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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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October 19th, 2024 | by Kyle Brennan
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Thought of the Week
I tend to shy away from biographies since they’re often 1) massive and 2) filled with endless boring details on the subject's childhood.
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But recently I’ve reframed how important it is to read about history’s icons. Not only can you learn from someone’s ENTIRE life for the price of a pizza, it’s also a lens into a period of time — the politics, culture, way of living, etc. in much greater detail than history books that gloss over it.
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Biographies allow you to recognize yourself in someone else’s experiences. It humanizes the superhumans. It makes them more real — the ups, the downs, the circumstances and preparation, and the fusion of personal qualities and pivotal relationships that forge extraordinary lives.
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As Tim Ferriss says, “To learn from the best, you don’t need to meet them, you just need to absorb them.”
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Some of my favorite biographies/memoirs:
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- Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson
- Open - Andre Agassi
- The Power Broker (Robert Moses) - Robert Caro
- Made in America - Sam Walton
- Born Standing Up - Steve Martin
- Leonardo Da Vinci - Walter Isaacson
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X - As Told to Alex Haley
- Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey
- Educated - Tara Westover
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What I'm Reading
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It’s rare you come across a book that completely shifts how your worldview.
The average American gets 60% of their calories from Ultra-Processed Foods, and many get at least 80%. The author calls these unhealthy foods “Ultra-Processed” (UPF) because they are more like chemical creations than real food.
Almost anything we find in the supermarket is either processed or ultra-processed food. Even food we consider as healthy alternatives come with a boatload of preservatives, emulsifiers and add-ons that can drastically harm our health in the long-term.
Chris van Tulleken explains how we’re trapped in a system where the cheapest, most available food is also responsible for the obesity epidemic, type-2 diabetes, intestinal problems, and many, many other diseases.
It’s not for lack of trying. These UPF foods are chemically engineered to get us addicted. No amount of willpower or exercise will negate the harmful affects of ingesting these “industrially processed edible substances.” Not only are they marketed to us incessantly, UPF food companies like Coca Cola, Kraft-Heinz, and Dannon even fund dietary studies to push the blame off them and onto the consumer.
I loved this book. Not necessarily because of the topics brought up but more so HOW the author talked about them. There was no shaming of any kind, just a scientific look on what “food” looks like nowadays, how it looked in the past - and the impact the change in our diets has triggered.
It’s a frightening, terrifying, yet thoroughly researched and easily comprehensible book about one of the most important aspects of human life: food and the modern day over-processing thereof.
Rating: 4.3 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Find Great Book Recs
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Shepherd is an indie book book platform built for readers by readers.
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Enter your favorite authors and genres, and this site will spit out books that other readers suggest in those categories. Super helpful resource.
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What I'm Watching
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I'll pretty much watch any sports docuseries you put in front of me, so when Netflix came out with one following top NBA players, I was sold.
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This series follows Lebron James, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler, and Damontis Sabonis during the 2023 NBA season.
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It was surprisingly emotional.
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I love these behind-the-scenes glimpses into professional athletes and celebrities because they provide a wider opportunity to understand the person behind the star.
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Before watching this, I didn't particularly like Lebron. I never hated him, but I always saw him as fake and phony. Like he was trying too hard to be liked.
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But after watching him with his family and his teammates, I now have a new respect for him - as well as the other players in this series.
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What I'm Listening To
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Quote I'm Pondering
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“I don’t have talent, so I just get up earlier.”
— Henry Rollins
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Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss the recent success they've found on social media with Keith's reenactments of famous movie scenes, how memory works, and how to use it to your advantage, and Kyle talks about mind-blowing facts about processed food and the food industry in general.
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Books discussed in this episode:
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- The Art of Learning - Josh Waitzken
- Moonwalking with Einstein - Joshua Foer
- Ultra-Processed People - Chris Van Tulleken
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Check Out 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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