Sol LeWitt on the Power of Doing
In 1960 two American artists met for the first time: Sol LeWitt and Eva Hesse. The meeting sparked a bond that resulted in “countless inspirational discussions and rich exchanged of ideas” …
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The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World
For centuries we’ve wondered about the left hemisphere and right hemisphere divide. The “left hemisphere is detail-oriented, prefers mechanisms to living things, and is inclined to …
The Best way to Improve Your Performance at Almost Anything
Here are some easy tips to improve your performance at almost anything. How you practice makes a big difference. You need to think about feedback loops, deliberate practice, and working in chunks. The …
Advice to Writers: A Compendium of Quotes, Anecdotes, and Writerly Wisdom
In response to Ernest Hemingway on Writing a reader passed along a pointer to Advice to Writers, “a compendium of quotes, anecdotes, and writerly wisdom from a dazzling array of literary lights.” Jon …
Work in Pulses
We’re not designed for multitasking and we’re certainly not designed to work continuously without a break. We’re designed to pulse, that is alternate between expending energy and …
A Philosophy of Walking: Thoreau, Nietzsche and Kant on Walking
Solitude is an important aspect of creative thought. You could make an argument that in our information-overloaded world where our senses are stimulated nearly 18 hours a day, solitude and calming our …
Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time
You’re busy. I get it. But what can we do about it? What would you do if your schedule suddenly opened up and we found we have more time? I bet you’d reply with read, travel, and maybe …
A System for Remembering What You Read
One year I read 161 books cover-to-cover. And that doesn’t include the ones that I started to read and put down. In the process, I learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work. …
Three (Underrated) Reasons for Berkshire Hathaway’s Success
Berkshire Hathaway is widely regarded as one of the most successful companies in the world. If you look at Warren Buffett’s 49 year track record with Berkshire, it almost looks easy in hindsight. Make …
Turning Adversity Into Advantage
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” *** Perception, action, and will are the three disciplines central to the stoic philosophy. They also …
Einstein: The World As I See It
“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer …
Ernest Hemingway on Writing
Ernest Hemingway is widely regarded as one of the great writers. His 1954 Nobel acceptance speech on working alone, is one of the keys to his genius. Being alone gives you the space and freedom for …
5 Life Changing Books
Reading is important. It is a way to fill in the gaps left by formal education and a meaningful way to better ourselves. Reading is the raw material of the mind. What you put in shapes what you see …
Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son
“College doesn’t make fools; it develops them. It doesn’t make bright men; it develops them. A fool will turn out a fool, whether he goes to college or not, though he’ll probably turn out a different …
Gabriel García Márquez : 1982 Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
“To oppression, plundering and abandonment, we respond with life.” *** Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014) was believed by many to be one of the world’s greatest writers. Two of his books, …
Ernest Hemingway’s 1954 Nobel Acceptance Speech on Working Alone
“Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.” — Ernest Hemingway *** Solitude is an important aspect toward accomplishing great things, creative or otherwise. In fact, it’s one of the commonalities …