Books I'm reading #

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I'm listening to an audiobook in Polish and I'm 14 hours in of 65 hours.

Inteligentny Inwestor XXI wieku Tom IV by trader21 (in Polish). Last book in a series about investing.

Books I've read #

Effective TypeScript: 62 Specific Ways to Improve Your TypeScript by Dan Vanderkam. Good book for intermediate TypeScript programmers. It would make a nice second book after you get some experience, but if you're an expert then it will disappoint you.

Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Daniel Goleman, Richard J. Davidson. This one made me realize how small we know about meditation, and how small the effects of it can be if you're only meditating at home. I've picked up a useful distinction between meditation types:

• Focus (like breath, body, etc.)
• Mindfulness (meta focus, being aware of your consciousness and thoughts and observing them)
• Loving-Kindness
  But meditation can be a great way to get some space to find some space for your mind I mention later in Purpose

Elsewhere on the Web #

There Is No A.I. There are ways of controlling the new technology—but first we have to stop mythologizing it. By Jaron Lanier. I can recommend comments on Hacker News as well.
While I think it's worth reading, I'm not convinced by the argument. What I can agree with is that I don't think we're going to get a conscious and malicious Artificial Intelligence as easily as some try to say, but there is still a problem of misalignment (goals we set for the models) and the impact on jobs and the economy. It looks like a big revolution and it's hard to say how it's going to end. A lot of uncertainty coming.
Still, AI is better than any human player in Chess. People still play the game. The same with weightlifting even when we have machines that can lift way more than any human.
What will people pay for?
How long until AI can generate a better representation of watching other people than real people?

Boiling Frogs 2023 Artur Skowroński i Paulina Żak - Z Krainy Oz do Uczenia Maszynowego na produkcji. This one is in Polish, but it's about the fun of integrating machine learning into a real product. It turns out to be a lot harder than anticipated.

DevEx: What Actually Drives Productivity.
The Three Dimensions of DevEx:

• Flow State
• Feedback Loops
• Cognitive Load

The Four Hobbies, and Apparent Expertise.

• Doing the thing.
• Collecting the kit.
• Talking about the thing.
• Talking about the kit.

So Your Kid Wants to Be a Twitch Streamer

“Are you Face or are you Hands?”
He looked at me, waiting for me to go on. “There are two kinds of influencers. There are Faces, who show up on camera, even if in the corner, as they stream. They exist in the moment and talk for hours. They sometimes become very famous, and if they can survive being famous on the internet, sometimes they can monetize themselves and become wealthy. Hands influencers, however—they record and edit. They show you things. They are deliberate. They put the camera above the table and you see them at work, their knowledge and skills. You imagine your hands doing the same work. They can teach you to cook, play piano, do calligraphy, crochet, and fix old toys—and, yes, how to make Luigi stockpile golden bones to get one-ups. You may watch them for years and never see their faces. They add tables of contents to their videos. They are your teachers, not your friends. They command respect.”

Web #

The New dialog HTML Element Changes Modals Forever by Web Dev Simplified

The History of the Web - Timeline

Purpose #

Why Finding Purpose Is SO HARD Today. I found this one insightful and inspiring. A good argument about the costs of keeping ourselves busy and trying to be productive all the time. If you want to find yourself or your purpose then you have to It reminded me of:

• Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude Hardcover by Raymond M. Kethledge, Michael S. Erwin
• 5 fascinating things I discovered by making myself bored for a month by Chris Bailey
• Solitude and Leadership By William Deresiewicz
• Spend More Time Alone by Cal Newport
• What My Morning Journal Looks Like By Tim Ferriss

You Can't Optimize For Rest | The Convivial Society.

Personal Thoughts #

I'm officially unemployed since June. I was thinking about taking some time for my family and myself and finally made the decision this year. I have a huge backlog of books and ideas I hope to go through, but I still need to prioritize it. At the same time, I want to actually take some time off and avoid my usual tendencies of doing something all the time.

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