These are not all the books I’ve read in my life. I’ve only started this page in . And, I’ve not been a big reader for most of my life anyways, but that’s changing!
I can recommend these books to most people. If you want specific recommendations, shoot me an email.
The New Media Epidemic — Jean-Claude Larchet
Larchet provides the reader with a deep examination of physical, mental, societal and spiritual dangers of the new media. One thing I‘ve found dissapointing so far is the lack of showcasing the benefits of these modern mediums.
Technopoly — Neil Postman
Postman does a similar examination as Larchet, but he did it in 1992. I was curious to see where they overlap (as ‘The New Media Epidemic’ was published in 2014) and where Postman was correct. Also, this book is a quite a bit more philosophical.
Useful Not True — Derek Sivers
I don’t accept the premise of the book, but it was better than expected. The book is about choosing a perspective that is useful to you in the moment, regardless of whether its universally true or not. My problem is that you can’t discern the useful without any objective truth.
What makes something useful? Useful to whom? Useful to achieve what? Say Pete wants to steal money. It’s a useful perspective for him to justify his actions by saying the other person is rich and deserves to be stolen from. He could also just adopt a relativistic morality for a moment and justify it that way.
Ignoring some of the deeper epistemological problems, there are parts of the book I can get behind.
How to Live a Holy Life — Gregory Postnikov
Takes you through an entire day and how to approach each part. Live every day like this, and you'll gradually become more and more holy. It's not complex, but it is challenging.
Thank God for Bitcoin
The book talks about why Bitcoin is a better alternative to the current monetary system. And in some ways it really is: it doesn't steal your money through intended inflation for example.
However, it doesn't point out that Bitcoin is a privacy nightmare. Your wallet and transactions are public information, meaning governments and corporations can see this too, and they would never abuse that information... right?
Early Retirement Extreme — Jacob Lund Fisker
Way less cringe than the title might suggest, quite the contrary! It is more so a philosophical book discussing unconventional ways of living frugally. It covers a broad range of topics.
The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios — Dionysios Farasiotis
A great read. It’s a memoir of a young man who was highly interested in spiritual matters and had (ignorantly) dabbled with both evil and good spirits.
Only Ever Freedom — James Ellis
Dissects the implicit (but explicitly taught) ideology of modernity to free oneself of it’s mental prison. It’s very cynical and will force you to critically reflect on your life and purpose. I think the author’s reflection on the schooling system holds true, at least according to my experience and what I’ve seen around me in peers.
The Edge of the Void — Jad C. Farra
Arguments against atheism. It’s not that long of a book, it reads away nicely, and it’s great food for thought. It goes over Darwin’s theory of evolution, empiricism, love of animals, torture, modernity and more.
Sacred Cow — Diana Rodgers & Robb Wolf
Quality meat and dairy are nutritious and important for a balanced diet. Regenerative farming is the way to achieve quality food and to replenish our soils. No, you don't need to eat meat everyday. But yes, it's important to become strong and healthy.
The Creative Act — Rick Rubin
A great read for the creative, which according to Rubin is everyone. It provides a hollistic view of how be more creative and letting it flow out of you. To do consistent great work and reach your full potential, you’ll have to be disciplined. You should let yourself experiment, but you should also try to finish every piece of work. You don’t have to release it all of course. Oh and, albums are cooler than an endless stream of singles.
On Living Simply — Saint John Chrysostom
Reflections on many aspects of life, though with a slight focus on money. Teaches you the importance of a simple life for your own soul, but also for the souls of others. Highly inspiring... and somewhat confrontational.
The Hobbit — J.R.R. Tolkien
An easy read to get introduced to the world of Middle Earth. The Arkenstone inspired the name of my company .
Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven — Saint Innocent of Alaska
A short book. Gives an introduction on how to live a life aimed at reaching heaven. It’s both actionable and informational (especially if you’re not familiar with Orthodox Christianity yet).
Several short sentences about writing — Verlyn Klinkenborg
This book helps you improve at writing. It's main idea is to write short sentences, especially as a novice. I have a long way to go...
Wild Problems — Russ Roberts
How to make the big decisions in your life. I don't really remember anything from this book anymore, but maybe it was good. Derek Sivers highly recommends it though!
Keep Going — Austin Kleon
Embrace seasonality. Stay healthy. Go for walks. Be disciplined, but not too rigid. Make gifts. Keep going.
Show Your Work! — Austin Kleon
Want to get discovered and make a living doing your art? Show your work. Be helpful. Teach what you know. Don't spam.
I know I'm not really doing this yet.
Steal Like an Artist — Austin Kleon
Nothing is completely original. You're creating an amalgamation of all your influences, and that's totally fine. Try to create the album you'd like to hear, or write the book you'd like to read. This book contains many thoughts and tips for unlocking your creativity.
This website is under construction. Some things don’t make perfect sense yet in every configuration, I’ll fix it someday!
You can reach me at stan@hoenson.net.
