Wisereads Vol. 37 — Naval Ravikant's happiness theory, James Joyce's Dubliners, and more
Last week, we shared a preview of Scott Young's upcoming release on the science of learning, Get Better at Anything. This week, we're sharing James Joyce's Dubliners, a collection of short stories on middle-class Irish life.
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Most highlighted Articles of the week
100 Tips For A Better Life
Drawing on Putanumonit's viral advice thread, Conor Barnes collected bits of wisdom on rationality, success, and self: "Deficiencies do not make you special. The older you get, the more your inability to cook will be a red flag for people" and joy: "Wine snobs don’t enjoy wine twice as much as you, they’re more keenly aware of how most wine isn’t good enough. Avoid sophistication that diminishes your enjoyment."
You Are What You Read, Even If You Don’t Always Remember It
In reflecting on developer Dave Rupert's quote, "the goal of a book isn’t to get to the last page, it’s to expand your thinking," designer Jim Nielsen notes: "It’s a good reminder to be mindful of my content diet — you are what you read, even if you don’t always remember it."
Jerry Seinfeld Says Movies Are Over. Here’s Why He Made One Anyway
In anticipation of his '60s-inspired cereal rivalry film Unfrosted, comedian Jerry Seinfeld muses on craftsmanship, devotion, and dumbness. "There’s dumbness everywhere. But I really do love cereal. I love the wetness and the crunchiness. I love spoons. I love bowls. When I was single, in my kitchen, I would keep a bowl with the spoon in it and my friends would laugh. Why take it out of the bowl? That’s where it’s going!"
Most highlighted YouTube Video of the week
Ditch Your To-Do List and Do This Instead | Sam Corcos
In conversation with Tim Ferriss, Levels CEO Sam Corcos reveals his method for making time to complete his to-do list. "When I get a new task, it just immediately goes into my calendar. So if somebody was to say, 'Hey, can you write a memo on this topic so that this team has context on it?'... I'll block off two hours on Tuesday that I have open and I'll say 'Cool, I'll have it to you by Tuesday night,' and that's it. The calendar is the to-do list."
Most highlighted Twitter Thread of the week
Most people are unhappy
Inspired by the words of Naval Ravikant, Josh Gessner draws a connection between contentment and happiness in his latest viral thread. "'Happiness is the absence of desire.' Desire is a contract you make with yourself until you get what you want."
Most highlighted PDF of the week
Valuation Multiples: What They Miss, Why They Differ, and the Link to Fundamentals
Michael Mauboussin and Dan Callahan of Morgan Stanley investigate the pitfalls of using traditional multiples for valuing stocks, especially in an economy driven by intangibles. "Multiples are supposed to reflect the magnitude and return on investment. But the shift to intangible investments, and how companies record them in financial statements, has wreaked havoc on that ability."
Hand-picked book of the week
Dubliners
In his collection of short stories, Dubliners, James Joyce brings the 20th century Irish middle-class to life. These narratives center the epiphanies of characters who go on to be featured in his later work, Ulysses.
"A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight… It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead."
This edition of Dubliners is available through Standard Ebooks. You can explore their collection of high quality, carefully formatted, and free public domain ebooks here.
Handpicked RSS feed of the week
Small Stories
From her home in the English Cotswolds, Laura Pashby ponders everyday beauty and storytelling in monthly letters. From tangled up in blue: "'The world is blue', writes Rebecca Solnit 'at its edges and in its depths.' She calls this blue at the horizon, where sky meets land or sea, 'a deeper, dreamier, melancholy blue'... To me, blue represents both safety and escape—a moment of calm in a gathering storm. Blue is a colour, but it is also a feeling."