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.

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)