How to learn anything, ventilate your home, and other things we think you'll find interesting.
Happy Fall!
We've been sticking with weekly themes these last few months, but this time around, we're spicing things up and ditching the theme. This list covers a broad variety of topics, like how to ventilate your home, learn anything (and learn it fast), and the one app that will bring back your childhood memories in a flash.
Oh yeah! Since the first day of fall was earlier this week, we've got some pumpkin recipes for you to try. Call us basic, we don't care. #SpookySeason is just around the corner, and we're pretty excited.
Last week, we shared some tips on how to be a good person and practice empathy. If you happened to miss that one, just click here to read.
Now let's dig in to what we've found:
Books of the week
- Uncanny Valley: A Memoir by Anna Wiener - Anna Wiener was stuck, broke, and looking for meaning in her work. It just so happened that at this same time, Silicon Valley was just beginning to boom. She landed a job at a big-data startup, and made the move from New York to San Francisco. In Uncanny Valley, Anna shares her firsthand experience living through a massive cultural shift in a new Silicon Valley that was in far over its head.
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - The Vignes twin sisters ran away from their small southern black community at age sixteen, setting them on two completely different paths as adults. Years later, still separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. The Vanishing Half touches on the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, expectations, and ultimately, their identity.
Apps to check out
- Looking for a fresh new pair of specs? With the Warby Parker app, you can use the virtual try-on feature to try as many new frames as you want, and order your new pair straight from the app.
- What do Scooby Do, Tom & Jerry, and The Flintstones have in common? They're all in the Boomerang app: a streaming service with full episodes of your favorite cartoon classics.
Get moving
At this point in the year, we think it's pretty safe to say we've all mastered the home workout routine. If you're not yet ready to invest in pricey, bulky dumbbells, resistance bands are all you need for a great bodyweight-training session. Check out this 7-day resistance band workout that works your entire body (and is approved for even the smallest of living spaces).
Get cooking
- While the weather's slowly cooling down, we'll be here devouring this Roasted Pumpkin Soup.
- Need another dish to cozy up to? Try this Thai Pumpkin Curry with Chicken.
- We can't forget about dessert! Give this No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake a whirl, and try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.
Articles to read
- One of the nicest TV hosts probably ever, Ellen Degeneres, was publicly accused of running a workplace environment that was, well, not nice at all. Her public statement on the situation is one we can definitely take notes from, especially for leaders who want to change things for the good. Read about her statement here.
- One man's journey to ventilate his home in the coastal, "mold-country" city of Japan unexpectedly led him to discover his secret superpower: mastering home ventilation. And because ventilation plays a major role in the transmission of COVID-19, he's here to tell you how to better ventilate your space to decrease your risk of breathing in "insidious" droplets.
- We could go on and on about the benefits of remote work, but if there's one major pro to look forward to, it's the company (and family) retreat. See how companies making the switch to go remote can provide even more benefits to their people with annual retreats in this article.
What to watch
- Fans of The Karate Kid, this one's for you. Watch Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence reignite their rivalry in Cobra Kai, the Netflix series that follows the enemies decades after the tournament that changed their lives forever. Come for the karate kicks, and stay for the hilarious dad jokes.
- When Nyles and Sarah meet at a wedding in Palm Springs, things get pretty complicated when they realize they can't escape—literally. They live the same day, over and over, and hilarity ensues as they try to find a way to break from the strange, infinite time-loop they're trapped in. Watch Palm Springs (2020) on Hulu.
- It's been a week since we lost the rock star that was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She changed the world for women as she fought for equality, and in RBG (2018), we get an inside look at the legal battles she went through to leave an unforgettable legacy. Watch the documentary on Hulu.
Listen while you work
Podcasts
- They say that practice makes perfect, but if nobody's perfect, why practice? Well, in this episode of Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik, he shares a culmination of lessons that range from recognizing the power of practice to using kindness as a superpower to change the world. Listen to it here.
- If you want to hear more from Jim Kwik, check out his talk from the Teachable Share What You Know Summit on how to supercharge your brain to learn anything, and achieve it faster. Watch/listen here.
Music
- Follow our Futur's Finds playlist on Spotify! All of us here at The Futur have added songs we're currently jammin' to. Enjoy!
And finally, a quote to keep in mind throughout the week
“Inch by inch, life's a cinch. Yard by yard, life's hard.” ― John Bytheway