Quotes of the Week

If anyone would take two words to heart and take pains to govern and watch over themselves by them, they will live an impeccable and immensely tranquil life. The two words are: persist and resist. – Epictetus

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. – Mark Twain

A good half of the art of living is resilience. – Alain de Botton

Just as in fair weather, then, one ought to prepare for the storm, so also in youth one should store up discipline and self-restraint as a provision for old age. – Plutarch

Music of the Week

One of my Uber drivers this week had on Roman Street, comprised of brothers Noah and Josh Thompson. The band has been “dubbed the next generation of Jazz Fusion.” Roman Street specializes in “improvisational fusion of Classical, Gypsy, and Contemporary Jazz, Latin, and Nuevo Flamenco.”

Article of the Week

“If you’re starting from scratch, I think choosing a niche you have a bizarre love for—and therefore endurance for—makes a lot of sense” is a quote from a recent article My New Rules for Podcasting – To Keep Things Interesting. My takeaway from this article about podcasting is that whatever you are pursuing is to not “be the best, but be the only” as Kevin Kelly likes to say. No need to wade into the crowded waters chasing algorithms and fads when you can niche down building an audience of true fans.

I have not fully formed a view on MrBeast and his media company but this internal memo How To Succeed At MrBeast Production speaks to what you are competing against when it comes to YouTube. One of MrBeast’s goals is to create viral videos. He’s world-class as it.

Book of the Week

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era is a beast of a read that I have been wanting to read for quite some time but have been scared to read due to the book’s length. At nearly 900 pages, I cringed at the thought of attempting to open the book. James McPherson’s book “fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox.” Battle Cry Freedom covers “episodes that preceded the Civil War–the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry–and then moves into a masterful chronicle of the war itself–the battles, the strategic maneuvering on both sides, the politics, and the personalities.” McPherson’s book is your one-stop shop to learn everything you need to know about the Civil War. Pair Battle Cry Freedom with these podcasts for additional insights: Civil War | The Gathering Storm | 1, Civil War | First Blood | 2, Civil War | Emancipation | 3, Civil War | The Fires at Home | 4, Civil War | Gettysburg | 5, Civil War | March to the Sea | 6, Civil War | Bind up the Nation’s Wounds | 7, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 1 Picking Sides, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 2 The Battles Have Begun, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 3 No Progress, Only Carnage, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 4 Leadership Lessons, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 5 The Last Battle of Stonewall, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 6 The Battle of Gettysburg, and When Times Get Truly Desparate, Fix Bayonets and Go. 20th Maine Infantry Regiment, The Civil War.

Podcasts of the Week

The past two weeks have been all things Civil War as I read Battle Cry Freedom. Civil War podcasts to check out include Civil War | The Gathering Storm | 1, Civil War | First Blood | 2, Civil War | Emancipation | 3, Civil War | The Fires at Home | 4, Civil War | Gettysburg | 5, Civil War | March to the Sea | 6, Civil War | Bind up the Nation’s Wounds | 7, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 1 Picking Sides, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 2 The Battles Have Begun, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 3 No Progress, Only Carnage, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 4 Leadership Lessons, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 5 The Last Battle of Stonewall, Civil War Excursion with JD Baker Pt: 6 The Battle of Gettysburg, and When Times Get Truly Desparate, Fix Bayonets and Go. 20th Maine Infantry Regiment, The Civil War.

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