Hello, happy weekend, here are the articles that make me think. Continue reading
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Lyse Links: Misfits, marriage, and meritocracy
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Tag Archives: good reads
Lyse Links: Adoption, texting, and hit songs
I’ve led with some shorter/lighter pieces, but the last few links are hefty. Enjoy!
Texting with Boys — This is an op-ed, so not as thorough as I’d like, but it’s a fascinating look at differences in communication. I have several similarities with the author, including a mostly-female family, plus emphasis on written communication (obviously).
Couple buys street in millionaire neighborhood — in a comedy of errors revealed by one couple’s stroke of astonishing luck, the street in a private high-scale neighborhood is now owned by outside individuals who are scheming ways to make money from their acquisition. Moral of the story: pay your taxes.
Trump’s positive news folder — for someone who doesn’t want to argue politics, I share a lot of political stories. This one caused a Twitter uproar about the President’s delusion. That’s up for anyone’s perception. BUT. If you’ve spent much time in entrepreneurial circles or high achiever optimization literature, this will sound pretty familiar. Starting the day with affirmations or positive thinking is not so unusual. Maybe not normal (or good?) for a president, but not as odd or laughable as many people think it is.
The Children of Strangers — this is an excellent profile of a family that had or adopted more than 20 children. Large families are a point of contention for many reasons, some of which will be obvious in this article. But I like a few things about the article. First, the author makes a serious attempt at relating the story with little commentary or bias. Second, I think it provides a good picture of the trade-offs necessary in any family. No family is perfect. Every decision to say “yes” is also saying “no” to something else. So “yes” to 20+ children means that more children have a family. But it also means less money, (probably) less time with each child, etc. In the end, I think these parents made the best decisions they could based on their values. Those choices probably helped their kids in some ways. And too much time thinking about “what-ifs” will drive you crazy.
The hit song you’ve never heard of (sold more than the Beatles) — The world is a big, diverse place. So much so that you’ve probably never heard of the man who created a hit song that sold more copies than any Beatles song. It’s a great story about music and legacy in Africa.
Has the smartphone destroyed a generation? — Look, I hate doom and gloom generational opinions as much as anyone. But this is a balanced, data-backed article from a generational researcher. Strongly recommended for anyone who cares about generational profiles, the current adolescent generation, or the effects of technology on human behavior.
Lyse Links: Con men, curses, and cavemen
Buckle up. Today’s line-up is a RIDE.
Toronto’s Classiest Con Man — Con men (and women) manipulate social norms to their benefit. It’s good to know how they work, because there’s always a chance you’ll be on the receiving end of a con.
Lyse Links: Night owls, bias, and more sports
In defense of being a night owl: If you’re a night owl, you’ll want to save some of this essay for ammunition. If you’re not a night owl, this is a good way to see a different perspective. I’m not a night owl, but I tested it enough in high school/college to see the draw.
Bias in the ER: This is an excerpt from Michael Lewis’s excellent The Undoing Project. I’m partway through the full book, which is every bit as good as the excerpts teased. Applicable for everyone, but especially interesting if you like psychology and understanding how people make decisions.
Physical Therapists for E-Sports: As e-sports become more and more popular, the surrounding jobs will expand. Some physical therapists are proactively reaching this new market.
The Grey Area of Performance Enhancement: What counts as performance enhancement in shoes? Continue reading
Lyse Links: The Bonus Awesome Edition
If you’re looking for a great read on any topic, I’ve got it for you. I’ve read some excellent articles this last month and I can’t wait to hear what you all think about them. I’m posting more than my usual number and sorting them by topic to help you find your interests more easily. Regardless of topic, these are all great stories.
Sports
As you may know, if you follow this blog, I’m not really a sports person. But I love the stories that come from sports. I’ve been on a bit of a basketball kick recently (to be fair, basketball seems to be undergoing a massive transformation), so you’ll see a lot here about the Golden State Warriors.
- NBA’s secret training technique — Especially fascinating if you’re interested in brain training.
- The Draymond Green Problem — From what I can tell, strong personalities are more likely to destroy the Warriors than anything else.
- Djokovic is breaking tennis records left and right — I like the fact that tennis has a few top performers, making it much easier to keep track of than most sports.
- Do you speak Westbrook? — Some superstar athletes tell press and fans exactly what they think. Others create carefully coded messages through outfits and Instagram posts.
Politics
I don’t want to say much about politics, so I’m bringing you only 2 post-election articles, which I recommend for everyone, regardless of party. Continue reading
Lyse Links: Book blurbs, psycho wife, tell kids they’re lazy
Some articles I’ve enjoyed recently: Continue reading
