A Fisherman's Buoys: The Most Influential Books of 2016

I've only read five of these books. But I plan to read them all.

First, I should mention the book Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Although I read this book in 2015, I believed it has paved the path to all of my future reading by putting a name on a philosophy that was already part of my being.

When it comes to human psychology and philosophy, I think labeling is important. Prior to reading Minimalism, I was like a fisherman floating around an endless sea every now and again finding a spot that was good for fishing.  Then I would aimlessly set out again to find another good spot, sometimes getting lost in the process. Once I had read the book, it was as if monstrous-sized buoys with LED lights were placed in all of my good fishing holes. Not only could I easily see them now, but I could navigate between them with ease.

The buoy system is my philosophy of Minimalism. The buoys themselves are the tenets of that philosophy, focusing on passions, relationships, contribution, health, and growth.  How I decide to navigate between them defines my psych, I suppose.  It was this navigation that led me to all of the books I decided to read in 2016. 

So, which were the most influential? (A total of 33 books were read in 2016, just FYI).

• Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn
• Give and Take by Adam Grant
• The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson
• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
• Republic, Lost by Lawrence Lessig

One of my passions is reading. There are several books I have read for the pure enjoyment of reading them or to learn something new.  One such book that I found very moving was Half the Sky. It is a tough book to get through, but a very important one.  It opened my eyes to a world I think very little about in my own little bubble, and that is the way women are treated globally.

Did you know, for example, that the U.S. is the worst among developed countries and ranks 61st globally in maternal health?

The Primal Blueprint has changed my life health-wise. I now live as Grok would, the fictional primal being referred to quite often in this book.

Republic, Lost has educated me and given me the depth I will need in order to make the contributions that I want to make in society. In particular, advocating for Represent.US and Our Revolution.

Daring Greatly has done wonders for my personal development and growth. I cite this often now, and most recently on the first day of my statistics classes.

Although Give and Take may fit more into the contribution and growth categories, I'm using it here to highlight my relationships with people. In Give and Take, you will read about givers, matchers, and takers, and it will get you thinking of what type of person you are in life. When I thought critically about my relationships with students, I feel like I've been more of a matcher. This book has been very influential in how I will develop relationships with students from now on as I strive to be more of a giver. 

The Low Information Diet and Why It Doesn't Work

Taken at the Center for Civil & Human Rights in Atlanta: One Week Before MLK Day

It has been a long time now since I was reading The Four-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss. I didn't read it all the way through, because I got to a point where he was talking about how to read quickly through books, and how you can skip most of the stuff.  He tried to convince me that his book was different, though, and that I should read it in its entirety. I didn't.

In chapter 6, he speaks of a low-information diet. He makes some very valid points, one of which was retention. When most of us read the entire book, or the entire article in a news source versus the headline and some highlights, we can't regurgitate or retain much of anything past the headline and highlights anyway.  So why bother?  I agree with that to some extent.

In chapter 7, he talks about how he never accepted anything less than an A in college and his technique for doing so. It involved taking whatever paper that had a grade lower than an A to the professor/instructor/grader with hours worth of questions for two purposes.

1. To get every last detail about how papers were graded, down to the grader's pet peeves and prejudices. 
2. To instill a standard that this would happen every time the grader assigned something lower than an A. 

This bothered me so much as an academic, I think this is where I had to stop reading the book.

Back to the low information diet. I did this for a while, ignoring the news. Letting the news come to me was refreshing. If something was important for me to know, I waited for someone else to tell me.

I noticed that I cannot be a good citizen, nor can I make the contributions that are part of my philosophy without informing myself of the current events. Granted, I use the spirit of his idea, and keep my reading of current events to a bare minimum, but I want to be up to speed.  I want to be able to discuss them with people, and not just get the word from them. I want to be the progress I want to see in the world. In order to do that, I need to keep informed.

Contribution to society may not be part of your philosophy, and perhaps this isn't as important to you. If that is the case, a low information diet is just fine for you. Indeed, it is blissful. Ignorance is bliss.

But I despise ignorance. So, a low information diet doesn't work for me.

Less Than a Week Left of Winter Break

Standing on the Top Platform of the State Capitol Building in Topeka

It was Tuesday, with one more week until class begins, and the alarm went off at 5am. I put on my suit and tie, had a leisurely breakfast and some coffee and went over my speech one more time. Then, I drove to the Sunrise Optimist Club of Topeka. 

Once I mingled with them for a while, drank some more coffee, and they went through some announcements and drawings for a few different raffles, I was introduced as the morning speaker. Then, I gave one of the most passionate talks of my life about the Represent.US movement. 

There was a naysayer in the crowd, which was great. Although this caught me off guard, I eventually got him to admit out loud that he really didn't care about what the general public thought. It was too bad that this admission wasn't during my talk (it was in private afterwards), but I got it out of him nonetheless. It was a great learning experience, and I will be better prepared for the next talk. And the next one after that. 

After just giving a talk in Atlanta at my math conference on Friday, it hit me that I've been getting a lot of public speaking in lately. According to Warren Buffet, I'm getting some good practice with the number 1 skill that will increase my worth by 50 percent. 

After my talk, I changed into something a little more comfortable and went to the office to work on getting my classes ready. Somewhere around noon, I needed a break. 

I thought to myself, "Hmmm. I've never been to the Capitol. When's the next bus?"  

Over at the northeast corner of campus, I struck up a quick conversation with someone waiting for the bus. The bus arrived quickly. My campus ID gets me anywhere in Topeka for free on the Metro. I really love this since it provides an easy avenue to reduce my carbon footprint. 

The Kansas State Capitol Building has about five floors to explore. One of the highlights was this mural of John Brown outside the Senate Chamber. It is called Tragic Prelude by John Steuart Curry.

Kansas is very proud of John Brown. This picture is recreated in many different murals in businesses around Kansas. Take Wichita Brewing Company or John Brown's Underground in Lawrence as a few examples. 

The literally breathtaking highlight of the Capitol visit was to get a Dome Tour. I was the only person on the tour, so it turned out to be a private one! The tour guide must go on the tour with me, however, which meant that she had to ascend the 296 stairs to the top with me. I kind of felt bad when she started breathing very heavily.  Like I said, it was literally breathtaking. 

It was also figuratively breathtaking as the opening picture suggests. When I walked out on the platform, it was hard to combat the vertigo. In the year and a half that I've lived here, I had no idea that you could go outside on the platform on top of the Capitol!  

When you come to visit, and the schedule isn't packed, can guess where I'm taking you?  

On a complete side note, it got to 60 degrees today in Topeka. That means a bike ride has to occur since I'm trying to ride 2017 miles in 2017. Well, 1995.5 to go! 

Rule of Thirds on Motivation

Topeka just finished its 2016, "Those Who Lead, Read" program last week. I'm excited that they will be continuing the program in 2017.

On November 10th, Erin and I attended a presentation on Leadership Through Self Discovery & Vulnerability. The presenter was Elizabeth Lenherr, the Director of Learning and Development at Advisors Excel in Topeka.  The books she centered her presentation on were Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist" and Brene Brown's "Daring Greatly." 

During the discussion at the end, a gentleman offered a simple rule of divvying your time among mentees, friends, and mentors. He cited Tai Lopez as the source for this inspiration. The idea is that you should be spending about a third of your time each with 

• Those who you can mentor, educate, or inspire in life
• Your peers, friends, and co-workers, or those on your same level
• Those who are far superior than you in areas that you want improvement

These fit perfectly into three of my five areas of philosophy: contribution, relationships, and growth. (Passions and health are the other two). 

In reflection on my own personal growth, I've come to realize that mentors are what is missing in my life.  

So, what am I going to do about it? 

1. Identify the areas in my life where I want some serious growth. 
2. Find some individuals that are far superior in those areas identified in 1.
3. Find a way to get past my extreme independence and the mentality that I can do anything or figure anything out on my own.
4. Reach out to them with a email, phone call, or a face-to-face interaction.

The first time I typed that up, I skipped what is now number 3.  I sat there and pondered the list without the current number 3 and tried to figure out why something so simply put was not so simple. 

Shame. Vulnerability. 

I first have to admit and embrace where I am deficient before I can get better. 

A Fire and Four Medals

Erin's Race Number, her silver medal, and our collaboration Best Beer Back Beer

Several months ago, when Small Town, Big Brew IV was announced, the KGB (Kirksville Guild of Brewers) solicited members and former members to brew for the event by offering compensation for the ingredients of any beer they supplied. Erin and I decided that we should use this as an excuse to fill our relationship tank, and visit our great friends in the Ville. 

I got busy and brewed a Mosaic IPA that turned out very tropical.  I named it "Annoying Church Music."  

After the Mosaic IPA was finished fermenting in the primary, I stole some of the yeast and used it (plus a little more) to brew a collaboration Coffee IPA with Erin. Erin researched the coffee beans that would go best with an IPA, and we roasted a blend of three different beans. Currently, we're into bloody Marys with beer backs in the morning, along with some coffee and water after a night of drinking. Since this beer blended coffee and beer, I thought a great name for it would be the "Best Beer Back Beer." 

Erin wanted one of her own, so she elected to make a dry Irish stout. She kept the name of her previous dry Irish stout: Grafton Street Stout. 

Romping is Best with Founder's Breakfast Stout

A few weeks after making the commitment to brewing for Small Town, Big Brew IV, an email hit my inbox informing me of the Reindeer Romp 5K to take place the same morning at 9am (Sat. Dec. 3).  

The Reindeer Romp is a unique 4 mile run in Kirksville, that raises money for the Salvation Army and the Radio Park Food Drive. 

Sign us up!!!

It was then I recalled running the Founder's Day 5K in October of the previous year in Kirksville, and beginning the day with some pours of Founders Breakfast Stout along with some pancakes and eggs. It was yummy as I recalled so I thought why not carry on the tradition. After all, that race went very well, and I finished with a decent time. 

Some eggs and bacon were made, and my friend Jonathan and I gained one more participant (thanks, Ted).  We enjoyed some Breakfast Stouts as we tied some bells on our shoelaces, and pinned our race numbers to our shirts. 

There were Bloody Marys at the race's conclusion as well as a surprised couple who received a silver (Erin) and bronze (Jason) medal in their age division. The medals paled in comparison to spending some quality time with friends over bloody's and beers. 

Wine Before Beer, You'll be in the Clear

Following up the registration for the Reindeer Romp, we received an invitation to a wine tasting party at a friend's place in Kirksville on the eve of the race and the Big Brew event (Fri. Dec. 2).  Oddly enough, they had no idea we would be in town for the race and the Big Brew. 

We had to ask ourselves, "Can we run a 4 mile race after tasting wine all night?" 

Yes. (Or, as I like to answer, "Does the Pope shit in the woods?")

What about this Fire? 

On our way to our hosts' house from the wine tasting, we noticed the smoke from downtown Kirksville. It was at the Bonnell's that they informed us of what we were observing on the drive to their house: the Kirksville Arts Association burning down. 

We had thought there was a new factory in Kirksville letting off a lot of steam. Unfortunately, we were wrong. This was devastating news. 

The KGB was in a unique position, in that it did not specify where the proceeds would go from the Big Brew Event. They quickly announced that all proceeds would benefit the KAA. 

It is hard to imagine losing a piece of work that demanded several hours of your life to create. My heart aches for the artists that lost their work, and the community that lost an Arts Center. I hope that they can quickly heal and bring back the arts to Kirksville.

And the other 2 Medals? 

Small Town, Big Brew IV was a huge success. The Dukum Upp was at maximum capacity.  Many friends and former coworkers came out to try my beer. I had an absolute blast, and the people voted Erin and my collaboration Coffee IPA a bronze medal, and my Mosaic IPA a silver.  

It was great seeing everyone and coming away knowing that we could help contribute in fundraising for the KAA. We definitely had a weekend we will never forget. 

A Way Forward

Like many Americans, I did not feel good about voting this year.

So, I decided to sign up on Represent.Us and volunteer to begin a chapter in Topeka. The entire goal of this organization is to bypass Congress (which is possible) to enact laws that will make corruption illegal.

If there is one thing that we know from being human, is that nobody should be responsible for regulating themselves. We should all be accountable to someone. Congress needs to be accountable to us.

It is possible, albeit a little tricky. It involves informing people, petitioning, and getting things on the ballot. And then it involves battling the big money campaigns that will inevitably attack such ballot measures. Getting a solid base of members that are educated enough to ignore these campaigns is one of the biggest challenges.

It is happening, though. All over the country. There was a big win during this election cycle that was overshadowed by the presidential election, and that was an Anti-Corruption Act was passed state-wide throughout South Dakota.

The simplest thing you can do is browse the sight, and sign up as a member. Read the emails they send you and stay informed of what is going on. Learn a little about it and talk about it with friends and family. Become a member of your local chapter if you have one.

Learn about the problem!  Watch some of the videos on the Represent.US site.  Read books like Nation on the Take: How Big Money Corrupts Our Democracy by Wendell Potter and Nick Penniman, Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer-And Turned Its Back on the Middle Class by Jacob S. Hacker & Paul Pierson, and Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress-And a Plan to Stop It by Lawrence Lessig.

These may sound like depressing books, but they end on good notes. They end with hope. They motivate. Take some time to learn a little more by watching this TED Talk by Lawrence Lessig.