The average American reads about 11 books a year. Here are eight published in 2025 that you could add to your list econ.st/4bExiya
Readers added context
This is a number from their own poll
- Only 54% of people READ or LISTENED to any books in 2023
- From that 54% the average was 11 books
- 27% did between 1 and 5
It's important to indicate that this data does not differentiate between reading and listening books/audiobooks.
economist.com/graphic-detail…
aella is such a perfect guest for whatever
it actually feels like watching an alien first encounter. their priors are so different that communication becomes almost impossible
the contrast she has with the turbonormies in the room, the autistic micromovements, the candor
got a friend with absolutely no technical background wanting some kind of "intro to the world" book.
basics like how a fridge works, what a generator is etc
I really don't know what to recommend here, feynman probably too theoretical, other things too obvious.
bill bryson maybe?
Why do we put gifted people on the same conformist path as all others, just much faster?
You're so beyond your peers. You could spend your entire youth building things you enjoy, tinkering and exploring.
But instead you intern at shopify?
Instead you close jira tickets?
this does NOT end well.
Your github has no contributions.
You didn't win an olympiad.
Your social circle is your local town.
Your life's EV calculation is so bad HS math must've been a challenge.
Survivorship bias?
I‘d rather say it‘s a cause/effect thing.
Like, the guy that has the money time and willingness to pick up a hobby like that is almost by definition just someone that has his life in order.
Which tends to be attractive.
Now I’m curious, has there ever been a world important city that we completely destroyed? Only Troy??? The romans salted the soils at carthage, yet there it stands…
The problem with "founder as a carreer" is its total risklessness. You're trading in a little TC for immediate prestige. An easy choice is no choice at all.
It's a highly performative "grind culture" which just produces vaporware.
College isn’t some happy place to read and hang out and experience abstract personal growth. It’s supposed to be a full time job…
Put 40h a week into your material and see where it gets you.
Start taking your existence seriously. this is embarrassing.
I think that before you try meditating you should attempt to go on like a 30min walk through a vaguely pleasant area without your phone. Best case? It works and you're still a normal person. Worst case? You still went outside.
but idk, might be a wholly naive take here.