Jason Kottke
Responsible for https://t.co/pEQGvBBWAc. Irresponsible about everything else.
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Jason Kottke
“@procload Not super necessary, since you've seen the TV show. This first book is still a great read though...different than the show (tone-wise more than plot-wise).” (from X)
Now a Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. The Handmaid's Tale is an instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from "the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction" (New York Times) The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population. The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment’s calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid’s Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best.
Recommended by Jason Kottke
“We often hear about how the internet has allowed companies to get big fast, but the same forces can provide great leverage for individuals or small partnerships to choose different success metrics, like freedom, health, or satisfaction. In Big Enough, Lee LeFever shares the approach he and his wife took in building their small online business, and the incredible flexibility it's given them in how they live. As the owner of a tiny online business, I wish I'd had this thoughtful and engaging book as a blueprint when I started out.” (from Amazon)
An eye-opening antidote to the endless-growth mindset, Big Enough offers an alternative path to career success. In this illuminating book, entrepreneur Lee LeFever gives an inside view of building a scalable, product-focused business, while never compromising on quality of life. Lee and his wife, Sachi, responded to the promise of the internet by building a home-based business, Common Craft, that was profitable yet small enough to pivot and innovate. Lee takes you through the multiple business models they pursued―marketplace, digital product licensing, subscription services, distribution partnerships, and more―and offers his best tips for how you, too, can build a lightweight business that supports a life you love. A must-read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, business strategy, and e-commerce, Big Enough arms you with insights into how technology and innovation are changing the face of business―and how the science of happiness and the pursuit of values can help redefine what it means to be successful.