Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
If you’ve ever felt the weight of modern life pressing down—deadlines, traffic jams, or existential worries about the future— “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” is a revelation.
The reading collection
Read.
Psychology, geopolitics, philosophy—and everything in between.
All reading
2,048 readings · 397–408
Filters
Develop a Historical Sense (Week 17 of Wisdom)
A meme is a collection of ideas that spreads through people. But it does not spread indiscriminately, it relies on skillful narration and delivery on the part of the person propagating it.
Manias, Panics, Crashes
Chapters 5-8 in Manias, Panics, Crashes explores the mechanisms and consequences of financial crises, tracing their predictable yet complex nature through historical and economic lenses. It begins by outlining the…
Small Worlds (Complexity: A Guided Tour)
The concept of the “small world” was famously investigated by Harvard psychologist Stanley Milgram in the 1950s. Milgram wanted to determine how many links it would take to connect any two people in the United States.
Bounded Rationality
Herbert Simon, a pioneer in the field of cognitive psychology, introduced the concept of “bounded rationality” – a concept that I cover in “[The End of Wisdom: Why Most Advice is Useless.](https://www.amazon.
A Summary of The Open Society and Its Enemies by Karl Popper (8/10)
In The Open Society and Its Enemies*, philosopher Karl Popper articulates a defense of the liberal democratic tradition against what he sees as the twin threats of Marxism and fascism. Popper begins by critiquing the…
Chapter 17: The Wheels of Industry (Sapiens)
We used to rely on animals for energy. Muscle power was key to everything we did. Human muscles built carts and houses, ox muscles ploughed fields, while horse muscled moved things around. The energy that fueled this…
A Random Walk Down Wall Street
For this post, we will continue covering chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 in the classic text, A Random Walk Down Wall Street. In the realm of investment, two principal approaches, technical analysis and fundamental analysis,…
How Not to Die Summary (7/10)
Summary How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger is about the health benefits of eating your fruits, vegetables, nuts, and spices and the dangers of eating too much meat, or any meat at all.
The Freud Files Summary (8/10)
The Freud Files is a fascinating book that explores the life and work of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. Borch-Jacobsen does an excellent job of summarizing Freud’s complex ideas and providing readers…
Decelerated Aging: Should I Drink from a Fountain of Youth?
Anti-aging research aims to develop treatments that can decelerate the aging process. Such treatments could extend human lifespan and life expectancy significantly beyond current limits. However, the prospect of…
Law 46: Never Appear too Perfect (The 48 Laws of Power)
Law 46: Never Appear too Perfect The Sistine Chapel* It is dangerous to appear better than others, it is especially dangerous to appear to have no faults. Envy creates secret enemies; it is wise to display defects…