10 books to check out from Jordan Peterson's 'Great Books' list

The Canadian professor has an extensive collection posted on his site.

  • Peterson's Great Books list features classics by Orwell, Jung, Huxley, and Dostoevsky.
  • Categories include literature, neuroscience, religion, and systems analysis.
  • Having recently left Patreon for "freedom of speech" reasons, Peterson is taking direct donations through Paypal (and Bitcoin).
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Originally, Poe envisioned a parrot — not a raven

Quoth the parrot — "Squawk! Nevermore."

  • Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1949) is considered one of America's great writers.
  • Poe penned his most famous poem, The Raven, in his 30s.
  • Originally, the poem's feathered subject was a bit flamboyant.
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What keeps elite athletes motivated to win? It's not just money.

A wealthy team doesn't automatically make for a successful team.

  • Revenues for teams in the MLB, the NBA, and the NHL are boosted by wins — but not those in the NFL.
  • Your favorite sports team might not be experiencing a "real" championship drought, at least compared to others.
  • The average overall length of a title drought in the NFL is 61.5 years
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Similar ideas between Buddhism and Western psychology

Buddhism and Western science converge on a number of ideas.

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Culture & Religion
  • Modern psychologists attribute less power to the conscious self.
  • Buddhism has significant insight on how to counter listless states of desire.
  • Doubting the ego just might be good for the ego itself.
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Why I wear my life on my skin

For Damien Echols, tattoos are part of his existential armor.

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  • In prison Damien Echols was known by his number SK931, not his name, and had his hair sheared off. Stripped of his identity, the only thing he had left was his skin.
  • This is why he began tattooing things that are meaningful to him — to carry a "suit of armor" made up the images of the people and objects that have significance to him, from his friends to talismans.
  • Echols believes that all places are imbued with divinity: "If you interact with New York City as if there's an intelligence behind... then it will behave towards you the same way."
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The unexpected first jobs of famous scientists

Everyone comes from somewhere.

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Culture & Religion
  • First jobs can have often contradictory expectations and feel like an odd fit for your talents.
  • If you feel that way, you're not alone: Isaac Newton once worked as a farmer.
  • One tip for your first job: be an observer of people and your environment.
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