The Obstacle Is the Way

The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday Portfolio (1 May 2014) Amazon The book that started a Stoicism revivalist movement, The Obstacle Is the Way is Ryan Holiday's way of figuring ancient philosophical ideas in the modern world. The idea is that the reader can take … Continue reading The Obstacle Is the Way →

Everything Changes

Cover art for the "Everything Changes" single. Image via Flip/Atlantic Records. "Consider the lives led once by others, long ago, the lives to be led by others after you, the lives led even now, in foreign lands. How many people don't even know your name. How many will soon have forgotten it. How many offer … Continue reading Everything Changes →

Lights Out

Cover art for the "Lights Out" single. Image via Atlantic Records. "Don't let the force of the impression when first it hits you knock you off your feet; just say to it, 'Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.'" -Epictetus "Lights … Continue reading Lights Out →

Coming Undone

CD single artwork for "Coming Undone." Image via Virgin/EMI. "The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills." -Ernest Hemingway "Coming Undone" was the second single from Korn's seventh album, See You on the Other Side. Released on 21 February 2006, it reached … Continue reading Coming Undone →

The Big Picture

The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood by Edward Jay Epstein Random House (10 January 2006) Amazon The Big Picture is a deep dive into just what goes into movie-making, and how studios make their money. If you're interested in Hollywood and the biz, you would be remiss not to read any of his … Continue reading The Big Picture →

Just Stop

Cover art for the "Just Stop" CD single. Image via. Reprise Records. "No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in a similar situation he might not have done the same. What is to give light must endure burning." -Viktor Frankl "Just Stop" was the third single released from Disturbed's Ten … Continue reading Just Stop →

The Image

The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America by Daniel J. Boorstin Vintage (1 September 1992) Amazon One of the best books I've read on media, ever. The Image examines how modern life became dominated by manufactured realities. Events, people, and experiences are created to be reported, promoted, and consumed. Author Daniel Boorstin argues that … Continue reading The Image →

Testify

Cover art for Testify. Image via Atlantic Records. "No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity. For he is not permitted to prove himself." -Seneca What do people tend to think of when they think of nu-metal? Aggressive, down-tuned riffs, combined with hip-hop beats and an industrial edge, with a guy rapping … Continue reading Testify →

Bloggers Boot Camp

Bloggers Boot Camp: Learning How to Build, Write, and Run a Successful Blog by Charlie White and John Biggs Routledge (28 April 2014) Amazon Bloggers Boot Camp is a handbook aimed at anyone who wants to start a blog, or improve an existing one, with the goal of building an engaged audience. It's not so … Continue reading Bloggers Boot Camp →

And Then There’s This

And Then There's This: How Stories Live and Die in Viral Culture by Bill Wasik Penguin (31 August 2010) Amazon If there was ever a book that could be deftly summarised in the subtitle, it would be And Then There's This. It is exactly about "how stories live and die in viral culture." In a … Continue reading And Then There’s This →