Nat's Notes

What I learned from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying Pre-order my book Crypto Confidential: Winning and Losing Millions in the New Frontier of Finance Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. If you prefer video, be sure to subscribe on YouTube. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps [00:58] Doubt Yourself [03:08] Hiding from Death [07:47] We Don’t Know Ourselves [10:51] Western Laziness [14:34] Our Fear of Change [16:38] Becoming a Buddha [20:10] You Are Fundamentally Perfect [22:29] The Goal of Meditation [25:36] How to Meditate [27:26] How Long to Meditate [30:01] What is Karma [33:26] How to Practice [36:36] Asking for Help If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Where is My Flying Car by J. Storrs Hall Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. If you prefer video, be sure to subscribe on YouTube. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps [1:44] Why Air Travel Stagnated [6:02] We Need to Use More Energy [10:57] Why Has Physical Technology Slowed? [13:07] The Insane Potential of Nanotech [15:03] The Machiavelli Effect [17:21] Failures of Nerve & Imagination [19:39] The Age of Aquarius [21:11] The Climate Change Myth [26:04] The Disaster of Government Regulation [29:44] Bonus Topics If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from The Anthology of Balaji by Eric Jorgenson. Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. If you prefer video, be sure to subscribe on YouTube. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps [00:54] The End of Death  [02:21] The Government Stops Innovation [06:00] Finding New Medicines [08:13] Technology Reduces Inequality [11:05] Why Crypto is Exciting [13:05] Could Bitcoin Replace Gold? [14:24] Printing Digital Wealth [16:13] Youth Extension, not Life Extension [18:17] Scientific Truth vs. Political Truth [20:09] How Science Got Corrupted [21:49] A Popular Idea is not Necessarily True [24:03] What to Focus On [27:38] Bonus Topics If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Same As Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes by Morgan Housel. Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. If you prefer video, be sure to subscribe on YouTube. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps [00:00] How to Predict the Future  [01:57] Risk is What You Don’t See [03:53] People Want Certainty, not Accuracy [07:31] Storytelling is a Superpower [11:06] Calm Times Create Crazy Times [13:19] Don’t Go Too Fast [16:27] More Stress Is Good [17:56] Good News Happens Slowly [19:48] How to Be a Rational Optimist [21:16] Perfection Makes You Fragile [23:10] It’s Supposed to Be Hard [25:04] Don’t Quit When You’re Ahead [26:05] Questions to Ask Yourself If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Freedom by Sebastian Junger Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. If you prefer video, be sure to subscribe on YouTube. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps [00:00] Obsessing Over Freedom [02:50] The 400 Mile Journey [06:41] Towns vs Tribes [09:14] You Can’t Escape Society [12:20] Paradoxes of Wealth & Freedom [13:23] Movement & Freedom [17:21] Risking Death for Others [18:56] Human Rights [22:53] Fighting [26:07] Thinking If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough by Michael Easter. Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps: [00:00] We Should Focus on Bad Habits [02:40] The Scarcity Loop [06:19] How to Break the Scarcity Loop [08:50] Scarcity Cues [12:02] Addiction is not a Disease [15:25] How to Combat Addiction [18:15] Gamification & Scarcity Loops [22:02] Food Cravings [27:19] We’re All Hoarders [30:29] Drowning in Information [34:12] How to We Stop Craving More? If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. If you prefer video, subscribe on YouTube. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. [00:00] Self Reliance  [02:34] Trust Your Beliefs [05:29] The Consequences of Not Acting on Your Ideas [08:09] How to Do Meaningful Work [11:46] Don’t Lose Yourself [14:16] Consistency is a Trap [17:14] Living in the Present [21:18] The Travel Trap [23:23] The Cyclical Nature of Society If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from On Writing by Stephen King Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. [00:00] Intro [01:29] Stephen King’s Career [07:05] Battling with Addiction [10:08] How to Be A Writer [13:13] There Must be Joy  [16:34] 2,000 Words a Day [19:25] How to Tell Stories [23:39] The Power of Honesty [26:00] Editing Your Work If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from reading The Communist Manifesto Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. (00:00) Why the Communist Manifesto (03:04) Defining the Benefits of Communism (07:22) The Source of Class Divide (10:58) Reactions to the Divide (15:01) Bourgeoisie & Industry are Doomed to Fail (18:12) Abolition of Private Property (21:49) Wage Labor is Subsistence Living (23:57) The Communist Utopia (26:23) Why Would Anyone Work Hard? (28:37) Utopia vs Reality (32:50) Questionable Solutions to Real Problems If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from two of my favorite books on doing creative work, The War of Art and Turning Pro, both by Steven Pressfield. Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. (00:00) The Battle with Your Mind  (04:44) What is the War of Art? (08:43) Where Resistance Shows Up (12:25) Resistance at the Finish Line (13:50) The Forms of Resistance (19:28) Support as Resistance (21:39) The Need to Turn Pro (25:10) Shadow Callings and Shadow Careers (27:31) Destructive Addictions (29:58) Fear and Amateurs (32:22) How to Turn Pro If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. (00:00) Why Do You Do What You Do? (02:07) How Do You Feel Heroic? (11:22) The Fear of Death (15:07) Evolution and Anxiety (17:34) Why Aren’t We More Courageous? (21:36) Struggle as a False Sense of Control (24:10) Automatic Cultural Man (NPCs) (28:03) The Foundation of Self Belief (31:10) Cosmic Heroism (33:36) Looking for Meaning (38:01) How to Live If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. [00:58] The Deeper Problem with Productivity [03:19] Our Relationship with Time [08:51] Fixating on Control Leads to Misery [13:20] Distraction and Relaxation [17:09] Living Out of the Moment [20:29] Leisure as the Center of Life [23:52] You Only Get 4,000 Weeks If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Montaigne’s Essays Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. [02:47] Reason Over Escapism [05:59] Staying Unattached to Society [08:05] True and Fake Pleasures [12:16] Having Ideas vs. Regurgitating Others [13:43] How to Learn [17:54] Wealth and Ambition [22:30] Ambition vs Contentment [28:29] Controlling Your Will [36:16] The Value of Challenge [38:13] Managing Fear of Loss  [40:40] Educating Children If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race: Shanna H. Swan Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. TIMESTAMPS [03:32] How Bad Is It?  [09:29] Disastrous Changes in Sperm Count [11:32] Consequences of Low Testosterone [15:11] The Rise in Miscarriages [18:51] How Your Fertility is Determined in the Womb [25:34] Effects of Alcohol, Marijuana, and Opioids [30:53] Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Gender Dysphoria [35:38] The Effects of Pesticides and Herbicides [40:00] How to Protect Your Fertility If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Schopenhauer’s Essays and Aphorisms Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Get 15% off Your First Order with Equip Equip is my go-to source for high quality, whole food supplements. I take their beef liver capsules almost every single day since I know how good organ meat is for me, but I don’t want to have to cook liver. If you aren’t getting any organ meat in your diet, this is a great way to add it. And they’re giving 15% off to listeners of Nat’s Notes.     If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps [05:21] Your limits are self-imposed [09:53] How we give laws power [10:58] Infinite games are playful [13:46] The limitations of being serious [15:19] Power vs. strength [17:17] Competition is a choice [18:15] Avoiding zero-sum thinking [23:45] Poise, vision, and laughter [24:31] Time and freedom [27:55] The machine vs. the garden [33:36] Stories spread organically If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to automatically extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they automatically organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. It also has the best-in-class article reader for saving everything I find online. You gotta try it out. Timestamps (02:15) Why a Book About Salt?  (04:50) Why Civilization Depended on Salt (07:15) Salt and Fertility (09:18) Ancient China (11:02) Ancient Egypt (13:39) Salt’s Impact on Early Trade Routes (15:25) Ancient Rome (17:43) Venice’s Salt Monopoly (24:00) The Hanseatic League (29:12) Early American Civilizations (32:59) North American Colonies & Revolution (37:15) The French Revolution (39:13) The American Civil War (41:27) Salt’s Impact on Energy (43:46) The Decline of Salt (44:31) Is Salt Healthy? If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Get Two Months Free of Readwise Readwise is my favorite reading tool. I use it to extract my highlights from physical books, and I use their Reader to read and highlight everything I find online. Then they organize all of my notes and send them directly to my note-taking tool, so I can immediately look up anything I loved in past books I read. It’s a total game changer for getting the most out of every book you read, and if you love books, you need to be using it. Timestamps (2:30) Readwise (03:40) God is Dead (06:28) What Do You Worship (08:41) Creating Something Beyond Yourself (10:27) No Soul, No Free Will (12:45) Worshipping the State (13:59) The Superman (16:43) Old Virtues Are Cowardice (19:25) The Good and Bad of Christian Morals (21:25) The Myth of Equality (26:16) Marriage and Children (30:41) The Will to Power (Power Motivates Us) (33:19) Good and Evil Don’t Exist (36:15) Eternal Recurrence Books Mentioned This is Water: https://geni.us/this-is-water-nat The Fourth Turning: https://geni.us/fourth-turning-nat Straw Dogs: https://geni.us/straw-dogs-nat The Denial of Death: https://geni.us/denial-death-nat Man’s Search for Meaning: https://geni.us/mans-search-nat The Comfort Crisis: https://geni.us/comfort-crisis-nat The Lessons of History: https://geni.us/lessons-history-nat Letters from a Stoic: https://geni.us/letters-stoic-nat If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals by John Gray. Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my top highlights from the book. Books Mentioned in the Episode: The Fourth Turning: https://geni.us/fourth-turning-nat Meditations: https://geni.us/meditations-nat Works and Days: https://geni.us/works-days-nat The Drama of the Gifted Child: https://geni.us/drama-gifted-nat Atomic Habits: https://geni.us/atomic-habits-nat Power of Habit: https://geni.us/power-habit-nat Darwin’s Dangerous Idea: https://geni.us/darwins-idea-nat Denial of Death: https://geni.us/denial-death-nat   Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:34) Why This Book (03:00) Progress is a Myth (05:52) We’re Not That Different from Animals (10:03) Science is a Form of Faith (13:48) The Self is an Illusion (20:02) Morality Moves in Cycles (23:15) Our Obsession with Control (26:51) We’re Terrified We’re Useless (29:13) We Use Productivity as Escapism (33:13) The Purpose of Life   If you enjoyed this show, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)

What I learned from What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health by David R. Montgomery and Anne Bikle. Join the Nat’s Notes Newsletter to get my highlights and notes from the book. (1:25) Nutritional Differences in Organic vs. Conventional Foods (4:09) The Effects of Plowing on Food Quality (8:10) Why Glyphosate Might Be Killing You (11:11) The Risk of Artificial Fertilizers vs. Manure (15:16) Nutritional Differences in Whole vs. “White” Grains (18:31) Effects of Pesticides and Herbicides on Mental Health (22:41) Is Milk Healthy? (26:33) Why Some, But Not All, Meat is Bad for Your Health If you enjoyed this show or have any feedback, please let me know on Twitter (@nateliason) or Instagram (@nat_eliason)