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The Book Thread

Just finished listening to my first book of 2024 and it's one of the best I've read/ listened to in a LONG time.

It really spoke to me but one of my mottos for my kids is that we experience amazing things when we get comfortable being uncomfortable. It translates into athletics and our experiences in the outdoors really well imo.

My complaint is the book relies a lot on correlation and its relationship to causation. But i think the preponderance of the evidence helps.

It isn't just about one aspect of life but many of the ways (potentially negative) our modern lifestyle and choices have impacted us and how it was different not only from our earliest hunter/gatherer relatives but also from only a hundred or so years ago. I strongly suggest reading it.
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@finelyshedded he talks about dopamine release from cell phone usage, lack of boredom, etc in here

I'm listening to it again as we speak
 
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Physics has fascinated me over the last 4-5 years, specifically Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity.

This fascination has led me to read the book below, which is specific to his Special Theory of Relativity.

My takeaways from this book are profound! It is awe-inspiring that these early 20th-century physicists were radically competent as mathematicians without the aid of computers, and it certainly magnifies their pure brilliance.

Besides the ideas behind Einstein's theory—which has been the best theory of the Universe—light propagation, a framework for additional contemplations on finite/infinite universe expansion, time/time-dilation, space, and everything in between since Newtonian physics—this book can teach us a lot, regardless of one's interest in physics, gravity, or the Universe.

The big takeaway I always get from listening or reading from brilliant scientists is their ability to slow down. Einstein was not in a hurry to state a finite equation and continued to review it for most of his life. One typical example is his "biggest blunder" - the cosmological constant he put into his equation; later, he felt it was his mistake as Edwin Hubble proved universe expansion. Later, physicists said the "blunder" was Einstein calling it a blunder! Today, this constant is thought to be needed and represents dark matter/energy and universe expansion.

The point is not to dive into physics but to consider what it can teach us in all aspects of life.

My takeaway is that it is critical to continue reviewing and understanding processes. Be it in manufacturing, sales, marketing, etc. These variables are forever fluid and moving, and we must continue to review them to maximize consistency in the outcome. That's why- this book is a must-read for all. It will make you realize that even the simplest things we take for granted. Our understanding of time, for example, Einstien analyzed time far more profoundly, which led to generational impacts on the world's knowledge of the Universe as we know it today. With this framework tailored to all topics/industries, we can build foundations that can impact how we analyze various issues and develop new and better solutions.

So next time you look up at the sky or down at a watch to see the time - I hope you slow down to think a little bit deeper about what that means!

I know I will! Let the analyzing and questioning continue, for that is what develops advancement!
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Ive been thumbing through the new Bobby Worthington book.....pretty much the same as his others

 
I read 10 books last year. These 3 were among my favorite reads. When you read Charlie Hustle, you'll realize how big of a piece of shit Pete Rose was. Arguably the best "ball player" of all time, also an all-time shit bag. I've read several books about Bo Jackson and this one is the best. Code Name Pale Horse is about an undercover FBI agent that infiltrated the KKK. It's a very interesting read, which makes it a page turner and easy to finish.

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I recently finished The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene, and it’s one of those books that stays with you not because you understand everything, but because it reshapes how you think.

One of the most striking takeaways is how foundational ideas still are. Newtonian physics and Einstein’s relativity are not relics of the past. They remain core frameworks that modern physics continues to build upon. Even today, many of the brightest minds in the world are still refining and extending ideas that are centuries old.

The book also makes clear how slow and demanding real progress can be. Stephen Hawking spent much of his life studying black holes once thought to destroy information entirely, only to propose that they may emit radiation now known as Hawking radiation. This challenged how we think about information and the universe itself. That shift did not happen quickly. It took decades of persistence, mathematics, and peer reviewed challenge.

Another moment that stuck with me was a story about Richard Feynman, who said he began reading quantum mechanics texts around age 15 and barely understood a page of them. Yet he kept reading anyway. He sat with the discomfort. Over time, that willingness to engage with ideas far beyond immediate comprehension helped shape one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century.

String theory stood out to me in a similar way. Whether it ultimately proves correct or not, the elegance of the idea is remarkable. Its evolution into M theory with its proposal of eleven dimensions and deep reliance on geometry shows how far physicists are willing to push mathematics to understand reality at the most fundamental level. Concepts like quantum tunneling, entanglement, symmetry, and duality highlight just how much rigor and imagination coexist in modern physics.

What also struck me is how much of the universe seems rooted in symmetry and balance. Whether it is supersymmetry in theoretical physics or something as simple as a seesaw on a playground, balance feels intuitive to us. Two dots on one side of a line and two on the other just feel right. That visual and mathematical symmetry is not just a physical principle. It feels deeply human.

And yet, in contrast, so much of physics is governed by entropy and probability, ideas that feel fundamentally unnatural to how most of us think. From thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, including ideas like Schrödinger’s cat, probability plays a central role even when our intuition resists it. Entropy, randomness, and uncertainty do not sit comfortably with us.

A simple analogy is a roulette wheel. If it lands on red five times in a row, most of us instinctively think it has to be black next. We crave balance. But statistically, the odds of red appearing again are exactly the same regardless of how many times it has appeared before. Physics does not care about our intuition. But our intuition reveals something important about us. We are naturally wired to seek balance, even in a probabilistic universe.

I will be honest. There is a bit of imposter syndrome even sharing thoughts on a book like this. I do not consider myself anywhere near the realm of the people mentioned or those actively working in these fields. But I am okay with that.

What reading books like this has reinforced for me is that growth often comes from sitting with discomfort. Whether it is physics, business, teaching, or athletics, pushing your mental capacity beyond what feels natural matters. Reading slowly, looking things up, rereading sections, and trying to articulate what you think you understand afterward is part of the process.

You do not have to master something to engage with it. Sometimes the value is simply in stretching your mind, slowing down your thinking, and learning how to wrestle with complex ideas. For me, The Elegant Universe was not about arriving at answers. It was about learning how to think more carefully, patiently, and humbly. And that alone made it well worth the time and effort.