I long ago stopped reading books on note-taking. They were always too vague and boring, full of platitudes that had little to do with the world outside academia. I especially avoided “how-to” style books on the subject. They would often list dozens of tips and tricks that had little to do with each other. There…
I’m proud to announce my new book, The Heart is the Bottleneck. In this book, I explore and dissect a wide range of topics related to productivity and personal effectiveness. From note-taking and writing, to creativity and curation, to being a digital nomad and working with a virtual assistant. Tying together these topics is the…
This post is also available in Ukrainian When I first picked up this book, I wasn’t quite sure what it had to do with me. It is a book about trauma – what it is, where it comes from, and how to treat it. But I had never experienced abuse, or been caught in a…
This essay was originally posted on the Ribbonfarm blog. The organizing principle of the modern world is pain. Avoiding it, yes. But also trading in it, taking refuge in it, and using it to justify our actions. Pain has so many uses. Why would you ever give up such a versatile tool? We trade in…
I recently compiled all my notes, findings, and ideas about the “ideal customer” for Building a Second Brain, and put them into a single document. I’m working with my editor to narrow down and refine this customer profile from here, so I can have a crystal clear person in mind as I write the sample…
This post now available in German. The Theory of Constructed Emotion offers a radical new take on what emotions are, where they come from, and how they shape our lives. Presented by psychology professor and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett in her best-selling book How Emotions Are Made (affiliate link), it also contradicts many of…
Last year I launched the Anti-Book Club, my own take on the tradition of book clubs. The idea is simple: instead of everyone in the group reading the same book, duplicating time and effort, we each read a different book on the same topic. Then each person summarizes the book they read, and I compile…
I previously wrote about my thought process for why and how I’ve decided to publish my book Building a Second Brain with a traditional publishing house. I’ll try to share with you in as much detail as possible my journey, starting with my first challenge: crafting the book proposal. The book proposal is the lynchpin of…
In The Four Pathways of Modern Book Publishing, I described the main routes for a writer to get published today, and in The Case for Traditional Book Publishing I explained why I believe that for online entrepreneurs like me, traditional publishing makes the most sense. With that foundation, here are the steps I’m planning on…
In The Four Pathways of Modern Book Publishing, I described the four main routes to publication for writers in the digital age. After considering all these factors, I’ve chosen to pursue the most traditional publishing route, for six main reasons (from most to least important): Credibility and authority that comes with a big name publisher…
I’ve spent the past couple months immersed in the world of nonfiction book publishing, trying to deeply understand the state of the industry. I’ve read dozens of articles and books, spoken to experienced agents and editors, and authors ranging from New York Times bestsellers to self-published writers. I’ve found that the choice between “traditional publishing”…
I’ve listed below all the science fiction books I’ve read that I can remember, in no particular order. I’ve included the names of authors, and any other titles they’ve written directly below their first mention. See my 2-part article What I Learned About the Future by Reading 100 Science Fiction Books for my insights and takeaways…