Thursdays are now all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at why technology hasn’t eliminated the drudgery of laundry.
Quote of the Day
"TikTok’s feed is finely tuned and personalized, but I think what’s more important is how it automates the entire experience of online consumption. You don’t have to decide what you’re interested in; you just surrender to the platform."
(Kyle Chayka)
Books
- Lessons learned from "‘First Tycoon - The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt" by T.J. Stiles. (mastersinvest.com)
- A Q&A with Lisa Robinson author of "Nobody Ever Asked Me About the Girls: Women, Music and Fame." (wsj.com)
- An excerpt from "Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells" by Harold McGee. (wired.com)
- A Q&A with David Chang author of "Eat A Peach." (msn.com)
Profiles
- Say what you will about Elon Musk, but he probably won 2020. (vanityfair.com)
- A big profile of Dave Ramsey and his quest to help you get out of debt. (theguardian.com)
Pandemic
- Covid-19 is exposing the weakness in Texas' hospital systems. (texasobserver.org)
- The pandemic is an opportunity to rethink schooling. Will we take it? (theatlantic.com)
Video
- Lessons learned from building a successful YouTube channel from scratch. (thereformedbroker.com)
- Inside the final days of Quibi. (theverge.com)
Longreads
- What companies in financial services have a defensible moat? (medium.com)
- Meet the (cheery) scholars who study the collapse of civilizations. (nytimes.com)
- Why is it that so many stories about finding buried treasure end badly? (newyorker.com)
- One word whose meaning has changed in thousands of years. (nautil.us)
