Best of 2020

Here are my favorite books, blogs, artists, podcasts, technologists, leaders, and apps of 2020. If they’re new to you, I share a place to start—a short article, podcast, or short video.

Book & Blog: Seth Godin’s The Practice and Seth’s Blog. Godin changed how I write. Try The Practice.

Podcast: The Future of Storytelling (FOST). Storytelling in the digital age. Try Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theater in New York.

Technologist: Balaji Srinivasan. Brilliant angel investor and entrepreneur. Try The Purpose of Technology, or Living in the Future on Northstar.

Blog: The Minimalists. Try their start here page.

Book: The War of Art, Steven Pressfield. On overcoming The Resistance to art.

Podcast: On Being, Krista Tippett. Try Silvia Boorstein, What We Nurture.

Leader: Hugh MacLeod. Culture leadership and inspiration. Try Big Boss, inspired by Hugh.

Podcast: Poetry Unbound by Pádraig Ó Tuama makes poetry accessible. Try A Poem in Gratitude for Health Care Workers by Leanne O'Sullivan.

Book: Being Mortal, Atul Gawande. Surgeon, author, balancing human dignity with treatment. Try the What Matters in the End podcast.

Blog: David Perell. The Writing Guy. Try David Perell: Start Here

System: Building a Second Brain. Tiago Forte. Start with this overview.

App: Streaks. This app spurred me to go from writing 10 articles a year to 58, get in better shape, and stay balanced.

Leader: Father Gregory Boyle. The inspirational and hilarious founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention and rehabilitation program. Try the video below or listen to him with Krista Tippett on the On Being podcast.

Father Gregory Boyle, Homeboy Industries

Leaders: Ron Shaich, John Meister & Noel Niteki from Panera Bread. Try 50,000 Data Chiefs or my 14-post series on the Panera Bread Story.

Book: Lessons from Lucy, Dave Barry. Because everyone can learn a thing or two from a dog!

Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Roz. I only put this one last because it’s so well-known and loved. Try Jake Burton Carpenter, founder of Burton Boards, who passed away in 2019.



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