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The Observe and Rapport Newsletter
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A weekly guide of my favorite books, articles, products, and lifestyle habits.
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February 21st, 2025 | by Kyle Brennan
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Thought of the Week
Get in the Sauna
Sauna therapy is thousands of years old, and a famous longevity practice in Nordic countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland. A 20-year Finnish study found that 4-7 weekly sauna sessions lower your risk of ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY by 40%.
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How is that possible, you might ask. Here are a few key benefits:
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- It activates Heat-Shock Proteins, which slow muscle aging, repair damaged DNA, and clear toxic protein clumps linked to Alzheimer's.
- Heat therapy raises endorphins (natural opioids) and norepinephrine (focus hormone) while reducing inflammation. Frequent sauna users have a 77% lower risk of psychotic disorders.
- Sweating in saunas removes heavy metals and plastics from your system.
- It increases growth hormone by 16x!
- A 25-min sauna session mimics the cardio of a brisk walk and can lower blood pressure as effectively as 30 mins of cycling
From my own experience of daily sauna use, I promise you'll sleep better, be less sore, and gain mental clarity like never before. If this were a pill everyone would take it.
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Protocol: 4x per week (20 mins at ~160-180ºF) post-workout.
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Tip: Start slow. 10 mins will feel like a lot if it's your first time.
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What I'm Reading
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Fyodor Dostoevsky, often hailed as one of the greatest novelists of all time, was not a man of few words. Two of his works— Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov —are considered literary masterpieces, though neither would qualify as a “relaxing beach read.”
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I tackled Crime and Punishment a few years ago, and it was… an experience. It took me over a month, and even then, I spent half the time Googling character symbolism and the hidden meanings behind Dostoevsky’s endless philosophical debates. But I’ve always felt that to call myself a real reader, I had to at least attempt the Russian heavyweights—Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, Bulgakov. So, with three months of paternity leave ahead of me, I figured now was the perfect time to take on The Brothers Karamazov.
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At a whopping 821 pages, this novel is a deep dive into faith, doubt, morality, and familial dysfunction—basically, Succession if it were written in 19th-century Russia and everyone had existential crises about God. I’ve been reading it every day for seven weeks and have somehow only reached the 60% mark. The book builds toward a dramatic murder trial, which serves as a battleground for all the philosophical angst Dostoevsky can muster.
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Will I finish it? We'll see. Full review to come.
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My Latest Article
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I don’t read much fiction, but I’ve always been hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.
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He’s not your typical lone-wolf hero. Reacher is methodical, emotionally distant, and, above all, he has a remarkable way of dealing with inevitable misfortune. When things go south, his mindset is simple:
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Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.
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Read here on why that adage is more than just a typical cowboy cliché.
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Article I'm Reading
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Matt Taibbi is one of the last true investigative journalists out there, and I can't get enough of reading his independent newsletter Racket News. He's brilliant, sarcastic, and unyielding in his classic form of liberalism. He also wrote a book I recommend to almost everyone I meet —Hate Inc.
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Last week, Taibbi spoke before the House Judiciary Committee to share his thoughts on free speech law in Europe, John Kerry, and USAID.
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Here's my favorite section:
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...last year, I listened to John Kerry, whom I voted for, talk to the World Economic Forum." Speaking about this information, he said, quote, 'Our first amendment stands as a major block to our ability to, quote, hammer it out of existence.' He complained that it's really hard to govern because people self-select where they go for their news, which makes it quote, 'Much harder to build consensus.'"
[John Kerry] was essentially complaining that the peasants are self selecting their own sources of media. What's next? Letting them make up their own minds?
Lastly, building consensus may be a politician's job, but it's not mine as a citizen or as a journalist. In fact, making it hard to govern is exactly the media's job. The failure to understand this is why we have a censorship problem. This is an Alamo moment for the First Amendment."
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You can watch the full statement on YouTube here.
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Kurt Vonnegut on The Beauty of the Mundane Life
From an interview with Kurt Vonnegut in the November 1995 issue of Inc. Technology. Vonnegut was asked to discuss his feelings about living in an increasingly computerized world.
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This is a passage I revisit whenever I get embroiled in the minutia of to-do lists and administrative tasks of life.
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I work at home, and if I wanted to, I could have a computer right by my bed, and I'd never have to leave it. But I use a typewriter, and afterward I mark up the pages with a pencil. Then I call up this woman named Carol out in Woodstock and say, “Are you still doing typing?” Sure she is, and her husband is trying to track bluebirds out there and not having much luck, and so we chitchat back and forth, and I say, “Okay, I'll send you the pages.” Then I go down the steps and my wife calls, “Where are you going?” “Well,” I say, “I'm going to buy an envelope.” And she says, “You're not a poor man. Why don't you buy a thousand envelopes? They'll deliver them, and you can put them in the closet.” And I say, “Hush.” So I go to this newsstand across the street where they sell magazines and lottery tickets and stationery. I have to get in line because there are people buying candy and all that sort of thing, and I talk to them. The woman behind the counter has a jewel between her eyes, and when it's my turn, I ask her if there have been any big winners lately. I get my envelope and seal it up and go to the postal convenience center down the block at the corner of Forty-seventh Street and Second Avenue, where I'm secretly in love with the woman behind the counter. I keep absolutely poker-faced; I never let her know how I feel about her. One time I had my pocket picked in there and got to meet a cop and tell him about it. Anyway, I address the envelope to Carol in Woodstock. I stamp the envelope and mail it in a mailbox in front of the post office, and I go home. And I've had a hell of a good time. I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different.
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Weird But Comfortable Shoes I'm Wearing
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When I first saw Brother Tommy wearing these shoes, I thought they looked ridiculous—like the unfortunate love child of Yeezys and Crocs.
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But like most trendy things, my initial disgust eventually turned into curiosity and then desire. With my first responder discount, they only came out to $64—so they're similarly priced to Crocs or Nike slides. They're great for wearing to and from the gym, especially if you're showering, doing the sauna (as I strongly urge you to do so), or any other locker room activities.
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Now don't think I'm falling for the "recovery" gimmick. It's not like wearing special shoes magically will help you recover faster than a pair of Crocs.
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You can make fun of me all you want, I'm rocking them with pride. Sorry for my initial reaction Tommy—you're a trendsetter.
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What I'm Listening To
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Pavel Tsatsouline is a Belarusian-born fitness instructor. He is credited with introducing the Russian kettlebell to the West in 1998 and started the kettlebell revolution.
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I'm a glutton for listening to fitness experts wax poetically about the nerdy scientific strategies and unorthodox techniques that unlock superior athletic potential. Pavel Tsatsouline is a true expert on everything fitness. He introduced SPETSNAZ training techniques from the former Soviet Union to US Navy SEALs, Marines and Army Special Forces, and shortly thereafter to the American public.
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In this episode, Pavel and Huberman discuss the most effective and efficient ways to build strength, endurance, and flexibility. They cover bodyweight-only, free-weight, and machine-based protocols and describe training splits and lesser-known but highly effective ways to train, especially for people with limited time.
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50 Years of Travel Tips
Kevin Kelly, one of the world's most interesting people, and perhaps my favorite sharer of wisdom, recently shared everything he's learned from a half-century of serious travel.
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Some of my favorite highlights:
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- Organize your travel around passions instead of destinations. An itinerary based on obscure cheeses, or naval history, or dinosaur digs, or jazz joints will lead to far more adventures, and memorable times than a grand tour of famous places.
- Don’t balk at the spendy price of admission for a museum or performance. It will be a tiny fraction of your trip’s total cost and you invested too much and have come too far to let those relative minor fees stop you from seeing what you came to see.
- The most significant criteria to use when selecting travel companions is: do they complain or not, even when complaints are justified? No complaining! Complaints are for the debriefing afterwards when travel is over.
- As in any art, constraints breed creativity. Give your travel creative constraints: Try traveling by bicycle, or with only a day bag for luggage, or below the minimum budget, or sleep only on overnight trains. Mix it up. Even vagabonding can become a rut.
- Here in brief is the method I’ve honed to optimize a two-week vacation: When you arrive in a new country, immediately proceed to the farthest, most remote, most distant place you intend to reach during the trip. If there is a small village, remote spa, a friend’s farm, or a wild place you plan on seeing on the trip, go there immediately. Do not stop near the airport. Do not rest overnight in the arrival city. Do not pause to acclimate. If at all possible proceed by plane, bus, jeep, car directly to the furthest point without interruption. Make it an overnight journey if you have to. Then once you reach your furthest point, unpack, explore, and work your way slowly back to the big city, wherever your international departure airport is.
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Quote I'm Pondering
C.S. Lewis on why kids need to read:
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Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.
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Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss the recent unexplained drone sightings around the country, Søren Kierkegaard's philosophy, social bubbles, and the story of "The Wager."
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Books discussed in this episode:
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Top Books of 2024
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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 ;)
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Affiliate Links!
I've had the fortunate opportunity to partner with some great brands that I love. Use the links below to find great hats, sweatshirts, and sunglasses
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- Huega House - 15% off first order with promo code: KYLEBRENNAN. My everyday hat is the Athletic Association in Green & white
- Find the Good Brand - 10% off first order with promo code: OBSERVE. I've been loving my 3 Simple Words Embroidered Hoodie in cream.
- WMP Eyewear - Excellent array of eyeglasses and stylish sunglasses. My favorite are the Sawyer Polarized for $45
- Amazon Storefront - Check out my collection of favorite books, workout gear, and tech tools for work-from-home!
- LMNT - I start every morning with LMNT's electrolyte drink, filled with salt, magnesium and potassium. It tastes delicious and contains zero sugar or any other junk. Try LMNT Risk-Free with a free sample pack (US only).
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33 Life Lessons on My 33rd Birthday
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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 …
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Depth Over Downloads: Why Spending Time with Books Still Matters
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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 …
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The Jack Reacher Approach to Never Being Caught Off Guard
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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 …
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