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- 🏆 Best of 2022 - Books, Tech + More | Weekly Wharmby #63
🏆 Best of 2022 - Books, Tech + More | Weekly Wharmby #63
Looking back at my favourite things from 2022.
Jake Wharmby
December 28, 2022
Hello!
In the last part of my weekly newsletter I usually share what I've been up to - reading/watching/visiting - so here's a round up of the best this year. Feel free to scroll ahead to the bits that interest you the most:
Hopefully there's a few things in there for you. Enjoy and thanks for reading this year!
📚 Books
1) The Mistborn Trilogy - (slightly cheating here given this is 3 books) Mistborn was a great entry for me into fantasy, with all sorts of supernatural abilities and fights, as well as politics and scheming, and there's no one better than Brandon Sanderson to do it. This trilogy is actually followed by a quartet set 300 years later, with a final trilogy planned to release over the next few years. I should get a move on!
2) The Power of Geography - A look ahead at the future of the 10 regions set to shape global politics in the 21st century by Tim Marshall. An amazing follow up to Prisoners of Geography - both of which are 2 of my go to recommendations.
3) How to Change Your Mind - hugely eye opening look into the world of psychedelics - their discovery, early use, persecution and revival over the past decade. Michael Pollen has a special way of describing a psychedelic trip - in particular one in his garden - that makes you feel like you are part of the experience. Amazing book.
📺 Watched
1) Dopesick - A deeply emotional and interesting dramatisation of the origins of the opioid crisis in the U.S. caused by Perdue Pharma. I'm no acting expert by Michael Keaton pulls off a major performance as a physician who sees both sides of the crisis - as the cause and as the solution. Had this recommended me plenty of times and I am now doing the same.
2) Better Call Saul - I'm going to say it: BCS is the best show I've ever seen. It's a more measured, intense and complex story than Breaking Bad and Bob Odenkirk's portrayal of Jimmy / Saul is incredible. This is a series you will not regret watching and should be top of anyone's list.
3) House of the Dragon - as a Game of Thrones nerd I believe I am qualified to say that HotD was exceptional. Great casting (Paddy Considine as King Viserys is a highlight), true to the mythos of Fire and Blood, well paced and ultimately a huge improvement on the final series of GoT (GRRM was much closer to HotD than to the later series of GoT). I've seen this compared to The Rings of Power which I am yet to see, but my take is why can't we enjoy both? Also - don't forget to watch Alt Shift X's recap videos after each episode.
👨💻 Read online
1) Intentionally Making Close Friends - Neel Nanda - Neel's take on making and, more importantly, strengthening relationships really stood out to me. He makes the case that most relationships aren't equal in terms of the effort each person puts in, but that's fine - it's not a reflection that the person putting in less effort cares less. They are probably just rubbish at nurturing relationships, which after all is a skill in itself. Some are good at it, some bad. I also like the idea that it's not strange or awkward to be considered and proactive about improving/creating a relationship with someone, instead of letting it happen organically.
2) The Arc of the Potential Creator - More to that - in this long form essay, Lawrence Yeo charts the course of a 'creator' (i.e. a person that does something creative). The starting point is a 'Practical Creator' where money is still a big focus - you aren't leaving your job any time soon. The job supports the creative activity. Step 2 is the creative plateau - where you continue creating and improving, but not quite getting the practical (financial/reputation) benefits just yet. As you continue to improve and gain traction, you get to Stage 3: where the creative endeavor becomes more practical (in terms of finance or reputation). At the start of this upward curve, the notion of a career will feel subtle. You’re not making the same amount of money from your old job, nor do you think that may happen anytime soon. But what makes this a career path is that you have all the momentum required to transform this into a practical (and potentially lucrative) endeavor. This opens up the choice of leaving your regular job that initially supported the creative endeavor in order to go all in on it, thus becoming your new, regular job.
Basically - stick at it.
3) Year Review Template - Anthony Gustin - I shared this a few weeks ago - hopefully this is a timely reminder. I can't wait to sit down and look back at the year in order to help me look forward.
📰 Newsletter/Blogs
1) The Manual - Oliur - I've watched Oliur for a long time on YouTube for his slick tech, productivity and design-orientated videos. His newsletter is no different - it's a well curated list of interests, experiences and content that I get something from every month.
2) Sunday Snippets - Ali Abdaal - the usual from Ali: productivity tips, practical life advice, and insights from across the web.
3) More to that - Lawrence Yeo's wonderful blog on all things philosophy and creating.
📍 Visited
1) Taormina, Sicily - as we drove along the coastal road towards Taormina, it struck me that it was the sort of place I thought only existed in a James Bond film. A beautiful, old school town built underneath Mt. Etna and overlooking the ocean, full of incredible food, views and activities and blessed by the best weather. It has set the bar for me personally as the nicest place I've ever visited and I would love to return at some point in the near future - if you need any recommendations please ask!
2) Chamonix, France - simply put, this ski trip was the best holiday of my life and Chamonix is a fantastic place for anyone of any level to ski. Chamonix is beautiful and great value. Massively recommend.
3) Venice, Italy - this was my first trip to Italy and the first time I realised that these guys, as a country, have got it all figured out. Amazing food, beautiful cities, cafe culture, beaches and coastlines, even great weather. They have it all.
🕺 Music
1) DJ Seinfeld - These Things Will Come to Be - my most listened to song of 2022 on Spotify.
2) Fred Again... - 14 November 2020 - this Rinse FM mix from Fred is my go to car journey listen. Not his usual stuff but a collection of mash ups and bootlegs instead. Who'd have thought Dizzee Rascal and Bicep would fit so well?
3) Primavera Sound 2022, Barcelona - the best festival I've been to date. Every act was on top of their game, no disappointments throughout, beautiful weather, amazing experience. Can't wait to go back one day. Particular highlights: Bicep, Tame Impala, DJ Seinfeld, Prospa, Pheonix, Charlie XCX, Dua Lipa.
🦾 Tech
1) Xbox Series X - no regrets.
2) Airpods Pro - Nothing new here but these are essential when traveling or at the gym. Noise cancellation is a true blessing and Airpods do it very well.
3) Strong (gym tracking app) - the best solution for tracking your full program in the gym and ensuring progressive overload every session. Essential.
🛒 Purchases
1) Uniqlo U Crew Neck T shirt - quickly taken over my wardrobe and become the only t shirt I wear. The fit and neckline is absolutely perfect.
2) Magsafe Battery Pack - to be truthful, I resent this is one of my top 3 purchases this year BUT it has been essential. It's a £99 wireless battery pack that attaches to the back of my iPhone Mini and it goes everywhere with me...because the iPhone Mini battery life is terrible.
3) Adidas Supercourts - now onto my 3rd pair of what I think are the best looking plain white trainers you can buy on a reasonable budget. Sadly they look like they are off sale at the moment but I'm sure they'll be back. Perhaps I'll eventually switch to a pair of plain white Veja Campos.
Thanks! See you in 2023 😎
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In the meantime, you can find me on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and have a look at what I’m reading on Goodreads.
Thanks! See you in 2023 😎
If you found this interesting and useful, feel free to subscribe. I send emails like this every Tuesday(ish).
And as always, feel free to reply to these email if you found this useful!