Best of 2020
Here are my favorite books, blogs, artists, podcasts, technologists, leaders, and apps of 2020. If they’re new to you, I share a place to start—a short article, podcast, or short video.
Book & Blog: Seth Godin’s The Practice and Seth’s Blog. Godin changed how I write. Try The Practice.
Podcast: The Future of Storytelling (FOST). Storytelling in the digital age. Try Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theater in New York.
Technologist: Balaji Srinivasan. Brilliant angel investor and entrepreneur. Try The Purpose of Technology, or Living in the Future on Northstar.
Blog: The Minimalists. Try their start here page.
Book: The War of Art, Steven Pressfield. On overcoming The Resistance to art.
Podcast: On Being, Krista Tippett. Try Silvia Boorstein, What We Nurture.
Leader: Hugh MacLeod. Culture leadership and inspiration. Try Big Boss, inspired by Hugh.
Podcast: Poetry Unbound by Pádraig Ó Tuama makes poetry accessible. Try A Poem in Gratitude for Health Care Workers by Leanne O'Sullivan.
Book: Being Mortal, Atul Gawande. Surgeon, author, balancing human dignity with treatment. Try the What Matters in the End podcast.
Blog: David Perell. The Writing Guy. Try David Perell: Start Here
System: Building a Second Brain. Tiago Forte. Start with this overview.
App: Streaks. This app spurred me to go from writing 10 articles a year to 58, get in better shape, and stay balanced.
Leader: Father Gregory Boyle. The inspirational and hilarious founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention and rehabilitation program. Try the video below or listen to him with Krista Tippett on the On Being podcast.
Father Gregory Boyle, Homeboy Industries
Leaders: Ron Shaich, John Meister & Noel Niteki from Panera Bread. Try 50,000 Data Chiefs or my 14-post series on the Panera Bread Story.
Book: Lessons from Lucy, Dave Barry. Because everyone can learn a thing or two from a dog!
Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Roz. I only put this one last because it’s so well-known and loved. Try Jake Burton Carpenter, founder of Burton Boards, who passed away in 2019.
