Favorite Apps
I use this as my daily scratch pad. If I am walking or working out and think of an idea I throw it into the notes application. It syncs between my Macbook Pro, online, and my iPhone – so I always have access to them. I used to think I could remember thoughts – but they are gone if you do not write them down. It also is a benefit of having a backlog of material and outlines to take a look at when you are feeling motivated but do not have anything immediate to write about.
As an avid podcast listener – I use PocketCasts daily. Great user interface with the ability to queue up a lot of podcasts for the road using my Wifi connection so I do not have to worry about data limits. I have tried them all and I have to say this one has stuck with me through the years.
A great meditation experience that does not take more than 10 minutes. Believe the hype – meditation is the next thing that everyone should pick up because the benefits are just that subtly great.
Marvin is the Swiss army knife of eBook readers for iOS. Almost any format I could encounter this application does a great job of tying them all together into one virtual bookshelf. The colors and settings are easy on the eyes late at night – I can dim the backlight past the default settings.
My eyes get super sensitive when looking at a screen all day. This app filters out the blue light of screens. This comes into use at night – I can more easily fall asleep if on the computer late.
Favorite Books
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin
HTML & CSS Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill
This book shows just how quickly knowledge and history can be discarded and forgotten. Oftentimes it is the fringe (in this case Irish monks) that preserves the stories of the past. I lay awake a night sometimes thinking about how much knowledge HAS been lost. This book’s time period is only one example. The fires of ignorance put up into smoke a large portion of the past knowledge earned by our most learned and genius individuals. Never forget.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
If you are wondering how to approach people or how to make an impression – this is the book to read. Timeless knowledge.
Book review: This book is tough to get through – but I feel that everyone should read it. Even if you get lost at certain points you will take something away from it. Plato lays out the basis of western thought that spans to the modern day. The following quote sums up the takeaway from reading this book:
“All of Western philosophy is but a footnote to Plato.”
― Alfred North Whitehead
The City of God by St. Augustine of Hippo
Favorite Podcasts
Hardcore History by Dan Carlin
One of the BEST History podcasts ever – for a jumping in point start with the epic Mongols series The Wraith of the Khans
The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast
The range of guests on this show – and the overall attitude of exploring their unique outlooks and stories has led me to branch out and discover areas and knowledge where I would not find on my own. If Hunter S. Thompson or Charles Bukowski would fit into a podcast niche – it would be this one. Fear and Loathing with Joe Rogan – holding up a mirror to all of the oddities and absurdities that exist around us throughout our lives.
Favorite Episode:
Graham Hancock This episode first turned me onto this podcast. It is kind of crazy I still remember it in 2016 even if I listened to it in 2011. I do not believe all of what this guest is saying – but I like the state of mind that it gave me when listening. What if everything we thought as true was wrong?
A podcast where a subject is picked and some of the most knowledgeable are selected to discuss in a round table format. This one is kind of like sitting in on lunch with professors and hearing them casually talk about there work.
Optimize with Brian with Brian Johnson
Basically a quick summary of new and influential books in relation to self improvement. A good way to hear about the most recent thoughts and approaches to becoming a better person.
Favorite Websites
Technology
FreeCodeCamp – Best way to learn how to code in a useful manner. This is an online portfolio/project building focused programming site. Check out my profile here
Udemy – Online courses
Treehouse – Introductory programming Profile
CodePen – Online playground for code snippets. Check out my Quote Machine and Profile
HackerNews – My main technology and startup focused new source
Udacity – Curated technology classes
Project Odin – Portfolio/project building focused programming site
StackOverflow – I usually end up here after fighting a programming problem for too long on my own
Github – Always fun to read other people’s code. Profile
Language
Duolingo – Free language learning tool – save thousands of dollars using this instead of Rosetta Stone.
General Knowledge
Quora – Site with great questions and expert focused answers
Khan Academy – Mathematics focused online learning platform
YouTube – you can find awesome educational videos from a variety of topics
Reddit – certain subreddits can teach you a lot – I like r/history and r/personalfinance
Personal Finance
Mr Money Mustache – learn how to not blow your money!
Mint – A great tool to track your expenses for free
Personal Capital – Like mint – but better at tracking your investments. Also free.