Basic Books catalog page for Rest
The Basic Books fall catalog of out, and Rest has a listing. Not a surprise, of course, but it's exciting to see your book move one step closer
Swimming, flow, and problem-solving
Doctor and New York Times contributor Richard Friedman writes in today’s Sunday Times about swimming, flow, and problem-solving: There is no drug — recreational or prescription — capable
“Late capitalism is like your love life: it looks a lot less bleak through an Instagram filter”
Late capitalism is like your love life: it looks a lot less bleak through an Instagram filter. The slow collapse of the social contract is the backdrop for
“we have chosen instead to have overwork for some and starvation for others”
Bertrand Russell's "In Praise of Idleness" will never become obsolete (though it would be great if we could put more of its lessons into practice): In a world
A thought on Jonah Lehrer’s new book, redemption, and writing
So Jonah Lehrer has a new book coming out, and there’s some snark around it. Lehrer has admitted that he cut corners, self-plagiarized, and made stuff up, but lots
“Why do we need to be always busy?”
Padraig O'Morain, asking "Why do we need to be always busy?" in the Irish Times: Our lives have become like a maths problem in one of those old
On the experience of shopping a book proposal
Following my piece on agents and why you want one, a brief note on shopping a proposal. Rejection is inevitable. You know those stories about how Catcher in
Why you, first-time author, need a literary agent
I had a long call today with a friend who’s just finished a book and wanted some advice about literary agents. I’ve gotten this question a couple times,
Cyberloafing, work, and recovery
This study came out a couple months ago, when I working on the revisions to Rest, so I didn't write about it then, but it's still quite timely: it's
“What you do in the gym… makes you a better, higher-performing person outside of it”
For a long time, I didn't appreciate the relationship between physical stamina and cognitive performance, nor did I realize jus how much learning to take on physical challenges