Friday's Five ✋ #438
Zurich?!
Happy Friday! ☀️
It’s Friday and I had to pause for a moment to remember where I traveled to this week. Cologne > Mühlheim near Koblenz and back to Vienna. I had two afternoons and evening with no appointments to be wired into conceptual, thinking, and creative work. In a job that requires me to be in a room, it feels nice to have long stretches of time to be in my room.
What I’m reading 📖
After listening to The Secret History by Donna Tartt in December, I was tempted by her other two books. Years ago I bought The Goldfinch but never got past the first few dozen of pages. The language and density of the story was too much for a beside book for me to stay awake. In my newfound appreciation for audiobooks, I gave it another try and it worked out much better. I love the story, the plot, and the characters. But it didn’t stuck with me in the same way The Secret History did. Especially towards the third third of the book, I wished for the same excitement I felt during the first half of the book. All in all, The Goldfinch is another epic novel and I’ve often thought about what Donna Tartt might be working on right now. Her publishing cadence was about 10 years between books and The Goldfinch is from 2013. So a new book might be overdue or in the works? More about her books.
What I’m listening to 🎧
What’s going on in Zurich? First, I would have never guessed that Hermanos Gutierrez is a Swiss band. Then, I was today years old when I learned that Black Sea Dahu also are a Swiss band from Zurich. I’ve listened to the band for many years and had no idea. Their new album has been a loyal companion during some long stretches of focused work as its atmospheric folk creates the perfect soundtrack.
What I’m watching 📺
Show maker Bill Lawrence gave us Ted Lasso and Shrinking, among many other popular television shows. He’s back with a cast surrounding Steve Carrell, Connie Britton, and Phil Dunster (from Ted Lasso). In Rooster, Carrell plays a book author who visits his daughter’s college and stays for a while. Watch the trailer.
What I’m thinking about 🧠
"You cannot use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." – Maya Angelou
What else?! 💯
What started as a friction-less replacement for online searches, AI has become an integral part of my work life in the past months. And while the jury is still out on a grand scheme, for me it has enabled me to finally turn ideas into reality, test and challenge my thinking, learning new things. As a generalist, my interests have always been broad, with a flip side of being overwhelmed by options and opportunities. I feel like I am finally tapping into years of saved experiences and ideas and working through them one by one. Reading this post and seeing the graph perfectly captured how I feel, bar the idea of being a personal brand (in the influencer sense of the word). Read more.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend!
David
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