Inflection Archive
Shortcut to the best content I've ever encountered
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Humanity’s progress tends to follow a non-linear path, comprised largely of incremental improvements that contribute to occasional innovational explosions that alter our perception of what is possible. We experienced one such propulsion on the operating table in the mid-1800’s, when dentists and surgeons, like William Morton and Crawford Williamson Long respectively, began using ether, the first anesthetic. Surgery, once defined by rapid and brutal butchery, now posed a visionary future of targeted and careful craftsmanship – the game gained a new dimension. Comparable periods exist throughout sports history, from Roger Bannister defying the unassailable 4-minute mile mark to Michael Jordan breeding the modern image of what it means to be an athletic icon and UFC fighters implementing the infamous calf-kick. In hindsight, 6th grade was one of these pivotal moments in my academic adventure, as – after years of hearing that 2 minus 3 was an unfeasible operation – my pre-algebra teacher exposed the existence of negative numbers, essentially dragging me through the wardrobe into the mathematical equivalent of Narnia.
These inflection points are as present as ever with today’s unprecedented availability of information; however, the overwhelming influx of data can easily bury such perspective-altering content in videos of dancing squirrels. And, I’m guilty of contributing to the problem, in that – though I strive to provide unique and impactful information – not ALL of the content on Shortcut U breaks down belief barriers and opens portals to new universes of possibility. For this reason, I give you the Inflection Archive: a collection of content including but not limited to books, podcasts, clips, and quotes that have seriously impacted my perspective and that I believe will seriously impact yours. My goal is to strictly limit additions to the most pivotal and noteworthy content I’ve ever come across, providing the ultimate Vantage Point Views content collection.
Books
The Emperor of All Maladies
At the time of my writing this, when it comes to medical/scientific writing, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer is the best I’ve ever read – it’s not even close. It’s challenging enough to dissect a topic as intricate as cancer to the layperson level, making it understandable without sacrificing comprehensiveness, and Mukherjee exceeds this standard by transforming the process into an animated story. His, “biography of cancer,” expanded my view in two ways: drastically improving my grip on cancer’s defining features and functions – from both the zoomed-out and zoomed-in perspectives – and reorienting my idea of what scientific writing can and – in my opinion – should be. If you are interested in the core principles of cancer as well as the journey humanity has taken with the disease since Ancient Egyptian times – regardless of whether you are an expert oncologist or are completely unfamiliar with cancer biology – I strongly believe Mukherjee’s work will not disappoint you. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer is the first piece of scientific/medical writing I can honestly describe as beautiful.
Available at Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity
If there was only one resource I could recommend in regards to health and longevity, Dr. Peter Attia’s Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity would surely be my choice. Built upon his medical prowess from training as a doctor, research literacy from his time at the National Institute of Health, and mathematical fluency from undergraduate studies in engineering and personal passion for calculus, this book is the summation of a decade’s worth of Attia’s research and discussion with world experts in health, fitness, and longevity.
Much like any other health and longevity book nowadays, Outlive covers the classic pillars of health: exercise, nutrition, sleep, and mental health; though, in my experience, it’s thoroughness, digestibility, actionableness, and lack of tribalism is unmatched. Not only does Attia share his protocols and practices for improving quality and length of life, he shares his frameworks for thinking about the leading causes of death, physical and cognitive decline, and what levers we can pull to impact our longevity. Though it’s cliché, rather than simply telling you WHAT to do with blanket statements, this book teaches you HOW to discern the best strategies and tactics for YOU based on YOUR health objectives (see Chapter 3, Objective, Strategy, Tactics: A Road Map For Reading This Book, for this specifically).
In my opinion, Attia’s most valuable asset is his ability to approach the problem of longevity with an array of different perspectives, from that of an athlete during his time as an elite ultra-endurance swimmer, a doctor through his training as an oncological surgeon, and an analyst during his stint as a risk manager for McKinsey and Company. By combining these vantage points, he is uniquely qualified for deciphering the muddled and multi-faceted world of longevity. But, if you’re not convinced by my opinion alone, check out some of Attia’s appearances on prominent podcasts below, along with some of my favorite content from his own podcast and blog. In addition, I’ll leave some of my most memorable takeaways, quotes, and more from the book. After exploring some of Attia’s perspective-altering content, I suspect you’ll rapidly realize why I feel Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity overwhelmingly deserves a place in the Inflection Archive.
You can find Outlive on Amazon, Audible, and most other book stores.