Whilst 2022 has been a relatively quiet year for me, I didn’t dedicate quite as much time to reading as I have done in prior years. The surprising upside to this is that I’ve become a lot more selective in what I choose to read. Instead of reading any old book in the hopes that it holds some insights for me, I now actively find and choose things to read that I know will have pertinent insights into my interests. Of what I read this year, these are the ones I liked most.
Books
Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
Peak is all about understanding how to improve the way you learn. It does away with the notion of innate skill and talent, instead focusing on how we can take responsibility for our own development through the use of deliberate practice.
You can find my summary of the book here.
Fire Season by Philip Connors
Fire season focuses on Connors’ eighth season as a fire lookout in America’s Gila National Forest. It beautifully melds the author’s story alongside the history of the Forest Service and the history of fire lookouts in general.
I first read this book in early 2020, during the UK’s first Coronavirus lockdown. Being locked indoors, I was drawn to books and shows about wildlife and nature. This was one of them. I loved the book, not least for the vivid image of nature it painted during a time when we were locked away from it. I re-read it this year to see if the book still holds up. It does and it remains one of my favourite books on nature.
A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough
This book is both terrifying and optimistic in equal measure. Attenborough details the planetary changes he’s witnessed through his lifetime spent documenting nature. Building on this he outlines two paths for us to follow; the first is one where we continue to live as we currently do – abusing the planet, slowly pushing it towards its doom. The second is one where we, as a global species, make a conscious effort to change our ways – reducing our footprint and emissions whilst moving towards a sustainable existence, ultimately allowing our planet to recover and provide for future generations. If you have any interest in nature and the ongoing climate crisis, then I’d highly recommend reading this book.
You can find my summary of the book here.
Articles
Work Related
Half-assing it With Everything You’ve Got
Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t an article trying to convince you to not put effort into things. Rather, it’s an insightful look at how and why you should best prioritise your efforts.
An interesting look at how we often focus on the wrong metrics when pursuing our goals and how, through effortful engagement, we can spot these vanity metrics and actively move away from them. Articles like this are the reason why Julian has quickly become one of my favourite online writers.
Writing Related
Since I started writing online, I’ve been honing a philosophy to guide how I write. In this essay, Paul Graham skillfully encapsulates many of the ideas behind the philosophy I’ve adopted. Additionally, this piece provided even more ideas to help me challenge and hone my philosophy further. If you’re looking to write online, I’d highly recommend considering what’s been laid out in this essay.
I love this old newsletter from Nat Eliason because he uses his own experience with writing to go beyond the usual clichéd advice of “you should write online.” In doing so, he touches upon why you should avoid becoming a niche writer, how writing can help enhance your learning, and what makes a great writer. It’s a lovely little essay that I’d recommend to anyone starting to write online.
The Inner Ring of the Internet
For years I’ve noticed how the majority of the content I consume online is driven by algorithmic recommendations. I see more content that’s pushed to me than content I’ve actively sought out. Earlier this year I tried to move away from this by intentionally finding things myself, which led me to stumble upon several online conversations around “rewilding attention”, which was all sparked off by this wonderful essay by Ali Montag. It discusses how what’s popular influences our decisions and actions, sometimes to a detrimental effect.
This is a series of articles outlining how to write interesting and engaging non-fiction pieces. It covers everything from idea generation to drafting to stylising and more. It’s a truly comprehensive guide that’s masterfully written and I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking to write more.
Tech Related
As someone who loves using things like Fitbit and Strava to track and share my workouts with like-minded friends, I’ve been curious as to whether it’s possible to make Strava-like apps to help reinforce other positive habits. This article takes a look at how these social-signalling apps work and ponders whether it’s possible to build such apps for other activities. It’s closely linked to an article I’ve read previously – signalling as a service.
Is “Conscious Capitalism” Still an Option? Was it Ever?
With the continuous rise of subscription-based services, it’s become nigh on impossible for consumers to have full control over their purchases and purchasing habits. Bob Doto takes a critical stance against such subscription-based services and argues for the return of one-time-purchase products.
I Called Off My Wedding. The Internet Will Never Forget
With more and more apps offering ‘on this day’ reminders, it’s become increasingly difficult to let go of our past. This can be especially difficult when you have traumatic or upsetting memories you’d rather leave behind. This article looks at the challenges faced when getting these services to forget aspects of our past and how memories we post online can end up haunting us indefinitely. As someone who’s experienced something similar to the author, this article hit particularly close to home for me.
Life Related
A sobering take on the ephemerality of life and a gentle reminder to cultivate the important things whilst pruning the rubbish.
The Modern Trap of Feeling Obligated to Turn Hobbies Into Hustles
Several years ago, I had the realisation that I’d stopped doing hobbies for fun. Instead, I viewed them all through the lens of productive growth and hustle. This article looks at this issue more broadly and reminds us that hobbies don’t need a purpose beyond our enjoyment of them.
Philosophy Related
Since learning more about classical Stoicism, a lot of modern writing on the philosophy has irked me. In this essay, Steven Gambardella dissects the problem of how modern-day Stoicism is disconnected from the ancient philosophical practice.
