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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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September 16th, 2022 | by Kyle Brennan
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This may be the most highlights I’ve ever made in a book. The truth hits you on every single page. So much of our daily life is ceaseless mind-chatter, worry, stress, anxiety, and dread about the future.
We don’t think about our mind as a muscle, but it operates in a similar way. It takes daily effort to train your mind to be still and live happily in the moment.
We each have our own unique problems - physical trauma, grief, heartbreak, or some other form of discomfort. We build a barrier to protect ourselves from those feelings and slowly erect an entire personality driven by avoidance. But it’s this resistance that actually causes the problem to compound. The more we understand that letting go and dealing with the discomfort head-on is the only path out, we can begin to unlock the fully free version of ourselves we were meant to be.
Rating: 5.0 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Despite looking like a world-famous chef, I've never been much into cooking shows. I can't watch without getting hungry.
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But to my behest, Lauren made me watch a couple of episodes of Chef's Table, and needless to say I was hooked. It's a new form of cooking show, where they really dive into the artistry and beauty that food entails, from the farm to the table. It really is a craft and an artform, and this show has made me come to appreciate it just a bit more.
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My cousin Keith has been my best friend since I could crawl. Whenever we meet up our discussions are always lengthy, and introspective and cover a wide range of subjects from books, philosophy, music theory, and life's complicated landscapes. As two thirty-year-old guys with opinions, we decided that the world needs another podcast, specifically one with us idiots.
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Thanks to Keith's audio engineering background, we were able to produce our first legitimate podcast episode in my home office. Check it out on Spotify here.
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Keith and Kyle sit down for the first time to discuss books, the origins of Observe and Rapport, why social media doesn't need to be villainized, and the benefits of walking.
Books discussed in this episode
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- The Abs Diet - David Zinczenko
- Better Angels of our Nature - Steven Pinker
- Enlightenment Now - Steven Pinker
- Factfulness - Hans Rosling
- The Untethered Soul - Michael Singer
- The Stand - Stephen King
- Harry Potter - JK Rowling
- Adjustment Day - Chuck Palahniuk
- Project Haily Mary - Andy Weir
- Hyperion - Dan Simmons
- Dean Koontz
- Shoe Dog - Phil Knight
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About Observe and Rapport
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Observe and Rapport is a blog, Instagram, and podcast channel that discusses wisdom, perspective, and lifestyle habits gained from books and other historical forms of media.
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I have a natural skepticism when reading traditional sources of media. I don't mistrust them entirely, but I delve into most of their coverage of events with a certain degree of doubt, as you always should. Trust, but verify.
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This story perfectly encapsulates why you should never blindly trust everything you read, hear, or even see. Rachel Richardson—the only black starter on Duke University’s women’s volleyball team—leveled a shocking accusation last month, when she said she was inundated with racist slurs at a match at the Mormon school. The press ran with it. But there's no evidence it happened.
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@benrathe: Queue is such a great word. The actual important letter, and then four more silently waiting behind it in a line.
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What's on My Reading List?
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Kyle's Published Work
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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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