Issue 11
Welcome to a previous issue of The Journal. To get the latest issue delivered to your inbox, once a month, sign up for the newsletter here.
Happy holidays everyone, I hope this email finds you well!
It’s the end of the year, so expect to see my annual tech predictions and New Year’s resolutions in next month’s issue. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season with family and friends.
Kevin
Tools of Titans: a new book from Tim Ferriss
If you’re reading this newsletter you’re likely aware of self-experimenter and NY Times best-selling author, Tim Ferriss, and his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show.
For the last two years, Tim has interviewed more than 200 world-class performers for his podcast. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to legendary Special Operations commanders and black-market biochemists. The podcast is crazy popular, having been downloaded over 100 million times.
In this book, Tim has distilled down all the invaluable life lessons from his podcast and presents them in a choose your own adventure format. I think it’s one of his best books and really showcases what makes Tim, Tim. That is, the ability to tease out the hidden secrets of top performers for the benefit of all.
I’m also honored to be included in the book, turn to page 341.
P.S. Tim and I are shooting a live The Random Show podcast along with The Tim Ferriss Show this December 9th in NYC, join us!
Tools of Titans ($15.99)
Kubo, a must see movie
This stop-motion masterpiece is the best film I’ve seen this year. For me, it checks all the boxes: a boy finding his inner courage, loved ones lost, epic Japanese samurai battles, and a touch of comedy. It’s pretty adult and slightly dark (think Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas), but I consider that a bonus. I watched this with my niece (13) over Thanksgiving and she also loved it.
97% Rotten Tomatoes score, watch the trailer.
Kubo and the Two Strings (Trailer, Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play — $3.99-$14.99)
Make Christmas shopping easy: 10 great gifts you can Amazon Prime right now.
- Tools of Titans ($15.99) — Tim’s new book mentioned above
- eero WiFi pack ($446.46) — My home mesh wifi router, featured in issue 3
- Simple phone holder ($17.99) — Fun stocking stuffer, featured in issue 6
- Ego Is the Enemy ($15.00) — A favorite read this year, featured in issue 7
- Midori notebook ($10.20) — Japanese paper sketchbook, featured in issue 3
- Blunt umbrella ($79.00) — indestructible umbrella, featured in issue 7
- Devialet Phantom ($2,390) — SONOS on roids, LOVE this all-in-one speaker beast
- Zojirushi rice cooker ($131.13) — Perfect for brown rice or steel cut oats
- UE Boom 2 ($179.95) — My favorite portable bluetooth speaker
- Amazon Echo Dot 2 ($49.99) — I have one in our bathroom, perfect for news, weather, cold shower timers, etc.
Documentary: The Birth of Sake
This movie (trailer) gave me a whole new appreciation for sake. Several years ago I looked into brewing my own sake at home, only to walk away thinking that it sounded too laborious. Watching this movie confirmed my suspicions. If you enjoyed Jiro Dreams of Sushi, you’ll absolutely love this film.
From the filmmaker:
“In a world where most mass produced goods are heavily automated, a small group of artisans must brave unusual working conditions to preserve a 2000-year-old tradition that we have come to know as saké. THE BIRTH OF SAKÉ is a cinematic documentary that reveals the story of passionate saké-makers and what it takes to make world-class saké at Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned small brewery in northern Japan. As craftsmen who must dedicate their whole lives to the making of this world-class saké, their private sacrifices are often sizable and unseen.”
P.S. If you enjoy the film and are looking for the sake, I found a distributor that ships everywhere.
The Bullet Journal
I’ve started experimenting with The Bullet Journal method and thought you might like it. It’s a customizable analog system (i.e. pen and paper) that functions as a to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary.
Give the video a watch, it might just work for you.
Fake Amazon reviews are a problem, use this browser extension to ensure you don’t get scammed
It was recently reported that Amazon has deleted 500,000 “incentivized” reviews.
“Incentivized reviews are those where the vendor offers free or discounted products to reviewers, in exchange for recipients writing their “honest opinion” of the item in an Amazon review. The ban was meant to address the growing problem of less trustworthy reviews that had been plaguing the retailer’s site, leading to products with higher ratings than they would otherwise deserve.”
I’ve fallen victim to this scam a few times with supplements and other random items. This is going to be an ongoing cat and mouse game, and until Amazon gets this fully under control I recommend that you use the ReviewMeta browser extension (watch the video overview). ReviewMeta analyzes millions of reviews and uses algorithms to help you decide which ones to trust.
Fasting update from last month
I finished my five-day fast mentioned in the last issue. To be honest, it was brutal. Low energy, brain fog, and then a cold (from my wife) which took me out for an additional week. That said, I did enjoy the mental fortitude it required. I’m having my blood drawn this coming Monday (after I finish the last mini-fast) to see if it improved any of the markers I’m tracking. Dr. Rhonda Patrick and I are working on a modified version that’s more ketogenic friendly. Last month I mentioned putting together a group fast, unfortunately, we need more time to put together a plan for everyone. Stay tuned.
Timely contemplation
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less…”
“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity…”
~Marie Curie (1867–1934)
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