(Part 2) Top products from r/AskReddit

Well this seems like a good opportunity to post a few of the lessons I learned in my 20s.

To my former self:

If you're depressed, here's how to turn it around

• Stop drinking, this is the main cause.
  
  
• Lift weights. This alone could also stop depression. It's likely related to low testosterone levels
  
  
• Fapping too much makes the depression worse
  
  Fap less, and never to porn
  
  
• Ejaculating too often removed your motivation to take actions and start tasks. You can consider porn like a poison for the mind. Pleasurable but it desensitizes you to all other pleasures, making life seem bland and boring. Until the only thing you want is porn. It perpetuates itself.
  
  
  Gratitude
  
  
• Whatever you are grateful for will grow
  
  
• Gratitude is the only way to be happy. If you think about what happiness is, it's appreciating what you have. When you think of something that would make you happy, you are imagining yourself appreciating it when you get it.
  
  Wealth
  
  
• You can have anything you want, as long as you create enough value for others first.
  
  
• To be wealthy, don't try and do tomorrow's work today, just have a successful day each day. If you have more successful days than unsuccessful days, your wealth will grow. As you have successful and productive days, opportunities will be attracted to you.
  
  Theories
  
  
• The key to success in any area is having the right theory. A small amount of work, or a massive amount of work, with the wrong theory, won't lead to success.
  
  
• With the right theory, success will be relatively straight forward. When you do the thing, it will basically work every time. Anything that has been done many times before, can be done yourself with the correct theory
  
  
• When most people speak of the 'years of hard work' they put in before they 'cracked the game', usually means they were laboring under the wrong theory, and then one day they found the correct theory, and when they applied it, it worked. (excluding world class athletes, talking about common things like starting a business or growing muscles)
  
  
• Theories can be gathered by spending tens of thousands of dollars on seminars or tens of dollars on books. Both can contain theories that work and theories that don't work. Higher cost definitely does not mean they have the right theory
  
  
• Some theories can seem like they are guaranteed to work, but on testing, actually don't. When someone says they have the right theory, it will seem worth any price. Often they actually don't. Beware. If possible buy their book and test it for yourself, it's just as good in book form.
  
  
• This whole list is a list of theories, as you can see, they are usually quite simple and easy to understand. Complexity is usually a sign the person doesn't really know how things work
  
  
  Girls
  
  
• You cannot make a girl like you, you can however find a girl who likes you
  
  
• They key to getting girls is to get in excellent shape (lift weights), dress well, and talk to girls until you find one that likes you
  
  
• If a girl is unsure if she you likes you, won't go on a date with you, or doesn't let you touch her in anyway. She doesn't like you. Find one that wants all those things. Don't be fooled by girls who seem to REALLY like you but doesn't have time to meet, or won't let you touch her. They do not like you like that.
  
  
• Hot girls are just as likely to like you as not hot girls
  
  
• If you like a girl more than she likes you, and she doesn't want to meet up/hang out/have sex. Let her go and move on
  
  
  Career
  
  
• It's very easy to get ahead if you just try, most people don’t
  
  
• You career will naturally progress just through normal learning, don't worry about it
  
  
  Flow
  
  
• If you want things to happen without effort and struggle, live a life with gratitude and presence. Things will seem to happen easily and naturally.
  
  
  Meditation
  
  
• Mediation gives you the ability to be your best. Very handy for improving at anything, particularly gaming, as you see more and learn more. It gives you access to creativity in solving problems and improving your performance
  
  
• Mediation allows you to 'stop the mind'. Do this if you're stuck in over-analysis
  
  
• To meditate, set a time on your phone for 20 minutes, sit still and don't move a muscle, and focus on your breath as often as you can. Your mind will try to stray, just focus on your breath as much as able. This is how you quiet the mind
  
  *****
  Edit:
  
  To answer some requests, here's my list of resources.
  
  Wealth/Metaphysics
  
  
• http://www.audible.com.au/pd/Health-Personal-Development/The-Science-of-Getting-Rich-Audiobook/B00FMUQVSI
  This audiobook has the best summary I've found of how wealth works
  
  Lifting
  
  
• https://stronglifts.com/5x5/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738
  
  
• http://startingstrength.com/
  
  
• http://www.leangains.com/2011/09/fuckarounditis.html
  
  How Procrastination works:
  
  
• https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html
  
  
• https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/how-to-beat-procrastination.html
  
  How Business works
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA-Master-Art-Business/dp/1591845572
  
  What innovation actually is and how to do it:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Innovation-Entrepreneurship-Peter-F-Drucker/dp/0060851139
  
  How economics works:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/How-Economy-Grows-Why-Crashes/dp/047052670X
  
  How to get things done:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280
  
  Task Management tool:
  
  
• https://todoist.com/
  
  Spiritual Books
  
  
• Spiritual books won't make sense unless you've had an awakening, and you can't make this happen, it happens by chance/grace. If you have, anything by Eckhart Tolle will be amazing.
  
  How to be a man:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Way-Superior-Man-Spiritual-Challenges/dp/1591792576
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Truth-Spiritual-Guide-Death/dp/1591792592
  
  Audiobooks (most of these can be found on audiobook):
  
  
• Audible.com
  
  Frame Control (Anytime you feel like you're trying too hard or begging for something, you lost the frame)
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Pitch-Anything-Innovative-Presenting-Persuading/dp/1501211811
  
  This is my favourite book of all. They talk about the new type of conscousness which is really really interesting to me. May not apply to all people.
  If anyone find this book interesting I'd love to talk about it:
  
  How the world works:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Spiral-Dynamics-Mastering-Values-Leadership/dp/1405133562
  
  
• https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Spiral-Dynamics-Integral-Audiobook/B00FO5660E
  
  

Procrastination to me has been a combination of two problems.

First is motivation. You need to be healthy (physically and mentally). Make sure you are not depressed. Eat healthy things, get enough sleep, and wake up at a reasonable hour. Also, check do you really like TV? I hate television generally because (1) commercials, (2) most shows are not on my schedule and (3) my couch is comfy and I spend more time than I wan to there. If you spend a lot of evenings watching TV and regretting it, put away your TV. I use Netflix for watching stuff, and don't miss TV at all really.

The second factor is having an organized system to take your goals/wants/desires and turn them into a list of things for you to do. Read this book and implement the ideas you see fit. I'm rather scatterbrained so I needed a good system to organize my life and spoonfeed me tasks to do, and I found it here. TL;DR below, but you should still read the book for extra tips/ideas.

The best things I've learned are:

• You need one place where you maintain your todo list. Don't have notes on paper and an online list. You won't trust your system and you will stop using it. I use a physical ring-bound notebook (can give refs if you want). You can get a Moleskine but you probably won't use it because it was too expensive and it looks pretty.
  
• Get an inbox set up. A physical inbox, that is. New mail? Goes into the inbox. Took notes from a phone call? Inbox. The latest Netflix DVD you want to watch. Inbox as well.
  
  
• Process the inbox as often as you can. The best item to have in there is garbage-- you just get rid of it. This includes todo items that are too old or that you have re-evaluated as unimportant. This may include long-standing hobbies/projects of yours that you were not doing anyway. Don't feel guilt; just reassess and move on. The next thing to look for is reference material. These are bits and pieces you want to hold on to but have no action associated with them. Notes you took on a project, datasheets, research papers, etc. These go into your filing system (more on this later). Finally, are the actionable items. These are things that need something to happen. Go through them and decide will it take 5 minutes or less. (This time will take calibration. It took a rather ADHD person like myself some time to realize how long some things took as well as how easy other things were.) More than 5 minutes? Put it on your todo list and keep it in the inbox. Less than 5 minutes? Do it immediately! I swear your motivation goes as the inverse of the square of the number of todo items. Knocking these unimportant quick tasks out of the way frees more of your mind and builds momentum.
  
  
• Set up a filing system. You need to have a safe place to store papers, and even if you have one now, it's probably not optimal. Don't think about this, just do it: buy a (minimum) 2 door file cabinet, plenty of manilla folders, and a labeler. But what if I have nice handwriting?, you say? Get a labeler anyway! Seriously psychological magic there. A pretty, professional label will make you take the filing system seriously, you'll feel happy to open your filing cabinet, and it will make you enjoy filing. It sounds dumb but it works. Plus you look super professional bringing in clearly labeled manilla folders to work. And if anything needs filing-- do it immediately!
  
  
• Use your email to your advantage. I use Gmail, as does 95% of everyone these days. You can set it up to present multiple inboxes, which really just displays different folders you have selected. I use the following folders: INBOX, HOLD, ATTEND, TODO, TRAVEL. The first is the normal inbox, Hold has reference emails I am waiting for a response for or are short term reference (A bit sloppy-- I need to fix this aspect), Attend are emails about meetings, parties, conferences, etc. Todo are emails awaiting a response and Travel are flight confirmations, hotel bookings, etc. Adapt this to your own life, but this is what works for me! When you check your email, use the same rule as your inbox. Delete garbage. Do things < 5 min. Add things >5 min to your todo list. I like to handle as many todo items as possible (these are usually just lengthier emails), but any other type of action should go to your todo list (I keep a physical one as my main one). Same with the Attend-- add this to your one and only calendar (Google Calendar synced with my phone and computer).
  
  
• Finally, use the system! When you get up, scan the to-do list. Check your inbox and email. Anything urgent? Deal with it. Then go on to the first important project you want to work on and start working on the first item you can do. The GTD book is much better at outlining how to break down a large project into action items, and how to define them in such a way that a clear, physical action is obvious. ('report' is bad, 'brainstorm topics for report' is good). Defining clear items to do is probably the deepest topic of the book, and I refer you to there.
  
  BONUS ADVANCED TOPIC This sounds like a really goofy idea but it has come in very useful before for me, and it's extremely useful if you oversee many long-term projects. Get 43 folders. Label one for each month and one for the numbers 1-31. This will be a bit hard to explain, but I will try. Set up the folders so the numbers are in ascending order in front of the months in ascending order. Take the numbered folders up to and including the current date and move them to the back. Now take the folders from next month up to December and move them to the back. Now, why would I do this silly thing? Because it's a super way to be chronologically organized! Everyday, take out the contents of the front day folder and move it to the back. You are now holding in your hands things you wanted you to see in the past on this very day! When you hit a new month, take out its contents and move it to the back. Sort the contents day by day for the next month.
  
  When is this useful? Your W2s come in? Stick them in the month you want to do your taxes (February for me usually.) Got tickets to a concert? Put them in on the day you're going. Going on a trip and you want to save maps of the area you printed off? Ditto. Get an idea for a project you want to do outside when it gets warm? Write it on a piece of paper and stick it in June.
  
  Extra things to check out: Whiteboards are great. So is a program called Notational Velocity, if you have a mac. Also, read this site
  
  TL;DR: Kill lame things you dislike in your life. Set up a system for accomplishing stuff. Whenever you think, Gee, it'd be nice to blah, write blah on your list. Then get to it with the extra time you create/ set aside for yourself. Your to-do list is more than just chores and groceries, it's a list of fun projects, vacations, and goals you want to accomplish.
  
  Edits: fixed my formatting

Einstein's books about relativity written by Einstein for the non-expert
-Helps you understand not only his theories well, but piques your interest in science a lot, and improves your way to approach all problems. His essays (in particular The World As I See It, be careful of edited versions on the internet which cut out parts they don't like about God, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y0_aNvH0Wo) are amazing as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Relativity-The-Special-General-Theory/dp/1619491508/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347758889&sr=8-3&keywords=einstein+relativity


Middlesex By Jeffrey Eugenides
-A novel, Pulitzer Prize winner in fiction (called the great american epic), will increase your understanding of those with LGBTQ considerations, but mostly an amazing book
http://www.amazon.com/Middlesex-Novel-Oprahs-Book-Club/dp/0312427735/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347759265&sr=1-1&keywords=middlesex

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers By Robert Sapolsky
-Entertaining book, will increase your knowledge of a whole lot of things, and increase your interest in psychology and statistics. Also Freakanomics by Levitt/Dubner and Outliers/Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. All good to get your foot in the door to approach the complicated world we live in logically.
http://www.amazon.com/Why-Zebras-Dont-Ulcers-Third/dp/0805073698/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347759102&sr=1-1&keywords=why+zebras+dont+get+ulcers

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
--Autobiography of a nobel prize winning physicist, very funny. Will (again) demonstrate how a brilliant person approach the world. Very funny and easy read.
http://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman-Adventures-Curious-Character/dp/0393316041/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347759305&sr=1-1&keywords=Richard+P.+Feynman

Love You Forever


A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.



The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, "this kid is driving me CRAZY!"



But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.



The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted to come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words. Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo!



But at night time, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.



The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music. Sometimes the mother felt like she was in a zoo!



But at night time, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.




That teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town. But sometimes on dark nights the mother got into her car and drove across town. If all the lights in her son's house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed. If that great big man was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.



Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick." So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song. She sang:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always...



But she couldn't finish because she was too old and sick. The son went to his mother. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And he sang this song:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my Mommy you'll be.


When the son came home that night, he stood for a long time at the top of the stairs. Then he went into the room where his very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while he rocked her he sang:



I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.



EDIT; If you google it it's like the third link.

If you like to read about stuff like this, try "How to talk to anyone" by Lyle Lowndes. The title and premise/self-help style may seem kind of cheesy, but it's really useful if only so that it helps point out the things you may have noticed but don't keep in mind during day-to-day conversations.

I'm not sure if you ever have moments where you can ramble away a perfectly cogent thought, but pay attention to those times when you stop 'thinking' and put those words together in a smooth, receptive manner that is very much in context with the current scenario. If you can do that all the time, or very frequently, then I think that will help you the most. Two things that may help you:

1. Best advice I've ever gotten from a lady-friend and this is her advice to all men everywhere: Take it down a notch. Just one. So however/whatever you were planning on doing/saying to that girl? Just take it down one notch (there are times such as big events one-time-scenarios where you can maintain normal notch capacity)
   
   
2. Sometimes the most important thing is not saying something, or stopping to formulate your thoughts for a moment. There are times I'll want to burst out into conversation with the immediate response that comes to mind...over time I've learned to sort of filter myself unless I'm a bit excited. Sometimes, it's classier to say nothing or to do something subtle rather than say the first thing that comes to mind. Sometimes it's good to store that thought for a later moment in time when it's better formulated or when it is even more prevalent in a conversation. This can make circular conversation far easier and it's always impressive to link the current topic with a previous one with said audience (it shows you pay attention, that the discussion is more relevant than they possibly realized, and that engages people).
   
   P.S. Engage.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Anyone-Success-Relationships/dp/007141858X
   
   Also, a current book I'm reading to sort of see the patterns people play out is "The Games People Play" by Eric Bernes (I think I got his name right). This book was sort of a breakthrough on psychology and the way we interact with each other. At the very least, these two books can give you ample information to communicate with people about human communication.
   

OK, so most people will have the same basic plan: Get out of town, find remote fortifiable location. lay low, gather supplies, hold out til you can rebuild (great basic strategies Here!)

However, most people will be cramming the highways with the same strategy, then you get swarmed in the car on the way out.

SO, you need a contingency plan to hold out until you actually find a safe/quick/Stealthy way to execute the get-the-hell-outta-dodge part.

Supplies

have enough supplies on hand so that you could safely bunker down where (or near to) where you are. This is good advice in general and the same supplies will help you hunker down should a hurricane or a riot sweep through or society falls apart for some other reason.

1. Food/water - enough to last for a couple weeks, stuff that will cover your basic needs for 2 weeks- 1 month (Canned food, dried food, rice, beans, etc)
   
2. Basic Defense- Guns are great and all but are loud and need ammo. Think knives, axes or bludgeons. Ideally something with some reach.
   
3. Fortifications- Know how you are going to secure your shelter. Going to board up your windows? Better have the tools on hand and know what you're going to use to do it.
   4)Basic Hurricane Kit - hand-powered flashlight, Radio, signal flares etc. buy at any sporting goods store.
   
   Secure Shelter
   
   Now this part depends greatly on when/where you are when you become aware whats going on. But in general, (unless you are just pants-shittingly unaware of your surroundings) you should have a day or so between your first Zombie sighting and when stuff really starts going to shit.
   
   You need to have a clear idea in your head where you are going to draw the line in the sand across which the Undead shall not cross. For me this is the small section of my apartment complex. 22 units with a high iron fence all the way around. 3 entry points which can all automatically lock. I'd need to first secure and barricade these then begin to make a sweep of the neighboring units. There are 3 possibilities of what you will find. 1) Unoccupied unit - poor bastards were either caught in the initial outbreak or tried to make a run for it. make a not of these and come back for supplies. 2) Survivors - Congratulations you're not alone. enlist their help or have them keep their heads down. 3) Biters - You know what you have to do.
   
   Adapt
   
   Now once you have a safe defensible location for at least the short run, all planning goes out the window. Depending on how situations develop your plans are probably going to get blown to shit. Maybe the government falls faster than anticipated, so they don't have time to firebomb major cities. Maybe you become entrenched and are going to have to survive in place ad infinitum. Maybe you find your escape path and can make for the hills and follow the default plans.
   
   You can never be prepared - only more prepared
   
   TLDR; Have fun feasting on the brains of your loved ones
   
   

Anyways, having looked over my bookshelf, here are some recommendations purely for the sake of recommending. Maybe not spot on what you're looking for, but why not...

Neverwhere. A book I've read about nine times. Because it's awesome.

Time Traveler's Wife. Kind of established/re-ignited my hope and sense of romance. My father isn't much of a reader and usually takes months to go through a single book, but after losing his wife, my stepmother, he went through this in a week and thanked me profusely afterwards.

Island. I'll tell you right off, it's one of those 'intelligent reads'. The end is proclaimed early, it comes as predicted and it's depressing, but the book overall is nice. You read it first, to check :)

Gates of Fire.

Born To Run. Just read this recently. Fun, interesting, quick.

I would say a fan that is loud enough, usually the square floor fans (you can point it toward a wall so it doesn't hit you, otherwise you may get chilly). I usually keep mine on the lowest setting, but sometimes have to bump it up to medium if neighbors are playing music. I really find that the cheaper, square, medium'ish sized ones work the best. The more expensive ones try to actually be quiet, which is not what I want.

Also, i would get one of these bad boys: http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303068647&sr=8-1

I have found that other noise machines (rain noises, etc) just have a loop back that I can pick up on and it actually keeps me up even more because I am following the loop back. The white noise machine above has no such thing, I love them.

I have their travel one because I am on the road for work 3 weeks out of a month. Works great. If I was you, I'd use both. Put the fan by the window, on the right setting. Put the white noise machine on your dresser, next to you.

The secondary glazing sounds great, and if I asked my landlord to do this he would laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh, then hang up on me. I feel your pain, man. I hate noise while i'm trying to sleep. But what I have said above has worked in some pretty shitty situations before.

Sorry this is a big post, but you've asked a big question

If you want a full and complete (but lengthy) answer, you need to read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

I'll sum up some of his main points to give you an answer here. It all began with food production. There are many different parts of the world that independently "invented" the farming of many different local crops, but it was mainly the Fertile Crescent area that really began having agriculture on a large enough scale to support enough people in a small enough area to form cities. Why? Well, long story short, they had the right types of indigenous plants for farming. The same goes with the domestication of animals. There are many types of wild cattle, horses, and sheep in the middle east/fertile crescent region. What did north/south america have? They did domesticate animals, but mainly dogs, chicken-like birds, and alpacas. They had no large animals to break the land and increase the productivity/acre. All of this began in the fertile crescent and eventually was imported into Europe.

Another obvious advantage Europeans had was resource allocation. Iron and copper (along with other elements) were readily available throughout Europe, and other less obvious but equally vital resources such as rivers and wild animals were easier to navigate/hunt. The geography of Europe is also such that it isn't too difficult building roads that can carry goods quickly and efficiently from point A to B. Trying building/maintaining a road in the Amazon.

Next germs. As I'm sure you were taught in history class, Europeans wiped out most native americans in North and South America with several diseases, mainly smallpox but also the flu, malaria and others. What you probably weren't taught was just how massive this die off was. Tens of millions of native North/South Americans were killed off decades before whites even made it to most areas. The devastation that smallpox wreaked on these native populations was massive, swift, and in some cases, total. Whole societies were wiped off the map in a matter of months, so invading whites didn't really have to complete (ie go to war) with millions of natives. So why was it Europeans giving diseases and not the other way around? Once again he answer lies with livestock. Many of these diseases were a result of either humans living in very close contact and constantly spreading them around (the flu), or they were diseases in livestock that "jumped" to humans, like the cowpox virus. After thousands of generations of battling these diseases, Europeans became (comparatively) immune but Native Americans were left with no defense. This doesn't really answer why Europe was "ahead" of the Americas, but it certainly is telling when it comes to wondering why it was seemingly so easy to colonize the New World and subjugate the natives.

Another huge reason (perhaps the largest one you could actually point to) was that Europe became organized socially much sooner than anyplace else in the world. I mean this in terms of religion, class, and especially government. All other places in the world had these ideas at some level or another, but it seems that in Europe it reached a sort of critical mass where all of these institutions fed one another to form a stratified and organized culture. Once you have specific classes of people that are either on top or the bottom, the "ruling class" and run the land, making laws and a government that funds things like infrastructure and trips around the world looking for gold to steal.

Finally a more minor point, but one that I found most interesting. Look at a world map. All the continents except Eurasia are "tall" and not "long". In theory, being "long" is much much better for the transmission of crops and livestock because when you move longitudinally the climate changes rapidly, but when you move along a latitude line the climate doesn't change nearly as much. All livestock, and especially crops are very sensitive to the climate they live in. If it's too cold or too hot or too wet or the season isn't the right length, your crops won't grow well. Therefore it's much easier to spread agriculture and crops east west instead of north south.

Not buds nor are they small but I love my Sennheiser 555s. I got them for around $90. Great build quality. I've had them for awhile now and no signs of wear or tear.

Koss PortaPro are loved by pretty much everyone for their incredibly low price and great sound quality. They fall under "small cans."

"I met [our host] through [mutual activity]. What about you?"

This book is a tad corny, but it changed me from a socially awkward penguin into a socially awesome penguin.

Also, BODY LANGUAGE IS KEY. If you are nervous, you will tend to 'close yourself' by crossing your arms, tightening your shoulders, looking away from people, etc. To 'open' your body language, think about the movements you make when you hug someone you like. You open your arms, turn your body and head toward them, smile a little, and turn your hands and palms a little more outward, exposing the palms. This is a 'vulnerable' position that shows you are not a threat.

Finally, make eye contact and smile, not awkwardly, but a little, to show you are happy to be there. Eye contact: if you haven't met someone yet, make eye contact for two seconds. If you are talking with someone, make more eye contact.

Does he like reading? If he does, buy him these books:

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character

What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character

The man who loved only numbers

Those are amusing biographies of two scientists, Richard Feynman and Paul Erdos.

A book I liked in my Education courses in college is called Scientific and Religious Habits of the Mind by Ron Good. It's about the difference between scientific thinking and religious thinking and why it is important to make the distinction. It's not very long, and even though it's written from a pedagogical professor to teachers, I think she might get the idea.... depending on her age.

Also, I've said it on Reddit before, and I'll say it again: One of the best books every written is called The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan. It explains how the similarities between religions is less likely evidence of truth behind religion than our own biology affecting our psychology. He's very reasoned, and it's easy to understand what he's saying.

Good luck!

You definitely want to do different things; all kinds of different things. Read, draw, exercise, write; try to pick up new skills; buy a book of different sorts of puzzles (spatial, math, crosswords, whatever) and do a couple puzzles as part of your morning routine; work on things you're not good at and things you are good at.

A few days ago (or thereabouts) a Redditor recommended this book to me because I mentioned that I was having difficulty getting back into drawing - I used to be an art student (high school), and a few bad experiences at school shot my motivation. It's set up to help with things like boosting creativity and problem solving through drawing. Drawing is often seen as something innate, or a rare skill, but the book takes the approach that everyone is able to draw well, it's just a matter of learning how to see things properly. This "new seeing" is really just a different way of understanding the spatial relationships things have with each other via artistic qualities (line, value, colour, etc). Such a process can definitely help with becoming a better thinker because it allows you to understand problems in different ways.

(I spent a little extra time on the book, both because I'm really enjoying it so far, and also because drawing is something that I've found most people disregard because they "can't do it" - I call shenanigans.)

1. I take one shower in the morning, and sometimes one at night if I don't feel clean at the end of the day.
   
   
2. Use an electric beard trimmer. I always used to get irritation when using a hand razor, my skin is sensitive and i think the shave is too close. After I switched to the electric trimmer I don't have any problems. I use the phillips bodygroom series since you can use it on the whole body (face as well as more sensitive areas). May seem expensive but compared to razor's and refil cartridges over a year, it's actually cheaper than a blade razor: http://www.amazon.com/Philips-BG2040-34-Bodygroom-Grooming/dp/B0037HP9OA
   
   
3. Don't mess with the body hair except for pubic region. I'm hairy too, and have tried waxing, shaving, etc - none of it works well unless you take it ALL off. And it grows back fast, so you will need to keep up on it all the time. Finally I just learned to accept it and the only body hair i trim is my pubic area - I keep it nice and under control down there, one a week maintenance.
   
   
4. I only wear shirts once or maybe twice before washing them, I wear pants a few days and then wash them, pretty much when they start to get dirty (if you spill something on your clothes, time to go in the wash right away!). Jeans can last longer between washes, I'd say a week at most before they need a cleaning. Also, just stick with plain t-shirts or button-ups (no logos) and jeans. I have a bunch of plain black t-shirts that I wear almost every day - looks good, easy to replace, and cheap!
   
   

they work I used this product though. I had to use two to really get the effect. Basically you let it dissolve on your tongue. I moved it with finger to didn't spots to get better coverage. Sweet doesn't change much, sour and bitter take super sweet.

• TLDR: Yes, work. Guinness is best choc milkshake, Orange Great, Apple nothing, Strawberry no change, Lime and Lemons confuses the mind.

As I posted above my idea of creating a list and working my way through it is based on the GTD method: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280

Its a technique to help simplify your life, but the parts I stress are: create an image (again, figure out how YOU want to introduce yourself to people. What sounds impressive to you? What would you enjoy?) now break it down into steps and how to achieve it. You should have long term, short term, things that will require skills, etc. Just make your way through the list!

Good luck :)

Jules Verne - The Mysterious Island -> It's amazing how well the author is able to keep your attention throughout the book, when it's just 4 people trapped on a uninhabited island.

Daniel Quinn - Ishmael -> It raises some incredible viewpoints and questions. Very recommended.

Michael Crichton - Sphere -> A very entertaining read.

Clive Cussler - Atlantis Found -> I enjoyed his NUMA series a lot. It got me into reading.

Ira Levin - The Boys from Brazil -> This is kind of a historical fiction. I liked this book because I've always enjoyed reading about the WWII era.

Douglas Adams - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy -> Very fun read

This book is exactly that story, in multiple threads of time. I thought it a good read, although it hovers between Sci-Fi and romance, it was an amazing thought experiment.

Basically, he takes one life and becomes an amazing investor and gambler-millionaire (a la "Grey's sports almanac-style prediction). He ends up repeating another life and swoons the girl that got away. In his third life he retires to the farms of Oregon and lives in solitude. Then, he begins to notice that the history he remembers is not what seems to be happening, someone else is changing history alongside him - and that's when it becomes really fascinating.

You might enjoy reading Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. He discusses among other things the evolution of languages and dialects and how they spread, specifically in Africa. The book tries to explain the reason certain people's from certain continents prevailed over others. It's pretty awesome read if you're into that sort of thing.

http://ebookee.org/Guns-Germs-and-Steel_318098.html

Or if you feel like paying

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393061310?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Any book by Mary Roach- her books are hilarious, random, and informative. I like Jon Krakauer's, Sarah Vowell's, and Bill Bryson's books as well.

Some of my favorites that I can think of offhand (as another poster mentioned, I loved Devil in the White City)

No Picnic on Mount Kenya

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Collapse

The Closing of the Western Mind

What is the What

A Long Way Gone

Alliance of Enemies

The Lucifer Effect

The World Without Us

What the Dog Saw

The God Delusion (you'd probably enjoy Richard Dawkins' other books as well if you like science)

One Down, One Dead

Lust for Life

Lost in Shangri-La

Endurance

True Story

Havana Nocturne

Buy her a bidet toilet attachment. This will give you the chance to talk at great length about how clean it gets you. That will start her thinking along those lines. You may have to get yourself one first then act like it's the second coming of Christ to justify getting her one too. I have one it's awesome you'll feel cleaner than you ever have before and you'll hook your girl up at the same time. They are cheap on Amazon.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain plus drawing supplies to get started. I went from drawing very crappy to this. But there were a lot of ancillary benefits as well:

• I learned that the ability of the human mind to learn new skills is really incredible
  
• I learned to see things like never before. Everything from my reports at work to my photographs of my kids improved.
  
• As an engineer I can communicate my ideas 10 fold better than before.
  
• Oh yeah, I can draw cool portraits

Drawing is typically seen as something that people are either innately good at or innately bad at. That's crap. Get a good book like this one (which you can probably find from your local library if you want to give it a try without committing any cash; I borrowed it from my library then decided that I needed to own it and found it used for $10), and practise.

This is the best suggestion here. Cheap, you can do it anywhere, rewarding when you make progress, and everyone loves pictures.

I've generally found that written and audio material by Leil Lowndes to be quite useful.

Her book How To Talk to Anyone categorizes different types of conversation (for example: one-on-one conversations, phone calls, dinner parties), and breaks down small conversational aspects of each category into discrete chapters (e.g. how to enter into a small group holding a conversation, how to ask what the group is discussing, how to start small talk, how to resuscitate a dying conversation, etc.). Each chapter also has a small TL;DR portion that summarizes the chapter's contents into a paragraph or two.

If you can get a hold of it, she has CDs under the "Verbal Advantage: Conversation Confidence" moniker with (mostly) the same information as in the aforementioned book. Although I'd still recommend the book over the audio CDs (as I believe it's probably cheaper and easier to reference), there's a specific set of CDs called Listening to Win which discusses the nuances of listening as a tool for more effective conversations.

Read this:
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

Get it now. Read it. If you do nothing else posted in this forum, read that book.

> Is it safe to run with sore legs?

Yes. In fact, I find when I'm sore, the only thing to relieve the pain is to run lightly.

> "Yeah fattie, good luck with that." my embarrassment keeps me from exercising because it's so obvious that I need to. Thoughts?"

OK. Why are you concerned with what other people think? Fix that, it has nothing to do with your running. Anyone that's serious about running will do nothing but encourage you. Anyone who says anything like this is jealous and can't get off the couch.

> Does anyone have any suggestions for alternative forms of cardio or any tips to make running more enjoyable?

If you're running and doing it right, it's not a chore, it's a joy. You'll wake up early and jump out of bed excited because you get to run today. It changes your life.

Running is not about muscles. Running is about converting energy(food) into work. Your muscles are along for the ride and will adapt quickly.

It's not about training, routine, etc. All those things aren't bad - but frankly the human body is more or less made to run a lot. An hour or so into a good run, a serenity/exhaustion comes over you and suddenly everything is clear.

It's highly unlikely you'll really injure yourself while running. If your stride is improper you can have some knee pain, but fix that with some thin/light shoes and focus on your stride and your body will heal quickly. Don't pound your heel on the pavement - let the ball of your foot absorb the hard impact.

> concerning what can be done (or eaten) to become a physically and mentally healthy person!

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables." Also, run/jog. Details are not as important as doing this.

Replay by Ken Grimwood.
I really enjoy time travel movies in general, and this book has a fairly interesting twist on that premise. I definitely recommend the book, and would love to see it as a movie.

what? That will help you become an independent person, and probably a functional human being. It will not help your critical thinking. How many americans are out on their own, but still accept everything Fox News and the bible tell them?

Carl Sagan wrote an excellent book about critical thinking and skepticism. It's called The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. He talks a bit in general about why we need critical thinking and science, then goes on to discuss a variety of amazing science and pseudoscience, applying critical thinking to each. It's an excellent introduction to critical thought, easy and interesting to read.

These. They're awesome; great price for great quality, just £17 from Amazon UK. Complete eargasm after the basic iPod earphones.

Born to Run helped me fall in love with running. I had never been so deeply & passionately drawn to anything... now I'm training to run my first marathon and I'm more excited for this than for when I graduated from college.

Against the Stream was another life-changer - it helped me learn to breathe, relax, focus, and stay in the present moment.

I'm in the exact same position as you. After some searching around, I picked up the highly recommended Drawing With the Right Side of the Brain, and I've made a ton of progress in the span of about a week. It seems like a pretty great starting point.

It is an evolutionary trait,

Women actually moan during sex to attract other sex partners, because its in her evolutionary interest to get as much semen in there as possible and then let the strongest sperm win. So back in prehistory it was in her interest to signal to other males that she is ready to preform the reproductive act, other males would hear her and think "oh boy a horny chick" and go fuck her after the first dude was done. Scientists have observed the same behavior in chimpanzees and bonobos (our closest genetic relatives) They call this "“female copulatory vocalization" and generally the more promiscuous the species of ape, the louder the female is.

If you're interested in human sexuality from the perspective of evolutionary psychology (and who isn't!) I highly recommended the book "Sex at Dawn"

Edit: If you don't want to go buy the book heres a link outlining the study. Or see #15 on their sites FAQ.

TL;DR - Because we're horny monkeys

Buy these books, and practice everything in them:

• What Smart Students Know
  
  
• Study Smarter, Not Harder
  
  
• Getting Things Done
  
  Everything that people mentioned below is contained in these books in a complete system that helps you study better, get better grades, and really understand and comprehend what you're learning.
  

The miracle fruit, known as Synsepalum dulcificum that temporarily changes the way you perceive sour flavors, essentially making things such as Tabasco sauce taste sweet.

Edit: they're pretty easy to find online, here's the link to a pack available on Amazon.

I love my Koss Portapros and they're fairly comfortable.

And a really great set for the price are the Grado SR-60

The last one is indeed a hypothesis however there is some compelling evidence (and many other interesting hypotheses) in it's favour which I recommend reading in this book ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sex-Dawn-Prehistoric-Origins-Sexuality/dp/0061707805/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312312059&sr=8-2

It certainly rang true for me on lots of levels.

Demon Haunted World is great for teaching skeptical critical thinking skills.
When I was around his age I loved Redwall. They're great books that really appeal to a young boys sense of wonder and adventure, all while teaching great life lessons along the way.

Apologies for this blatant attempt at hijacking the top comment, but this is a pretty decent book on the subject. I'm sure you can find a free pdf of it with minimal digging.

I haven't got to it yet, but I understand Sex At Dawn has some interesting postulates on human sexuality.

That being said, I don't care as long as everyone is adult and consenting. Monogamy, open relationships, swingers, polyamory, etc. It's all good. I know people in each type of relationship and they're all very happy.

Get them from Amazon.

I found they worked really well with sour and sweet things like lemons, but not so well with savory foods. I was able to eat a whole lemon and it tasted like sweet lemonade.

They don't last very long. I'd say maybe 30 minutes.

Edit: Here's the link on Amazon

If you're interested in in the fundamental disconnect between how men and women view sex I'd recommend reading Sex at Dawn which is an in depth look at how human sexual urges have evolved. Although it may not be the best read for your marriage. The authors are fairly adamant that monogamous relationship aren't natural for humans. Myself being very committed to a marriage that works and lasts this book helped my expand my understanding by challenging what I thought was true. Either way it's an interesting read.

I'd also recommend against therapy but a lot of people get really mad at me when I share my views in that area, just do what you think is best.

Hmm..., I've read the interview and something about it rubs me the wrong way. I find it unlikely, even in primitive times, that love was as free or casual as the author suggests. I'm not an expert, but don't humans have high maternal mortality rates that would discourage such behavior among women? That's not to say that I believe monogamy is necessarily the default position for humans, but I have trouble with several things the author purports. (The first link you posted, for example, claims that foraging tribes don't suffer from internal parasites, which I find to be highly unlikely). I am probably just going to have to break down and read this thing >.>

Since you seem to be interesting in this sort of thing, may I recommend:

Yale's open course on global population growth, which starts off with a good discussion of our evolutionary heritage.
Guns, Germs, and Steel, which I believe provides evidence for why the humans of today little resemble the primitive tribes of yore, and:
The Red Queen, which directly addresses this topic from the standpoint of evolutionary biology.

Don't feel obliged, though! ;-)

$35 Bidet from Amazon, best anniversary gift lifesaver.

Nice dream, now read this and this and see your utopian dream go 'POP.'

Although your dreams could be based on this recent historical documentation.

Pleasant reading journey to you.

It's pretty regional. I'm sure I saw something about how in India/Pakistan they use a bucket and cup to clean up. I've lived in a place with these installed since before I can remember. Now we've got something like this. Obviously washing well afterwards.

I never thought I'd be discussing intimate hygiene with random people over the internet.

How to talk to anyone: http://www.amazon.ca/How-Talk-Anyone-Success-Relationships/dp/007141858X/ref=pd_sim_b_4

Gives you some tips on how to talk to people. The tips won't make you sociable but it will give you confidence on how to approach certain situations and the more practice you get, the better you'll be at it.

I've always liked these... good quality for a good price. I'd only advise against them if you have super long hair as the fitting mechanism can occasionally trap hair.

All non-fiction:

• Chaos: Making a New Science - It's a little dated now, but still a very interesting read on chaos theory and it's uses in science and math. I picked this up in high school and found it very inspiring to read.
  
• The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, Anniversary Edition - An insightful examination by Frederick P. Brooks of his experiences with developing a large mainframe and it's OS. Originally published in 1975, it is still very applicable now. I first read this in College and it's still on my shelf as a professional.
  
• The Design of Everyday Things - An interesting look at the psychology of design.
  
• Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality - An interesting look at what evolutionary psychology suggests about human sexuality.

I read this book, "Getting Things Done", and it changed my life. I didn't realize I was ADD until fairly late in the game. I went from being chronically unorganized and being karmically smacked around for neglecting really important things, to being on top of all the stuff I have to do.

The best part is that it's really easy, as in it's hardly more work than doing nothing at all. "GTD" is basically tailor-made for us ADD types.

Note: no affiliation to the author, etc. - just a happy user.

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! It's "laugh out loud" funny and highly recommended.

Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societes

An amazing read if you like anthropology/geography. It very briefly recaps the history of human civilizations from evolutionary migratory patterns to civil conquests for land and so forth. The emphasis is on how western civilization achieved it's global dominance today. I would recommend this to everyone.

Replay by Ken Grimwood.

Pretty dang good book, with pretty much this premise.

There has actually been a lot of research into this topic recently, and a really interesting theory is some what cinematically put forward in the recent book "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen". I highly recommend this book to anyone even casually interested in running, history, the limits of the human body, etc. The story reads like a combination of "Into Thin Air" and "Gun, Germs, & Steel" (available on audible, if you sign up PM me for a referral).


TDLR of the book is this; current research shows that shoes and more specifically a "heel-strike" may be the cause of many running injuires as they significantly alter the strike pattern (and subsequent stride follow up).


Many modern elite runners, even those sponsored by Nike, such as Stanford's Track and Field team are now including barefoot running as a part of their training. One huge proponent of barefoot running, featured in the book, is Barefoot Ted. Check out his site for an brief overview of the latest science and "science" (Note- Ted is a barefoot dirty hippie :)).


For those who don't run, may barefoot runners don't actually run barefoot- they use thin second skin type products that provide protection from glass/butts/Hepatitis that don't significantly alter your stride. Ted has got a bunch in his store.


I met a ballerina at the gym yesterday barefoot running and we talked about the book and her experience. I wouldn't personally run barefoot at the gym on the treadmill, but what ever. If you're in Cincy and want to go for a job with me, hit me up.



(ps- I suck at running but love it)

• The song of the dodo (if I were to recommend a single book that nobody else would recommend you, it would be this one)
  
• Collapse
  
• Guns, germs and steel
  
• Too big to fail
  
• Freakonomics
  
• Surely you're joking, mr. Feynman
  
• Gödel, Escher, Bach - an eternal golden braid
  
• A walk in the woods
  
• A brief history of time
  
  You will notice the absence of A short history of nearly everything, which is a good book, but frankly it didn't speak very much to me. Bryson is almost only interested in geography.

Not surprisingly, I got a bunch of pictures of pies, desserts, and berries. I also got this, which made me google the product (maybe it is just a graphic design student's project) and found it is totally real: mberry.

I've heard of these and feel like this is a sign. I need to have a Miracle Berry potluck party!

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

I'll throw this in here as well because I see it in just about every thread similar to this. Jared Diamond basically tries to explain why some civilizations on our planet have advanced beyond others by leaps and bounds. So if you're looking for a good overview of the past 15,000ish years that attempts to explain how civilizations advance, this is definitely a good one.

One of them, at least, was reading Ishmael by Daniel Quinn in 11th grade. The book has a lot of flaws, but it was eye-opening for me - and helped me see (and analyze) the myths and constructs of the human existence. Some of these myths are good, helpful, etc, but in the end it's all made up.

I'm gonna throw some book titles at you.

• Your Money Or Your Life
  
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad
  
• Getting Things Done
  
• How to Win Friends and Influence People
  
  The first two will help with the money problems. The third just helps you deal with life and achieving your goals. The last may be the most important because everything in life involves dealing with other people.

Don't sell yourself short. 16 is definitely old enough to begin thinking for yourself. It takes a lot of time and thought to become a good critical thinker, but anyone can take necessary steps. Here are a few starting points I recommend:

Here be Dragons It's about 40 min long.

The Demon Haunted World, by Carl Sagan

Also the TV series "Penn & Teller: Bullshit" is pretty good, although they use a little too much name calling in my opinion, but it's entertaining and they get the point across.

I was thinking "I wonder if anyone will mention Feynman", and bingo!

If anyone finds that post interesting, read Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman, its full of stories about his fascinating life.

Koss Portapro

Seriously.

They look crazy and cheap, but they are the most amazing earphones I've ever owned given the price. They are really really good. Seriously.

EDIT: just look at the reviews

In addition to Guns, Germs, and Steel:

• How Round is Your Circle - The middleground between Math and Engineering. Fascinating.
  
  
• Deliver Us From Evil - Chronicles the efforts of the UN
  
  
• Skunkworks - Lockheed Martin's top programs (U-2, SR-71, etc...)
  
  
• Pale Blue Dot - Humankind's Future in Space
  
  
• The Demon-Haunted World - Modern Skepticism and Reason via Science
  
  
• Death By Black Hole - How we Know Astronomical Knowledge (Very Easy to Read and Funny)
  
  

This is the plot of "Replay' by Ken Grimwood. Wonderful book, also served as the inspiration for Groundhogs Day.

http://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X

As others have mentioned: Guns, Germs, and Steel; G - E - B, Omnivore's Dilemma, Freakonomics. One that I just finished and really enjoyed was a new hardback nonfiction release called "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen". It was greatness.

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

Anyone interested in this kind of concept should read the utterly fantastic Replay by Ken Grimwood.

Short version: Middle-aged guy has heart attack, then all of a sudden he wakes up and holy shit he's back in college. He gets to relive everything over again, from betting on the World Series to how he met his wife. And it gets much more interesting -- and thought-provoking -- from there.

Tell it like it is, sister!

I got a $27 bidet attachment from Amazon, hooked it up in about 20 minutes with a pair of pliers. Now I never get that "not so fresh feeling". Also good with the poops.

There are a few biology articles I could link to regarding the morphology of the genitalia, but the best summary of the research is a book called Sex at Dawn.

Try miracle berries: http://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets/dp/B001LXYA5Q
They make anything taste sweet.

If this question interests you, you will very much enjoy Jared Diamond's book Guns, Germs, and Steel. His thesis is that the potential for cultural advancement is in many cases restricted by geography and climate.

For example, he looks at the habitat range of various domesticable animals, noting that Europe's horse helped the continent's cultures make huge advancements in civilization, while South America's (IIRC) llama, suitable for different uses, didn't offer the same opportunities in agriculture, transport, and warfare.

Pangaea would surely have mountain ranges and deserts, but on the timeframe we're talking about (tens of My) I don't think those limit the spread of land animals the way that oceans do. If domesticable land animals could spread everywhere, human culture likely would too. At the very least, what we call the colonialism of the last millennium would have played out very differently!

Koss PortaPro They've been around for decades, are $33 and sound truly fantastic. Read the reviews.

Thirding this item. It works freaking great. I have this one and love it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037HP9OA/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00

The Zombie Survival Guide was pretty good

Nice. I've been looking at these two:

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=pd_cp_e_0

http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Beta-Noise-Isolating-Headphones/dp/B005IF3CE8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348551530&sr=8-1&keywords=Brainwavz+Beta+%28V2%29

But maybe I'll save up my shillings and get those instead.

I recently learned from Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! that a very easy way to figure out the square of any number near 50 is to:

1. Subtract your number from 50, e.g. for 47, 50-47 = 3
   
2. Multiply #1 by 100, e.g., 3 * 100 = 300
   
3. Subtract #2 from 2500 (50²), e.g., 2500 - 300 = 2200
   
4. Add #3 to #1 squared, e.g., 3² is 9, 2200 + 9 = 2209
   

Koss Porta Pros. Best you can find for under 35 dollars. Check out those amazon reviews if you dont believe me. http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301871390&sr=8-1

• "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared Diamond
  
• "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" by Michael Pollan
  
• "The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language" by Steven Pinker
  
  Isaac Asimov wrote quite a few books on physics, some more textbook-y than others.

np, I'm halfway through reading an ebook version of How to talk to anyone. pm me if you want a copy of it.

Some of the stuff I already did unconsciously. A lot of the things in the book are extremely good, and I can already see results in both my confidence and in other peoples reactions.

Also there are a lot of stuff in the PUA (pick up artist) books like The Game but you should assume that they take it too far. If you do read PUA stuff I would remember the points and not the pointers.

Replay It's like a cross between Back to the Future and Groundhog Day. One of my favorite books!

I highly recommend anyone interested in this scenario to read Replay by Ken Grimwood.

Surely you're joking, Mr Feynman is a fantastic book and anyone who would like to know that there's still adventure in the world should read it. Hell, everyone else should read it too.

Also, I was really worried about finding a job after college and reading What should I do with my life? was not only enjoyable but uplifting. I felt a lot better about my life after reading it.

Edit: Added links

I live in a college neighborhood - I'm surrounded by Fraternity houses and rental properties that can have one or more parties on any given night. This is the best thing I've ever purchased. I've had it for years and sleep with it on every night. Electronic white noise generators are OK, but nothing beats one with an actual motor in it.

I just gave these a try, they are pretty cool:
miracle berries

They're from another thread I saw. They're called miracle berries and they make sour things like lemons taste sweet after you eat them.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It's basically a chronicle of the author's adventures to find a Native-American tribe known as the Tarahumara people who can run 12 marathons in a day. Quite interesting.

I'm in a similar situation, only I'm ten years older. Exacerbated by a cult upbringing that left me subconsciously distrustful of anyone outside the cult, and after leaving it I have two friends. A guy I work with that I'm not very close to anymore, and my ex-girlfriend who's my best friend.

I'm in therapy, and one of the things he's suggested is reading this book-

http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Anyone-Success-Relationships/dp/007141858X

I'm not sure how much it's helped, but it at least is helping me understand other people and why they do the seemingly meaningless things they do. I guess I'd recommend it.

Just read a book about this (written back in the 80s) called "Replay." Basically, a guy has a heart attack at 40 and gets put back in his 18 year-old body with all knowledge of the next decades. Really good read, check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302060545&sr=8-1

And the next best thing is

Best 30 bucks I've spent in a long time.

Jared Diamond has an interesting take on that very subject. read or watch Guns, Germs and Steel. Link

Been using one of these for about 5 years now, it's great: http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312319202&sr=8-1

If you have the time, read The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. It is very informative, as well as interesting. Provides all the (basic) info you need to know about zombies and zombie survival.

$50 at Amazon

Safe to be used in the shower as well

Surely you must be joking Mr. Feynman one of my favorite books of all time.

Koss PortaPro. They're legendary. Unmatched sound at that price range. Lifetime warranty. Great headphones if you don't mind the slightly unorthodox styling.

Miracle Berry Tablets

http://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets/dp/B001LXYA5Q

The Miracle Berry

You'll trip balls. Inside your mouth.

It's not as gay as it sounds.

EDIT: Link to where you can buy them. Link

Go check out a book called Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá. I'd guess that's where OzmodiarTheGreat took most of his content from (maybe not, but that's pretty much how they lay it out) and it's a fascinating read, whether you end up buying the premise or not.

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. A quick, though-provoking read perfect for a few layin' on da beach sessions.

These are fantastic for the price.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character)

The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell

Thomas Jefferson: Author of America

I hear you, There are the most comfortable things i've ever worn in my life though, and there is some pretty solid evidence behind minimalist footwear.

Also, they're not rock climbing shoes. They actually dont perform nearly as well as actual specialty "rock climbing shoes" do when it comes to rock climbing.

I bought one of these years ago:

Marpac Sleepmate

If you've ever considered buying a white noise machine I HIGHLY recommend it. It's a mechanical generated noise versus an electronic one. My girlfriend and I can't fall asleep without it.

I run barefoot whenever possible. It's a WHOLE other experience! Read Born to Run by Chris McDougall (http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303) to get the full scoop, or see Barefoot Ted's blog (http://barefootted.com/) for the hard-core enthusiast community.

Koss Porta-Pros

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-PortaPro-Headphones-with-Case/dp/B00001P4ZH

They're cheap, light and sound better than their $35 price tag suggests.

They're not sound blocking.

Huge circumaural cans (IE Sennhieser HD-280, AKG k270, et al) are great if you're sitting at home, but they're lousy for using on public transit or while walking and they make you a better target for ipod theft than the guy with the white earbuds.

If you really want sound isolation and portability, in ear monitors are a much better route to take than cans, they really are a totally different breed than the ubiquitous earbud.

Don't stop dealing with him. Be valuable to him as a friend and confidant, but not as a potential convert.

For reading material, if it comes to that, a go to book is alway Carl Sagan. Read if yourself, if you haven't.

It probably has to do with persistence hunts.

Humans have extremely large glutes in comparison with the rest of our physiology, and that of other animals except for those known to be serious runners (horses, canids, cheetahs). The larger the glute, the better the runner, evolutionarily speaking. If this was one of the primary modes of attaining food (which is a growing theory of human evolution), then that would explain your penchant for voluminous gluteus maximi.

For further information, check out the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

You would enjoy the book Replay. It's essentially that story.

Get the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain http://www.amazon.com/The-Drawing-Right-Side-Brain/dp/0874774241

You'll be amazed at yourself.

A bidet. Seriously, go try one. Changed my life. Bought an attachment soon after for my toilet and now have a squeaky clean bunghole 24/7.

*Here is the one I use, since people were asking for an example.

I am reading a book right now about ER stories, in real life.

Some are funny, some are gruesome, some are extremely poignant.

Emergency!

Also: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

If you can learn to write, you can learn to draw. Writing is just drawing letters. Like anything else, it boils down to learning a few basics and then practice, practice, practice.

If you are serious about this, Betty Edwards' book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is an excellent introduction to drawing, especially geared for people who want to learn to draw but think they can't.

I've found the organizational system in Getting Things Done really helpful.

Might I suggest Mars by Ben Bova, The Gunslinger By Stephen King, The Plague Of The Dead by Z.A. Recht, Neuromancer by William Gibson and Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan. I wanted to keep going, but I was getting too excited recommending books.

Use this.

You're welcome.

This is the one we got. As far as I know, I'm a grinder for life. I don't think it is treatable. If you find a cure, let me know! I would love to stop as it is giving me jaw problems.

I'll assume you meant "Where can I find a quick guide on how to protect myself and my family?"

Here ya go.

Nail varnish may work, but as a guy I'm sure I'd get a few stares if I wore some. Although I've been thinking about this.

Dude. Philips Norelco Bodygroom.

Set that shit at 1, trim the whole situation. Flip to the other side, shave clean anything you don't want. Be ready to accept compliments.

No, it's completely clear.

Love You Forever.

Oh Dear god- the tears are coming.

If this thread interested you, I'd highly recommend reading Replay

It works locally but it can never work globally. Populations tend to increase when there is enough food for everyone until there is no longer enough sustenance, then you have hungry people again. The only way we can ever feed everyone is if we have an ever increasing food source and ever increasing land source, of which we have neither.

Daniel Quinn wrote a very good book discussing this called Ishmael. I'm not saying it's as cut and dry as that, but you can't really believe that if everyone has enough money and everyone has enough food, we won't be in the same situation all over again in just a couple of years. It's much more complicated than that.

I object to your use of "rarely." But yes, it can end poorly if everyone isn't on the same page.

But it does deal with the issue of infidelity. You should read this book that attempts to look at the evolutionary origins of human sexuality.

Read the following two books. They will help you quite a bit.

How to Talk to Anyone

How to Be a People Magnet

Does he "need" the fan for the air flow or noise? If it's for noise have you considered getting one of these?
http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1
They don't move the air and you can adjust how much white noise they generate.

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character - Richard P. Feynman

No book has made me want to get more out of life and to experience as much as possible.

Sex at Dawn; The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality

and Fast Food Nation

Both are totally worth the read.

Buy it now, thank me later.

You NEED totry these:

http://www.amazon.com/mberry-MFT10-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets/dp/B001LXYA5Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347296825&sr=8-3&keywords=miracle+fruit


DO NOT WAIT. Do it. Do it now. Thank me later.

Something like this.

I agree. The future is only 35 dollars.

Jesus OP... get a damn bidet and clean your asshole with water, they're only like $30.. or if your showerhead is near your toilet use it.

http://www.amazon.com/Astor-Non-Electric-Mechanical-Toilet-Attachment/dp/B003TPGPUW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335081075&sr=8-1

Check out Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.

One of the rare books I go back to re-read now and again is Ishmael - An adventure of mind and spirit. If you read it, let me know what you think.

to have a ceiling fan running 24 hours a day would cost you approx 21 cents. to have that running 365 days would be $77. A white noise machine will cost you $55.

What you need is to get one of These.

I was in your situation until a few months ago when I invested on this little beauty. The way it works is to create the most sleep-inducing sound known to man. You would be surprised how much ambient sound factors in getting to sleep. Seriously, try it.

yea gloves is a little weird go the polish route then it should help and i'm sure your local pharmacy carries anti biting polish example

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman

I have and I can still fall into being lazy.

My personal method is to attend to whatever I might be lazy about as soon as it comes up. That has been remareably successful for me and I am a different person in that regard. Vestiges remain, but no one would ever call me lazy today.

I also attended a seminar and later bought this book by David Allen. I can recommend this and have to a few friends who desired to be pro-active and less lazy.

http://www.amazon.com/Ishmael-Adventure-Spirit-Daniel-Quinn/dp/0553375407

Ismael by Daniel Quinn. Everything about what is wrong with our civilization through a talking gorilla. Great stuff

One of my favorite books deals with this topic. (Not going all the way back to a newborn, but in his college years)

Replay by Ken Grimwood

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman"

"Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body"

"Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened"

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman

Columbine by Dave Cullen

As a man who once read the [Zombie susrvival guide] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Zombie-Survival-Guide-Protection/dp/1400049628) I must say that a prison in rural Canada would be best. Walls, not many zombies and a lot of guns.
Also: [Zombie-killing girls] (http://www.google.se/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gogoanime.com/images/highschool-of-the-dead.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gogoanime.com/category/highschool-of-the-dead&h=415&w=300&sz=44&tbnid=C8ZWLbyrh1tnGM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=62&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhighschool%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdead%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=highschool+of+the+dead&docid=ot0XrGinSneWoM&sa=X&ei=80uVT-KKFumk4gSikuXQDw&ved=0CEwQ9QEwAg&dur=4314)

the top recommendation from the zombie survival guide.

Conversation skills can be developed like any other. Read this book. It was written several decades ago (she mentions a Rolodex in one anecdote), but most of the tips are still applicable. It's really a Dummie's Guide to Conversation.

If you want to get things done, buy this book right now. Not tomorrow, not later today, buy it now.

Once you get it, read it each day and follow the practices it puts forth. It will change your life if you do this and do not put it off!

This thread reminds me of the Robert Munsch book, Love You Forever. I used to read that to my daughters and I don't think I ever got through it without choking up a bit.

I use Omnifocus, having read the book "Getting Things Done" over summer. I really like the program and the book's ideas, but I still have some trouble implementing the entire method.

I suggest looking into "Getting Things Done." The book is cheap $3 used and there are many different programs, from pen and paper to digital suites, that fit any need

I think jealousy and insecurity are innate to a degree, but can be modified significantly by the culture, in either direction. I've read about norms in societies where multi-female/multi-male relations are common (not talking orgies necessarily , where but a man or woman sometimes has more than one partner at the same time). Instead of sexual jealousy and possessiveness being an accepted (or celebrated!) thing, these are seen as undesirable traits, and that one is not a giving or secure person. Jealousy is also less common because of the way people are socialized to think about sex and relationships as they grow up.

Don't have the book in front of me, but I read this from "Sex at Dawn" - a fantastic read on human sexuality. I've been curious about these topics like you, and I bet it's right up your alley, and it's very groundbreaking http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Dawn-Prehistoric-Origins-Sexuality/dp/0061707805

Buy one of these. I have one and absolutely love it. I hate crapping away from home now.

• The God Delusion
  
• The Demon-Haunted World
  
  This question comes up a lot. Start with these. But you must understand that atheism IS NOT a religion. It's not LIKE religion. It's the absense of religion. As is famously bandied about, atheism is a "religion" as much as "off" is a channel on your TV.

The Demon-Haunted World. It's ~500 pages of a passionate plea for people to think about what they believe. I'm sad I waited until I was 24 to read it.

Have you read this then? i love that book and also World War Z by the same author.

I found myself easily awoken by any little sound. A white-noise generator or machine helps drown them out. There are devices you can buy or applications you can download (I use "White Noise" on my iPhone when I travel).

Oh dear. Before you wander too far down this linear road, please read "Sex at Dawn, the prehistoric origins of modern sexuality" by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha. I think the title was chosen by the publishing house to sell books, because the real premise dismantles the notion that human beings are selfish and prone to conflict, when actually all evidence predating agriculture points to the opposite. It's a MUST READ for any educated 21st century human being.

here's the amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Dawn-Prehistoric-Origins-Sexuality/dp/0061707805

and if you do nothing else, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReQ4iuTNYtA

I also cannot sleep without a fan or some sort of white noise. What about a white noise machine for next to his bed?

something that makes noise

I actually bought that thing a year before going to college. Its weird at first to explain what it is to your roommate, but turning that and a fan on should drown out noise and help you both sleep

Get one of these and you wont have to worry about cutting yourself.

Sounds (heh) like you need some white noise in your life. Try a fan, or eventually a specialized machine. This one is retarded expensive but there are substitutes.