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# Modest Operations | Newsletter Volume 5
- URL: https://www.drewshannon.net/modest-operations-newsletter-volume-5/
- Published: 2018-12-25T14:59:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-13T22:24:28.000Z
- Description: Modest Operations email newsletter Volume 5 (December 25, 2018).
- Author: Drew Shannon
- Tags: choire sicha, fast company, jessica stillman, modest operations, newsletter, the new york times, #import-mailchimp-2026-09-13

I'm frantically typing this and trying to get the newsletter out the door in between family holiday events and skipping a week after only 4 volumes didn't seem very auspicious, so I'll keep it brief this week. 

Have a wonderful holiday season.

**This Week's Links** *A list of things I've been reading & thinking about.*\* "By providing a constant reminder of all the things he didn’t know, Eco’s library kept him intellectually hungry and perpetually curious. An ever-growing collection of books you haven’t yet read can do the same for you." - [Why you should surround yourself with more books than you’ll ever have time to read (Jessica Stillman for Fast Company)](https://www.fastcompany.com/90275343/why-you-should-surround-yourself-with-more-books-than-youll-ever-have-time-to-read?ref=drewshannon.net) \* "But now that you mention it, 'Hey, could you …' as an opening in a business request tactic is both widespread and irritating. I do it constantly! It’s smug, it’s fake-friendly, and it muddies the water. If you can’t really say 'No, I can’t' in response, then the question is crud. Let’s kill that, instead of reinstating the ancient 'please.' (I will try, and I will fail.)" - [Oh Please Stop Saying Please (Choire Sicha for The New York Times)](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/business/ghosting-your-job.html?ref=drewshannon.net)