Boundless Reads #60 — Five #goodreads to Start Your Week

#1 Jordan: Fascinating theory by Bill Simmons that Jordan retired the second time only because there was no team and/or cap space for him to come back to.

#2 Digital Nomad: As a freelancer, I have toyed with the idea of pursuing a "digital nomad" life, but with the goal of living simply. There seem to be many companies starting that want to exploit the idea of living with more freedom, but I have been shocked at how many of the options seem more expensive. In New York, I looked into options like Common and WeLive and found that co-living ranged from $2000-$3500 a month. At these price points, it seems like companies are tapping into the desire for people with high-paying jobs to purchase freedom and a more purpose-driven lifestyle rather than believing in a true shift in the way we live. This article closes with the final line that sums up some of my thoughts - "You can go anywhere, as long as you never stop working.”

#3 Tulip Mania (Or Not): There was a tulip bubble, but most of the devastation people assume happened is myth. People did not kill themselves, less than 40 people paid the highest of prices and the economy was unaffected. In fact, the government "suggested that people talk it out among themselves and try to stay out of the courts."

#4 Brain: Our brains have a "default mode network" that is constantly working when we are not distracted by tasks. While the science in this area is still evolving, this part of the brain is responsible for day-dreaming and mind-wandering - this seems like an interesting area of research, especially in a world where our smartphones are hacking our brains and we continue to be obsessed with "productivity." Perhaps this is why random ideas always seem to pop into my head while I am walking around with no purpose.

#5 Crowds: The article is titled "The omnipotent victim: how tyrants work up a crowd’s devotion" could seem to apply to both benign and malevolent leaders alike in terms of how they whip up the frenzy of a crowd.

A key element of getting people to come together seems to be:

This intoxicating sense of unity, and the subordination of personal self-interest to a greater cause...

This seemingly could be applied to many causes, but this article is fascinating for Money-Kyrle's analysis of the crowds at Nazi rallies in the 1940's. His playbook for whipping a crowd into a frenzy:

1. Make the audience depressed by identifying problems

2. Identify an outside group responsible for #1

3. Offering a cure to the problems

4. Appeal to a sense of unity