By Mathew Walker - We sleep 1/3 of our life yet understand so little about it...

Modern healthcare is often reactive. This is part of the reason why preventative medicine is so key.

Discover the secrets to a long, healthy, and fulfilling life with "Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life" by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. This insightful book delves into the Japanese concept of ikigai, or a "reason for being," which is believed to be a key factor in the remarkable longevity of the residents of Okinawa, a Japanese village known for having the world’s highest percentage of centenarians. Through interviews with these vibrant centenarians, the authors uncover how the principles of ikigai—where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—contribute to their happiness and longevity. The book reveals the residents' daily practices, from their nutrient-rich diets and active lifestyles to their strong community bonds and purposeful work. "Ikigai" provides practical advice and tools to help readers discover their own ikigai, offering a blend of cultural wisdom and actionable steps towards a life filled with purpose, health, and joy. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in enhancing their well-being and finding deeper satisfaction in everyday life.

Duolingo is an app and website designed to help people learn languages in a simple and engaging way. It’s free to use, though there are paid options that remove ads and offer extra features. The lessons are short and interactive, with exercises that involve matching words, listening to sentences, speaking, and translating. A green owl named Duo acts as the app’s mascot—offering encouragement when you stay on track and reminders when you don’t. The platform offers a wide range of languages, from widely spoken ones like Spanish, French, and Chinese to less common choices like Welsh, Hawaiian, and even fictional languages like Klingon and High Valyrian. Lessons focus on practical, everyday communication—like ordering food or asking for directions—though you’ll occasionally encounter quirky sentences that are memorable in their oddness. Duolingo adapts to your progress: if you’re struggling, it slows down; if you’re doing well, it introduces more challenging material. There are game-like features—points, streaks, and levels—that keep learning motivating and fun. For those looking to go beyond basic lessons, Duolingo also offers podcasts, stories, and interactive exercises to improve listening and reading comprehension. Convenient and easy to use, Duolingo fits into almost any schedule—you can practice on the bus, during a lunch break, or before bed. While it’s not a complete substitute for full immersion or in-depth study, it’s a useful tool for beginners and a good way to keep language skills fresh.

That's right, the Kindle can a great tool for learning Mandarin. You can download a free Chinese dictionary called CC-CEDICT. Then you can tap on any word to get the English translation and the pinyin. There are plenty of Chinese ebooks you can find online for free or purchase on Amazon. I used this method earlier this year to read a few chapters of Harry Potter and now I'm reading The Three-Body Problem by ‎Liu Cixin.

Sleep better, relieve stress, and find purpose with Presence - your total guide to well-being. Take the next step on your journey with proven practices for integrated and holistic self-care. For 20 years, we've been empowering millions of people to balance their bodies, revive their minds, and activate their spirits. Now, for the first time, you can easily access our expert knowledge in one easy to use app. Whether you’re new to meditation and mindfulness, or you're an advanced practitioner, find your peace on a path that suits you. Relax with our best meditations, self-care tools, tips, and practices for your well-being based on our unique wisdom and scientific research. With an extensive library of knowledge for your mind, body, and spirit, plus new meditations featured daily, Presence is specially designed to help you discover your best self. Transform your health & well-being by: - Learning how to meditate - Finding immediate relief from daily stressors - Discovering your unique you - mind, body & spirit - Going deeper on your journey to self-discovery and purpose Uncover a range of popular topics including: - Better Sleep - Stress & Anxiety Relief - Peace & Calm - Confidence, Purpose & Success - Health, Weight & Increased Energy - Relationships & Connection - Creativity & Consciousness - Personal & Spiritual Growth Chopra's complete guide to mind, body and spirit comes with: - Over 500 meditations and practices representing our best tools - A variety of well-being experts to guide your experience - 5, 10, 20 and 30-minute sessions to suit your needs wherever you are - Our most popular well-being challenges including our 21-Day and Journey to Well-being programs - A quiz to discover your unique mind-body type and receive personalized content designed for you - Daily recommended sessions to build your practice - Monthly new programs and collections - Personalized tracking to help you stay motivated and see your progress

"Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a groundbreaking exploration of systems and entities that thrive and grow stronger in the face of stress, volatility, and chaos. Taleb introduces the concept of "antifragility," which goes beyond resilience or robustness. Through a mix of philosophy, practical wisdom, and real-world examples, Taleb illustrates how embracing uncertainty and leveraging disorder can lead to success and innovation. This book is essential for anyone interested in risk management, personal development, and understanding how to benefit from uncertainty and change.

Skin in the Game may be nice but The Black Swan is the OG Nicholas Taleb. Read this book to learn how to think and avoid biases and reread at least once very couple of years.

The great thing about this book is that it takes a big-picture view of human history. It attempts to explain the main themes of human history without getting bogged down in the details. Sapiens also debunks many popular myths about human history, including the one that people today live happier lives and have better diets than our hunter-gatherer predecessors. It comes with an epilogue about the future of humankind in light of ever-accelerating technological progress. With the recent advances in AI it is more relevant than ever. If you're going to read one book on history this year, read this one.

Grammarsen is a desktop app that automatically corrects your selected text using chatgpt, helping you stay focused. No more copy pasting and switching tabs. Simply select some text, press a hotkey, and see the old text gets replaced with the corrected version. Grammarsen saves time for students, writers, marketers, english learners, and anyone who types a lot.

"The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a seminal work that explores the profound impact of rare and unpredictable events, termed "Black Swans." Taleb argues that these events, which are often overlooked or underestimated, have massive consequences on our world. He highlights the limitations of traditional forecasting methods and emphasizes the need for resilience and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. Blending philosophy, economics, and personal anecdotes, Taleb provides a compelling critique of our understanding of risk and uncertainty. This book is essential for anyone interested in risk management, economics, and understanding the unpredictable nature of our world.

"Fooled by Randomness" is a thought-provoking book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb that delves into the role of chance in our lives and how we often mistake random events for meaningful patterns. Through a mix of personal anecdotes, philosophical insights, and statistical analysis, Taleb explores how randomness affects the world of finance, business, and daily life. The book challenges readers to rethink their perceptions of success, failure, and the forces that drive outcomes. This book is ideal for readers interested in finance, probability, and the philosophical implications of randomness.

"The Bed of Procrustes" is a collection of aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb that distills his philosophical insights into short, thought-provoking statements. The title refers to the Greek myth of Procrustes, symbolizing the tendency to force things into unnatural conformity. Through these aphorisms, Taleb critiques modern society's flaws, biases, and misconceptions, offering a sharp, often humorous, commentary on topics ranging from knowledge and science to wealth and human behavior. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy deep, philosophical musings and appreciate Taleb's sharp wit and unconventional perspectives.

Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious -- even liberating -- book, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The problems range from ambiguous and hidden controls to arbitrary relationships between controls and functions, coupled with a lack of feedback or other assistance and unreasonable demands on memorization. The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints. The goal: guide the user effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the right time. The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how -- and why -- some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.

Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiography by South Africa's first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela, and it was first published in 1994 by Little Brown & Co. The book profiles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years spent in prison If you're new to South African history, as I was, this is a great starting point. Why not hear from the man who played a key part in it?

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is William Finnegan’s story about growing up obsessed with surfing. It’s not just about catching waves—it’s about a whole way of life that’s demanding, addictive, and sometimes dangerous. Finnegan started young, learning to surf in California and Hawaii, and kept chasing waves into adulthood, traveling through places like Fiji, Australia, Indonesia, and Africa. Along the way, he mixes adventure with self-reflection, talking about friendships formed in the water, the culture around surfing, and how it all fit with the times—especially during the social changes of the 1960s and '70s. The book isn’t just about the thrill of surfing; Finnegan dives into the technical side of waves and the patience it takes to master them. He’s honest about his youthful recklessness—like taking LSD before surfing a massive wave in Maui—and the risks that came with his travels, from malaria scares to navigating shady markets. Still, surfing pulls him along, even when he’s juggling a career as a war reporter and later, family life. At its core, Barbarian Days is an old-fashioned adventure tale mixed with a thoughtful look at what it means to be hooked on something so completely. Finnegan’s writing captures both the beauty and the grind of surfing, making you feel like you’re right there with him—whether on a remote beach or paddling out into icy waves off Long Island.

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Learning a new language is hard, you need a lot of repeated exposure to the same words to make them stick. Here's the trick I use. I open ThaiPod101's live channel and let it run in the background while I do something else. For example, I can have it open while cooking dinner or tidying up. Even if I look at the screen only occasionally, I still get the benefits of being repeatedly exposed to Thai vocabulary. This works particularly well in combination with other learning methods. If you have a smart TV or a Chromecast, you can even play it on your TV instead of regular TV channels. The channel runs 24/7 and replays ThaiPod101 lessons.

Italki is a platform connecting language teachers, mostly native speakers, with students. You can book, pay, and schedule your classes directly through their website. The classes are one on one, just you and the teacher, and conducted over a video call. I used Italki successfully before going to Thailand for the first time. My wife who is Thai gave me an Italki gift card. There are plenty of teachers to chose from and the rates are affordable. You'll pay anywhere from $10 to about $20 for a class.

From wikipedia: Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Meditations are worth reading if only to get a glimpse at the thoughts of a man who lived a life in truly extraordinary circumstances of being a Roman Emperor. It's surprising how relevant the themes of his diaries are two thousand years later.