Mindful Reading

A discussion of the book Do the Work by Steven Pressfield.

Do the Work by Steven Pressfield, as with many of Steven's non-fiction books, is about battling Resistance. It's about how to do the work, and the the challenges Resistance will throw your way for any meaningful project. The book is broken into a beginning, middle, and an end - as Steven would recommend you do for your project.

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A discussion of the book Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday.

Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday is a book about ego and all its dangers. It looks at how ego is the enemy throughout different stages in our lives such as when we aspire, when we succeed, and even when we fail. Through various stories and quotes these ideas are explored, and we see how ego leads to demise, with humility being the better option.

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A discussion of the book Range by David Epstein.

Range explores the debate between generalists and specialists, examining why, as the subtitle suggests, “Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.” The book contrasts “kind” learning environments - where patterns are repetitive and predictable - with “wicked” environments, which mirror our everyday experience, filled with unpredictability and constant variation. Epstein connects these learning environments to how we approach achieving extraordinary outcomes. Contrary to the common belief that specialization is the key to success, Epstein repeatedly demonstrates that generalization often proves more valuable in the modern world.

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Essentialism by Greg McKeown presents a philosophy centered on the "disciplined pursuit of less." The book explores the mindset of an essentialist, then outlines a systematic approach for achieving this disciplined pursuit. The core components of this approach are to "explore," "eliminate," and "execute." As McKeown delves into each of these, he contrasts how a non-essentialist and an essentialist might approach the same situations, offering concrete examples to highlight their differences.

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Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Seneca is a collection of letters addressed to Lucilius, but intended for a public audience. The letters use different aspects of daily life to reflect on philosophical ideas - reflecting on those ideas through a Stoic lens.

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The Enchiridion was likely compiled by one of Epictetus's students and attributed to Epictetus himself - a prominent Stoic Philosopher in the Roman Empire.

It is a famous book in the world of Stoic philosophy, a philosophy that focuses on self-control, particularly, controlling ones emotions in the face of adversity. The Stoics also emphasize living a life aligned with nature, which loosely equates to living a virtuous life characterized by the four virtues: wisdom, temperance, justice, courage.

The Enchiridion, translated "The Handbook" or "Manual", is a collection of 53 short Stoic lessons meant to be referenced. An example is the opening line, "Some things are within our control, while others are not," commonly referred to as the dichotomy of control, which teaches that we should only let the things within our control affect us.

*Side Note: Epictetus started off as a slave, and went on to become a prominent Stoic philosopher*

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*Apologies for any rain noise that came through or distorted the audio.

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport is about the philosophy of Slow Productivity, which in turn is about, as the subtitle suggests, "The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout". It looks at the structure of work over time, from hunter gatherers to modern knowledge workers, focusing on the foundations of how we came to a point where we're working frantically, on the edge on burnout. A point brought across in these early chapters is the idea that even though we both look and are busier throughout each day, we aren't actually achieving more - it's what he calls Pseudo-Productivity. The book then goes on to discuss three principles that encompass the philosophy of Slow Productivity: Do Fewer Things, Work at a Natural Pace, and Obsess Over Quality.

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Hidden Potential by Adam Grant looks at the many ways in which we can perform at a level higher than we thought possible. The book is broken into three main sections, skills of character, structures for motivation, and systems of opportunity. It looks at various scenarios and ties many of them to scientific studies to expand on how we can achieve greater things.

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The War of Art by Steven Pressfield has the subtitle, "break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles." It's about the war against what Pressfield calls resistance, a term that Pressfield pears at from many different angles, and exposes as the ultimate enemy. Beat resistance, and you win the war.

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Same as Ever was written by Morgan Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money. The book is a series of 23 short and timeless lessons on, as the subtitle says, "Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life". It looks at the natural cycles of history, and the lessons we can learn, while also focusing on the psychology of how humans act in the world.

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