The Reasons We Work
Why do you go to work? Chances are it’s got something to do with money. But as most of us know, it’s more complicated than that. “There is a spectrum of reasons why people do their …
Books
Are You an Outsider Trying To Change A Broken System?
Elizabeth Warren was one of the key architects in the U.S. government’s response to the financial crisis. In her memoir, A Fighting Chance, Warren draws our attention to the troubling reality of …
The Four States of Mind
We’re busier than ever. We’re often on autopilot. We “go through the motions” without really paying attention to the decisions we’re making or the implications. This is …
Why We Choke
In sports, ‘choking’ is when an athlete makes a major, unexpected blunder in a high stakes situation. Often, an expert who chokes will act like a clueless novice. Here, we examine why we choke and how …
Will Durant: The Age of Play
A breathtaking passage from Will Durant’s Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God: See him, the newborn, dirty but marvelous, ridiculous in actuality, infinite in possibility, …
Henry David Thoreau on Success
In the classic Walden, Henry David Thoreau echoes Warren Buffett on having an inner scorecard and defining your own success: If one listens to the faintest but constant suggestions of his genius, …
Keeping Things Simple and Tuning out Folly
Keeping things simple makes a huge difference and yet we are drawn to the sexiness of complexity. Einstein was a master of sifting the essential from the non-essential. And consider this from Charlie …
Focusing Illusions
My favorite chapter in the book Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher is called ‘Decisions: Focusing Illusions.’ It’s a really great summary of how focusing on the wrong things …
Henry David Thoreau on Reading Deliberately
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) remains best-known for Civil Disobedience and for Walden, a beautiful ode to simplicity and self-sufficiency. Thoreau moved into a cabin he built by Walden Pond to …
Reads for the Curious Mind
Out of the 44 books I read from January to June, here are the 7 that resonated with me the most. (For the curious see the 2012, 2013, I can’t find the 2014 edition.) Pebbles of Perception: How a …
The Wisdom of Seneca: A Lawyer’s Advice For Life In The Fast Lane
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (around 4 B.C.—A.D. 65) was an insightful lawyer, senator, philosopher, and playwright best known for his pithy wisdom that still helps understand how to deal with anger, …
Books Everyone Should Read on Psychology and Behavioral Economics
Earlier this year, a prominent friend of mine was tasked with coming up with a list of behavioral economics book recommendations for the military leaders of a G7 country and I was on the limited email …
The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership: Classical Wisdom for Modern Leaders
How many of today’s problems are the result of leadership? What’s lacking, the author of The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership argues, is the lack of real leadership. Here the problem may lie …
Rory Sutherland Offers 4 Interesting Reads
I asked Rory Sutherland (Vice Chairman: Ogilvy & Mather) what books stood out for him last year. I’ve had the privilege of chatting with Rory a few times now and I think you’ll agree, …
Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World
“Simple rules are shortcut strategies that save time and effort by focusing our attention and simplifying the way we process information. The rules aren’t universal— they’re tailored to the …
Why it’s easier to describe “what makes us happy” than answer the question “what is happiness?”
A passage from Happiness: A Philosopher’s Guide explaining, in part, why it’s easier to describe what makes us happy than answer the question what is happiness. I can say that I’m happy …