Here’s an assortment of things I like.
Networked Thought / Second Brain / Zettelkasten
There’s this way of taking notes called “networked thought”, and it has revolutionized how I write, take notes, etc.
No form of taking notes ever really worked for me before, but this one does. No matter where I write notes—on paper, or on my phone, or on my computer—they all end up in Stroll eventually, organized and connected. I can find anything I’m looking for in seconds, and I have built up a large collection of knowledge and writings that I can easily refer to at any time.
The software I use is Obsidian, with the subscription to sync my files to mobile so that I can view my files on the go as well. My files are also committed and backed up in a git repo.
(I used to use Stroll, which is built on the open source software Tiddlywiki. I switched to Obsidian in 2023, and have been very happy with my choice so far.)
Resources:
Books I Like
First, here is my Goodreads for you other book lovers out there. Feel free to peruse my collections.
Below are some of my top selections of books. (Last updated 2022.)
Animal Ethics
- Animal Liberation, by Peter Singer
- The Longest Struggle, by Norm Phelps
- Ethics Into Action, by Peter Singer
Fiction
- Anything and everything by David Mitchell, but Cloud Atlas is one of my all-time favorite novels.
- Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Non-Fiction
- Change, by Damon Centola
- Range, by David Epstein
- Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari
- Guns, Germs, Steel, by Jared Diamond
- The Better Angels of Our Nature, by Steven Pinker
Meditation
Meditation is probably one of the most useful habits I’ve picked up in the last decade. Specifically, mindfulness meditation where the focus is on becoming more aware of your thoughts and experiences.
I’m a big fan of the Waking Up app by Sam Harris, as well as Headspace. Even 10 minutes a day is enough to change your life.