|
|
|
|
|
The Observe and Rapport Newsletter
|
A weekly guide of my favorite books, articles, products, and lifestyle habits.
|
|
March 15th, 2024 | by Kyle Brennan
|
|
Want this newsletter delivered to your inbox every week?
|
|
|
Thought of the Week
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still tying its shoes.
|
Verifying the truth takes work.
|
It's the difference between microwaving your pizza vs. taking the time to cook it in the oven.
|
We all know it's going to taste better out of the oven, but who has the time?
|
Lying spreads quickly due to laziness. It's easy to read a few headlines, tweets, and personal opinion pieces and form your own "truth" about a particular person, event, or social stance. Who has the time to do the investigative work on every news story?
|
But if we want the truth, we must take the time not to look for shortcuts, but to let it cook fully so that it ends up tasting better.
|
What I'm Reading
|
|
I'm about 75% through this book and it's awesome so far. It's definitely dense from a scientific standpoint but Attia does a great job of making the information digestible. Full of illuminating science and advice on how to enhance not just our lifespan but our overall healthspan.
|
|
Article I'm Reading
|
|
After watching The Bear on Hulu, I've become fascinated with the inner workings of restaurants and just how stressful of a business it is to uphold. It definitely makes me appreciate the complexity of what goes behind the delicious meal I'm eating when I'm out.
|
|
This article does a great job of getting POVs from every walk of life in the restaurant industry, from tipping to costs, healthcare, and much more.
|
|
My Favorite Newsletter Subscriptions
I'm a newsletter junky (and if you're reading this, so are you.) I subscribe to a whole bunch of daily and weekly emails from some great authors. Here is a list of my top newsletters that I read each week.
|
- The Morning Brew - quick and insightful updates about the business world every day of the week from Wall St. to Silicon Valley. (Daily)
- Axios Sports - Being a sports fan is a blast, but the sheer volume of news can be overwhelming. That’s where Kendall and Jeff come in. Each weekday morning, they’ll package everything you need to know in a fun and digestible format. There's also fun trivia every day. (Daily)
- The Brain Food Newsletter by Farnam Street - Every Sunday, the latest issue delivers powerful insights you can apply to improve your life and work. (Weekly on Sundays)
- 3-2-1 Thursday by James Clear - Each message includes 3 short ideas from Atomic Habits author James Clear, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question for you to ponder.
- The Curiosity Chronicle by Sahil Bloom - Delivering curiosity-inducing content every single week.
- 3 Minute Monday by Chris Williamson - Chris provides weekly insights from his podcast guests, as well as one useful "Life Hack" each week.
- 5 Bullet Friday by Tim Ferris - Every Friday, Four Hour Workweek author Tim Ferris sends out an exclusive email with the five coolest things he's found (or explored) that week
- Recomendo - Recomendo is a weekly newsletter that gives you 6 brief personal recommendations of cool stuff.
|
Video I'm Watching
|
|
Having been to Amsterdam several times after studying abroad in Copenhagen, I can verify that the Dutch and the Danes have solved urban street design. These two countries are considered the bicycle capitals of the world for a reason.
|
The current North American street design is not sustainable, the commute time and fatalities are escalating. But is the solution finally here? In this video we'll do a deep dive into how the Dutch design their roads and transportation network so effectively to reduced commute times and fatalities.
|
Quote I'm Pondering
|
|
|
“Health lies in action, and so it graces youth. To be busy is the secret of grace, and half the secret of content. Let us ask the gods not for possessions, but for things to do; happiness is in making things rather than in consuming them.” — Will Durant
|
|
|
|
Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss social psychological concepts such as Collective Fallacy and Preference Falsification, Different approaches to building meaningful relationships with others, how to be financially responsible while also maximizing joy and fulfillment in life experiences, and the importance of spending quality time with loved ones.
|
Books mentioned in this episode:
|
|
Check Out My Amazon Favorites Bookstore
|
|
|
Browse my favorite book selections hand-curated by me. I also earn commissions so if you buy anything, those earnings get reinvested right back into this fancy newsletter ;)
|
|
  
|
Reminder to share this newsletter with friends and family! Subscribe link here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kyle's Published Work
|
|
|
|
|
|
33 Life Lessons on My 33rd Birthday
|
|
|
|
Thirty-three was a big one. Mostly because I became a dad. Our daughter was born on New Year’s Eve — a fitting arrival for a kid destined to reset everything. It’s been a beautiful, if slightly sleep-deprived blur ever since. I’ve only been “Dad” for less than ten months, but if I’m being honest, I’ve been preparing for the role for over …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depth Over Downloads: Why Spending Time with Books Still Matters
|
|
|
|
Everyone wants faster information. But no one asks if faster information leads to better understanding — or a better life. In the age of AI and tweet-sized wisdom, we’ve confused information with transformation. But there’s a massive difference between knowing what a book says and being changed by it. The Delusion of Instant Learning In a recent interview, political journalist Ezra Klein admitted he once believed …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Jack Reacher Approach to Never Being Caught Off Guard
|
|
|
|
There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.’ Either way, nothing happens.” —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia I don’t read much fiction, but I’ve always been hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. He’s not your typical …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
