ShutterStock … {Hey, don’t hate on (all) stock photos} Last year I read 50 books. Some were fiction and some nonfiction; they ranged from 100 pages (Growth Hacker Marketing) to over 1500 pages (Les Miserables). It’s difficult to estimate the time it took but let’s say somewhere between 750 and…

Life strategy in a board game? Yup.  — The world loves Settlers of Catan. And so do I. In fact, I love it so much that I was gifted this:

There are no wrong discussion topics. Only wrong ways of discussing topics. — The winter holidays are a time for celebration and relaxation with our families and friends, close and not-so-close. Sometimes during all of the eggnog, presents, and extended periods of quality-time, people want to discuss the That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Discussed: Sex, Politics, Religion, Philosophy, War, Art. These discussions often tend to get dicey. People…

Today’s “Don’t-Judge-Me” fetish is completely self-destructive. You should be judging yourself everyday, said the greatest Roman emperor. — “No star wears a veil.” In his private journal, Marcus Aurelius writes again and again about his desire to be judged — not just by his trustees, but by himself: From Rusticus {a Stoic Politician} : to grasp the idea of wanting correction and treatment for my character…

If you’re looking for something to read this Thanksgiving break (or ever) let me recommend the best recommendation I ever got.  — The Fountainhead saved my life. When I first read it in college I remember feeling relieved, but not because I saw a vision of the ideal, as its author wanted. At the time, I didn’t understand Howard Roark’s seemingly suicidal commitment to his principles. In fact, my relief came when…

Computer flu season is year-round. Get your vaccine.  — I spent last weekend sick in bed with the flu. Lots of sleep, Nyquil and soup. Being a considerate employee, I stayed home from work on Monday to try and keep my coworkers germ-free. With the extra day to recover, I went in on Tuesday feeling good. That morning, I…

Why are people so vicious with their online comments?  — “In the old days men had the rack. Now they have the press.” - Oscar Wilde It’s absolutely fascinating — and disturbing — just how vicious people can be online. When I first read Ryan Holiday’s recent post, 25 Rules for Living From a (Semi-) Successful 26-Year-Old, I was taken…

How I’m decreasing my missed opportunities: recommitting to the promises I make myself. — When I was sixteen we were standing in a dense crowd outside the Duomo in Florence, waiting for the flight of the mechanical pigeon which signals the arrival of a Holy Ghost. Suddenly I spied a girl, the most beautiful I had ever seen, and started elbowing my way through…

The Father of Advertising shares a necessary secret to good work: not working. — In his Confessions of an Advertising Man, Mr. Ogilvy has much to admit not just on the subject of honesty, but also on his creative process. One facet in particular struck me: how he nurtures his imagination. The majority of business men are incapable of original thinking…Their imaginations are blocked. …