Thought Leader: Yuval Noah Hara

Yuval Noah Harari became famous with Zuckerburg and Gates raving about his 2015 book  Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. The book surveys, with big and broad brush strokes, the entire length of human history, from the evolution of our species from the Stone Age up to the current political and technological revolutions of the 21st century via the cognitive, agriculture, and scientific revolutions. Probably in my top 10 favorite books of all time and one of the few I would read a second or third time. He is a tenured world history professor who specializes in macro-historical processes also popularized as Big History--an emerging academic discipline which examines history from the Big Bang to the present. It examines long time frames using a multidisciplinary approach based on combining numerous disciplines from science and the humanities and explores human existence in the context of this bigger picture. Yuval’s research focuses on macro-historical questions such as: What is the relation between history and biology?  What is the relationship and evolution of physics to chemistry to biology to history to sociology to psychology? What is the essential difference between Homo sapiens and other animals? Is there justice in history? Does history have a direction? Did people become happier as history unfolded? His next book was Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, that moves into predicting the future and the impact of data and AI on humans. 

Here my suggested curriculum:

*Must: Read at least his Sapiens book (I can share my library card account with you to get the audio or ebook  if you can’t get access) 

*Quick: See his Ted Talk on “What explains the rise of humans?”

https://www.ted.com/talks/yuval_noah_harari_what_explains_the_rise_of_humans#t-220206

Or watch one of his lectures on his youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/YuvalNoahHarari

Ben Franklin Habit Tracker

ProfHacker - The Chronicle of Higher Education

How Does Your Daily Routine Compare to Ben Franklin’s?

http://lifehacker.com/#!5783790/how-does-your-daily-routine-compare-to-ben-franklins

Email-How to turn your facebook notifications into a daily digest.

Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Work Smart: How to Write a To-Do List

Become a Gmail Master Redux

http://lifehacker.com/5451352/become-a-gmail-master-redux

How to Get Started with BitTorrent

Read A beginner's guide to BitTorrent


Download uTorrent for Windows

Search with http://www.joongel.com/ (make sure you click the torrent category)

Rethinking Scholarship

Sudoko Strategies

Easy Strategies: Early on

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Single Position Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc-cwz9xTbI&feature=PlayList&p=3B09B1FC4F6A46DF&index=6

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Single Position Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y98lGLf7aEU&feature=related

Intermediate Strategies: Do towards middle or end, not early or gets too busy

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Listing Possibilities Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfQGpBNCLiQ&feature=PlayList&p=3B09B1FC4F6A46DF&index=3

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Candidate Line Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISsEEAC0gFY&feature=PlayList&p=6DB4C35ACDAA32EC&index=3

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Double Pair Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf4tyhm-SyU&feature=PlayList&p=3B09B1FC4F6A46DF&index=2

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Multi-Line Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PovQfP77fAc&feature=PlayList&p=3B09B1FC4F6A46DF&index=4

Advance Stratedgy

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Naked Pairs Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HZbHnvIGEk&feature=PlayList&p=6DB4C35ACDAA32EC&index=8

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Hidden Pairs Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnuotFGOiAQ&feature=PlayList&p=3B09B1FC4F6A46DF&index=5

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Multi-Line Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PovQfP77fAc&feature=PlayList&p=3B09B1FC4F6A46DF&index=4

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Nishio Strategy in Sudoku  (all else fails, towards end when you are stumped)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wGWR1BRTn4&feature=PlayList&p=6DB4C35ACDAA32EC&index=11

 

Reviewed didn't really get or not ready for it:

Master Strategies:

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Forcing Chains Strategy in Sudoku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55FrfkwUjbg&feature=PlayList&p=3B09B1FC4F6A46DF&index=1

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : X-Wing Strategy in Sudoku
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0EDZ7uCkz8&feature=PlayList&p=6DB4C35ACDAA32EC&index=6

How to Solve Sudoku Puzzles : Swordfish Strategy in Sudoku
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHib5G3S6fo&feature=PlayList&p=6DB4C35ACDAA32EC&index=1

Are You in the Right Job?

Now that I am in my 3rd career, I discovered a litmus test of finding out if you are in the right job. Ask yourself do you like the people you go to lunch with? When I was in the Army, I found it hard to find like minded individuals to chat about philosophy, politics, and books, so I usually ate alone sitting against a tree. When I was an elementary school teacher, I couldn't bear eating lunch in the teachers' lounge and listening to the gossiping and complaining, so I usually ate alone in my classroom. In my current job (now academia), I fill up my lunch plans every week with different coworkers that I genuinely enjoy chatting, collaborative brainstorming, and conversing with. After all I am not a loner luncher, I am finally in the right job around the right people for me.

Dirty Jobs Philosphical Reflection of the Lost Art of Work

Watch Mike Rowe, the host of "Dirty Jobs," tells some compelling (and horrifying) real-life job stories. Listen for his insights and observations about the lost art and  nature of hard work, and how it’s been unjustifiably degraded in society today.

GTD Gmail System

My GTD/Gmail system

http://www.shawncoons.com/?p=34

How to Organize Your Email Folders- GTD Style

http://h2w2.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-to-organize-your-email-folders-gtd.html

Gmail Superstars

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/07/gmail-superstars.html

My superstar codes:

Yellow Star=Requires Action (No Deadline)

Blue Star= (Ice melt) Requires Action Soon

Red ! = Requires Action Now

i = useful info to file

? = don't know
>>>= forward, @waiting forward, pending, delegated

If you want to find the messages that have a certain kind of star, use one of the following queries:
has:yellow-star (or l:^ss_sy)
has:blue-star (or l:^ss_sb)
has:red-star (or l:^ss_sr)
has:orange-star (or l:^ss_so)
has:green-star (or l:^ss_sg)
has:purple-star (or l:^ss_sp)
has:red-bang (or l:^ss_cr)
has:yellow-bang (or l:^ss_cy)
has:blue-info (or l:^ss_cb)
has:orange-guillemet (or l:^ss_co)
has:green-check (or l:^ss_cg)
has:purple-question (or l:^ss_cp)

25 Speed Reading Secrets Every Student Should Know

25 Speed Reading Secrets Every Student Should Know

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/10/14/25-speed-reading-secrets-every-student-should-know/

DIY MBA Resources

100 YouTube Videos for Your Business Education & Enlightenment
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/11/03/100-youtube-videos-for-your-business-education-enlightenment/

50 Eye-Opening Lectures for the Marketing Mind
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/11/02/50-eye-opening-lectures-for-the-marketing-mind/

101 iTunes Feeds to Boost Your Business Savvy
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/10/22/101-itunes-feeds-to-boost-your-business-savvy/

100 Must-Read Blog Posts for Networking in a New Age
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/10/20/100-must-read-blog-posts-for-networking-in-a-new-age/

50 Best Career Books for College Students

50 Best Career Books for College Students
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/11/10/50-best-career-books-for-college-students/

Book: Eat That Frog

Brian Tracy’s “Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time”

Book Summary:
1. Set the table.
a. Decide exactly what you want.
b. Write it down.
c. Set a deadline on your goal.
d. Make a list of all substeps.
e. Organize the list into a plan.
f. Take action on the plan immediately.
g. resolve to do something every day that moves you towards your goal.


2. Plan every day in advance.
= Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
- Master List
- Monthly List
- Weekly List
- Daily List


3. Apply the 80/20 rule to everything.
- Pareto principle 80/20
- Resist the temptation to clear up small things first.
Time management = Life management.


4. Consider the consequences.
- Long term thinking improves short-term decision making.
- Future intent influences and often determines present actions.
- Failures do what is "tension relieving", while winners do what is "goal achieving".


5. Practice the ABCDE method continually.
A = must do tasks (me intend, MIT most important tasks)
B = should do tasks (allow maybe task)
C = nice to do tasks (someday task)
D = delegate tasks (waiting for)
E = eliminate tasks (dump it
-Do all A before B then B before C etc


6. Focus on key result areas.
- Why am I on the payroll?
- Your weakest key result area sets the height at which you can use all your other skills and abilities.


7. Obey the law of forced efficiency.
- "There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing.


He used the term MIT most important goals or tasks
for each day/each role/area of your life


8. Prepare thoroughly before you begin.
- Clean work area
- All the required tools.


9. Do your homework.
- "Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field."


10. Leverage your special talents.
- Focus on your best abilities.


11. Identify your key constraints.


12. Take it one barrel at a time.
- Oil drums to cross the desert - one step at a time.


13. Put the pressure on yourself.
- You have to leave for an all-expense paid vacation tomorrow!


14. Maximize your personal powers.
- Sleep enough
- One day a week: absolute vacation.


15. Motivate yourself into action.
- Look for the good.
- Seek the valuable lesson in every setback.
- Look for the solution to every problem.


16. Practice creative procrastination.
- You can get your time and your life under control only to the degree to which you discontinue lower value activities.


17. Do the most difficult task first.
- List everything you have to do.
- Review with ABCDE, 80/20
- Select A1
- Assemble everything needed
- Clear workspace
- Eat that frog.


18. Slice and dice the task.
- Salami slice - fixed units of work. at a time
- Swiss cheese method - fixed units of time at regular intervals.


19. Create large chunks of time.
- Set aside time for specific work.


20. Develop a sense of urgency.
- Get that mental state of "Flow"
- Develop a bias for action.


21. Single handle every task
- Start a high-priority task and persist till its 100% done

Video: Covey's Big Rocks Concept

Bill Gates High School Address

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair . . . get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping . . . they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Right vs. Left Brain Hemispheres

Play the video to test yourself.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcuts can be 4x fastser than mouse

Online shortcuts databases:

http://www.shortcutguide.com/google/

http://www.keyxl.com/

See my favorite shortcuts for my favorite programs here