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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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December 6th, 2024 | by Kyle Brennan
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Thought of the Week
Permanent Information vs. Expiring Information
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The majority of what we consume online was created in the past 48 hours. David Perell calls this the "Never-Ending Now." Newspapers, tweets, reels, or television news prioritize timely news over timeless ideas.
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The Internet was supposed to boost our brains by giving us instant access to the greatest minds of all time, from Plato to Tolstoy. But we've traded the pursuit of wisdom for the wild goose chase of being informed. We've chosen entertainment over education.
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- Expiring information tells you what happened.
- Permanent information tells you why something happened and is likely to happen again.
The Lindy Effect states that the longer something has lasted, the more likely it is to keep lasting. If it’s made it this far, it’s probably not going anywhere.
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When I'm reading something, I try to ask: Will I care about this a year from now? Ten years from now? Eighty years from now?
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It’s fine if the answer is "no"—even often. I read newspapers and books every day, but I couldn’t tell you a single thing I read in the news back in 2017. However, I can still remember the books I read that year, and how they completely shifted my thinking. Those ideas stuck with me. I’ll remember them forever.
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And I'll keep reading newspapers. But if I read more books I'd probably develop better filters and frameworks that would help me make better sense of the news.
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That’s not to say you should ditch the news entirely (although I wouldn’t mind if you did). But reading books that stand the test of time (i.e. Lindy books) helps you build a better filter for the endless noise around you. You start to understand why something matters and whether it’s worth your attention.
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Permanent information is harder to find—it’s buried in books, not blasted in headlines. But its benefits are enormous. Books offer the frameworks and insights that make it easier to make sense of the day’s chaos.
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The goal isn’t to read less news and more books. It’s to focus on the enduring, timeless knowledge that helps you separate the signal from the noise.
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So, next time you scroll through your feed, ask yourself: Is this something I’ll care about a year from now? If not, maybe it’s time to dive into something that will last.
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What I'm Reading
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️After watching the Nat Geo documentary on Shackleton’s Endurance—one of the greatest survival stories of all time—I was hungry for another good old-fashioned shipwreck tale.
Enter The Wager, David Grann’s latest masterpiece. If you’re familiar with Grann’s previous books (Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z), you know he’s a wizard at unearthing thrilling, lesser-known historical sagas. And in The Wager, he’s done it again—bringing a forgotten, 18th-century disaster back to life through meticulous research and a knack for storytelling that’s as gripping as the events themselves.
In 1740, Britain launched a squadron of ships, including The Wager, to conquer Spanish trade routes and nab their gold. But the mission went south fast. Conditions onboard were a nightmare: disease, hunger, overcrowding, and pestilence. By the time The Wager met its fate in a storm off Patagonia, hopes of survival seemed slim. What followed was a descent into pure chaos—mutiny, murder, cannibalism, and a test of human endurance.
But these survivors didn’t just face the sea; they had to survive one more battle—their trial back in England, where accusations of mutiny, murder, and even cannibalism would be weighed.
Grann brings this incredible story to life with the kind of painstaking detail that makes it hard to believe it isn’t a fiction novel. He unearths forgotten names, events, and moral quandaries that leaves you questioning who was truly the villain and who was just trying to stay alive.
The Wager is an exhilarating tale of survival, betrayal, and the brutal realities of human nature under extreme duress. If you like your history served with a side of grit, this one is a must-read.
Rating: 4.3 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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How I'm Using ChatGPT
Highly recommend this prompt into your most frequently used LLM
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“Based on all of our interactions, what books or papers would I love that I probably haven’t heard of before”
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Here's what ChatGPT came back with for me. I've read 3 of the 16 books so it clearly knows my interest, but I'm glad to see a ton of books I'd never heard of:
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Here are a few books and papers that you might enjoy, assuming you’re interested in intellectual, thought-provoking material across a range of topics:
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1. Philosophy and Cognitive Science:
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2. Cultural Critique and Technology:
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3. Literary Fiction with Deep Philosophical Layers:
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4. Behavioral Science and Psychology:
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5. Science Fiction with Philosophical Depth:
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6. Epistemology and Science:
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7. Essays and Intellectual Exploration:
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8. Psychology and the Human Condition:
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What I'm Watching
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If you know me well, you know that Endurance is not only my favorite true story of all time, but I also have an entire half-sleeve tattoo dedicated to it.
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If you're not familiar, please do yourself a favor and either read the book or watch the new Nat Geo documentary about the 1914 shipwreck of the Endurance off the coast of Antarctica. It's an absolute crime that this story isn't more well-known and discussed than the Titanic.
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My favorite quote from the documentary that encapsulates it all:
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"It's the greatest story ever of survival, leadership, and teamwork... And it's a story about failure."
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Quote I'm Pondering
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"The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost."
- G.K. Chesteron
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This week, I invite my college roommate and good friend Kyle Mara. Kyle is a stand-up comedian and filmmaker based in New York City. His new half-hour comedy special "Jokes on the Upper East Side" is now on YouTube. I saw it live and can confirm it was fantastic.
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On next week's episode, we invite comedian/filmmaker (and my college roommate) Kyle Mara to discuss his new YouTube special, "Jokes on the Upper East Side"
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My Amazon Favorites Bookstore
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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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