My Resources for Focused Learning

A student of mine recently asked about resources on which I rely to receive balanced and continuous feed of new information about life in general and professional passions, in particular. So here’s what popped into my head. Clearly incomplete, but superbly energizing nonetheless.

1. Yuval Noah Harari. He’s my new favourite public intellectual and scholar. His fascinating books and speeches about human evolution and scenarios for our future are drawing massive attention from government leaders and most recognizable people in business and academia.
2. James Clear. Human behavior and habit building aficionado. Through research of very reputable sources and original contemplation he has created a terrific funnel for positive influence in our own lives and the lives of others.
3. Joshua Cooper Ramo. Despite his insensitive remarks during the opening ceremony of the last Olympic Games in South Korea, he brings a fascinating world view to the fore in his book “The Seventh Sense”. He’s absolutely right about the concept of “gate-keepers” and “gate-kept”.
4. Chris Roberts. One of the clearest and most human voices in data security. His recorded talks on YouTube are captivating.
5. Christopher Hitchens. I think of him as fuel for independent thinkers. Whenever I need inspiration for my positive skepticism I listen to his talks. He may be gone, but his legacy is carried by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Stephen Fry, and Daniel Dennett
6. Shane Parrish (Farnam Street). While similar in style to James Clear, his feed is full of excellent articles about ethics, psychology, futurism, and other current affairs. His podcasts feature very interesting thinkers from all walks of life. No wonder he calls his newsletter “Brain Food”.
7. MIT Technology Review. A website and newsletter from one of the most prolific tech schools on the planet. Helps me keep up with what’s happening in everything that runs on algorithms.
8. McKinsey. Whoever puts together their digital newsletter deserves an award. Very useful info on management, tech, and the future of business.
9. Mike Monteiro. Designer, ethicist, humanist. ‘Nuf said. Just find his talks on YouTube.
10. Don Norman. If you want to know how to enhance our existence through design please read his book and follow him. Also, just look up “Norman Doors” on YouTube.
11. Wired Magazine. They cover tech like very few can. Must read and follow.
12. Daniel Kahneman. Much of what I believe and do now is rooted in his work on human behavior, biases, and cognitive heuristics. The rest of the sources on this list owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
13. Simon Sinek. He helped change perspective on what matters in today’s world of work. I try my best to start my business pitches with why I do what I do.
14. Robert Cialdini. I regret that his fascinating ideas have been misused to some degree by people in PR and marketing. However, his principles of influence can be, and have been, put to good use.
15. Fast Company Magazine, Co.Design Section. Everything about design in tech and physical environments with a good dose of content about ethics.
16. Troels Oerting. He heads the Global Center for Cybersecurity at the World Economic Forum. Lots of good content on the macro issues in the field.
17. World Economic Forum. Their diverse andwidely distributed content helps me think about global issues.
18. Council on Foreign Relations. Useful analyses on issues in geopolitics.
19. Adam Grant. A professor of organizational psychology at Wharton. Excellent talks, books, and newsletter devoted to humans in the workplace.
20. Malcolm Gladwell. His books, podcast (Revisionist History), and talks on YouTube are absolutely fascinating. Agreement is not required, but being acutely familiar with his work is.
21. The World Science Festival. Self-explanatory. Watch, attend, share.
22. TED Talks. Same as above.
23. KQED Mind/Shift. Everything about the current state and the future of global education.
24. Edelman Trust Barometer. Annual report measuring trust in governments, business, media, and NGOs.
25. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Publish an annual report on global fraud trends as well as many other useful pieces on the subject of fraud risk management.
26. Security Info Watch. Useful information on asset protection technologies.

Hope some or all of this will be useful.

Soar above mediocrity!

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