Interconnected

The following was first posted on the 3 Books Weekly email newsletter and has since been archived here.

Hi folks!

This week’s picks are from Dave Gray. Dave is a founder, designer, author… and book recommender. His suggested reading lists are awesome browsing. But but but his recommendations HERE are different. More about getting to know him as a person. His first pick is The Art of War which I’ve been stocking in the vending machine a bunch recently. I take secret glee in placing it right next to the The Art of the Publisher. That’s merchandising y’all.

Find Dave on Twitter right here.

It’s all change for the vending machine this week! In a few days we’re moving out from Lost My Name HQ - THANK YOU!! - into Machines Room which is a makerspace in Hackney. I’m super excited about this latest residency. I’ll send pics in the next newsletter, and a map too – you’ll be able to visit over the summer.

Have a great week

Matt

ps 1. Recommend books for the newsletter! Use this form!

ps 2. I run a little coffee morning for hardware-minded folks. The next one is this Thursday and will be at Machines Room so you can check out the vending machine then. More details on my blog.

#1. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu

I reread this book every five years or so. It’s always different and I always come away with new thoughts. It’s like the ideas in the book interact with the currents of my life and create different ripples every time. It’s critical to read Griffith’s translation. The others have not moved me. Perhaps this is because Griffith was a military man and a strategist himself.

The Art of War: Amazon / Amazon UK

#2. Penguin Great Ideas : Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was the emperor of Rome, a true philosopher-king. He was a wise, thoughtful and disciplined man. If you can imagine what kind of power he had, maybe you can also imagine that for a ruler with such great power, the most difficult thing would be to rule one’s self. This book is his diary, where he catalogued his thoughts and struggles to be a truly good person. The beauty and integrity of his mind shine through every sentence. He provides a great example of how to live your inner life.

Penguin Great Ideas : Meditations: Amazon / Amazon UK

#3. Foundation: 1/3 (The Foundation Series), by Isaac Asimov

It’s a trilogy. Is this allowed? I first read this book in my early teens. It’s a beautiful epic intertwingling science and fantasy. A galactic empire rotting from within. A scientist who predicts the future and comes back as a holographic guide. A mysterious mutant warlord. A secret society of mind-reading empaths. A story line that unfolds over centuries.

Foundation: 1/3 (The Foundation Series): Amazon / Amazon UK