Practical wisdom from old texts and good books

Short videos and notes on focus, energy, habits, work and emotions, from old texts and good books. Every page carries the video and the words it speaks.

Sequencing beats effort — the Milan caseload gap

Two people, the same pile, the same hours — and one finishes in half the time. The cases were handed out at random, so nobody got the easy stack. What's left is the order the work was done in. Some of that gap is being stuck, not being slow. The rest is free.

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Lost Reels

From the archive: films that started shooting and were never finished. One early scene from a real novel in each, then the footage stops.See all Lost Reels →

From the book notes

Summaries of non-fiction books we have read, in our own words. Most carry a spoken version on the page.

Hooked

Seventy-nine percent of smartphone owners check their device within fifteen minutes of waking up. Industry insiders believe we check our phones up to 150 times a day. If you’ve ever found yourself mindlessly opening an app or scrolling through a feed without a conscious decision to do so, you’re not alone. This isn't a personal failure; it's the result of intentional, sophisticated design.
born-a-crime

Born a Crime

Most of the world knows Trevor Noah as the whip-smart host of The Daily Show or as a comedian who sells out arenas globally....
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Steve Jobs

The world remembers a simplified, iconic image of Steve Jobs: the visionary in the black turtleneck, standing on a minimalist stage, unveiling products that...
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Shoe Dog

When we think of Nike today, we see a global empire. It’s more than a brand; it's a philosophy, a symbol of victory and...