Wiser Than Yesterday

In this book, neurologist Oliver Sacks, describes the case histories of some of his patients. Sacks chose the title of the book from the case study of one of his patients who has visual agnosia, a neurological condition that leaves him unable to recognize faces and objects. Sacks wrote the stories of 24 patients and their neurological conditions which was split into four sections – ‘Losses', ‘Excesses', ‘Transports', and ‘The World of the Simple' each dealing with a particular aspect of brain function Host rating for 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat' Nico Rating: 3/10 Sam Rating: 6/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of "madness" along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry. Dutton argues that there are indeed "functional psychopaths" among us―different from their murderous counterparts―who use their detached, unflinching, and charismatic personalities to succeed in mainstream society, and that shockingly, in some fields, the more "psychopathic" people are, the more likely they are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs this often misunderstood diagnosis through bold on-the-ground reporting and original scientific research as he mingles with the criminally insane in a high-security ward, shares a drink with one of the world's most successful con artists, and undergoes transcranial magnetic stimulation to discover firsthand exactly how it feels to see through the eyes of a psychopath. As Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic tendencies, he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more psychopathic than ever: after all, psychopaths tend to be fearless, confident, charming, ruthless, and focused―qualities that are tailor-made for success in the twenty-first century. Provocative at every turn, The Wisdom of Psychopaths is a riveting adventure that reveals that it's our much-maligned dark side that often conceals the trump cards of success. Host rating for 'The Wisdom of Psychopaths' Nico Rating: 5/10 Sam Rating: 7/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity By Steve Silberman What is autism? A lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more—and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. Wired reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years. Going back to the earliest days of autism research, Silberman offers a gripping narrative of Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger, the research pioneers who defined the scope of autism in profoundly different ways; he then goes on to explore the game-changing concept of neurodiversity. NeuroTribes considers the idea that neurological differences such as autism, dyslexia, and ADHD are not errors of nature or products of the toxic modern world, but the result of natural variations in the human genome. This groundbreaking book will reshape our understanding of the history, meaning, function, and implications of neurodiversity in our world. Symptoms of Autism in Infants and Children Some children show signs of autism spectrum disorder in early infancy. Signs usually are seen by age 2 years. Social Communication and Interaction Communication issues like: a chile not responding to his or her own name delayed speech hard to communicate with and may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech repeats words or phrases verbatim Prefers playing alone Reduced eye contact and lacks facial expression Does not express emotions Does not point at or bring objects to share interest Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive or disruptive Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body postures or tone of voice Patterns of Behaviour Performs repetitive movements Performs activities that could cause harm Develop specific routines or rituals Has odd movement patterns or coordination problems Fascination for details like spinning wheels of a toy car Sensitive to light, sound or touch Does not engage in make-believe play Abnormal focus on object or activity Specific food preferences such as _eating only a few foods, or refusing foods with a certain texture_ Main Signs of Autism in Adults Finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling Getting very anxious about social situations Finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own Seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to Finding it hard to say how you feel Taking things very literally – for example, you may not understand sarcasm or phrases like "break a leg" Having the same routine every day and getting very anxious if it changes Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/signs/adults/#:~:text=finding%20it%20hard%20to%20understand,in%20others%20without%20meaning%20to Host rating for 'NeuroTribes' Nico Rating: 5/10 Sam Rating: 4/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on [ReasonFM](https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain By Peter Shankman In Faster Than Normal, Shankman shares his hard-won insights and daily hacks for making ADHD a secret weapon for living a full and deeply satisfying life. Both inspiring and practical, the book presents life rules, best practices, and simple but powerful ways to: Harness your creative energy to generate and execute your ideas Direct your hyperfocus to get things done Identify your pitfalls--and avoid them Streamline your daily routine to eliminate distractions Use apps and other tech innovations to free up your time and ener Filled with ingenious hacks and supportive self-care advice, this is the positive, practical book the ADHD community has long needed - and is also an invaluable handbook for anyone who's sick of feeling overwhelmed and wants to drive their faster-than-normal brain at maximum speed...without crashing. Takeaways Focus on changing your brain chemistry first thing each day by doing an exercise. Eliminate choice wherever possible. The less time you have to spend on creating decisions, the more time you can spend on things that matter. Having an adequate sleep and eating well has a huge impact. Host rating for 'Faster Than Normal' Nico Rating: 8/10 Sam Rating: 9/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thoughts and Learnings in Investing Everyone should be thinking about investing. Every money decision you make is an investment decision. All investments are broadly equal on the risk/reward spectrum. Only actively make investment decisions when you have an edge. Your investment strategy will depend on your situation (your age, tolerance for downturns, goals, etc.) Compounding is key in investing and in life Downturns are the price you pay for being invested. Think positive-sum (put your money in positive-sum industries) - shorting! List of Investing Books and Topics That We Have Read Introduction to Investing Talking To My Daughter About The Economy by Yanis Varoufakis The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking by Saifedean Ammous NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), explained Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups—Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 Into $100,000,000 by Jason Calacanis The Education of a Value Investor: My Transformative Quest for Wealth, Wisdom, and Enlightenment by Guy Spier The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson What is Decentralized Finance or DeFi Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market by Noah Horowitz Nico's Top 3 The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness (https://www.wiserpod.com/2022-the-almanack-of-naval-ravikant) The Psychology of Money (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-psychology-of-money) The Education of a Value Investor: My Transformative Quest for Wealth, Wisdom, and Enlightenment (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-education-of-a-value-investor) and The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-bitcoin-standard) #### Sam's Top 3 The Psychology of Money (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-psychology-of-money) The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness (https://www.wiserpod.com/2022-the-almanack-of-naval-ravikant) Talking To My Daughter About The Economy (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-talking-to-my-daughter-about-the-economy) Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market By Noah Horowitz Art today is defined by its relationship to money as never before. Prices of living artists' works have been driven to unprecedented heights, conventional boundaries within the art world have collapsed, and artists now think ever more strategically about how to advance their careers. Artists no longer simply make art, but package, sell, and brand it. Noah Horowitz exposes the inner workings of the contemporary art market, explaining how this unique economy came to be, how it works, and where it's headed. He takes a unique look at the globalization of the art world and the changing face of the business, offering the clearest analysis yet of how investors speculate in the market and how emerging art forms such as video and installation have been drawn into the commercial sphere. Takeaways Art has the potential to be an important as a stored value. But there are problems with the current market such as: * Hard/expensive to verify authenticity * Expensive to store/handle/transact * Illiquid market * Difficult price discovery * Artist does not profit from secondary sales Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

Decentralized Finance or DeFi Decentralized Finance offers financial instruments without relying on intermediaries such as brokerages, exchanges, or banks. Instead, it uses smart contracts on a blockchain. DeFi platforms allow people to lend or borrow funds from others, speculate on price movements on assets using derivatives, trade cryptocurrencies, insure against risks, and earn interest in savings-like accounts. DeFi uses a layered architecture and highly composable building blocks. Some applications promote high interest rates but are subject to high risk. In this episode, Nico and Sam thoroughly explained what is DeFi all about, the importance and risks involved, how it works and so much more! Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness By Eric Jorgenson Getting rich is not just about luck; happiness is not just a trait we are born with. These aspirations may seem out of reach, but building wealth and being happy are skills we can learn. So what are these skills, and how do we learn them? What are the principles that should guide our efforts? What does progress really look like? Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur, philosopher, and investor who has captivated the world with his principles for building wealth and creating long-term happiness. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is a collection of Naval's wisdom and experience from the last ten years, shared as a curation of his most insightful interviews and poignant reflections. This isn't a how-to book, or a step-by-step gimmick. Instead, through Naval's own words, you will learn how to walk your own unique path toward a happier, wealthier life. Takeaways Seek wealth, not money or status. Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. Money is how we transfer time and wealth. Status is your place in the social hierarchy. Arm yourself with specific knowledge, accountability, and leverage. Embrace accountability and take business risks under your own name. Society will reward you with responsibility, equity, and leverage. Specific knowledge is knowledge you cannot be trained for. If society can train you, it can train someone else and replace you. Embrace accountability and take business risks under your own name. Society will reward you with responsibility, equity, and leverage. Fortunes require leverage. Business leverage comes from capital, people, and products with no marginal cost of replication (code and media). Learn to sell. Learn to build. If you can do both, you will be unstoppable. Whenever you can in life, optimize for independence rather than pay. If you have independence, you're accountable to your output, as opposed to your input -- that's the dream. The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner. You have to know how to learn anything you want to learn. Understand that ethical wealth creation is possible. Host rating for 'The Almanack of Naval Ravikant' Nico Rating: 9/10 Sam Rating: 8.5/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions. Don't Forget to like, comment, share and subscribe See podvine.com/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness By Morgan Housel Doing well with money isn't necessarily about what you know. It's about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people. Money―investing, personal finance, and business decisions―is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don't make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life's most important topics. Takeaways Focus on being reasonable with money over being rational Getting wealthy is not the same staying wealthy Compounding is the key ingredient. Compounding helps investors build wealth by generating returns on investments over time. These returns then continue to compound and help grow assets. Having more flexibility and control over your time is far more valuable than getting another 2% on your returns by working all-nighters or making speculative bets that impact your sleep. Host rating for 'The Psychology of Money' Nico Rating: 9/10 Sam Rating: 9/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions.

The Education of a Value Investor: My Transformative Quest for Wealth, Wisdom, and Enlightenment By Guy Spier What happens when a young Wall Street investment banker spends a small fortune to have lunch with Warren Buffett? He becomes a real value investor. In this fascinating inside story, Guy Spier details his career from Harvard MBA to hedge fund manager. But the path was not so straightforward. Spier reveals his transformation from a Gordon Gekko wannabe, driven by greed, to a sophisticated investor who enjoys success without selling his soul to the highest bidder. Spier's journey is similar to the thousands that flock to Wall Street every year with their shiny new diplomas, aiming to be King of Wall Street. Yet what Guy realized just in the nick of time was that the King really lived 1,500 miles away in Omaha, Nebraska. Spier determinedly set out to create a new career in his own way. Along the way he learned some powerful lessons which include: why the right mentors and partners are critical to long term success on Wall Street; why a topnotch education can sometimes get in the way of your success; that real learning doesn't begin until you are on your own; and how the best lessons from Warren Buffett have less to do with investing and more to do with being true to yourself. Spier also reveals some of his own winning investment strategies, detailing deals that were winners but also what he learned from deals that went south. Part memoir, part Wall Street advice, and part how-to, Guy Spier takes readers on a ride through Wall Street but more importantly provides those that want to take a different path with the insight, guidance, and inspiration they need to carve out their own definition of success. Takeaways Patience and continuous learning can make you a successful investor. You need an efficient working environment in order to become a successful value investor. The things and people you surround yourself with are going to influence you more. Adversity is the best teacher of all. Every mistake should be treated as an opportunity to learn and improve. Not just from your own mistakes but learn from the mistakes of others too. The book is filled with lots of other amazing advice. Go pick up a copy (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Education-Value-Investor-Guy-Spier/dp/1137278811). About the author Guy Spier is a Zurich-based investor. Spier is the manager of the Aquamarine Fund, with $350 million in assets. He is well known for bidding US$650,100 with Mohnish Pabrai for a charity lunch with Warren Buffett in 2008. Host rating for 'The Education of a Value Investor' Nico Rating: 8/10 Sam Rating: 8.5/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions.

Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups—Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 Into $100,000,000 By Jason Calacanis One of Silicon Valley's most successful angel investors shares his rules for investing in startups. There are two ways to make money in startups: create something valuable—or invest in the people that are creating valuable things. Over the past twenty-five years, Jason Calacanis has made a fortune investing in creators, spotting and helping build and fund a number of successful technology startups—investments that have earned him tens of millions of dollars. Now, in this enlightening guide that is sure to become the bible for twenty-first century investors, Calacanis takes potential angels step-by-step through his proven method of creating massive wealth: startups. As Calacanis makes clear, you can get rich—even if you came from humble beginnings (his dad was a bartender, his mom a nurse), didn't go to the right schools, and weren't a top student. The trick is learning how angel investors think. Calacanis takes you inside the minds of these successful moneymen, helping you understand how they prioritize and make the decisions that have resulted in phenomenal profits. He guides you step by step through the process, revealing how leading investors evaluate new ventures, calculating the risks and rewards, and explains how the best startups leverage relationships with angel investors for the best results. Whether you're an aspiring investor or a budding entrepreneur, Angel will inspire and educate you on all the ins of outs. Buckle up for a wild ride into the world of angel investing! Host rating for 'Angel' Nico Rating: 5/10 Sam Rating: 7.5/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions.

NFTs (Non-Fungible Token), explained A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a digital ledger (blockchain). NFTs can be associated with easily-reproducible items such as photos, videos, 3D models, audio, and other types of digital files as unique items (analogous to a certificate of authenticity). NFTs use blockchain technology to provide a public proof of ownership. Copies of the original file are not restricted to the owner of the NFT, and can be copied and shared like any file. The lack of interchangeability (fungibility) distinguishes NFTs from blockchain cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. NFTs have drawn criticism with respect to the energy cost and carbon footprint associated with validating blockchain transactions as well as its frequent use in art scams. Further criticisms challenge the usefulness of establishing proof of ownership in an unregulated market based on digital files that are easy to copy. Resource: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fungible_token) Key Takeaways The difference between fungible tokens and non-fungible tokens is fungible tokens are cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin while non-fungible tokens are unit of data that represent a unique digital asset stored and verified on the blockchain. NFT represents a lot of things (which is usually a picture). It is also a pointer within the URL to that picture which is usually stored in an interplanetary file system. NFTs are not divisible but can be fractionalized. There are four major types of NFTs which are: cryptopunks, bored ape yacht club crypto (BAYC), game NFTs, and collectible NFTs. Currently, art is the second biggest pillar of NFTs with two types of art which is an original art and generative art. Original art type of NFTs are designed in a software like an image or GIF and sells it as an NFT. Generative art type of NFTs are designed through an algorithm that will create the art on the moment it is minted. Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions.

The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking By Saifedean Ammous The Bitcoin Standard analyzes the historical context to the rise of bitcoin, the economic properties that have allowed it to grow quickly, and its likely economic, political, and social implications. While Bitcoin is a new invention of the digital age, the problem it purports to solve is as old as human society itself: transferring value across time and space. Ammous takes the reader on an engaging journey through the history of technologies performing the functions of money, from primitive systems of trading limestones and seashells, to metals, coins, the gold standard, and modern government debt. Key Takeaways The sound money means government cannot easily make more while unsound money means that they can make more. Bitcoin was the first engineering solution that allowed for digital payments without having to rely on a trusted third-party intermediary. By being the first digital object that is verifiably scarce, Bitcoin is the first example of digital cash. Gold became the basis for sound money. Host rating for 'The Bitcoin Standard' Nico Rating: 9/10 Sam Rating: 8.5/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions.

The Intelligent Investor By Benjamin Graham The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, first published in 1949, is a widely acclaimed book on value investing. The book provides strategies on how to successfully use value investing in the stock market. Historically, the book has been one of the most popular books on investing and Graham's legacy remains. Key Takeaways Investment is not gambling or speculating An investment is going to protect the principal and provide an adequate return. Anything that does not meet these criteria is speculation. Margin of Safety In simple term, Graham's goal was to buy a dollars worth of assets for $0.50 Defensive Investor Not every investor has a lot of time to analyze the stock and invest. Graham said that the majority of people should be a defensive investor. He said, aim for an investment portfolio of 50-50 split between stocks and bonds, and rebalance every year base on the changes. Enterprising Investor This kind of investor has a lot of time to spend looking at the market. As enterprising investor, you can choose the correct stocks and bonds to invest in. Host rating for 'The Intelligent Investor' Nico Rating: 6/10 Sam Rating: 5/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Talking To My Daughter About The Economy: A Brief istory of Capitalism By Yanis Varoufakis In this letter to his teenage daughter, one of the world's most famous economists uses vivid stories to explain what economics is and why it is so dangerous. What is money and why does debt exist? Where do wealth and inequality come from? How come economics has the power to shape and destroy our lives? Economics is not a technical science, it is an epic drama: a battleground of ideas, a war between the powerful for our allegiance. In this universally accessible book, Yanis Varoufakis describes how this drama first emerged and has since come to dominate the fate of human societies worldwide. In answering all of the big questions about money and debt, power and inequality, he shows how economics has sought to solve the problems of our world but ended up being a major cause of many of them. Drawing on history and literature, science fiction and personal memories, this intimate and inspiring book shines a light for readers of all ages on some of the most bewildering questions and important challenges that humanity faces. Key Takeaways *Surplus is what made Europeans conquer Australia, and not the other way around. * Having a surplus meant noting down who gets how much of it and when (creating the need for money, writing, bureaucracy). * Capitalism, shows Varoufakis, is the most efficient machine ever invented for generating this surplus, though with one fatal flaw: it is structurally prone to increasing inequality, which also makes it susceptible to periodic crises. Host rating for 'Talking To My Daughter About The Economy' Nico Rating: 8/10 Sam Rating: 9.5/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Introduction to Investing We live in a capitalistic society, where everything revolves around adding value. Adding value can be anything: farmers, bakers, architects, artists, teachers, athletes. When you go to school, you are being trained to bring value to society. After you finish school and start working, you are being paid for creating value. In this episode, we will lay down the groundwork for the rest of the book that we will be reading in this season. We will also discuss why should everyone should take investing seriously or at least think about. Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Recap of the human body books that we have read If Our Bodies Could Talk: A Guide to Operating and Maintaining a Human Body - James Hamblin Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams - Matthew Walker Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art - James Nestor Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don't Have To - David Sinclair Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ - Giulia Enders Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy - Herman Pontzer Death by Food Pyramid: How Shoddy Science, Sketchy Politics and Shady Special Interests Have Ruined Our Health - _Denise Minger _ Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Christopher McDougall Nico's Top 3 Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don't Have To Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Sam's Top 3 Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don't Have To Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen By Christopher McDougall Inspiration for reading this book came when Nico's friend came for dinner wearing these weird-ass shoes. Naturally - he asked him about it, cause Nico love weird stuff, and told him that humans have evolved to walk and run barefoot, and that cushioned shoes are the reason why so many people have issues in their knees, hips and backs, both from running but also from daily life. And the best way to convince Nico of anything is to tell him that ancient humans used to do it differently. So he was immediately convinced and told Sam that they should read Born to Run for the body series. Although, they already started the recordings for the next season on investing. So here they are! Key Takeaways *The power of chia: dissolve chia seeds in water with sugar and lime juice. Chia are packed full of Omega 3s, Omega 6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber and antioxidants. * There are hidden truths about modern running shoes, that big brand s don't want you to know. * We are made to run long distances. * Small strides has benefits. * Lot of ultra marathoners go vegan. * Tarahumara just don't run, they live in a nature. Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Death by Food Pyramid: How Shoddy Science, Sketchy Politics and Shady Special Interests Have Ruined Our Health By Denis Minger Denise Minger shares her personal story about how she got convinced to go all-out raw vegan at a pretty young age. She initially saw tremendous health improvements, but after a while she started losing a lot of weight. She decided to stop eating vegan after her dentist told her that he/she had never seen such bad teeth in someone her age. She exposes the forces that overrode common sense and solid science to launch a pyramid phenomenon that bled far beyond US borders to taint the eating habits of the entire developed world. At the end, she makes a comparison between three of the most popular diets, and instead of looking at their differences, she looks at what they have in common. Paleo Diet Eat like our ancestors, focused on unprocessed foods Caveat: _some vegetables are starchy and some fruits are high in sugar _ Mediterranean Diet Lots of Veggies, grains and olive oil. Caveat: also snails and fasting Plant-based Diet Centered around unprocessed starches, along with some non-starchy vegetables and some fruit. Caveat: No known human population has ever lived exclusively on plants and thrived Together, these three diets omit: * Refined sugar * Refined flour * Processed vegetable oils * Anything coming in a plastic or tinfoil, microwaveable package * Anything too processed Key Takeaways Eliminate Refined carbs Eliminate Refined sugars Eliminate High omega 6 vegetable oils Secure a source of essential fat-soluble vitamins (shellfish, fish-eggs, high fat dairy, organ meat, cod liver oil) OK to have small amounts Find nutrient-dense foods from the animal and plant kingdom, including seaweeds, fruits, berries, vegetables For animal foods: replace muscle meat by nose-to-tail eating Respect your genetics (keep track of you blood markers) Don't fall into group thinking, don't become your diet Health is more than what you shove in your mouth Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Burn: The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism By Herman Pontzer We burn 2,000 calories a day. And if we exercise and cut carbs, we'll lose more weight. Right? Wrong. the Hadza, who every day move around for ~4 hours and 15,000 steps, use the same amount of energy as couch-potato North Americans. Exercise doesn't increase our metabolism. Instead, we burn calories within a very narrow range: nearly 3,000 calories per day, no matter our activity level. Our extremely effective "metabolic compensation" shifts calories around so we break even at the end of the day no matter how much we move. Basically, you can't lose weight through exercise. Reducing caloric intake is the only way. HOWEVER, the manifold health benefits of exercise still make it the single most healthful activity we can do. The best diet is the one we can stick to. It may be that the most spectacular athletic feats are the result not just of great training, but of an astonishingly efficient digestive system. Interesting points: Faster metabolism = more fat reserves needed (humans have more fat than apes). Metabolism is not optimized for ‘looking good' or even being healthy, it is shaped by natural selection to optimize for reproduction The slower a species burns energy, the longer it tends to live. Exercise makes you live longer by consuming energy that would otherwise go to other things. Difference between animals: mouses channel most energy in reproducing, sparrows can channel more into maintenance and repair We match the energy we expend to the energy we eat each day (hard to maintain weight loss) Calorie restriction reduces base metabolic rate of cells. They work slower Why are we fat? Food. Too much variety + engineered food designed to be overeaten Humans focus on survival over reproduction (kids fighting disease grow less) If you excercise, less energy can go to inflammation High physical activity -> lower testosterone (good thing, lower rate of cancers inn reproducttive systems) Cooked food has more available calories Comments: Disappointing that the whole book used the imperial system Not many solutions Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders For too long, the gut has been the body's most ignored and least appreciated organ, but it turns out that it's responsible for more than just dirty work: our gut is (literally and figuratively) at the core of who we are. The book starts with a voyage through our full digestive tract, discussing the pain-killing powers of our saliva, the shape and structure of our intestines, and the best position to sit on the toilet. The second part discusses the nervous system of the gut, why we vomit, why we have acid reflux and what causes constipation or diarrhea. In the final part it discusses what was for me the most important/relevant part, which is the microbiome in our gut, which has more effect on our lives than we could imagine. The book was easy to read, did not contain too much jargon and tried to keep things light. Interesting facts: 95% of our body's serotonin is produced in our gut. having a baby by caesarean section can leave the child more prone to asthma links between certain gut flora and depression, risk taking, and suicide Too much cleanliness is a bad thing (babies born on antarctica) Bacteria might help longevity (bulgarian yoghurt), Korean paradox (high salt, low hypertension and cardiovascular disease) Actionable advice: Do something good for your gut flora. Eat some prebiotic foods such as artichokes, asparagus, green banana, garlic, onions, parsnips, whole wheat, rye, oats or leeks. Help your bacteria. You feel much better when you help your bacteria process the food you eat every day. Therefore, better grab the whole-grain bread instead of that baguette.

Lifespan: why we age - and why we don't have to By Dr. Savid Sinclair #1: Aging is a disease: We must move away from treating age-related diseases and focus on their root. Reclassifying aging as a disease is a critical first step in this shift in approach. Sinclair believes we're wasting money and time on what he calls “whack-a-mole” medic “There is nothing more dangerous to us than age. Yet we have conceded its power over us. And we have turned our fight for better health in other directions.”ine. Failure to define aging as a disease is also stunting research funding to understand the biology of aging. Billions of dollars go towards researchin cancer, heart disease and alzheimers. Countries that move to this definition first will have a first-mover advantage. #2: The Information Theory of Aging: The loss of analog information in the epigenome is the universal cause of aging. Current consensus on aging: There is not one universal cause of aging. There are instead 8-9 hallmarks of aging, include telomere shortening, genomic instability, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Address one of them and you slow aging, address them all, and you could stop it. Inclairs view: the information theory of aging: aging is caused by loss of information in our epigenome. Epigenome is what decides gene expression and alters development of cells. I see it as an instruction manual for different cells, when information is lost (like a scratched DVD), the resulting cells are less and less perfect. #3: The longevity genes: Research is increasingly focusing on understanding the role of some specific longevity factors, such as sirtuins, NAD, and TOR. This would help stop/fix the loss of information described above. #4: Activating the survival network: Research shows some day-to-day practices, such as calorie restriction, intermittent fasting and cold exposure, can activate our longevity genes and potentially extend lifespan. The commonality of these longevity genes is that they are all activated in response to biological stress. Some activation may be key to delaying aging but overworking them leads to a loss of epigenetic information and aging. Things we can do: Eat less: Countless studies have shown significant increases in lifespans of mice and other mammals when calories are restricted over a large portion of their lives. Long-term calorie restriction may therefore increase lifespan, but it's not an appealing solution. Intermittent fasting: There is emerging evidence that we can cheat this process through periodic calorie restriction, regularly skipping a meal or fasting for a few days. Lower protein, vegetable-rich diet: The reduction of amino acids (found in meats) leads to the inhibition of mTOR (which can help protect mitochondria from damage). Evidence on the reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases is now widely accepted. Exercise: More frequent exercisers have larger telomeres in studies. Exercise appears to shift cells into survival mode, raising NAD levels which in turn activates the survival network, growing oxygen-carrying capillaries in muscles. High-intensity interval training appears to be the most effective form. Cold exposure: Exposure to cold activate sirtuins, which in turn activates brown fat in our backs and shoulders. The presence of higher levels of this “brown fat” is associated with lower age-related disease. Things that overwork our epigenome: Smoking and passive smoking; pollution, PCBs and other chemicals in plastics; solvents and pesticides; food treated with sodium nitrate such as beer, cured meat, and cooked bacon; radiation from x-rays, gamma rays and UV light. Sinclair recognises the impossibility of avoiding all these things, noting that the epigenome is set up to deal with a certain level of DNA breakages. The balance is ensuring we limit the damage as much as possible. #5: Chemical and technological routes to longer life: Several existing drugs and future technologies offer the potential to extend lifespan and reduce age-related diseases. Existing drugs and compounds: Rapamycin: This lowers immune response and is used to facilitate organ transplant acceptance. Mice given small dosages in the final months of their lives lived 9%-14% longer. Metformin: This is a diabetes drug which has also been linked to longer lifespan. In 25 out of 26 studies of rodents treated, metformin showed potential as a protector against cancer. It's less toxic than rapamycin, but similarly mimics aspects of calorie restriction. Resveratrol: This is a natural molecule found in red wine, grapes and berries – albeit in low quantities. Research has shown a positive impact on heart health, as well as 20% life extensions in mice. NAD boosters: These are the emerging compounds of interest. Two variants (NR and NMN) both show promising signs, while research has also found that they may prolong fertility. No human trials have been conducted yet. #6: Implications for our future: A longer-living global population poses a potential economic, political and environmental earthquake. Human innovation is capable of countering these dangers. In the final pages, Sinclair reveals what he's doing to extend his own life, declaring that he feels 30 at 50. Among other things, he takes a combination of metformin, NMN and resveratrol. Sinclair openly admits there are not human trials to support his drug concoction yet. We simply don't know the long-term effect on human lifespan. Nevertheless, he is confident in taking his chances based on what he's seen. (He may also be confident because he has an interest in their promotion, given the disclosures filed away at the end of the book.) I won't be taking his drug concoction just yet, because (1) it's too expensive, (2) I'm not a mouse, and (3) I believe I'm young enough to wait for the outcome of human trials. That said, I will be taking some of the day-to-day practices into account, while keeping a close eye on how the science of aging progresses in the coming years and decades. Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you're not breathing properly. The missing pillar in health is breath, it all starts there Nestor finds that the science of breathing really is a lost art, and discovers more in ancient burial sites and secret Soviet facilities than in modern science labs. Points to antifragility. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Mouth vs nose breathing: the experiment We lose weight through exhaled breath, 85% of the weight lost comes through breathing out CO2 More chewing when young -> better developed faces, mouths and airways -> fewer issues when older Core ideas -Breath through nose -Breathing slowly is best. The ideal breathing rate is 5.5 breaths per minute. -Long exhalations are particularly beneficial. -Rapid breathing is generally harmful, but done with conscious control it can be beneficial. Carbon dioxide is important Useful breathing exercises at the end of the book

Why we sleep Written by Matthew Walker Amazing breakthrough - science has discovered a new treatment Live longer Enhances memory More creative Look more attractive Makes slim Lowers food cravings Protects cancer and dementia Wards off colds and the flu Lowers risk of heart attacks and stroke and diabetes Youll even feel happier, less depressed and less anxious Neglecting sleep undercuts your creativity, problem solving, decision-making, learning, memory, heart health, brain health, mental health, emotional well-being, immune system, and even your life span. Why do we sleep? After all, when you're sleeping—and all animals do—you can't hunt, gather, eat, reproduce, or defend yourself. Yet Walker concludes that the evolutionary upsides of sleep are far greater than these downsides. In brief, sleep produces complex neurochemical baths that improve our brains in various ways. And it “restocks the armory of our immune system, helping fight malignancy, preventing infection, and warding off all manner of sickness.” In other words, sleep greatly enhances our evolutionary fitness—just in ways we can't see. What influences sleep quality Coffee Alcohol alcohol is one of the most powerful suppressors of REM [rapid-eye-movement] sleep Light Temperature Regular sleep and wake time Wakaing up forced =bad for heart, snoozing extra bad Sleeping pills no real sleep Tips Avoid blue light at night Go to bed only when sleepy Dont lie awake, go do somethimg relaxing Reducing sleep amxiety by limiting time in bed Circadian rythm A natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. It can refer to any process that originates within an organism (is endogenous) and responds to the environment. of teens is shifted forward, there are also differences in people. 40% of ppl are morning persons, 30% night owls Smart heating and lighting will help circadian rythm Sleep enough in the week before your flu shot If you can possibly take a short midday nap like our ancestors used to and some Mediterranean and South American cultures still do, you should (but no later than 3 pm). It will likely improve your creativity and coronary health as well as extend your lifetime. Accidents caused by drowsy driving are more dangerous than those caused by intoxication 12 tips for a healthy sleep 1 Stick to a sleep schedule (set an alarm for bedtime) 2 Excercise is great, but not within 2-3 hours before sleep time 3 Avoid caffeine and nicotine 4 Avoid alcohol before bed 5 Avoid large meals and beverages late 6 Avoid medicines that influence sleep 7 Dont take naps after 3 PM 8 Relax before bed 9 Take a hot bath before bed 10 Dark, cool, gadget-free bedroom 11 Have sunlight exposure (or fake in morning) 12 Dont lie awake

If Our Bodies Could Talk: A Guide to Operating and Maintaining a Human Body by James Hamblin Doctor turned journalist Launched a series of videos for the atlantic in 2014 explores the human stories behind health questions that never seem to go away—and which tend to be mischaracterized and oversimplified by marketing and news media. He covers topics like: Diet Sleep Aging • Can I “boost” my immune system? • Does caffeine make me live longer? • Do we still not know if cell phones cause cancer? • How much sleep do I actually need? • Is there any harm in taking a multivitamin? • Is life long enough? In considering these questions, Hamblin draws from his own medical training as well from hundreds of interviews with distinguished scientists and medical practitioners. Tries to provide accessible, engaging, socially contextualized, up-to-the-moment answers.

Recap of the business books that we have read Shoedog: Autobiography of Phil Knight, founder of Nike The lean startup, Eric Ries: How to build a startup, the antifragile way Ben Horowits The Hard thing about hard things helps throw light at the challenges a CEO goes through. The Messy Middle - Scott Belsky: Talks about stuff between the most romantic parts of a venture, from starting in a garage or college dorm to successfully doing a multi-billion dollar IPO. Obviously Awesome - April Dunford positioning framework that actually works, because she sees that positioning is often misunderstood, and can be really powerful, especially for saas startups Hooked - Nir Eyal how to build habit-forming products Venture Deals - Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson Good Strategy, Bad Strategy - Richard Rumelt Strategy =/= ambitious goal setting, vision, charisma Good strategy identifies the key challenge to overcome Good strategy includes actions to take to overcome Top 3 The Lean Startup Hooked Venture Deals Wildcard: The 7 habits of highly effective people by stephen covey What to expect on the next season - Human Body series If our bodies could talk by James Hamblin If our bodies could talk is a guide that tackles about different human stories James Hamblin, a doctor and a journalist at Atlantic, created a video turned into a book that respond to the common medical questions of people. Endless curiosity lead us to seek new knowledge especially when it comes to our body. If our bodies could talk, a guide that tackles and give clarity how human treat his body and how it should be. Author dropped some of the frequently asked questions such as: • Can I "boost" my immune system? • Does caffeine make me live longer? • Do we still not know if cell phones cause cancer? • How much sleep do I actually need? • Is there any harm in taking a multivitamin? • Is life long enough? It focuses on body functions starting with the body's superficial parts — eyes, and skin. Then, body actions such as eating, feeling, drinking, and even dying. His approach is interesting and straightforward. He intends to inform the reader's to live a healthy lifestyle and worry less about the things that don't matter. His context explain the misconceptions versus marketing-based facts. WHY WE SLEEP by Matthew Walker Why we sleep, a New York times bestseller written by Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and has contributed over 100 scientific studies. Why we sleep thoroughly explain the essence of sleep. It is described as one of the most important activity that people shouldn't take advantage because it has a short and long-term effect on our physical, mental, and emotional health. Since most people are sleep- deprived, Matthew clearly states that it can linked to serious health diseases such as cancer, diabetes and even death. Part 1: This Thing Called Sleep 1. To sleep 2. Caffeine, Jet Lag, and Melatonin: Losing and Gaining Control of Your Sleep Rhythm 3. Defining and Generating Sleep 4. Ape Beds, Dinosaurs, and Napping with Half a Brain: Who Sleeps, How Do We Sleep, and How Much? 5. Changes in Sleep Across the Life Span Part 2: Why Would You Sleep? 6. Your Mother and Shakespeare Knew 7. Too Extreme for the Guinness Book of World Records 8. Cancer, Heart Attacks, and a Shorter Life Part 3: How and Why We Dream 9. Routinely Psychotic 10. Dreaming as Overnight Therapy 11. Dream Creativity and Dream Control Part 4: From Sleeping Pills to Society Transformed 12. Things That Go Bump in the Night 13. iPads, Factory Whistles, and Nightcaps 14. Hurting and Helping Your Sleep 15. Sleep and Society: What Medicine and Education Are Doing Wrong; What Google and NASA Are Doing Right. 16. A New Vision for Sleep in the Twenty-First Century Part 5: Twelve Tips for Healthy Sleep Basically, Walker aims to warn us about lack of sleep and beauty of dreams that will give you longevity. Breath by James Nestor Breath, written by James Nestor, author and journalist who has written for New York Times, BBC, National Public Radio, gives you a transformation that changes your body and mind. It all starts with breathing. It is one of the underrated body activities yet the pillar of healthy lifestyle. Nestor stated that to breathe is not just taking the air in and letting it out, it has an art. He reveal the basic truth how the art of breathing occurs. There are many ways to breathe — the 5.5 symmetry, 5.5 second inhales followed by 5.5 second exhales which equals to 5.5 breaths a minute is the most efficient breathing rhythm. When your heartbeat speeds up, exhale slowly. To exhale is a parasympathetic response which calms your mental state. The misconception of being “less nature, more nurture” is far from truth. Workout exercises can increase your lung's capacity. He used free divers as an example, diving down thousands of feet, made their lungs larger. Nose breathing is always better than mouth breathing. It lowers your blood pressure, heart rate and helps preserve memories that keep your body balanced. Lifespan by David. A Sinclair Lifespan written by David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. In this book, author explains why an individual undergo aging. Aging causes stem cell loss and genetic instability. Through his research, David created a theory that aging is a “loss of information” based by the Mathematical Theory of Communication by Claude Shannon. In this theory, there are two types that transmits information — digital and analog. Analog is continuous and interrupted by a noise while digital is discrete. Both serve as the genetic and epigenetic code respectively which distinguishes which genes are present in the cell. David concluded that noise destroys the gene expression and other processes which results to malfunctioning and aging of an individual. This self-help books is somehow a wake-up call for everyone about how the science of aging takes place. GUT by Giulia Enders Gut, sold over million copies written by Giulia Enders, two-time scholarship winner of the Heraeus Foundation. Author states that treating your guts well, will treat your body well in return. She wants the readers to explore how digestive system works and explains step by step. From a food which enters the mouth to gastric bubble to stomach to small intestine. Ender shows also microbes as part of the process and also produce nutrients that is being absorbed by our body. These bacteria occupy space and latch at specific locations. She also shares how important cleanliness is, the best position to defecate, vomiting and washing of fruits and vegetables. Her book serve as a good source and a user-friendly type which can be useful to anyone. Burn Herman Ponser Burn, written by Herman Pontzer, anthropologist at Duke University. This book is an eye-opener who loves to exercise and lose weight, be physically fit. Pontzer shows how metabolism works and manage our desired weight. He implies that exercising doesn't burn your calories, diet does. He said “Use diet to watch your weight, and exercise for everything else”. Pontzer believes that we're not in control of our metabolism but you have control on your diet. His observation states that the more you exercise, more your body manage energy. Exercise will lead you a healthy well-being but doesn't give you're body huge changes. He also offers explanations about the role of foods is essential in maintaining your desired body status and won't lead you on overconsume. Death by food Pyramid Denise MInger Nutrition, written by Denise Minger,. A book that reveals the truth about nutrition. Her book needs an extensive reading in order to absorb the content because it contains a lot of data that will surely serve as your primary source in terms of your human nutrition. It is divided into three major parts — Shady Politics, Slippery Science, and New Geometry. Minger exposed the politics that led the USDA Food Pyramid of Nutrition that is responsible in promoting agriculture problems. She describes how low-fat diet is important in improving one's nutrition. She even debunked the early research due to poor methodology. Being aware about nutrition will become very useful instead of being dependent on doctors. She gave tips on how to evaluate who to trust and who to recognize as an authority. She also gave an overview about “muscle meats” and how to cook meats to lessen the carcinogenic properties. Whether you're a beginner, athlete, professional, nutrionist, this is perfect for everyone. If our bodies could talk (James Hamblin) Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker) Breath (James Nestor) Lifespan (Dr a Sinclair) Gut (Julia Enders) Burn (Herman Ponser) Death by food pyramid (Denise Minger)

Good strategy, bad strategy: The difference, and why it matters By Richard Rumelt Key insights Strategy =/= ambitious goal setting, vision, charisma Around the 60's, many authors started ascribing leader's success to their vision, combined with their charisma. This has resulted in a lot of bad strategy, based on ambitious goal setting. Example: 20/20 plan - 20% growth with 20% profit margin. Often a goal or a vision can be a perfectly fine starting point for a strategy. However, the strategy itself must include precise information on how these goals will actually be achieved. Example: warzone Every good strategy has the same foundation: a diagnosis, a guiding policy and a set of coherent actions Diagnosis: What is the challenge to be overcome? Often requires focus on critical elements to simplify complex realities A guiding policy is an overall approach chosen to cope with or overcome the obstacles identified in the diagnosis. Like the guardrails on a highway, the guiding policy directs and constrains action in certain directions without defining exactly what shall be done. A set of coherent actions dictate how the guiding policy will be carried out. The actions should be coherent, meaning the use of resources, policies, and maneuvers that are undertaken should be coordinated and support each other (not fight each other, or be independent from one another). A good strategy demands that you make a choice, based on your diagnosis (strengths, weaknesses). Example: Bonsai Good strategy vs bad strategy -Good strategy identifies the key challenge to overcome. Bad strategy fails to identify the nature of the challenge. -Good strategy includes actions to take to overcome the challenge. Actions are not “implementation” details -Good strategy is designed to be coherent – all the actions an organization takes should reinforce and support each other. Leaders must do this deliberately and coordinate action across departments. Bad strategy is just a list of “priorities” that don't support each other, at best, or actively conflict with each other, undermine each other, and fight for resources, at worst. Good strategy is about focusing and coordinating efforts to achieve an outcome, which necessarily means saying “No” to some goals, initiatives, and people. Developing a strategy is not a one-time-exercise. The only constant in any situation is change. Your action points, and maybe even your strategy will need to adapt to this change. Change can come from technology, industry trends or competitors. Next to adapting to change, it is also possible to use change to your advantage. Example: The author once asked Steve Jobs how he was going to compete against the Win-tel standard in the personal computer industry. His answer was - ‘I'm not going to, I'm going to wait for the next big thing in the tech industry, and take it'. A good strategy maximises your competitive advantage by limiting your rivals' opportunities and maximising your resources. Approach strategy like science, start with a hypothesis and continue to test your hypotheses. Once in a while, it pays off to stop doing and reflect on your priorities, example: interview of the CEO.

Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson Ever thought about getting investments for your startup? Ever thought about investing in a startup? Whether you are an entrepreneur, an investor, a lawyer or just a stakeholder in the venture capital market, this book is for you! In it, renowned investor Brad Feld addresses some topics within the Venture Capital ecosystem, explaining in a practical and didactic way how things work. You'll understand a bit more about raising money, how to get away from some legal issues, who are the top players in VC deals, and how to deal with investors. The entire book is laid out into chapters that can be read independent of each other. The Players How to Raise Money Overview of the Term Sheet Economic Terms of the Term Sheet Control Terms of the Term Sheet Other Terms of the Term Sheet The Cap Table How Venture Capital Funds Work Negotiation Tactics Raising Money the Right Way Issues at Different Financing Stages Letters of Intent- The other Term Sheet Legal Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know Takeaways Don't get intoxicated by fundraising Don't make the mistake of thinking investment is success Remember that revenue is the goal of your business and it's the best form of capital. The book is filled with lots of other amazing advice. Go pick up a copy (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Venture-Deals-Smarter-Lawyer-Capitalist/dp/1119594820/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=venture+deals&qid=1620851655&sr=8-1). About the author Brad Feld and Jason Mendelsom are venture capitalists BRAD FELD has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur for over thirty years. Prior to cofounding Foundry Group, he cofounded Mobius Venture Capital and Intensity Ventures. He is also a cofounder of Techstars. JASON MENDELSON has over twenty years experience in the venture capital and technology industries in a multitude of investing, legal, and operational roles. Prior to cofounding Foundry Group, Jason was a Managing Director and General Counsel for Mobius Venture Capital. He is also a cofounder of SRS/Acquiom. Host rating for 'Hooked' Nico Rating: 3/10 Sam Rating: 9/10 Jack Rating: 9/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guest: Jack Hughes.

Hooked - how to build habit-forming products by Nir Eyal How do successful companies create products people can't put down? Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us? Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) by explaining the "Hook Model" - a four steps process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior. Through consecutive “hook cycles,” these products reach their ultimate goal of bringing users back over and over again, without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging. 4 steps: Trigger A ‘trigger' is the actuator of behavior; comes in two types — External and Internal External a. Paid Triggers — Advertising, Search engine marketing and other paid channels are commonly used to get users' attention and prompt them to act. Paying for re-engagement is unsustainable for most business models, companies generally use paid triggers to acquire new users and then leverage other triggers to bring them back. b. Earned Triggers — For earned triggers to drive ongoing user acquisition, companies must keep their product in the limelight. These cannot be bought directly, but they often require investment in the form of time spent on public and media relations. c. Relationship Triggers — One person telling others about a product or service can be a highly effective external trigger for action. These can create viral hyper-growth and sometimes drive growth because people love to tell one another about a wonderful offer. d. Owned Triggers — These consume a piece of real estate in the user's environment. They consistently show up in daily life and it is ultimately up to the user to opt in to allowing these triggers to appear. While paid, earned and relationship triggers drive new user acquisition, owned triggers prompt repeat engagement until a habit is formed. Internal Internal triggers tell the user what to do next through associations stored in the user's memory. When a product becomes tightly coupled with a thought, an emotion or a pre-existing routine, it leverages an internal trigger. Example: 9gag on toilet Action Trigger only succeeds if user has both the ability and motivation to take action Motivators: 1. Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain 2. Seeking hope and avoiding fear 3. Seeking social acceptance while avoiding social rejection Ability is more important than motivation Variable Reward — Rewarding users by solving a problem, reinforcing their motivation for the action taken in the previous phase. Rewards of the Tribe - feel accepted, loved, important Hunt - Search for material resources/information Self - Intrinsic reward of mastery Investment Here - users are asked to do a bit of work. Investments are about the anticipation of longer-tern rewards, not immediate gratification. The more users invest time and effort into a product or service, the more they value it. Example: AI with spotify, but it can also be followers, reputation or skill About the author Nir Eyal is the bestselling author of "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" and "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life." He is a prominent figure in the silicon valley start up scene with specialist expertise in product development and consumer psychology. Host rating for 'Hooked' Nico Rating: 9/10 Sam Rating: 9.5/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

Obviously Awesome April Dunford extracts from her own 20+ years of real-world tech marketing experience a basic positioning framework that actually works, because she sees that positioning is often misunderstood, and can be really powerful, especially for saas startups Definition: Positioning is the act of deliberately defining how you are the best at something that a defined market cares a lot about. When customers first encounter your product they look for "signals" to try to understand what box to put your product in. These include your messaging, features, price, other customers, and most importantly, your competitive alternatives. Customers use what they know, to make sense of what they don't know. Product categories and trends Linking your product to a category immediately triggers a bunch of assumptions about price, target customers, features, competitors etc. Takeaways You win at positioning by deliberately choosing a market category where you expect to win and identify who your "best fit" customers are. Dunford identifies three different ways you can compete in a market category: head-to-head (you see yourself as the dominant player), works only in fragmented market, dominate a subsegment (you're not the overall market leader but you serve some segment of the market (e.g. customers using AWS) better than anyone), or by creating a new market category altogether (awesome if you can make it work but comes with the burden of educating your customer base about the new category). Companies fall into common positioning traps: They think a product can only be positioned in one way, when in reality the same product can be positioned in multiple ways for multiple different markets (though admittedly one at a time). They carefully design a product for a market but that market has changed. - Figure out which customers care the most about those value themes. Shift your sales and marketing to target as narrow of a customer segment as you can while still making your sales targets, as more narrow marketing is more effective. About the author April Dunford is an executive consultant, speaker and author who helps technology companies make complicated products easy for customers to understand and love. She is a globally recognized expert in positioning and market strategy, and has launched 16 products into market across her 25-year career as VP of marketing at a series of successful high-growth startups. April advises leadership, sales and marketing teams through training, workshops and keynote talks. She is also a board member, investor and advisor to dozens of high-growth businesses. Host rating for 'Obviously Awesome' Nico Rating: 5/10 Sam Rating: 8/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

The High Growth Handbook Global technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and angel investor Elad Gil has worked with high-growth, tech companies like Airbnb, Twitter, Google, Stripe, and Square as they've grown from small companies to global enterprises. Across all of these breakout companies, a set of common patterns has evolved into a repeatable playbook that Gil has now codified in High Growth Handbook. In this definitive guide, Gil covers key topics, including: * the role of the CEO * managing a board * recruiting and managing an executive team * mergers and acquisitions * initial public offerings * late-stage funding Interspersed with and informed by interviews with some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley including Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Marc Andreessen (Andreessen Horowitz), and Aaron Levie (Box), High Growth Handbook presents crystal-clear guidance for navigating the most complex challenges that confront leaders and operators in high-growth startups. Takeaways Avoid the three things that kill early-stage companies Failing to find Product/Market Fit. PMF is much rarer than most people imagine. The best signal is the ability to raise prices repeatedly without losing customers. Co-founder conflicts. Problems arise when there is a lack of clarity on decision making, product vision, and overlapping founder roles. A startup's main advantage is speed: conflict eliminates the advantage. If you can't work together, one of you should leave. Running out of cash. Every business will make errors as it develops; cash on hand provides a margin of safety. Shift from product focus to distribution focus As companies grow, individual products become less important, and focus has to shift towards the distribution of multiple products. The most successful companies have powerful distribution engines. About the author Elad Gil, an entrepreneur, operating executive, and investor or advisor to private companies such as Airbnb, Coinbase, Checkr, Gusto, Instacart, OpenDoor, Pinterest, Square, Stripe, Wish. He is cofounder and chairman at Color Genomics. Elad was the VP of Corporate Strategy at Twitter, where he also ran product (Geo, Search) and operational teams (M&A and Corporate Development). Elad joined Twitter via the acquisition of MixerLabs, where he was co-founder and CEO. Elad spent many years at Google, where he started the mobile team-involved in all aspects of getting it up and running. He was involved with three acquisitions (including the Android team) and was the original product manager for Google Mobile Maps. Prior to Google, Elad had product management and market-seeding roles at a number of Silicon Valley companies. Host rating for 'The High Growth Handbook' Nico Rating: 4/10 Sam Rating: 7/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!

The Messy middle by Scott Belsky Most startup stories describe the most romantic parts of a venture, from starting in a garage or college dorm to successfully doing a multi-billion dollar IPO. Scott Belsky, who is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, Chief Product Officer at Adobe, and product advisor to many of today's top start-ups, goes about it differently. He dedicates this book to the messy middle, the middle stretch, which is the least talked about, but probably the most important part of any venture. The book is broken into 3 sections Endure the roller coaster of successes and failures Optimize what's working Finish strong Sam and Nico's ratings Sam - 6/10 Nico - 6/10

The Hard thing about hard things A valuable book for tech entrepreneurs, The Hard thing about hard things helps throw light at the challenges a CEO goes through. Ben Horowitz launched Loudcloud in 1999, just before the dotcom bubble. Their company offers enterprise SaaS to tech clients. Then the trouble began * Because of the dotcom bubble, many of their customers went out of business * Had to IPO to survive, during hard times * After going public, they pivoted to become OPSware, a radically different business * They got threatened to delist from NASDAQ * They had mass employee revolts In the end, he sold OPSware for 1,6B to HP

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries A startup is a grand experiment = "a human institution designed to create a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty" Too many startups begin with an idea for a product that they think people want. They then spend months, sometimes years, perfecting that product without ever showing the product, even in a very rudimentary form, to the prospective customer. Scientific management has been used to optimize processes at the beginning of the 20th century (ford automobiles). It is now used to optimize building the right product, instead of building the product as efficient as possible

Shoe Dog is a memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight. The memoir chronicles the history of Nike from its early struggles to its evolution into one of the world's most recognized and profitable companies. It also highlights certain parts of Phil Knight's life. This book is a great insight into the world of business and how a huge company and brand is made from humble begginings. It highlights the amazingly stressful and difficult trials of an entrepreneur and the mistakes and lessons along the way. We learn a lot about history and about what makes a good CEO.

We (Sam and Nico) look back at what they read on the show in 2020. We both choose our top three books from the year that we discussed on the show and share what the biggest lessons were that really stuck with us. Looking back with hindsight at the most powerful lessons was a great tool to really show what the absolute best books were which can be less obvious in the moment. We also had one wildcard book each that we read outside of the show but was really worth a mention. The top list Joint first (Yes - we both had the same favourite book) Why Buddhism is True - Robert Wright We both highly agreed this was the worst title and the best book. So many lessons on how to just be a more content human not at the mercy of uncontrollable and incessant thoughts. Goodreads info (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32895535-why-buddhism-is-true) Joint second (Yes - we both had the same favourite second book) Antifragile - Nassim N. Taleb Epic book on how to gain from disorder and find strength in setbacks. Goodreads info (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13530973-antifragile) Nico's Number 3 Elephant in the Brain How we lie to ourselves about our own motives to fit in better socially, and where this trips us up. Goodreads info (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28820444-the-elephant-in-the-brain?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=kq41Gyh0Zm&rank=1) Sam's Number 3 - On the Shortness of Life - Seneca How time is the only finite resource a human has and yet spend it so frivously on the wrong things to acquire things of less importance. A guide on how to live and seek true purpose. Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97412.On_the_Shortness_of_Life?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=YaNk4JuYNz&rank=3) Nico's Wildcard HumanKind - Rutger Bregman How humans have truly innate goodness and co-operation built into them and why this is the story of our success. Goodreads info (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52879286-humankind?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=29UE0BFGDE&rank=3) Sam's Wildcard Siddartha - Herman Hesse The life story of a rebel and seeker of purpose and happiness. A beautiful tale about the flow of life and the lessons we need to learn by ourselves and what is most important to value. Goodreads info (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30141085-siddartha?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kDtcIrbjkv&rank=1) An epic year and we're super excited for all the reading in 2021. Any suggestions for the show or books that were your favourite last year let us know!

Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. While the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation and encouragement, Marcus Aurelius also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a timeless collection that has been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and readers throughout the centuries.

The Stoic writings of the philosopher Seneca offer powerful insights into the art of living, the importance of reason and morality, and continue to provide profound guidance to many through their eloquence, lucidity and timeless wisdom. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves—and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives—and destroyed them. Sam and Nico breakdown "On the Shortness of life" and contemplate the shortness of their own lives and the priorities that really matter.

The Republic Where Plato lays down his ideas of an ideal state and its rulers. Plato's Utopian state is one which is just and his ideal rulers are philosophers. Presented as a series of dialogue between Socrates and Plato's brothers Adeimantus and Glaucon, in eleven parts Plato step by step forms his ideal state (Part I and II), its rulers (Part IV and Part VII), their education, women's position (Part VI) and the position of art and poetry (Part X) in the new state. Plato’s ideal republic; No democracy 3 classes Artisans, merchants and farmers Guardians Rulers - philosophers (could best judge what was in the interest of the community through their training) ### The noble lie People have souls of Gold, Silver and Brass/Iron (myth rulers would teach citizens) educators would keep track of natural abilities/virtues (Wisdom, courage, Discipline), so people can be assigned the right roles. Justice is the 4th virtue, and is the balance between all citizens.

Epicurus Epicureanism is powerfully and refreshingly relevant, offering a straightforward way of dealing with the issues of life and death. The chapters in this book provide a changeable of contemporary opinions about Epicurus' teachings. Key to happiness: Don't fear god Don't fear death What is good is easy to get What is bad is easy to endure This doesn't mean Epicururs pleaded for overindulgence He made a hierarchy of desires Natural and necessary desires Natural and non-necessary desires Vain desires Natural and necessary desires Natural desires have a natural limit (food) 2 types of pleasure: Moving pleasure: the act of eating Static pleasure: the contentment being satisfied after a nice meal Static pleasure: the absence of needs or wants -> the best pleasure Epicurus was celibate and lived with followers. He was also more focused on friendship as opposed to romance. Natural and non-necessary desires Ex. Luxurious food Normal food will bring static pleasure in the same way luxurious food does Vain desires Power, fame, extreeme material wealth These are unnatural and based on opinion, what society makes us think we need There is no afterlife It is pointless to not enjoy this life to be able to enjoy the next Death is not bad for neither the living, nor the dead, and we shouldn’t fear it Remind ourselves of the shortness of life, do not postpone happiness

Enchiridion Enchiridion means handbook: practical guide for life Starts with the dichotomy of control; * Some things are in our absolute control, our thoughts, decisions, actions, likes/dislikes * Some things are not in our control; our body, what others think, our position in life, property … Only things that are in our control are good or bad, everything outside of our control is indiffeerent. We shouldn't worry about them. Example: Epictetus had a lame leg. Takeaways: Don’t get so upset about things you can do nothnig about Make a practiice of analyzing your impressions Remind yourself of the impermanence of things Be modest, do not grab too much (banquet comparison) Respond to insults with humor

The Confessions of Saint Augustine The book starts off with his early childhood, where he reflects on the inherent violence of children, caused by original sin (chrisitan belief that man is sinful). There’s a parallel with other philosophies. Most philosophies/religions realize that on this basis, humans are flawed. These flaws seem to follow from how we evolved. And so a big part of what these philosophies try and solve is exactly how to overcome our basic urges.

The Last Days of Socrates A Philosophy book by Plato that is divided between 4 parts Euthyphro Takes place just before Socrate's trial is about to begin The Apology Plato uses his dialogues to tell the story of the trial of Socrates as he energetically defends himself against the charges of heresy and corruption of youth Crito - Socrates friend Crito, has come to help him escape and Socrates counters crito's arguments choosing to stay in prison and accept his fate Phaedo Plato uses Socrates to espouse his belief of the immortality of the soul. Death should be welcome to the philosopher because it is then that he will attain true wisdom and get rid of the distraction of the body. The version we read consisted of The apology and the Phaedo. The Apology The Apology reads as essentially a monologue, Plato casts Socrates’ speech as an implied dialogue with his accusers, the assembly, and the larger community of the city. And because the charges call into question Socrates’ lifelong public career as a philosopher, The Apology is Plato’s most explicit defense of philosophical inquiry as essential to the well-being of society. First, Socrates explains why he does what he does. He was told by the oracle of delphi that he was the wisest of all men. He didn’t believe it, because he knew that he knew almost nothiing. So he made iit his mission to find someone wiser than him. ## The Phaedo Nothing is written from the point of view of the author - Plato In a Platonic dialogue, no single character represents the author’s opinions. Instead, we encounter a series of conversations and speeches in which the characters affirm and deny one another’s statements while engaging in cross-examination. Every statement is subjected to ongoing inquiry; at its conclusion, a dialogue leaves the impression that more avenues for investigation have been opened than existed at the beginning. The character of Socrates, the most likely spokesman for Plato, is typically the sharpest questioner and often seems to have the upper hand. However, even when he presents fully formed theories, they are put forward only as hypotheses to be examined, not as doctrine. In fact, Socrates repeatedly insists that his only wisdom is in knowing what he does not know and in his willingness to join with others in the pursuit of truth.

We are very grateful for the chance to read and discuss the books this season on the show. As a hot topic we also listened and read a lot of other content we didn't have time to do a full show on but felt it was worth discussing other sources of information and discussing our learnings from a step back. Racism and inequality in the modern world is a hard to understand topic and reading one book is not nearly enough. Hopefully hearing some of the things that helped us and ways of thinking will be helpful to you also.

Nonviolent Communication is based on the assumption that all human beings have capacity for compassion and empathy and that people only resort to violence or behavior harmful to others when they do not recognize more effective strategies for meeting needs. The purpose of Nonviolent Communication is to help us connect to ourselves and others in a way that makes being compassionate natural. It is not about making people do what we want, but by creating connections with others so that everyone’s needs are met. Nonviolent Communication theory supposes that all human behavior stems from attempts to meet universal human needs, Connection, Physical Well-Being, Honesty, Play, Peace, Autonomy, Meaning and that these needs are never in conflict; rather, conflict arises when strategies for meeting needs clash. Nonviolent Communication proposes that people should identify shared needs, which are revealed by the thoughts and feelings surrounding these needs, and then they should collaborate to develop strategies and make requests of each other to meet each other's needs. The goal is interpersonal harmony and learning for future cooperation. Nonviolent Communication centers round 2 questions: What is alive in you What would make your life more wonderful Most conflicts between individuals or groups arise from miscommunication about their human needs, due to coercive or manipulative language that aims to induce fear, guilt, shame, etc. These "violent" modes of communication, when used during a conflict, divert the attention of the participants away from clarifying their needs, their feelings, their perceptions, and their requests, thus perpetuating the conflict Certain ways of communicating tend to alienate people from the experience of compassion * Moralistic judgements implying wrongness or badness on the part of people who don't act in harmony with our values * Demands that implicitly or explicitly threaten listeners with blame or punishment if they fail to comply. * Denial of responsibility via language that obscures awareness of personal responsibility. ‘I had to’ because of others, my condition, group pressure, … * Making comparisons * A sense of ‘deserving’ How to practice Nonviolent Communication? Observation The facts (what we are seeing, hearing, or touching) as distinct from our evaluation of meaning and significance. It is said that "When we combine observation with evaluation others are apt to hear criticism and resist what we are saying." Feelings Feelings are said to reflect whether we are experiencing our needs as met or unmet. Identifying feelings is said to allow us to more easily connect with one another, and "Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable by expressing our feelings can help resolve conflicts." Needs Universal human needs, as distinct from particular strategies for meeting needs. It is posited that "Everything we do is in service of our needs. Connection, Physical Well-Being, Honesty, Play, Peace, Autonomy, Meaning Request Request for a specific action, free of demand. Requests are distinguished from demands in that one is open to hearing a response of "no" without this triggering an attempt to force the matter. If one makes a request and receives a "no" it is recommended not that one give up, but that one empathize with what is preventing the other person from saying "yes," before deciding how to continue the conversation. It is recommended that requests use clear, positive, concrete action language There are three primary modes of application of Nonviolent Communication Self-empathy Involves compassionately connecting with what is going on inside us. This may involve, without blame, noticing the thoughts and judgments we are having, noticing our feelings, and most critically, connecting to the needs that are affecting us. Receiving empathically In Nonviolent Communication involves "connection with what's alive in the other person and what would make life wonderful for them...Nonviolent Communication suggests that however the other person expresses themselves, we focus on listening for the underlying observations, feelings, needs, and requests. It is suggested that it can be useful to reflect a paraphrase of what another person has said, highlighting the Nonviolent Communication components implicit in their message, such as the feelings and needs you guess they may be expressing Expressing honestly In Nonviolent Communication, is likely to involve expressing an observation, feeling, need, and request.

A searching re-examination of the assumptions, and the evidence for and against, current approaches to issues of economic and other disparities Discrimination and Disparities challenges believers in such one-factor explanations of economic outcome differences as discrimination, exploitation or genetics. It is readable enough for people with no prior knowledge of economics. Yet the empirical evidence with which it backs up its analysis spans the globe and challenges beliefs across the ideological spectrum. The point of Discrimination and Disparities is not to recommend some particular policy "fix" at the end, but to clarify why so many policy fixes have turned out to be counterproductive, and to expose some seemingly invincible fallacies behind many counterproductive policies. The final chapter deals with social visions and their human consequences.

How to Be an Antiracist is a 2019 non-fiction book by American author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. The book discusses concepts of racism and Kendi's proposals for anti-racist individual actions and systemic changes. Author At the time of authorship, Ibram X. Kendi was an assistant professor of African-American History at the University of Florida. He previously worked at the American University, where he founded the Antiracist Research and Policy Center. He wrote a 2016 book titled Stamped from the Beginning, about the origins of racism in America. Synopsis Kendi describes concepts of racism such as scientific racism, colorism and their intersection with demographics including gender, class and sexuality. He summarizes historical eras such as the scientific proposals of polygenism in Europe in the 1600s and racial segregation in the United States. The book also covers contemporary history such as the O. J. Simpson robbery case and 2000 United States presidential election. He also details experiences from his own life, including his change in beliefs over time, and observations from classes he has taught. Kendi comments on internalized racism and disputes the prejudice plus power model of racism. He suggests models for anti-racist individual actions and systemic changes

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism A 2018 book written by Robin DiAngelo about race relations in the United States. An academic with experience in diversity training, DiAngelo coined the term "white fragility" in 2011 to describe any defensive instincts or reactions that a white person experiences when questioned about race or made to consider their own race. In White Fragility, DiAngelo views racism in the United States as systemic and often perpetuated unconsciously by individuals. She recommends against viewing racism as committed intentionally by "bad people". Published on June 26, 2018, the book entered the New York Times Bestseller List that month, remaining on the list for well over a year and experiencing a resurgence in demand during the George Floyd protests beginning in May 2020. As of the July 26, 2020 edition, the book is in its 97th week on the list in the Paperback Nonfiction category, where it is ranked number one. Critically, the book received generally positive reviews following its publication. It received more mixed reviews in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests two years later. Some reviewers lauded the book for being thoughtful and instructive, but characterized it as diagnostic rather than solution-oriented. Other reviewers criticized the book for making false claims about race and racism in America, for putting whites in a situation where anything they say is used against them, for infantilizing Black people, and for doing nothing to promote racial justice.

The moment you've all been waiting for. Two white guys read the most talked about book on race and attempt to understand our amazing foolishness in a humble manner. Yes we probably mess things up. But it's better to try, make mistakes, learn, and improve, than to just runaway from our own fragilities. About 'Every voice raised against racism chips away at its power. We can't afford to stay silent. This book is an attempt to speak' The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today. It won the 2018 British Book Awards Non-Fiction Narrative Book of the Year, the 2018 Jhalak Prize, was chosen as Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year and Blackwell's Non-Fiction Book of the Year, was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Orwell Prize and shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Award for Non-Fiction. Her original blog that sparked the book is a great read http://renieddolodge.co.uk/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race/ Equality series This is the first in our series about equality and racial injustice. We are learning what is wrong in the world. How every human plays their part. What can be done about it at a societal and individual level. We invite you to join the journey and learn about the world and making it a fairer place.

Hope in the Dark was written to counter the despair of radicals at a moment when they were focused on their losses and had turned their back to the victories behind them--and the unimaginable changes soon to come. In it, she makes a radical case for hope as a commitment to act in a world whose future remains uncertain and unknowable. Drawing on her decades of activism and a wide reading of environmental, cultural, and political history, Solnit argued that radicals have a long, neglected history of transformative victories, that the positive consequences of our acts are not always immediately seen, directly knowable, or even measurable, and that pessimism and despair rest on an unwarranted confidence about what is going to happen next. Writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit is the author of eighteen or so books on feminism, western and indigenous history, popular power, social change and insurrection, wandering and walking, hope and disaster, including the book 'Men Explain Things to Me' Acclaim "One of the Best Books of the 21st Century." --The Guardian "No writer has better understood the mix of fear and possibility, peril and exuberance that's marked this new millennium." --Bill McKibben "An elegant reminder that activist victories are easily forgotten, and that they often come in extremely unexpected, roundabout ways." --The New Yorker Our review Despite amazing acclaim and learning a lot from the book. We feel that it isn't her best work and probably could have been a blog post. We did really enjoy the discussion we had about it and bring some great take homes to the episode.

Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life, is a 2018 nonfiction book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a former options trader with a background in the mathematics of probability and statistics. Taleb's thesis is that skin in the game -- i.e., having a measurable risk when taking a major decision -- is necessary for fairness, commercial efficiency, and risk management, as well as being necessary to understand the world. The book is the last part of Taleb's multi-volume philosophical essay on uncertainty, titled the Incerto. Summary Another classic book from Taleb. He makes a sound argument for alignment of inscentives and why many problems in the world come from people not having skin in the game. Key Idea If an actor pockets some rewards from a policy they enact or support without accepting any of the risks, economists consider it to be a problem of "missing incentives". In contrast, to Taleb, the problem is more fundamentally one of asymmetry: one actor gets the rewards, the other is stuck with the risks.[1] Taleb argues that "For social justice, focus on symmetry and risk sharing. You cannot make profits and transfer the risks to others, as bankers and large corporations do... Forcing skin in the game corrects this asymmetry better than thousands of laws and regulations." The centrality of negative incentives Actors - per Taleb - must bear a cost when they fail the public. A fund manager that gets a percentage on wins, but no penalty for losing is incentivized to gamble with his clients funds. Bearing no downside for one's actions means that one has no "Skin In The Game", which is the source of many evils. An evolutionary process is an additional argument for SITG. Those who err and have SITG will not survive, hence evolutionary processes will eliminate (physically or figuratively by going bankrupt etc) those tending to do stupid things. Without SITG, this process cannot work. Examples Robert Rubin, a highly-paid director and senior advisor at Citigroup, paid no financial penalty when Citigroup had to be rescued by U.S. taxpayers due to overreach. Taleb calls this sort of a trade, with upside gain but no or limited downside risk, a "Bob Rubin trade." Intellectual Yet Idiot Intellectual Yet Idiot (IYI) is a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his essay by the same name that refers to the semi-intelligent well-pedigreed "who are telling us 1) what to do, 2) what to eat, 3) how to speak, 4) how to think… and 5) who to vote for". They represent a very small minority of people but have an overwhelming impact on the vast majority because they affect government policy. IYI are often policy makers, academics, journalists, and media pundits. Some favourite quotes The knowledge we get by tinkering, via trial and error, experience, and the workings of time, in other words, contact with the earth, is vastly superior to that obtained through reasoning, something self-serving institutions have been very busy hiding from us. Bureaucracy is a construction by which a person is conveniently separated from the consequences of his or her actions. Avoid taking advice from someone who gives advice for a living, unless there is a penalty for their advice. Seeing the psychologist Steven Pinker making pronouncements about things intellectual has a similar effect to encountering a drive-in Burger King while hiking in the middle of a national park. Evidence of submission is displayed by the employee’s going through years depriving himself of his personal freedom for nine hours every day, his ritualistic and punctual arrival at an office, his denying himself his own schedule, and his not having beaten up anyone on the way back home after a bad day. He is an obedient, housebroken dog. What we saw worldwide from 2014 to 2018, from India to the U.K. to the U.S., was a rebellion against the inner circle of no-skin-in-the-game policymaking “clerks” and journalists-insiders, that class of paternalistic semi-intellectual experts with some Ivy League, Oxford-Cambridge or similar label-driven education who are telling the rest of us 1) what to do, 2) what to eat, 3) how to speak, 4) how to think, and… 5) whom to vote for. People who are bred, selected, and compensated to find complicated solutions do not have an incentive to implement simplified ones. If your private life conflicts with your intellectual opinion, it cancels your intellectual ideas, not your private life. Survival comes first, truth, understanding, and science later.