Welcome to the first edition of On the Brookeshelf!

On the Brookeshelf is a monthly digest of the most interesting and actionable content I’ve consumed, products I’ve tested, and things I’ve learned, over the last 30 days.

It will be published on the 1st of the month, every month.

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Let’s get into it.

 🌟 Top 3 of the month

1. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth KeaneFormat: Book – fictionTime committment: ~1 weekWhat you’ll gain: Mostly entertainment, an escape from your day-to-day, and a contemplation of forbidden love and the meaning of a good life

2. The Life Dinner Method Format: Twitter threadTime commitment: ~5 minutesWhat you’ll gain: Something to try with your partner or yourself this month→ Note: I tried this with my partner, Alex, over coffee and tea and a journal. I love the guiding questions here, which gave us both an opportunity to open up about things we might not have otherwise shared. We both left this conversation feeling closer, more connected, and more excited for the month ahead. FWIW: if you’re single, I’d recommend completing this practice anyway. These questions may be things you haven’t yet explored internally and there is value to unlock whether you take this exercise individually or as a pair.

3. Drink MastersFormat: TV Series (Netflix)Time commitment: 40-45 minutes per episodeWhat you’ll gain: A new appreciation for mixology as an art form and (maybe) inspiration for your next at-home cocktail. I’ve been perfecting my whiskey sour.

🗞️ February content haul

A summary of some content I consumed, so you can skip to the good parts.

👁️ Reads

Articles

• Saudi is building a cube-shaped super-city in its capital, Riyadh. This is one more show-stopping architectural project to add to the nation’s bold Vision 2030 plan. Anyone that’s been to Saudi Arabia within the last 6 months can feel the changes ahead. My take? Saudi is in a similar place now to where the UAE was in the 1990s. It’s still early, but the company is opening up, building, and investing in bringing the world in to visit, and ultimately, to live. And the changes are happening fast. With massive market potential – 35 million people in Saudi Arabia, 70% of which are below the age of 30 – I’m eager to see how the tech ecosystem grows and matures over the next 2-5 years.

• Dubai is planning to launch flying taxis by 2026. The UAE has long been at the forefront of frontier technology, and historically changes have been implemented with record speed. Anyone that’s visited the Museum of the Future (affectionately, and dare I say accurately referred to as “the most beautiful building in the world”) can see how the city is positioning itself as a leader in the creation and implementation of new tech.

• A new study in the UK found that switching to a four-day work week increased employee happiness (surprise, surprise) and productivity. Many of these employers are keeping to the new schedule now that the pilot is over, and there is actually a non-profit devoted to helping the rest of the world shave a day off of their working week. Some big players are jumping on the bandwagon, including Amazon, Microsoft and Shopify.

• I recently found out we ended up with “gaslighting” as the Merriam-Webster word of the year and I’m not sure what that says about the English-speaking world in 2022, but the etymology of the term is kind of fun and literary.

• When Amazon’s Alexa Fund announced its $20 million investment in Superplastic, I figured it might be a good time to read up on the group. Superplastic creates and develops characters that they refer to as “synthetic celebrities”. These celebrities are born in a studio and exist as influencers on major social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This underscores a few major trends in tech right now: the mass migration of consumer attention from IRL to the so-called metaverse, and the increasingly blurred lines between technology and media.

• If you haven’t tried out ChatGPT (OpenAI’s chat-based AI tool) yet, what are you waiting for? There is a lot of talk in recent months about the “AI arms race”. As more sophisticated AI applications continue to roll out, I’ll be paying close attention to what technology ethicists are saying about the possibilities and dangers of what comes next.

• Jaron Lanier wrote a contrarian take on AI and I kind of loved it. The headline: To preserve our human reality, we must make our new technologies more like the Talmud. He takes the stance that “AI” is not really super-human intelligence, but a new way to mash-up human ideas and creations through the use of computers.

Books

• A Good Lie by A.R. Torre – This was a fun one! Sort of like reading an episode of Criminal Minds.

• Hard Landing by Thomas Petzinger, Jr. – As someone who’s spent more than 280 hours on planes in the last two years, it’s a bit shocking that until now, I knew very little about the history of the airline industry. This reads like a cross between a novel and a docuseries and you’ll see some well-known players turn up in here!

🎧 Listens

• Unexplainable by Vox – This has become my car ride go-to. The hosts unpack a number of “unexplainable” mysteries, like why we cry, how planes fly and “gut” feelings.

• Pimsleur – I highly recommend the Pimsleur app for learning a new language. I’ve used their software for both French and Mandarin, it helps a ton with pronunciation and is fully audio-focused. Now I’m finally learning Arabic.

🛍️ February product haul 

What I’m loving, and what I’m leaving.

Loving:

• Hydroflask water bottle – I carry mine literally everywhere and it’s got everything you need: durability, a straw!, temp control for ~48 hours.

• Bala bangles – I was skeptical that adding 1 lb weights would do much in a workout but LET ME TELL YOU. I’ve been shocked at how amazing these feel. Perfect level-up for any pilates or sculpt workout.

• Form workouts by Sami Clarke – Think: strength meets pilates. Great playlists and high-energy, 30-45 minute workouts. I love that I don’t have to think about it or choose a workout, Sami publishes a weekly schedule and the results have been 🔥

• Vitamin C powder – aka Absorpic Acid. The easiest and most delicious way to macrodose Vitamin C, which has (controversially) been linked to curing illnesses like cancer and COVID-19, but most importantly, just FEELS GOOD in my body and wakes me up like only a cold shower can.

• OV exercise dress – I don’t use mine to exercise, but I’m obsessed with it for walking and biking around particularly in a warm climate. It’s sweat-wicking and has spandex shorts attached underneath the skirt.

• Lululemon fanny pack – This was a Christmas gift from my partner’s mom and I honestly use it daily. Walking around the city, on a bike, while horseback riding, hiking – pretty much anywhere you go, it fits all the essentials.

Leaving:

• Athletic Greens – This was a fad for me and didn’t stick. I’ll continue to take it periodically and if/when I’m sick, but don’t feel it does much on a daily basis.

• Goli gummies – These babies are all marketing, no substance. They taste good, but you can achieve the same with Haribo bears 🙂 

 🔮 Monthly manifest

 🛫 A final thought 

Brought to you by @theholisticpsyc

Have an amazing March and see you next month!

Yours truly,

Brooke

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Have feedback, questions, disagreements? DM me on Twitter! I can’t wait to meet you 🙂