Revolt of the Public, The Great Online Game, Desk Setups & Crypto
I hope you're enjoying the long weekend (if it's a holiday where you are...sadly it isn't for me).
I got my first dose of the vaccine Friday.
The most surprising part was the sense of relief I felt afterwards.
I suspect a lot of it is the relief that this might be over soon (whatever "over" means).
There's still a ways to go yet, but I can't wait to travel again. I'm also starting to think more about how things will change post-pandemic.
It also reminded me that even though something might not explicitly "bother" us—like the stress of being under lockdown, etc.—it doesn't mean it isn't there.
I wouldn't have told you I was that bothered by the lockdowns and remote work, but clearly it's been affecting me more than I thought.
I hope you have had, or will have, a dose soon!
On to the newsletter.
Quick note:
- My friends Nora & Gus are selling small batch olive oil & olive oil soap from their family farm in Lebanon. It's fantastic. Free US shipping.
What I Worked On
- Book Notes: The Revolt of the Public by Martin Gurri
Have a wonderful week!
Graham
Links
📚 Book Notes: The Revolt of the Public - Martin Gurri - I tend to avoid books about politics, but this book is more about the psychology of the modern "information man/woman." Gurri explores the question of whether modern democracy is doomed, and how modern media is affecting social order. Fascinating book that's changed how I understand the world.
📖 The Great Online Game - Packy McCormick (Not Boring) - This essay covers the topic I think about most these days: what Packy calls "The Great Online Game." This essay covers what that game is, how crypto fits in, and how to play the game.
📖 When the 80/20 Rule Fails: The Downside of Being Effective - James Clear - Doing the wrong thing really well can still be the wrong thing. This piece points out one of the major pitfalls of optimization: you optimize for past results instead of the future.
📖 When to Say "Yes" and "No" - Mark Manson- Saying yes to a lot of things is the forgotten beginning of most people who talk a lot about saying no. I don't love all of Mark Manson's stuff, but this is a good reminder.
📖 Cryptopedia - Gemini - My friend Dickie shared this great crypto resource in his weekly newsletter. It covers all things crypto, starting with Bitcoin & NFTs and working up to DeFi (decentralized finance). If you want to learn more about crypto, this is a great place to start.
📷 As work-from-home has become normal, a great desk setup can be a game-changer for productivity. Here's a bunch of inspiration (from the Indie Hacker newsletterd):
10 Tweets
- Anne Lee Skates on the exploding creator economy
- Alex Garcia on how to write great Twitter threads
- Greg Isenberg on experimental cities
- Blake Emal with 42 ways to make your first $1 online
- Andrew Yeung with Naval's secrets to happiness
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It means so much that you let me be part of your inbox, and I love building a community of like-minded people with you.
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