Thursday Thoughts - 02/10/2022
Welcome to the first of hopefully many regular newsletters. I am bringing back my weekly “thoughts” from 2015. In this newsletter, I share the most interesting things that I’ve read, heard, and/or watched over the past week.
What I’ve Read:
Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman
This short book consists of 6 lectures from The Lecture of Richard Feynman. My favorite lesson is the chapter on the relation of physics to the other sciences. I enjoyed how flawlessly Feynman broke down the various disciplines of science down to physics.
As much as this book was a refresher on physics, it was also a great look into the teaching and writing style of Richard Feynman. He does a great job of inserting his playful personality into the writing. It makes physic, sometimes a dry subject, come to life.
What I’ve Heard:
The Tim Ferriss Show #568 with Cal Newport
This was a great podcast episode with lots of practical information from Cal Newport. My favorite segment was Mr. Newport’s deep dive into writing and deep work. I liked his analogy of writing to mathematics. He gets a sense of nirvana when he is able to find the right structure, just like solving a math problem.
What I’m Pondering:
“You can have it all, just not all at once”
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I often have too much on my plate. Most of the harm is self inflicted. I have all these wild project ideas but am consistently reminded that I don’t have the time for it all. This quote helps rein me in when I get too carried away. It reminds me of the core theme from Essentialism, do less but do it better.