Nathan Powell – Freelance Designer

Nathan Powell is a visual designer living in Madrid, Spain. He’s author of The Designer’s Guide to Freelancing and founder of nusii an online proposal service for designers and creative types.

Good things to read.

1984 by George Orwell. Orwell sat down to write 1984, over 60 years ago, and his vision of the future was staggeringly accurate. Big Brother is here, and has been for quite some time. 1984 is about repression, a totalitarian state and 24 hour surveillance. The paranoid in me loves this book. I read it nearly every year, and it just never gets old.

Start Small, Stay Small by Rob Walling. Start small, stay small is not a “get rich, quick” book, but one that shows the possibilities available to anyone wanting to grow beyond a 9 to 5 existence. While it was originally written for developers (no geek speak necessary), the content is just as valuable to designers, or any first time entrepreneur looking to create their own digital service or product. It pushed me to want something more than just client work.

Everything I know by Paul Jarvis. I read this book at the end of last year, and it’s one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read on the subject of creative life. We all struggle, we struggle to find the right clients, we struggle to stay motivated and to stay true to ourselves. Paul talks about his own struggles and makes you feel that you’re not alone. It’s 100% inspiring and will give you the creative kick in the ass you need.

Good things to watch.

Breaking Bad. I couldn’t talk about good things to watch without mentioning Breaking Bad. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I do watch series. Breaking Bad is based around the life of Walt White. Walt’s a chemistry teacher who finds out he has cancer, not wanting to leave his family penniless, he decides to start cooking Meth… as you do. While the first season is slow, it does set the scene for some of the best TV ever made. Everyone deserves a bit of Heisenberg in their life.

The Sopranos.  Tony Soprano is a mob chief with a heart, albeit a twisted, black one. He’ll put a bullet in you and then agonise over it for months with his shrink. He’s a family man in every sense, and while he’s capable of horrific acts, he also has the capacity to be incredibly humane, in a Tony Soprano kind of way… “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”.

Jaws.  I almost feel I should apologise for this one, but it’s old school summer blockbusterness at its best! I’ve seen it more times than I can remember and it still gets me. Yes, the shark is plastic, yes people really got hurt (the first victim had her ribs broken on camera, hence the chilling screams) and yes Roy Scheider was always old. A true classic. Hurray!

Good things to use.

A smartphone. There’s no doubt that Apple changed the way we work, rest and play (or was that Mars bar), and I can no longer imagine life without my smartphone. I use my phone to keep up with family back home (VOIP), keep up to date with my work schedule, get around Spain with GPS, answer urgent emails, sign contracts, you name it. Aside from my laptop, it’s my most valuable tool. Love them or hate them, there’s no getting away from smartphones.

Alfred. The first thing I do after a clean install of OSX is install Alfred. I can’t work on a mac without it. It’s a reflex action to hit ALT+Space and BAM! Access to anything. Alfred lets you get to any app, file or website in a second. I never use the launch bar, that would be wasting valuable seconds. Once you’ve tried Alfred, which incidentally is free, you’ll never go back. It’s the most used app on my laptop.

Pen and paper When I wake up at 3 in the morning with an idea that would otherwise be lost, it goes down on paper. Invariably the paper gets lost, but it gets written down anyway. It’s nice to have something that’s old school. Digital alternatives are great, but not at 3 in the morning. Long live the pen and paper.

Betsy J Baker – Consultant

Betsy J Baker teaches and consults online businesses how to “Monetize Their Message to the Masses” – these are her good things.

Good things to read.

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. Growing up in the rural South, I especially appreciate the poignancy of this short story and can see exactly in my mind’s eye what’s taking place. I also named one of my dogs Queenie after Buddy’s dog.

EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey – Dave has a no-nonsense style that I’ve always appreciated and his take on running your own business isn’t to be missed.

See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar – Don’t wait to read or listen to Zig for a “pick me up.” Keep him nearby on your nightstand or on audio to keep motivated even when the going gets tough.

Good things to watch.

Joyce Meyer’s Everyday Living – Again, I appreciate a no-nonsense approach and Joyce lays out there on the line when it comes to enjoying your everyday life.

Breaking Bad. Quick, if you’ve never watched this series, tune up your Netflix and get going. One of the best.series.ever.

Any of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies – I’m mom to an almost 7 year old boy and these are ones that the whole family enjoys. Silly but endearing.

Good things to use.

A timer. As an online entrepreneur with only me, myself and I for accountability, I rely on a timer to help me focus and get projects done in a timely manner.

PicMonkey. Yay! Photoshop is no longer a requirement to create quality, fun graphics.

Candles. Keeps your room smelling fresh and they’re soothing to look at.

Connect with Betsy on Twitter, @BetsyJayBaker.

Carson Samson – Designer

Carson Samson began working as a graphic designer in 1999. In 2005, he launched Samson Design Studios. Carson has partnered with a talented group of professionals and innovative minds to provide full-tilt creative services, catered specifically to non-profits, charities and NGOs. He writes on the topics of Design, Branding, Evernote and Small Business at Design+Business.  These are his good things.

Good things to read.

The Newspaper. Not only is it easier to read news online, it’s far more up to date. That’s why I cancelled my newspaper subscription. But the weekend edition of your favourite newspaper provides a refreshing break from the screen-viewing. As a bonus, weekend editions are usually loaded with Arts/Culture and opinion pieces. I’m a Canadian, who prefers a national perspective, so I read The Globe and Mail. But I will often pick up my local paper as well. I encourage you to sit back with your morning coffee and get a little ink on your hands. There are some real gems hidden within the pages of your favourite paper.

Manage Your Day-To-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind. Jocelyn K. Glei and Behance founder, Scott Belsky have culled the brightest minds and most successful entrepreneurs to present a series of essays on – you guessed it – getting the most out of your workday. Steven Pressfield, Cal Newport and Seth Godin are but three of the contributors. This book is part of a series developed by 99u.com, who strive to deliver “the missing curriculum you didn’t get in school”. It’s an easy read, packed with useful tips. If you adopt but a few of them, it’ll change the way your value your time and deal with distractions.

Song of Ice and Fire (Book series) by George R.R. Martin. Whether you are a fantasy fan or not, Martin’s epic series is a literary masterpiece. There are currently five published books out of – what is expected to be – seven in all. Of course, it’s gained a great deal of popularity over the past few years since HBO picked up the series.

Good things to watch.

Breaking Bad. I’m certainly not the first person to promote AMC’s flagship program on 27GoodThings, so I won’t go on and on. If you have Netflix, and you haven’t yet watched an episode, please do. The first season is a little slow to start (all that character development and so forth), but by the time it comes to a conclusion, you’ll be a Breaking Bad junkie. Which is by and large a lot better than being a Meth junkie.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Best Christmas movie ever. It’s stood the test of time. My wife and I watch it 3-4 times a year. I even watched it from my hotel room in Kalamazoo, MI in July. It was on cable – In July. Huh? You’ll likely find a DVD copy for under $10, and it’s also on Netflix.

Conversations with my 2 Year Old.  Father daughter hijinks reenacted by 2 grown men. You don’t have to be a parent to find the humour in this.

Good things to use.

Evernote. This is the hub of my digital life. Both professionally and personally. I keep everything from project files to Lego instruction books. Despite Evernote’s claims to help users remember everything, It hasn’t improved my memory one bit. But having a near infinite supply of stored notes at my fingertips has saved my ass on more than a few occasions.

Moleskine notebook. Like reading the newspaper, writing stuff down on paper is still a very gratifying act.My notebook of choice is the Evernote edition, which (once captured by a smartphone) syncs nicely with my digital notes. There are a lot of imitators out there, but no other notebook matches the quality of Moleskine.

Coffitivity. Regardless of whether or not you put any stock in study results that link increased productivity to tinkling glasses and humming espresso machines, sometimes your office is just too quiet. The developers of Coffitivity provide a coffee shop vibe direct from your desktop, or mobile phone.

Connect with Carson on Twitter,  @carsonsamson, or on Facebook, at fb.com/SamsonStudios.

David Kazzie – Novelist, Lawyer

David Kazzie is a lawyer by day, novelist by night.  He’s written a book –  The Jackpot, an animated series – So You Want to Go to Law School, a blog – Wahoocorner.blogspot.com, and these good things.

Good things to read.

Ready Player One by Ernie Cline.  This was probably my favorite novel of the last five years. If you’re between 35 and 45 years old, this book was written for you – it’s basically a love letter to the pop culture of the 1980s. And it’s a hell of a fun read.

Screenplay by Syd Field.  This book changed the way I looked at the structure of stories (both in movie and novel form). I am not a screenwriter, but the principles in this book apply to any form of storytelling. I’d written two dreadful manuscripts before reading this book – the one I wrote after I read it was worlds better.

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane.  This was a huge book in my life. I read it in 2003 or 2004, shortly after seeing the movie (which I thought was an OK, but not great, film). So I’m reading it, knowing how it ends, and it still absolutely blew me away. I think I’d written two manuscripts by then (neither of which will ever see the light of day), and it showed me how far I still had to go before I could write something that good. I think it’s the best work of crime fiction of my generation. Years later, I would go on to sign with a literary agent – and as luck or fate or karma would have it, she’s Dennis Lehane’s agent and the one who sold Mystic River.

Good things to watch.

Quick Change. I put this Bill Murray movie in here because I think it’s the most underrated comedy of the last 25 years. I’ve probably watched it 50 times and it gets funnier with each passing year. For those who haven’t heard of it, Bill Murray dresses up as a clown and robs a New York City bank, and then spends the rest of the movie trying to escape the urban nightmare that is the city. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a masterpiece.

Breaking Bad.  This is probably the best television show I’ve ever watched. The writing is absolutely brilliant. I don’t know how else to put it, but you find yourself rooting for crystal meth dealers. CRYSTAL METH DEALERS! It’s as close to flawless a show as I’ve ever seen (I’m watching Season 4 now, so I haven’t made it to the end yet).

Louis C.K.’s stand-up comedy. I just love his stuff. He’s freaking hilarious. I love standup comedy and I think he’s the best out there right now. I also like to read or watch anything about how standup comics do their thing – how the sausage is made, if you will.

Good things to use.

Index Card (iPad app).  I’m the kind of writer who needs structure in my work. I love using index cards to sketch out scenes and rearranging them to fit the story. This app lets you do that with an infinite supply of index cards that don’t clutter up your house and your wife stays happy!

Good running gear.   This is a bit generic, but as a lazy runner, I like having good gear. Specifically, good shoes all the time, and running-specific gloves and a running hat (make sure it covers the ears!!) for the cold months. Your feet and legs will thank you for the shoes, and the gloves and hat make wintertime running at least tolerable if not somewhat pleasant.

Keurig Coffeemaker – Maybe I have a low threshold for satisfaction in the hot-drink department, but I actually think that most of the Keurig products taste pretty good. I don’t need an A+ cup of coffee or tea, and I really don’t have time to screw around with that anyway. Either way, I love my Keurig, and it sees a lot of heavy use in my house.

Connect with David on Twitter, @DavidKazzie.

James Clear – Behavior Scientist, Habit Master

James Clear writes at JamesClear.com where he shares ideas about using behavior science to master your habits and improve your performance. For fresh ideas on how to live a healthy life — both mentally and physically — join his free newsletter, these are his good things.

Good things to read.

Complications by Atul Gawande. Gawande is a surgeon and a fascinating storyteller. In my opinion, this is easily the best of his books. I find this book particularly compelling because of my love for medicine, but even people who aren’t interested in healthcare will find this to be a wonderful read.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Duhigg does an excellent job of summarizing the recent research on habit formation and how it impacts your everyday life. Books like this are useful because they force you to consider the many patterns and routines that you often fall into without much thought.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. I don’t know many people who haven’t read this, which probably says something. If you haven’t, it’s arguably the greatest fictional series of all-time. Rowling’s storytelling ability and character development is incredible. I don’t know a single person who hated the books and many readers are totally obsessed. If you’re wondering if it’s worth your time to read all seven, it is.

Good things to watch.

Breaking Bad. Quite possibly the best television series of all-time. Everything about Breaking Bad is top-notch. The plot is excellent. The writing is excellent. The cinematography is excellent. My favorite part is how many subtle pieces of foreshadowing are hidden throughout the show — both visually and through dialogue.

Searching for Sugar Man. This is the best documentary I’ve seen yet. It’s a story that is so unbelievable, you almost forget that it’s real as you watch it. I’m still shaking my head.

The Wire.  I think this is the only TV show where I was actually sad when it ended. Based in Baltimore, The Wire gives you a fascinating (and, at times, heartbreaking) view of crime in the city. It’s also an extremely realistic show. Every character has flaws and makes mistakes. Stick with it for a few episodes and you’ll probably be hooked for good.

Good things to use.

A camera. I love photography. It’s a wonderful way to capture the world around you and share it with others. And it’s also an excellent reminder that life is meant to be lived in the physical world. It’s great to think, but our digital age makes it dangerously easy to live your life behind a screen. Pick up a camera and walk outside instead.

A barbell. Physical health allows you to do a better job at everything else in life. Pick up a barbell and start lifting each week. Squat. Deadlift. Bench Press. If you’re really ambitious, clean and jerk or snatch. Lifting is the one thing that keeps me sane when life and business get crazy. And besides, who wouldn’t want to be strong and look good?

Google Docs. I basically run my business through Google Docs, but that’s not why I suggest it. I think the biggest benefit is provides is the ability to open a blank document anywhere in the world, start typing, and record your thoughts. Google Docs provides you with the opportunity to write more and that’s a great thing. Writing more forces you to think clearly. Writing more allows you to discover what is important to you. And most importantly, writing more gives you the opportunity to share with others.

Connect with James on Twitter, @James_Clear.

jlcollinsnh – Money, Life, Business

James Collins is financially independent and writes about money, life, and business at jlcollinsnh.com, these are his good things.

Good things to read.

There is nothing you can’t learn, no place you can’t go, if you read. So I’m going to cheat with expansion on this one a bit.

Fiction.

I once had an engineer friend proudly tell me he didn’t read fiction because “he couldn’t be bothered with things that weren’t true.” Nonsense. Good fiction writers are meticulous in getting their background facts right and some of the greatest of all truths are to be found in their works.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier might be my all time favorite novel.

George Pelecanos has a series of novels set in the gritty inner city of Washington DC where the African American and Greek American communities intersect. Fun, light, exciting, sometimes intense books with wonderful tone.

Tony Hillerman’s novels will take you out west to the Four Corners desert reservation where you can ride along with Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo tribal police. You’ll witness another way of looking at the world while you do.

Non-Fiction.

My blog is about using money to achieve financial freedom. Freedom being the operative word. Two of the more influential books that shaped my thinking are:

How I found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne.

The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason.

In another realm, Knocking on Heaven’s Door by Lisa Randall almost makes particle physics understandable for me. No small feat that.

Magazines.

I love magazines. I spent my career in the business. At any given moment I have subscriptions to about half a dozen and the subject matter can be just about anything. The serendipity of what you stumble upon in them can be magical.
Once you subscribe to one, you get offers for others. I’m forever letting subscriptions lapse and adding new ones. I once subscribed to a newly launched glossy magazine called Garbage. It didn’t last long, but how could I not?

Good things to watch.

TV. Yeah. I know. The more common advice is to trash can your TV. Not me. Sometimes you just want to be spoon fed entertainment while sinking into the sofa. At least I do. And the programing has never been better. Dexter, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Hell on Wheels are a few that leap to mind, all more captivating than most movies I can remember.

People, preferably from outdoor cafes. Next time you’re traveling to some exotic – or not so exotic – local, skip one of the endless museum and church tours. Park yourself instead on the plaza with a cup of coffee and just sit. Watch and absorb and, for pity’s sake at least for this brief moment, put the camera away.

Live Theater. Every time I go I walk out wondering why I don’t go more often.

Good things to use.

The Public Library. What a brilliant concept. If they don’t have a book I’m looking for, they find it for me. Why anybody not living in the wilderness ever buys a book is one of life’s enduring mysteries to me. Since I hope to publish one of my own one day soon, I’ll be grateful they do. Baffled, but grateful.

Money. We live in a complex world and the single best tool for mastering it is money. Moreover, if you don’t learn to be its master, it will certainly become yours.

Down Time. The irony of my retirement these last two years is just how damn busy I’ve been. It is all self-inflicted and nothing I don’t relish doing, but it over-fills the days all the same. One of the best uses of time is doing nothing. I need to recapture some time for just that.

James isn’t on Twitter but you can read about more of his good things in his Home Again post and this one.

Anna Newell Jones – And Then We Saved

Anna writes about her Spending Fast at AndThenWeSaved.com as well as at Babble and WiseBread and these are her good things.

Good things to read.

The Happiness Project: This book had me looking at life in a whole new way. I liked the anecdotes and expert insights into the quest for happiness.

Your Money or Your Life: This was the first personal finance book that I ever read and it helped to change my perspective on finances. It showed me that I didn’t have to be a victim to my financial choices and that I could make changes.

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth: I’m pregnant so I’ve got baby stuff on the brain. I like how this book presents childbirth as something that doesn’t necessarily have to be terrible. Another one I really like in the baby book category is Bringing Up Bebe.

Good things to watch.

Breaking Bad: Great characters, intriguing plot, some violence, blood and you just never know how crazy Walt is going to get. Completely awesome and addictive. Seriously, how crazy is Walt going to get?!

Dexter: Love it.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: This movie had me crying in the theater. It was hard to just pick 3 for this category so the other contenders for this category were the guilty-pleasure TV series Sister Wives, and True Blood.

Good things to use.

Sleep Cycle app: This is a fun app (just a heads up- it doesn’t work well if you have more than one person in your bed) that shows you, not surprisingly, your sleep cycles, length on sleep, and quality of sleep. It’s cool to wake up in the morning and see how the night before went.

Juicer: Nothing feels healthier (and more bad ass) than consuming 4 apples, a bundle of kale, a whole bunch of celery, some cumbers and a bit of ginger and lemon in one single drink.

Body:  Again, something that I’ve come to appreciate more since I’ve been pregnant. I appreciate simple things like sleeping on my belly, running, and bending so much more since I can’t do them as easily now. Also, getting into the gym and lifting weights feels great after not doing it for a little. Oh, and then there’s that whole growing another human thing that’s kind of amazing and makes me appreciate my body that much more;)

Connect with Anna on Twitter, @AndThenWeSaved.

Jana Lynch – Daily Money Shot

Jana Lynch is the owner of the personal finance blog Daily Money Shot and the founder of Bloggers Helping Bloggers, an online mentoring program, and these are her good things. You can find out more of her likes on Twitter – @dailymoneyjana – and Pinterest.

Good things to read.

The Outsiders by SE Hinton. This is the book that made me want to write. I first read it when I was in high school (maybe 8th grade) and the characters, the subject matter, the fact that SE Hinton was 16 when she wrote it all hit home for me. The storytelling was more like listening to a family member or friend recount a tale than reading a book. I reread this book at least once a year not only because it’s a great book but it’s also motivation that if a teenager can write a book, than I can at least finish the one I started.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. While her books are definitely formulaic and can get a tad tedious at times, this one lives outside of that mold. About a Jewish woman plagued by her own demons whose asked by a Nazi to help him die, it is an amazing, incredible story. The second part of the book, where the main character’s grandmother describes her time in a concentration camp, makes this novel worth reading. It’s not often that I’ll stay up until 1 AM reading a book but I did with this one.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It’s pretty much a tie between this and Mitch Albom’s The Time Keeper for my favorite book of the last 5 years. It’s hard to explain exactly why I love this book so much except for the fact that it’s just so well written and using the dog as a narrator, and humanizing him the way the author did, borders on brilliant.

Good things to watch.

AMC. The reason I can’t get rid of cable. I thought maybe I could pick one show from this channel to highlight but that’s like asking to pick your favorite type of M&M; you just can’t. They’re all so different yet all so tasty in their own way. I mean how can you choose between <Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Killing, or Hell on Wheels? You can’t so you don’t and you watch them all. 

I Love You, Man. I love this movie. A lot. I don’t know if it’s because it’s hilarious, has Jason Segel and Paul Rudd, is amazingly quotable or because it pays homage to Rush. Probably all of the above. It’s one of those movies that I can watch over and over again and it’s funny every. Single. Time.

Friday Night Lights. I never thought I’d like a show about football but much like the movie, it’s more a show about people using football as the backdrop. If you have not watched this show, I suggest you settle down on your couch with Netflix and binge watch all 5 seasons immediately. Texas Forever!

Good things to use.

Spotify. If you’re like me and have an eclectic taste in music that your wallet cannot keep up with, Spotify is perfect. I love being able to create playlists, listen to whole albums (did I just date myself with that word) or program radio stations. For FREE! I actually prefer Spotify to Pandora for the simple fact of being able to actually listen to the song I want to instead of what it feels like telling me I want to listen to.

Write or Die. Probably the best web app around (also an iPad app but I prefer to use the web/desktop version) to keep you focused on writing. You get to pick the parameters for length of writing time, grace period when you stop, and consequences but no matter what you pick, you will stay focused. If for no other reason than having your computer or tablet make loud, alarming noises at you is a little troubling.

Gel ink pens. Far superior to ball point pens, which always seem to run out of ink quickly. Gel ink pens are kind of fancy and they give a nice, dark ink impression. Unless you’re left handed. Then maybe they’re more of a smudgy inconvenience but I still think you should use them anyway.

Jeff Atwood – Coding Horror

Jeff Atwood blogs on things like parenting, founded stackoverflow.com, and is currently working on Discourse.org – these are his good things.

Good things to read.

How to Talk to Kids So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. This book recommendation doesn’t apply to you because you don’t have kids, right? Wrong! We’re all just grown-up kids, some of us more than others. It is continually amazing to me how many “inituitive” things about parenting I was doing completely utterly bass-ackwards. This book helped me become not just a better parent but a better human being. Protip: it also works on adults. Like gangbusters. Learn to relate to kids and you will accidentally master how to relate to adults. Trust me on this one.

Predictably Irrational.  News flash: people don’t behave rationally. Understand the most common patterns of irrational but common behavior here, lest they be used against you by marketing weasels, or worse: your coworkers, your boss, or your family. My favorite? Loss aversion. Knowing about these patterns lets you avoid accidentally falling into these patterns and doing what “feels” right, but is The Wrong Choice.

59 Seconds. Why does this self-help book work when so many others fail? In a word, science! The author goes out of his way to find actual published scientific research documenting specific ways we can make small changes in our behavior to produce better outcomes for ourselves and those around us. It’s powerful stuff, and the book is full of great, research backed insights. I have changed a few of my own behaviors based on the data and science presented in this book.

Good things to watch.

The Wire. I know, I know, it’s totally Stuff White People Like, but The Wire is electrifying and scary and scratches at the soul of American cities, for better or worse. If you can only watch one thing on a screen, ever, watch this. All of it.

Breaking Bad. A show that’s not afraid to depict the harrowing impact of crystal meth and drug money on micro and macro levels. It’ll give you an ulcer in the nicest possible way. Plus it has a recurring olive green Pontiac Aztek — what’s not to love?

Brazil.  I first saw this movie in a beautiful art deco movie theater in Richmond, Virginia with my mother at age 14. It was, and is, a haunting view of the future that was presented as semi-safe satire, but felt every bit as claustrophobic and suffocating as I knew the real world to be as my teenage self. And even as an adult, the future depicted in Brazil always remains a possibility in my mind’s eye just around a few odd corners — who knows what could happen if we’re not careful?

Good things to use.

Smartphone.  The ultimate Batman utility belt item is your smartphone. What else can be a phone, portable gaming device, GPS, digital camera, web browser, email client, music player, video camera, book, watch, alarm, flashlight, scanner, level, ruler and more all in one device that fits in your pocket? Pick an awesome new model and learn how to use it effectively for all the above.

Leatherman Squirt PS4. Because you can’t use your smartphone to cut stuff. Yet. This is an essential set of eminently tiny and carryable tools: pliers, scissors, knife, file, flat and phillips screwdriver. The best tool is the one you have with you, and I use mine all the time.

The Internet.  Sure you use the Internet, but do you really know how to use the Internet? How do you tell if an article on a web site is credible? For that matter, how do you know if the Wikipedia page on a certain topic is credible? The ultimate skill for the next century is not blindly clicking and reading web pages, but learning how to become an intelligent, scientific skeptic that can research and evaluate the zillion sources of data you’ll get on any topic.

 

Gayle King – O’s editor at large

These are Galyle King’s good things.

Good things to read.

A World without Cancer by Margaret Cuomo.

Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

Those We Love Most by Lee Woodruff.  Read it on your next flight to China – Gayle did.

Good things to watch.

Hope Springs with Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep.

“I loved seeing Whitney Houston in Sparkle.”

Breaking Bad.

Good things to use.

Gayle “loves a good burger.” What constitutes that?  Start with jalapenos, vinegar, and mustard.

For a good cleanse? Body and Eden juices.

Warby Parker glasses.