January 2025 Recommendations

I’m trying out a simple monthly format for this blog—sharing interesting things I came across this month, whether it’s books, movies, gadgets, or articles that sparked my curiosity. Some of these may inspire future blog posts (like one I plan to write on Essentialism), while others might simply brighten your day.

Let’s dive in.

Books I Read and Recommend

January was my last free month before returning to a corporate day job, so I managed to read six books. These two stood out:

1) The Trading Game – Gary Stevenson

  • I stumbled on Gary’s excellent YouTube channel, Gary’s Economics, in the past few months and got interested in his backstory—only to find he had just written a Sunday Times best-selling book.
  • The Trading Game is a memoir of his time as an FX trader at Citi Bank in Canary Wharf, from winning his internship in a competitive trading simulation to making millions betting on economic inequality.
  • The book details the eccentric characters of high finance, the ethical dilemmas of profiting from societal decline, and Gary’s struggle to reconcile his success with his growing disillusionment. It’s a fascinating, deeply reflective read.

2) Essentialism – Greg McKeown

  • I’ve heard Greg McKeown on Tim Ferriss’ podcast several times and always resonated with his philosophy of essentialism.
  • As my values continue to evolve, I figured I would finally read his ideas in detail and dove into his first book, essentialism, and loved it!
  • Similar to minimalism, essentialism is about cutting out the excess and focusing only on what truly matters, in all areas of your life.
  • Expect a dedicated blog post on this concept later this month.

Movie Recommendation: Perfect Days (2023) (IMDb)

  • Synopsis: “Hirayama cleans public toilets in Tokyo and lives a life of simplicity and tranquility. Some encounters lead him to reflect on himself.”
  • This film was soothing, moving, and meditative. Beautiful cinematography and a captivating atmosphere. A must-watch if you’re looking for something peaceful and reflective.

Show I’m Watching: Tokyo Vice (IMDb)

  • Synopsis: “A Western journalist working for a publication in Tokyo takes on one of the city’s most powerful crime bosses.”
  • The acting is incredible, and the storyline is gripping—filled with drama, crime, suspense, action, and even romance.
  • Best part? It’s inspired by a true story, based on journalist Jake Adelstein’s book.

Podcast to Check Out: Tim Ferriss & Chris Sacca (Watch or listen here)

  • If you’ve somehow never heard of The Tim Ferriss Show, he’s one of the OG podcasters, a best-selling author, and arguably one of the best curators of interesting guests.
  • In this episode, he interviews Chris Sacca, founder of Lowercase Capital and Lowercarbon Capital. Chris is candid, thoughtful, and unafraid to critique others, explaining how he only holds himself accountable to his wife and kids.
  • They discuss everything from Chris’ grass-roots upbringing, investment mindset and concerns about societal division, raising kids in a hyper-connected world and being resilient in the context of emerging issues like climate change and AI. Highly recommend!

“Any time I put somebody on a pedestal, I realized it holds them to a universal purity test across everything… If there’s anything that’s a scourge in today’s society, it’s these purity tests. You have to be perfect in all regards, or we toss you out.” – Chris Sacca

Articles Worth Checking Out

Breaking Down US Tariff’s – Noah Smith (Read here)

  • Noah Smith breaks down Trump’s economic policy, particularly his reliance on tariffs, and analyzes their impact on Americans, trading partners, and U.S. foreign relations.
  • One angle Noah doesn’t explore is whether Trump actually intends to enforce these tariffs or if they’re just a negotiation tactic with Canada, Mexico, and China. Either way, if they go into effect after this 30-day grace period, the economic consequences will be significant. Expect continued market volatility during Trump’s second term—just look at the VIX Index.
  • NTR: Technically, I read this on Feb 2, but given its relevance, I’m including it in the January post.

Cannabis Use and Working Memory (Read here)

  • This study, conducted on 1,000+ adults (ages 22-36), used MRI scans to examine the long-term effects of cannabis use.
  • Key takeaway: Heavy lifetime users showed a significant reduction in working memory—even after quitting.
  • I find developments in this space interesting, especially given rising rates of cannabis use disorder and the correlation of using cannabis in early adolescence and increased risk of mental health disorders, including Schizophrenia.
  • While other substances (like alcohol) also have harmful cognitive effects, I wanted to share this to counter the common belief that cannabis is “mostly harmless.” In 2015, 21% of 12th graders believed cannabis had no risks—a jump of 11 percentage points since 2006 (source).

Why You Should Stop Asking “Why” – Rebecca Berry (Read here)

  • The way we frame questions impacts conversations and outcomes.
  • Using why in workplace discussions can sound interrogative or judgmental, shutting down open dialogue.
  • Rebecca provides practical alternatives to improve communication and collaboration. A great read for anyone looking to enhance workplace dynamics.
  • Caveat: why remains useful in a scientific and process-based context, especially when completing root-cause analysis. Her critique centres around the use of why for other conversations in the work-place.

Gadget of the Month: Portable Bag Hanger (Amazon)

  • A simple but super useful gadget. I originally got this for my wife to keep her purse off the floor at restaurants/cafes, but it comes in a pack of two, so I started using mine to hang my headphones at my desk.
  • The design is clever—it distributes weight in a way that keeps bags securely suspended. Small, portable, and practical!

App Recommendation – Instapaper

A generated RSS feed for all your favourite newsletters to come straight to an “inbox” for you to read later. Stumble on an article you want to read but don’t have time right now? With the click of a button, save the article for later. Best part – your account syncs across your devices so you can pickup where you left off on your computer, smart phone or tablet. Free service that I highly recommend!

Final Thoughts

If you’ve made it this far—thank you for reading! I plan to publish more long-form content on topics I’m researching, experiments I’m trying, and books I’m reading.

I’d love your feedback. Feel free to email me at blog@encarno.com with suggestions or topic recommendations.

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