2026-06-20 00:00:00
Get Thoughts Without a Thinker
Mark Epstein is a psychiatrist who also meditates, and in Thoughts Without a Thinker he uses both practices to make the point that the solid, permanent self we work so hard to build and protect is the same self that keeps us anxious. If you loosen your grip on it, a lot of everyday suffering will decrease.
We spend enormous energy projecting an image of being complete and self-sufficient. Epstein argues that the feeling of a solid, unchanging “me” behind all of this is something we assemble, not something we find. He describes the self as stitched together out of the gaps in our emotional experience, the raw spots we rush to cover up instead of looking at. Seeing how the assembly works is the first step toward holding it more lightly.
Much of our pain, Epstein writes, comes from being afraid to experience ourselves directly. Feelings are fleeting and constantly shifting, but we treat them as fixed, solid facts about who we are. A passing wave of anger becomes “I am an angry person.” A moment of doubt becomes “something is wrong with me.” When we let experiences stay as fast as they actually are, they have far less power over us.
The central tool Epstein draws from Buddhism is “bare attention”: noticing exactly what is happening, moment by moment, before you pile your reactions on top of it. There is the cold of the air, and then there is your story about the cold. Bare attention watches the raw event and the reaction as two separate things. The goal of this practice is not to feel calm or blissful. It is to watch the sense of a fixed self loosen as you observe it.
Epstein calls the Buddha a kind of original psychoanalyst, using a method of self-inquiry centuries before Freud. But he points out a key difference. Much of Western therapy hunts for a “true self” hidden under our defenses, waiting to be set free. The Buddhist view says there is no such self underneath, only layers of constructions to see through. The work is to stop polishing a better self-image and start noticing how the image gets made.
“We do not want to admit our lack of substance to ourselves and, instead, strive to project an image of completeness, or self-sufficiency. The fabric of self is stitched together out of just these holes in our emotional experience.”
Book Freak is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We also run Recomendo, the Cool Tools website, a YouTube channel and podcast, and other newsletters, including Recomendo Deals, Gar’s Tips & Tools, Nomadico, What’s in my NOW?, Tools for Possibilities, Books That Belong On Paper, and Book Freak.
2026-06-19 00:00:00
After years of me bugging my wife to get a book light for places where the bedside lamp is too bright, she finally found one she liked enough to plunk down 14 bucks for: this Compact LED rechargeable light. It folds up small for travel but has an impressive array of functions, like 4 brightness levels, different intensity levels to go more amber when trying to fall asleep, and a flexible head that can bathe 2 pages of a book with light. Battery life is 9 to 80 hours depending on brightness.
Like most people who grew up in the USA, I get bored with most futbol/soccer matches since all that running around usually doesn’t accomplish much. Apparently that’s a surprise to FIFA since 175,000 too-expensive World Cup tickets remained unsold this week. If you want to dive in deep though, The Guardian has you covered: this website provides details on every single player from every country that’s participating in the event this year. Study up before arriving at the sports bar wherever you’ll be in the world.
This has been a busy month already for airline news. Philippine Airlines is set to join the OneWorld Alliance, which will add 31 new markets nobody else in that group is serving. Southwest added another “interline partner” with Singapore Air, which means you can complete your last leg on Southwest when the first one is booked on Singapore, via one ticket. (They’ve also done this with Icelandair, Turkish, ANA, and Philippine Airlines.) Last, if you have a Delta Amex, that just got a lot more valuable. Delta added a second free checked bag on domestic flights, in addition to the one for you and your companions. Get it here and earn 70-90K SkyMiles points depending on your spend and there’s no annual fee the first year!
If you’re going to have a long layover somewhere, which are the best airports to be stuck in? This report crunches a lot of data—including which are best for sleeping—and my only quibble is that the quantity of lounges is rated too highly. (The only lounge stat that matters to a traveler is which one they can actually get into.) Asia dominates the top-20, with Singapore’s Changi Airport predictably taking the gold medal. Did you know they have 247 places to eat there?! Atlanta made a surprisingly good showing at #3, with others in the top-10 including Seoul, Dubai, Tokyo Haneda, and Shanghai. Bogota scored #2 in the Americas, while Heathrow and Schiphol were tops in Europe.
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
2026-06-18 00:00:00
I’m following where I feel there is energy flowing and honoring that. These days I’m just making projects with Claude and other AI agents together. It’s the age of dreamer to manifest into reality what one envisions without any middleman involved. Also I’m writing occasional essays at: pilgrima.ge
energy begets more energy
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2026-06-17 00:00:00
THE BEAUTIFUL GROTESQUES OF MEGAHEX ARE BACK WITH MORE TALES OF DEPRAVITY AND FRIENDSHIP
Megg and Mogg in Amsterdam (and Other Stories)
by Simon Hanselmann
Fantagraphics
2016, 164 pages, 6.6 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
The entire loveably dysfunctional freak family that stole our hearts in Megahex (and sold them on the black market for hookers and blow) are back in Megg and Mogg in Amsterdam (and Other Stories). Once again we enter the bizarre funhouse world of Megg the witch, her cat familiar/lover Mogg, and their coterie of hangers on: Owl, Werewolf Jones, Mike the Gnome, Booger (a boogey woman), Dracula, Jr., and others.
On the surface, little has changed. The revolving door of Megg and Mogg’s house still spins to let their drug-addled crew enter, hatch a series of ridiculous schemes, inhale all of the drugs and fast food, and then we get to watch as one nightmarish scenario after another plays out like a slow-motion train wreck. But there are deeper relationship themes that run through Megg and Mogg in Amsterdam. Over the course of the book, strips begin to introduce trouble in Megg and Mogg’s relationship, and Megg’s growing attraction to Booger. Werewolf Jones also is having trouble in his marriage and is fighting to retain custody of his two sons (while doing every boneheaded thing in the world to ensure that doesn’t happen). The title of the book refers to a trip that Megg and Mogg take to Amsterdam to try and patch up their failing relationship.
The level of depression and depravity that drives Megg and Mogg (even more intense here than in Megahex) might be too much for some, but there is also an undeniable heart that beats at the center of this work. There is obviously a lot of love and solidarity to be found within the complex relationships between these characters – in the midst of the binge drugging, the frequent release of bodily fluids, and the seeming complete lack of any motivation or ambition on anyone’s part. The gloss of Megg and Mogg is undeniably juvenile, but it all feels deftly counter-balanced by an intelligence and a weird shape of hope that always keeps me rooting for these cartoon human monstrosities. – Gareth Branwyn
The Collector
by Sergio Toppi
Archaia
2014, 252 pages, 8.5 x 11 x 1 inches
I was delighted to discover this terrific collection of comics by Italian artist Sergio Toppi. Although I’d never seen his work before, it instantly got my attention and seemed familiar. It combines a flat graphic art style, a swashbuckling sensibility and witty writing that I found irresistible.
Sergio Toppi (1932-2012) was an artist and illustrator from Italy, whose books have been published for decades in Europe but only recently translated and available in the U.S. through Archaia, a division of Boom Entertainment. The Collector won the Soleil D’Or prize for Best Series at the Soliès-Ville Festival. It’s easy to see why.
The book follows the exciting exploits of an 1880’s rogue and dandy, known as “The Collector,” as he travels the globe in search of treasures. Not a seeker of gold or jewels, he collects only artifacts with historical significance. This sets the stage for adventures featuring Hopi Indians in the American Southwest, camel-riding Ethiopians, Mongol tribesmen, warring Irish clans, Maori chieftains and more. Although the artwork is in black and white, it’s most highly folkloric and historically colorful. The separate wide-ranging episodes and characters are knitted back together into a satisfying finale.
Each page is laid out in dramatic fashion with bold layouts. Some pages have conventional multiple comic panels, while others feature free-wheeling compositions, along with other full-page designs, more fine line illustration than comic book. Toppi is a master of drawing the human figure and the characters are richly rendered in various cultures’ costumes and in far-flung settings. That, combined with his inventive crosshatching, splatters, scratches and bold use of solid blacks, reminds me of two of my favorites: Bernie Fuchs and Mike Mignola.
I enjoyed the cinematic approach of the staging and the clever use of scale. Tiny figures draw you into a wider landscape, then are immediately juxtaposed against a close-up portrait, all within one page’s layout. If you remember that scene from the film Lawrence of Arabia where a nearly infinitesimally tiny camel-riding Peter O’Toole is boldly placed into a Cinerama desertscape, you’ll know what I mean – wow! I’m looking forward to reading another translated Toppi book: Sharaz De: Tales from the Arabian Nights. – Bob Knetzger
Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.
2026-06-16 00:00:00
In our yard we’ve been nursing along some small clumps of bamboo, and since then I’ve been investigating other hardy bamboos. I own a lot of bamboo books, but Practical Bamboos is by far the most useful of all. Other bamboo books are more encyclopedic; this one focuses on “only” the 50 most useful bamboo species, spelling out what types are good for fence rows, which are drought resistant, which work well in containers, and how to identify those variants from lookalikes. There’s very specific growing tips for each variety and solid advice about the principles of growing bamboo plants in general. This is the manual to get. — KK
Coppicing is an old art of the repeated harvesting of small-diameter wood from the same bush or tree. Once cut, the branches grow back, often pretty fast. Coppicing is common tradition around the world, particularly where big lumber is scarce. This book teaches the traditions and skills of coppicing as practiced in England. Coppicing is a useful art for homesteaders because you can sustainably extract wood products from a small lot or even fence row. Coppiced wood can be woven, used for carving, making chairs, charcoal, and for firewood. This English book is the best guide to the craft, instructing you in how to grow, manage, and use coppice bounty. One note, emphasized by the book: the biggest challenge in coppicing today is controlling deer, which were not a problem in old days (everyone ate them), but their huge populations now devour coppice shoots indiscriminately. — KK
Coppicing makes use of a mysterious property that most trees have: when cut down they do not die but grow again from the stump or roots. People have used this behavior for at least 6,000 years to generate renewable supple of wood for fuel or to use for many crafts, simple or specialized.
Bamboo works. Bamboo does more things than any other material. Many of its traditional uses are inventoried here. A shape-shifter, bamboo’s super-human abilities are amazing. Its grass fiber is all that plastic would like to be, plus more. This is an encyclopedia of bamboo ideas. — KK
Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.
2026-06-15 00:00:00
Mechanical-pencil.com reminds me of the Way Things Work book I loved as a kid, but with 3D animations that make it even more illuminating. Mechanical engineer and artist Bryan Macomber tears down familiar objects — a Pilot G2 retractable pen, a Zippo lighter, a Pez dispenser, a BIC mechanical pencil — and walks you through how each one works, part by part. Watching the push-push mechanism inside a clicky pen click into place is genuinely satisfying. I hope Bryan keeps adding to this series. — MF
Storied Colors is nerdy and delightful. More than 250 colors are indexed and searchable so you can read the stories behind their origin, chemistry and use. This is especially meaningful to me because not only do I pride myself on knowing the various names for different shades of color, but when I was a young weird kid, instead of playing with dolls, I would play with my box of crayons as characters, assigning personalities based on their color. Color has always been a portal to the imaginal for me, rather than just a simple tint. There’s a mention on their website of an upcoming newsletter version that you can sign up for. — CD
The hosts of a great podcast we have featured on Recomendo before, Acquired, conclude each of their 3-hour episodes about legendary companies with several personal recommendations each. These could be any apps, books, destinations, shows, apparel, or devices they have personally enjoyed in the last month. They have good taste, lots of variety and a wide range, over their 10-year run. This sounds familiar! They call these reviews, “carve outs” (not connected to the show’s topic) but they are really Acquired’s version of Recomendo. I’ve found some good stuff this way. — KK
I’ve been wearing the RingConn Gen 3 and the Oura Ring 4 side by side for over a week, and their core tracking is nearly identical — sleep profiles, heart rate, and other vital signs all line up closely between the two. So on accuracy, it’s basically a wash. But I prefer the RingConn for two reasons: it doesn’t charge a $6/month subscription to see your own data, and it lets you export that data — neither of which Oura allows. The RingConn also has vibration alerts for a low battery, too much sitting, and other health nudges (you can silence them while sleeping). The one thing Oura does better: a small dimple that lets you orient the sensors toward your palm. The RingConn lacks that, so it sometimes rotates, and I’m not sure it’s reading accurately. — MF
Obsessive effort spent on ridiculous memes, over-the-top projects about stupid things, absurd seriousness about nonsense. Also meticulous craftsmanship at scale: these are the hallmarks of art projects by Sunday Nobody, a young “meme artist” who posts on YouTube and Instagram. For a recent example of his gonzo projects, watch his Taco Bell Funeral. To finance his performances he sells limited editions of his very collectable art. His real art is the whole nerdy process. — KK
Johnny Webber put together a great list of resources for anyone contemplating purchasing or building their own Writer Deck, a single-purpose, distraction-free writing device. I still use my AlphaSmart Neo2, which I recommended in 2019 when you could still find them super cheap on Amazon, and the tactile keyboard feels so satisfying to type on while the battery life lasts for months and months. Someday I might invest in a newly made writer deck, but for now this works. — CD
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