies in the q & a after this really awesome episode at around the 22.45 mark. (The episode is a replay of this awesome talk. If you haven’t seen or heard it yet, do me (and yourself) a favour and do so.) ...

January 12, 2019 · Mario Jason Braganza

William Vincent’s list of programming books for 2019

Will Vincent, author of Django for Beginners and Rest APIs with Django has his list of book recommendations for the year. Read the latest posts on his website to get at them. If you are a learner like me and wanted a professionally filtered list, (as in too lazy to go hunt them down), this is a godsend. He covers books on Django, React, Flask, & JavaScript and tutorials for Python, Django & React. Also check out his year in review. ...

January 8, 2019 · Mario Jason Braganza

Reasons to Write #339

Reasons to Write #339 From Eric Barker’s, “The 3-Step Evening Ritual That Will Make You Happy” Writing helped people suffering from depression, anxiety or PTSD. It helped their relationships too. But that wasn’t all … Their physical health improved as well. Women with breast cancer reported fewer symptoms and required fewer cancer-related doctor visits. People with asthma and arthritis “reported meaningful improvements in quality of life similar to benefits that would be expected by a successful new drug treatment.” ...

January 6, 2019 · Mario Jason Braganza

English is a “Phunnny” language (or When I Fell in Love with English and Reading)

As a kid, I read a lot of books above my level of comprehension. More to show off and show folks my “smartness” and give off that snooty “I am a well read boy” air1 than from any sense of love or learning. I know better now (I hope, I do) :) But two books from those days will always stay with me. One was my father’s science textbook, which I no longer have or remember the title of. I used it for four years in high school to understand what I was learning. The book was my secret weapon :) The language in that old textbook was far more engaging and lively than the teachers in class. And it was beautiful with all those black and white line drawings, and anecdotes of the folks who made those amazing discoveries. (Faraday and Tesla and Watts and Madam Curie). It actually was a textbook from before science became “Science”; when it was Natural Philosophy Despite years of searching, I haven’t found it again. The closest textbook of that style I could point you to, would be Thompson’s Calculus. ...

January 4, 2019 · Mario Jason Braganza

Are You Learning Something New This Year? This Course Will Help.

Learning a new skill this year? Putting your mind to learn programming? Looking to wow folks with your newly acquired French? A professional exam, you want to ace? And yet, as you look back over years of broken resolutions, you think it might not be worth it? That you aren’t cut out for learning physics on your own if you wanted to? That you are “slow”? Maybe that’s just because you haven’t realised that learning itself is a skill? That you need to learn, how to learn? ...

December 30, 2018 · Mario Jason Braganza