Part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers Chapter 5 of Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows. Summary The authors begin by introducing the concept of bounded rationality, the idea that people generally make the best decisions … Continue reading Memo: Sustainable Cities 1
Books
Posts inspired by particularly notable books
Memo: Sustainable Transportation 1
Part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers chapter 1, 4, and 5 from The End of Automobile Dependence by Newman & Kenworthy. Summary In these first few chapters, the authors posit that the world is generally reaching the … Continue reading Memo: Sustainable Transportation 1
Social Infrastructure
I was given a particularly intriguing reading recently - an excerpt from the recent book Palaces for the People, by the sociologist Eric Klinenberg. It discusses the value of social infrastructure - an umbrella term for the "physical spaces and organizations that shape the way people interact." In other words, it's comprised of the places … Continue reading Social Infrastructure
Factfulness
I've been meaning to read Hans Rosling's Factfulness ever since Bill Gates gave it his highest recommendation back in 2018 - and it did not disappoint. In fact, not only is it one of the most enlightening books about the state of the world I've ever read, it is one of those works that deserves … Continue reading Factfulness
Review: How Design Makes the World
Just finished Scott Berkun's new book How Design Makes the World, and I can definitively conclude that it is a worthy read. Not just for designers, but for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of what work goes into the products they experience every day. More succinctly, the book excels at being accessible, modern, … Continue reading Review: How Design Makes the World
Algorithms to Live By
I recently finished reading Algorithms to Live By, a highly enlightening take on what happens when you apply computer science to problems in cognitive psychology. The result is a veritable ton of clever ideas to help tackle situations that come up in everyday life. The solutions were so inspiring to me (likely because I have … Continue reading Algorithms to Live By
Thanks for the Feedback
I just finished reading Thanks for the Feedback, the widely acclaimed book by the same authors of Difficult Conversations. It was quite an illuminating experience, so I thought I'd share some of the more salient themes that resonated with me personally. Feedback Triggers Receiving feedback well is a process of sorting and filtering—of learning how the other … Continue reading Thanks for the Feedback
Notable quotes from The 4-Hour Workweek
People sometimes tell me that I should follow in the footsteps of author Tim Ferriss, given my penchant for travel and remote work. I have a couple of qualms with this: In my opinion, Tim Ferriss often comes off as a douche - in both speaking engagements and in writing. I'm sure he has good … Continue reading Notable quotes from The 4-Hour Workweek
Reflections on the Month of Mobile
It's been a couple weeks since I returned from my month on the East Coast, and I've had a chance to catch up on some sleep and otherwise recover from the grand experiment of working 100% remotely on mobile devices. I have officially gone "back to the office". (Though, was I ever really gone, technically … Continue reading Reflections on the Month of Mobile
Restoring empathy during meetings
Trust is expensive to build and easy to destroy, which is why it's rare. –Scott Berkun, The Year Without Pants It has now been three weeks into my month of 100% mobile remote work. I think I've participated in enough meetings remotely (well over 50 according to my calendar) to sufficiently annoy people back at … Continue reading Restoring empathy during meetings
Brisk Mobility 