Picks
This page features the best of my picks for books, vlogs and web picks. I have annotated each entry to help guide you on your own journey to be a lifelong learner. In full self-disclosure, I have included four of the work-in-progress websites from our own community development groups.
Books
Here are four of my book picks, as a sample of the literary works that have influenced me in my life and work. In respect of copyright guidelines, I have added hyperlinks to Amazon.com so you can honour the publisher and easily access the books for your personal library
Why are People altruistic?
Oren Harman is an amazing author and has produced a must-read on evolutionary altruism. Harman dedicates a large portion of the book to understanding altruism in the last 150 and then introduces the physicist, George Price, and his fascinating journey to explain the science behind the reason why evolution produces altruism and the personal impact of his discovery.
What is emergence?
Steven Johnson is one of my favorite authors. In the last 20 years, Johnson has taken the lead in offering an understanding of non-linear science and emergence to those without advanced knowledge of the subject. This is one of Johnson's earlier works and still a must read to gain basic knowledge of how nature and core human systems self organize at every level and produce order out of chaos.
What Makes Ants So Smart?
Deborah Gordon has provided a seminal work on the study of ants. Gordon has dedicated her career to the observation of ants to gain an understanding of how many random interactions of thousands of ants can produce unseen patterns and then perfect order in an ant colony. Ants at Work also examines corporate memory in an ant setting which endures beyond the short life expectancy of each ant.
The Best Novel Ever?
Miguel de Cervantes gave the world a great gift 1615 he completed Don Quixote, written in Spanish, when the Spanish Inquisition was in full operation. Don Quixote, the protagonist and an avid reader, imagines himself a knight with a mission to win his love, Dulcinea, whom he never met. The English word, quixotic, meaning exceedingly optimistic, keeps this writing enduringly fresh. My favorite novel.
Vlogs
These three vlogs, and one educational channel, are all available for viewing on YouTube, and are a sampling of the many ways we all can keep learning, at any age.
For Investment Learners
Patrick Boyle is a fund manager, academic, author, and vlogger worth listening to in any medium. Boyle is witty, sarcastic, and most of all a treasure trove of knowledge and insight into the market economy. Boyle has a weekly vlog and comments on globally relevant current affairs and the ups and downs of publicaly and privately traded companies.
For all Adventures
Itchy Boots is Noraly Schoenmaker, a 30 something Dutch motor cycle traveler and adventurer. Itchy Boots is a trained archeologist who has a love for cultures and geology in every corner of the world. Watching the many episodes of Itchy Boots as she rides her motorcylce across continents will make you laugh and cry, and leave you in awe of her bravery,
For the Power of Small
Okay, I admit this is shameless self-promotion because this is my own soon to commence vlog channel, but I am determined to learn the world of vlogging myself and make contributions on the benefits of natural systems in world dominated by top-down, reductionists systems that make our lives difficult, and are unnatural, unnecessary, and unsustainable.
For Science Learners
Kurzgesagt means "in a nutshell" in German and is a Munich-based YouTube educational channel and animation studio which has produced an impressive collection of science-based videos. Kurzgesagt raises awareness in the fields of science, space, technology, history and philosophy. Of special note is the video: How Stupid Things Become Smart Together.
Websites
I have authored or co-authored these websites in an effort to discover how self-learners like my can master WordPress web creation, but even more importantly to learn how to communicate the efforts of bottom-up community organizations everywhere.
Self Organizing Villages
Sustainable Villages provides capital grants and pay-forward loans to organized groups for projects that improve health, education and the well-being of low income communities.
Viral Social Enterprise
The first Smart Ant community contribution company emerged in 1988 among the Umalila people in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The business was a pay forward pharmacy.
Emergent Weight Loss
Quixulin Better Health Society is a Canadian-based social enterprise dedicated to globally distributed weight loss solutions focused on the prevention of Type 2 diabetes.
Bottom-up Housing
Anhart’s mission is to develop 20,000 privately initiated affordable homes in Canada with support from philanthropists, and local community organizations everywhere.