In each edition of this newsletter, I will share some inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts. I will continue to write about education and learning as well and hope to be more consistent with the publication of this newsletter this year. Please subscribe to this newsletter if you enjoyed reading this edition. We are now 89 subscribers strong!
1. Learning from People
Tim Ferris is an early-stage technology investor/advisor (Uber, Facebook, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ others) and the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek and Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers. I have listened to hundreds of hours of his podcast and read most of his books. He helped shape my thinking about work, writing, business, health and more. A lot of his work is available for free online on his website. You can listen to his podcast (The Tim Ferris Show) and read his newsletter (5 Bullet Friday) online. This conversation with Andrew Huberman is the most comprehensive interview I have found about his work online and approach to building value in the real world.
2. Learning from Ideas
I got a chance to interview Shivani Gorle a couple of years ago. You can watch the full interview at this link. She is a cultural strategist and writer who translates complex industry research and cultural trends into actionable insights and creative inspiration. Here is a snippet from the interview where she helped me understand how the brands and media we consume tell us about what we value and who we are as people.
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blogs
I read A Velocity of Being - Letters to a Young Reader by Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick this week. Here is the description of the book.
In these pages, some of today’s most wonderful culture-makers—writers, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and philosophers—reflect on the joys of reading, how books broaden and deepen human experience, and the ways in which the written word has formed their own character. On the page facing each letter, an illustration by a celebrated illustrator or graphic artist presents that artist's visual response.
This is a book lovers dream. The letters are heartfelt and often have a powerful story about the impact of reading on the individuals life. The most beautiful part of this book are the illustrations that accompany each letter that visually represent the ideas and themes shared by the book lover. I had several favorite letters and moments from the book. The philosopher, Alain de Botton stated how books ‘explain us to ourselves and to others, and make us feel less strange, less isolated and less alone’ (Popova and Bedrick, 2018, pg. 24). The writer, Neil Geiman reminded me that a good book will fit your mind like a glove fits your hand’(Popova and Bedrick, 2018, pg. 22). The poet, Rose Styron pointed out that in the long term ‘it is not prose but the created character that is remembered’ (Popova and Bedrick, 2018, pg. 48). Another poet, Mariahadessa Tallie pointed out that books ‘show us people who pray another way, speak a language we haven’t heard, wear cloting and hairstyles we’ve never imagined, eat food we don’t see in our supermarkets’ (Popova and Bedrick, 2018, pg. 56). The journalist, Naomi Wolf challenged me by describing how books ‘take apart your world and expectations and rearranges them’ (Popova and Bedrick, 2018, pg. 94). My favorite podcaster, Tim Ferris inspired me to read more by saying that ‘crazy adventures can be found in non-fiction, and timeless truths can be discovered in fiction’ (Popova and Bedrick, 2018, pg. 130). There are 121 letters and 121 illustrations in this book. I would share a passage from each letter if I could. I wish I could share all the illustrations here too. But I will stop here because I want you to borrow and buy the book yourself and experience the magic of it first hand. This book made me feel part of a community of readers again. It got me excited about reading again. I thank Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick for that.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
I love sports. I played cricket and table tennis growing up. It helped me get through various difficult times in my life. It helped me appreciate the limits and power of my body. I heard about basketball earlier but never thought I would really enjoy playing it or watching it much. That changed after I saw The Last Dance. Directed by Jason Hehir, the series revolves around the career of Michael Jordan, with particular focus on the 1997–98 season, his final season with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is the story of a basketball team but also the story of how sports can become a metaphor for life. You have good days and bad days. On the good days you push yourself to acheive more. On the bad days you do your best. You will face criticism and failure along the way. But you have to move ahead and grow. You have to ask for help. Teams can achieve a lot more than individuals in various contexts. You have to support your friends and understand their past to help them in difficult times (like Jordan did with Pippen and Rodman). This is a 10 part documentary about a once in a generation athlete and a team that built a lasting culture that changed the sport forever.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
I heard an amazing podcast episode on the Tim Ferris Podcast this week. He interviewed Doris Kearns Goodwin. She is a biographer, historian, and political commentator who found her curiosity about leadership sparked more than half century ago as a professor at Harvard. She has written books about American presidents like Lyndon Johnson, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. All the people she wrote about found hobbies beyond work, made time for family, gave credit generously, build teams of competent rivals and were persistent in the face of hardships. I read Team of Rivals a few years ago and it chronicles the journey of Abraham Lincoln and how he built a team of rivals that worked beyond their difference to serve their country in a time of turmoil. It is an amazing book about empathy and leadership.
I look forward to writing weekly editions of this newsletter this year. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. Thank you for subscribing to Education Coffee. You can also review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link (37 past newsletters).
Please do send me your thoughts and resources on any edition of this newsletter through email at abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com or on twitter @AbhishekShetty_. You can find my work online at https://abhishekshetty.carrd.co/. If you would like to read pieces in the future please do consider subscribing to this newsletter by clicking the button below.
I love taking these discussions forward on those platforms and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Abhishek Shetty
References
Popova, M., & Bedrick, C. (2018). A Velocity of Being - Letters to a Young Reader. Enchanted Lions Books.