In 2005, David Foster Wallace delivered the "This is Water" commencement speech at Kenyon College. I've studied and written about the most viewed commencement speeches in the past, but this one is special. In just over 20 minutes, he covers the … [Read more...]
Life Purpose: “The Crossroads of Should and Must” by Elle Luna (Book Summary)
"All too often, we feel that we are not living the fullness of our lives because we are not expressing the fullness of our gifts." — Elle Luna I have NO idea how I didn't stumble across Elle Luna's viral blog post or book during my existential … [Read more...]
Dr. Bronner’s Soap & Moral ABCs (Product Label Summary)
This is a passion post I've wanted to dig into and write about for some time. My wife has been buying Dr. Bronner's organic, fair trade soaps for years. And, almost exactly a year ago, we watched the documentary Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox. Since … [Read more...]
Authenticity & Your Self: “The Existentialist’s Survival Guide” (Book Summary)
“He who studies with a philosopher should take home with him some good thing every day; he should daily return home a sounder man, or on the way to becoming sounder.” — Seneca (4BC–AD65) I'm a fan of philosophy and have been a "student of life" for … [Read more...]
5 Themes from “In Praise of Idleness” by Bertrand Russell (Essay Summary)
“The first principle of all action is leisure.” — Aristotle Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, political activist, and Nobel laureate.¹ In 1932, at 60 years old, he wrote In … [Read more...]
“Conspicuous Consumption of Time: When Busyness and Lack of Leisure Time Become a Status Symbol” (Research Summary)
When it comes to busyness, there's plenty of info online that states the what (we're all busy) and gives you tips about how to unbusy your work and life. But, they often leave out why we are so busy. A fascinating piece of busyness research … [Read more...]
“Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren” by John Maynard Keynes (Essay Summary)
John Maynard Keynes is widely regarded as one of the most influential economists of the 20th century. In 1930, he wrote Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren (free PDF). Now 88 years later, it's fascinating to look at what predictions … [Read more...]
12 Slow Living Themes from “Slow” by Brooke McAlary (Book Summary)
As much as I loved the book Voluntary Simplicity, I was in need of something simple and refreshing after finishing it. Brooke McAlary’s new book, Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World, did the trick. I've been waiting for this book to be … [Read more...]
A Detailed Overview of “Voluntary Simplicity” by Duane Elgin (Book Summary)
This is a book about the “why” behind voluntary simplicity. It’s not necessarily a how-to guide or checklist of to-dos. I think that’s why I love it so much. So many books skip straight to the "hows," but if you aren’t aligned to the “why,” the … [Read more...]
“Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” (Book Summary)
If you're just looking for a quick overview of the ikigai concept, check out this previous post: Ikigai: The Japanese Purpose or “Reason for Being”. This post is a summary of the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor … [Read more...]
