Stuff I Like

With content on this site going back to December 2005, I thought I’d put together a page of my favorite things. These are the books, products and services that I recommend most. As my opinion changes, I will update this page.

Books – Economics, Finance, Technology

An Economist Gets Lunch – Tyler Cowen mixes food and economics and guides the reader/eater towards rules to help us make better food choices. (my review)

Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think – Author Peter H. Diamandis makes the best case for being a long term optimist. (my review)

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator – This is the 1922 investor classic of legendary investor Jesse Livermore. If you want to trade stocks, this book is required reading. I learned from this book that I had no desire to day trade.

The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization – If I had to pick a single book that influenced my thinking the most it would be The Upside of Down. I read this amazing book by Thomas Homer-Dixon in 2009 and I still think about it. It is was this book that finally helped me break free of the partisan political thinking and embrace a systems approach to problem solving. (my review)

Books – Fitness

3 Minutes to a Pain-Free Life: The Groundbreaking Program for Total Body Pain Prevention and Rapid Relief – I didn’t think it was possible to get such great benefits in such a short time, but it works. I love this routine. (my review)

Body By Science – Easily the most recommended book on this blog. Dr. McGuff and John Little have written the definitive book on High Intensity Training (HIT).

Hillfit 2.0 – You don’t need a gym membership or even a home gym to build strength. Hillfit 2.0 is a body weight approach to HIT. (my review)

The New High Intensity Training – Ellington Darden’s book lists a lot more exercises you can do HIT style.

Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice: Hormonal Balance – The Key to Life, Love and Energy – Never did I think I would read a relationship book, but this one opened my eyes to the hormonal story on how couples stay together. (my review)

When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Maté – This is not a fitness book per se, but it is about how our emotions affect our health. This book is extremely powerful. (my review)

Books – Food, Nutrition

12 Paleo Myths: Eat Better than a Caveman – This book by Matt Stone is the single best resource to pointing out potential issues with a Paleo Diet. 12 Paleo Myths  is written in a caring non-condescending voice. I highly recommend those following a Paleo diet step out of the echo chamber and read this book.

12 Paleo Myths: Eat Better Than A Caveman by Matt Stone

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why – This was the book I read back in 2008 that inspired me to return to my college interest of nutrition. This book makes you fall in love with food. My nutritional opinions have and continue to change, but this book is still one of my favorites. It belongs in every kitchen. (my review)

The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life – More than a cookbook, this is a book on learning. This is my favorite Tim Ferriss book. (my review)

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite – David Kessler wrote this important book which documents how food chemists are constructing foods designed to get us to overconsume. (my review)

Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen – Great cookbooks that teach and embrace simplicity are rare. This one is a gem. (my review)

Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think – Brian Wansink’s book on how our environment influences our appetite. (my review)

Books – Philosophy, Learning, Negotiating

48 Laws of Power, The 50th Law and Art of Seduction – Robert Greene is a phenomenal writer that weaves history and philosophy to generate important lessons. Some people might find parts of these books manipulative, but how you use this information is up to you. His other books 33 Strategies and Mastery are good, but not as good as the 3 I listed. (my review of 50th Law)

A Guide to the Good Life – An excellent introduction to Stoicism, which is like Zen Buddhism for the analytical mind. This is one of my favorite books ever. Highly recommended. (my review)

Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life – A gem of a book on negotiating by Stuart Diamond. Life is about negotiating. This is required reading.

Your Brain at Work – This book uses stories to explain how our brain works in stressful situations and how we can work with our limitations to overcome distractions and gain focus.

The Willpower Instinct – A guide to understanding and improving our willpower skill. (my review)

Computer Gear and Apps

F.lux – This free program adjusts the blue light spectrum on your computer monitor to rose tints when the sun goes down. I’ve been using it for years. It really helps promote sleep at night. (mentioned here)

Vertical Mouse – At first it is weird. Instead of having your hand over the mouse, you hold the vertical mouse like you are giving a handshake. The result is your arm isn’t torqued all day. This mouse ELIMINATED all the pain in my right arm from excessive computer usage. (my review) Looks like they now have a wireless version.

Coffee Gear

Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker – My favorite brewed coffee method. It is a little quicker than the Clever and is ideal for traveling. I have no numbers to back up this claim, but I feel like this brewing method has less caffeine than the Clever. (my tutorial)

Clever Coffee Dripper – After a decade of using the French Press, I switched to the Clever. Just as rich, but with a cleaner taste and easier cleanup.

Video

Bigger, Stronger, Faster – A excellent documentary about steroids, fitness, heroes and male body image. (my review)

Fermentation Workshop – I got more out of Sandor Katz’s 2 hour lecture on fermentation than his other two books. This DVD is both informative and inspiring. (my review)

Foundation Training – Foundation Training is the absolute most efficient set of core, back, glute and hamstring exercises I’ve ever experienced. (my review)

Inside Job – The best and most accessible documentary covering the financial crisis that started the Great Recession.