Modest Operations | Newsletter Volume 5

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) * "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)