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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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August 26th, 2022 | by Kyle Brennan
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I'm still in the middle of a couple of good books that are taking a bit more time to finish due to their length, but nonetheless, reviews will be coming soon!
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I first want to say that I'm obsessed with the Untold series on Netflix. Documentaries are my favorite style of film because they allow the public unfiltered access to first-hand accounts of real-life events. There's no journalistic spin, no "unnamed sources" - you're getting the truth straight from the horse's mouth, with context, history, multiple interpretations, and receipts for each account - the way it should be. It's why I also love the website The Player's Tribune.
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We all have instant reactions to things. We see a player get in trouble for drugs and we instantly dislike them, label them a thug, an idiot, a bum. But, similar to Real Sports, new media formats like Untold and The Player's Tribune now provide professional athletes the opportunity to tell their stories directly to the fans. It's changed my perspective on so many things.
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If you're not familiar with the infamous story of Manti Te'o and the death of his girlfriend, you're in for a treat. In 2012, Manti Te'o was the top defensive college football player in the country. A charismatic, handsome, and native-born Hawaiian, Te'o had everything going for him. He was captain and best player of the most famous college football team/brand, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and was on his way to an undefeated season, a possible Heisman trophy, and a possible National Championship.
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But that's only half the story. Mid-way through the season, Te'o received the devastating news that both his grandmother and his girlfriend passed away the same day. After dedicating his season to them, the public would later find out that the "girlfriend" who passed away, actually didn't exist...
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@observeandrapport: Little Free Library - Take a Book, Share a Book š
I love this idea and can't wait to get involved myself. Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood book exchanges in the form of a public bookcase, usually on the host's front lawn near their mailbox for easy street access. More than 150,000 public book exchanges are registered.
There are three of these little free library boxes in my neighborhood within walking distance of my house and I will add one to my curb soon enough! I’ve already checked out at least a dozen books from Queens to the Hamptons.
If you're interested in getting involved, check them out at littlefreelibrary.org or follow them @littlefreelibrary
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The Marcus King Band is a southern rock/blues band from South Carolina formed in 2013. Frontman Marcus King is only 26 years old and has an incredible voice. I've been really into their sound lately - a mix of Chris Stapleton and Kings of Leon. My favorite song is Where I'm Headed.
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"Sadly, it's much easier to create a desert than a forest."
- James Lovelock
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Kyle's Published Work
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33 Life Lessons on My 33rdĀ Birthday
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Thirty-three was a big one. Mostly because I became a dad. Our daughter was born on New Yearās Eveāāāa fitting arrival for a kid destined to reset everything. Itās been a beautiful, if slightly sleep-deprived blur ever since. Iāve only been āDadā for less than ten months, but if Iām being honest, Iāve 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 ā or a better life. In the age of AI and tweet-sized wisdom, weāve confusedĀ informationĀ withĀ transformation. But thereās a massive difference between knowing what a book says and beingĀ changedĀ by it. The Delusion of Instant Learning In a recentĀ 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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Thereās no difference between a pessimist who says, āOh, itās hopeless, so donāt bother doing anything,ā and an optimist who says, āDonāt bother doing anything, itās going to turn out fine anyway.ā Either way, nothing happens.ā ā āYvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia I donāt read much fiction, but Iāve always been hooked on Lee ChildāsĀ Jack Reacher. Heās not your typical …
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