My sister is visiting, so I practiced my sometimes hard to live principle of being present with people over productivity. I did finish two books - both that made me think and rethink what I consider knowledge in my life.
May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases―And What We Can Do about It by Alex Edmans
This book brought back top of mind key elements of intellectual rigor, taught me new ones & challenged my thinking.
A few thoughts that are sticking with me:
🤔 Someone can lie to us by hiding contradictory information, not gathering it in the first place, or drawing invalid conclusions from valid data.
😳 Biased search means that the huge rise in the availability of information may actually make us less informed.
⭐️ Inspiring realistic, even ambitious hope is to be encouraged.
🛑 You can always make up a story to explain success–and people do.
‼️ Remember that context and range are key.
❓ How do we keep important issues in the “what do you believe about it” sphere vs. “what group do you belong to?”
❤️ We can enjoy and explore all the beautiful, complex and textured colours in issues often portrayed as black and white.
My two favorite thoughts:
❤️ We can have a discussion with someone of a different viewpoint without feeling threatened and be excited by the opportunity to learn rather than being afraid we’ll lose.
⭐️ Highlighting flaws isn’t unkind; instead, one of the most unkind things you can do is to notice a problem and not point it out.
Buy here: https://amzn.to/3BK6cbr
——-
Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words
by Anne Curzan
My mom was an English major & I have written probably thousands of pages of different types of content. I found this book through Adam Grant’s podcast. Having served in two industries that have their own language, this book was just fun to read.
A few of my favorite thoughts:
🤔 We need to take the social judgment out of grammar.
‼️ It is a kindness to tell people what to call us and there is a power differential.
💯 Language is powerful. Words often have consequences.
❤️ Listen hard & be open to changing our minds.
Buy here: https://amzn.to/3VVoVHO
LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarareededd_drreedsreading-activity-7276959780018036736-KINu?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Comments