Books & Ideas
Reading notes, philosophy and reflections on living and thinking well.
Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Turgenev and Platonov
Where to start with Russian literature: essential works by Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Gogol, Turgenev and Platonov, and why each is worth reading.
The Power of Intellectual Enjoyment: What I Learned from Kant's Critique of Pure Reason
When I first picked up Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, I had no idea how profoundly it would shape my understanding of intellectual fulfillment.
The Architecture of Love: On Sacrifice, Silence, and the Courage to Stay Human
There is a house that exists in no city, appears on no map, and requires no architect.
"Brooks Was Here": The Existential Crisis Hidden Inside The Shawshank Redemption
These were the words of a schoolteacher taking attendance, trying to remind a student that simply showing up has value. But the student, Zein, wasn’t convinced.
Life-Changing Lessons: How Great Philosophers Transformed My Perspective
A personal journey of how reading philosophers like Camus, Kafka, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Socrates transformed my perspective on life
From Zero to Infinity: A Playful Mathematical Journey Through Nihilism and Pragmatism
Explore a fun, mathematical journey blending nihilism and pragmatism to navigate life's complexities, inspired by influential mentors.
The Steps of Zarathustra: Lessons from Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" is a philosophical novel that has captivated readers for over a century.
Reconnecting with Nature: Rediscovering Our Natural Rhythms
Reconnecting with nature: how modern city life pulls us away from our natural rhythms, and how to recover the balance our ancestors lived by.
The Intricate Web of Human Friendships: Insights from Science
Friendship is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, providing emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging.
Unveiling the Wisdom of Ibn Khaldun's "The Muqaddimah"
In a world pulsating with the ceaseless rhythm of change, seeking wisdom from the annals of history often offers a beacon of enlightenment.
Exploring Marxism: Lessons from Richard D. Wolff's "Understanding Marxism
Lessons from Richard D. Wolff's Understanding Marxism: class struggle, capitalism's contradictions and worker ownership as economic democracy.
Forget the Grand Theory: How a "Theory of Nothing" Can Help You Be Healthier
Health psychology is obsessed with finding the one theory to rule them all: a master key to unlocking every health behavior. But what if that's a dead end?
The Heart of the Matter: Why Relationships Fail and How to Find True Intimacy
Why relationships fail and how to build true intimacy: friendship and trust, mercy over mere love, red flags to heed and authentic expression.
The Pleasures of Philosophy: Reflections on Will Durant's "The Story of Philosophy"
Will Durant's The Story of Philosophy: great thinkers told through their lives, why it suits beginners and why philosophy can be a pleasure.
Philosophy as Spiritual Exercise: Pierre Hadot's "Philosophy as a Way of Life"
Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life: ancient philosophy as spiritual exercises for transforming the self, and how to recover that practice.
The Roulette of the Soul: Dostoevsky's "The Gambler"
Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Gambler is a short, intense, and remarkable novel, made all the more fascinating by the famous circumstances of its writing.
The Élan Vital: Henri Bergson's "Creative Evolution"
Henri Bergson's Creative Evolution: the élan vital, duration versus clock time, intuition as knowledge and why the future is truly open.
The Meaning Found in the Desert: Saint-Exupéry's "Wind, Sand and Stars"
Saint-Exupéry's Wind, Sand and Stars: meaning forged through danger and responsibility, human bonds and lessons from a near-death desert crash.
The Thinker and the Wanderer: Hesse's "Narcissus and Goldmund
Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund: the ascetic scholar and the wandering artist, spirit versus senses and how two friends complete each other.
The Power of Being Wrong: Popper's "The Logic of Scientific Discovery"
Karl Popper's The Logic of Scientific Discovery: the problem of induction, falsifiability as the mark of science and why we learn through error.
The Realization of Life: Rabindranath Tagore's "Sadhana"
Rabindranath Tagore's Sadhana: unity with nature and all life, the infinite in the finite and realizing life through love, joy and harmony.
The Big Questions in Small Words: Thomas Nagel's "What Does It All Mean?"
Thomas Nagel's What Does It All Mean?: a jargon-free introduction to philosophy's big questions, and why anyone can do philosophy.
Private Wealth, Public Squalor: Galbraith's "The Affluent Society"
Galbraith's The Affluent Society: conventional wisdom, private opulence and public squalor, the dependence effect and what affluence is for.
The Man Who Would Not Rise: Goncharov's "Oblomov"
Goncharov's Oblomov: the kindly man who cannot get off his couch, what Oblomovism means and why this comedy of inertia is a gentle tragedy.