Ep. 58: Habit Tune-Up: Clarifying Task Organization, Graduate Student Advice, and My Research Workflow

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, 'War and Peace' follows the lives of several Russian aristocratic families, including the Bezukhovs, the Rostovs, and the Bolkonskys. The novel spans from 1805 to 1820 and is known for its realistic detail and psychological analysis. It explores the impact of Napoleon's invasion of Russia on the characters and society, delving into themes of love, family, war, and personal growth. The novel includes historical events such as the Battle of Austerlitz, the Treaties of Tilsit, and the French invasion of Russia, intertwining historical and fictional elements[3][4][5].

In this book, Jaron Lanier presents ten compelling arguments for why individuals should consider deleting their social media accounts. He discusses how social media can undermine truth, destroy empathy, make users unhappy, and disrupt economic dignity and political discourse. Lanier also introduces the concept of the 'BUMMER' machine, which describes how social media services modify user behavior for profit. The book encourages readers to be more mindful of their social media use and its broader societal implications.

In 'Enlightenment Now', Steven Pinker presents a comprehensive argument that the values of the Enlightenment—reason, science, and humanism—have been instrumental in the progress of human society. He challenges the prevailing pessimism in modern discourse by presenting empirical evidence that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise globally. Pinker uses data and graphs to illustrate improvements in various aspects of human life, such as increased life expectancy, reduced child and maternal mortality, and advancements in medicine and technology. He also addresses the psychological biases that lead people to underestimate these improvements and emphasizes the importance of continuing to uphold Enlightenment ideals to ensure further progress.