There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn't so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be inspired to do after reading Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song. Why one song? Because the difference between one song and many songs isn't a cute semantic trick—it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a capital-S songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit. And then there is the energizing, nourishing creativity that can open up. How to Write One Song brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song—lyrics, music, and putting it all together—and accesses the deep sense of wonder that remains at the heart of this curious, yet incredibly fulfilling, artistic act. But it’s equally about the importance of making creativity part of your life every day, and of experiencing the hope, inspiration, and joy available to anyone who’s willing to get started.

The best movie, hands down ever, by the greatest director Tommy Wiseau. A classic masterpiece produced in 2003 is still watched in theaters today. Now that is longevity!

or La grande bellezza in Italian. A masterpiece by Paolo Sorrentino in which a socialite Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo) reflects on his life of lavish parties among the cultural elite of Rome. Stunning visual and cinematography.

"Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a groundbreaking exploration of systems and entities that thrive and grow stronger in the face of stress, volatility, and chaos. Taleb introduces the concept of "antifragility," which goes beyond resilience or robustness. Through a mix of philosophy, practical wisdom, and real-world examples, Taleb illustrates how embracing uncertainty and leveraging disorder can lead to success and innovation. This book is essential for anyone interested in risk management, personal development, and understanding how to benefit from uncertainty and change.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a memoir by Haruki Murakami where he talks about two things that define a big part of his life: running and writing. Murakami didn’t always plan on being a novelist. He was running a jazz bar in his twenties when, while watching a baseball game, he suddenly thought, “I could write a novel.” He gave it a shot, it worked out, and he eventually sold his bar to focus on writing full-time. But sitting at a desk all day, smoking and not moving much, wasn’t doing his health any good. That’s when he picked up running. For Murakami, running is more than just exercise—it’s part of his routine and, in a way, a metaphor for writing. Both take endurance. Both are long hauls where you push yourself day after day, even when you don’t feel like it. The book follows him as he trains for marathons, competes in triathlons, and grapples with the slow decline of his physical abilities as he ages. He talks a lot about acceptance—accepting getting older, accepting bad race times, and accepting that sometimes you just don’t do as well as you hoped. His attitude is basically: That’s life. You move on. The writing style is straightforward, like he’s just talking to you over a coffee. He doesn’t dress things up. Sometimes he rambles, mentioning things like cycling habits or going off on tangents about global warming. At one point, he describes running the original marathon route in Greece—sun blazing, salt stinging his eyes, everything uncomfortable. But through it all, there’s this calm acceptance. He’s not trying to convince anyone to run; he just shares what it means to him. By the end, what sticks isn’t just the running or the writing, but the way he embraces both the highs and the lows—the post-race blues, the joy of finishing, and the satisfaction of something as simple as a cold beer after a long run. It’s a book about effort, routine, and learning to keep going, no matter what.

The great thing about this book is that it takes a big-picture view of human history. It attempts to explain the main themes of human history without getting bogged down in the details. Sapiens also debunks many popular myths about human history, including the one that people today live happier lives and have better diets than our hunter-gatherer predecessors. It comes with an epilogue about the future of humankind in light of ever-accelerating technological progress. With the recent advances in AI it is more relevant than ever. If you're going to read one book on history this year, read this one.

This is the only audiobook I've ever listened to lol. But it is a very interesting story about Elon, arguably the most interesting person alive.

David Ogilvy was considered the "father of advertising" and a creative genius by many of the biggest global brands. First published in 1963, this seminal book revolutionized the world of advertising and became a bible for the 1960s ad generation. It also became an international bestseller, translated into 14 languages. Fizzing with Ogilvy's pioneering ideas and inspirational philosophy, it covers not only advertising, but also people management, corporate ethics, and office politics, and forms an essential blueprint for good practice in business.

Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious -- even liberating -- book, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology. The problems range from ambiguous and hidden controls to arbitrary relationships between controls and functions, coupled with a lack of feedback or other assistance and unreasonable demands on memorization. The Design of Everyday Things shows that good, usable design is possible. The rules are simple: make things visible, exploit natural relationships that couple function and control, and make intelligent use of constraints. The goal: guide the user effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the right time. The Design of Everyday Things is a powerful primer on how -- and why -- some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.

The Brand Gap is the first book to present a unified theory of brand-building. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a “charismatic brand”―a brand that customers feel is essential to their lives. In an entertaining two-hour read you’ll learn: • the new definition of brand • the five essential disciplines of brand-building • how branding is changing the dynamics of competition • the three most powerful questions to ask about any brand • why collaboration is the key to brand-building • how design determines a customer’s experience • how to test brand concepts quickly and cheaply • the importance of managing brands from the inside • 220-word brand glossary

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he? An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

"Project Hail Mary" is a space adventure story written by Andy Weir, the same guy who wrote "The Martian." It's about a man named Ryland Grace who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he's there. He figures out he's on a mission to save Earth from disaster. The story follows him as he tries to remember his past and complete his mission, which involves a lot of science and problem-solving. Along the way, he meets an alien, and they form an unlikely friendship. The book is full of cool science stuff, suspense, and humor. It's like a mix of a mystery and a space adventure, with a lot of heart. The narration by Ray Porter is superb, with sound effects and excellent voice work.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood is Trevor Noah’s autobiography, published in 2016. It tells the story of his early years growing up in South Africa during and after apartheid. The title comes from the fact that his birth—he had a black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss-German father—was literally considered a crime under apartheid laws that banned interracial relationships at the time. The book is a mix of humor and tough truths. Much of it focuses on Trevor’s relationship with his mother, Patricia, who plays a huge role in his life. She’s portrayed as tough, religious, and fiercely independent—someone who dragged him to multiple church services every week, even during times of violence and unrest. Her strong influence shapes his character, often through strict discipline and sharp lessons about right and wrong. Trevor shares stories from his childhood that range from funny to intense. There’s a scene where his mother throws him out of a moving minibus to save him from a potentially dangerous driver. He also talks about using his talent for languages to navigate different cultural groups in South Africa, and how he hustled by selling bootleg CDs to make money. But not all his stories are light—he describes living with his abusive stepfather, Abel, whose violence culminated in him shooting Trevor’s mother, though she miraculously survived. Despite the heavy topics—racism, poverty, domestic abuse—Noah’s storytelling is funny, honest, and full of warmth. The book gives a personal look at how apartheid shaped everyday life but also highlights the resilience of his family, especially his mother. The memoir was widely praised, becoming a bestseller and earning spots on numerous “best of the year” lists. It struck a chord with readers around the world, and even inspired figures like U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and First Lady Jill Biden, who assigned it as reading for her English class. A film adaptation is in the works, with Lupita Nyong’o set to play Trevor’s mother and co-produce the project.

Greek myths retold by Stephen Fry. He is both the author and the narrator of this book. His wit and sense of humor come across in both the text and in the delivery. Plus, you actually get to learn Greek myths.

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is William Finnegan’s story about growing up obsessed with surfing. It’s not just about catching waves—it’s about a whole way of life that’s demanding, addictive, and sometimes dangerous. Finnegan started young, learning to surf in California and Hawaii, and kept chasing waves into adulthood, traveling through places like Fiji, Australia, Indonesia, and Africa. Along the way, he mixes adventure with self-reflection, talking about friendships formed in the water, the culture around surfing, and how it all fit with the times—especially during the social changes of the 1960s and '70s. The book isn’t just about the thrill of surfing; Finnegan dives into the technical side of waves and the patience it takes to master them. He’s honest about his youthful recklessness—like taking LSD before surfing a massive wave in Maui—and the risks that came with his travels, from malaria scares to navigating shady markets. Still, surfing pulls him along, even when he’s juggling a career as a war reporter and later, family life. At its core, Barbarian Days is an old-fashioned adventure tale mixed with a thoughtful look at what it means to be hooked on something so completely. Finnegan’s writing captures both the beauty and the grind of surfing, making you feel like you’re right there with him—whether on a remote beach or paddling out into icy waves off Long Island.

Discover the secrets to a long, healthy, and fulfilling life with "Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life" by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. This insightful book delves into the Japanese concept of ikigai, or a "reason for being," which is believed to be a key factor in the remarkable longevity of the residents of Okinawa, a Japanese village known for having the world’s highest percentage of centenarians. Through interviews with these vibrant centenarians, the authors uncover how the principles of ikigai—where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—contribute to their happiness and longevity. The book reveals the residents' daily practices, from their nutrient-rich diets and active lifestyles to their strong community bonds and purposeful work. "Ikigai" provides practical advice and tools to help readers discover their own ikigai, offering a blend of cultural wisdom and actionable steps towards a life filled with purpose, health, and joy. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in enhancing their well-being and finding deeper satisfaction in everyday life.

"The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a seminal work that explores the profound impact of rare and unpredictable events, termed "Black Swans." Taleb argues that these events, which are often overlooked or underestimated, have massive consequences on our world. He highlights the limitations of traditional forecasting methods and emphasizes the need for resilience and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. Blending philosophy, economics, and personal anecdotes, Taleb provides a compelling critique of our understanding of risk and uncertainty. This book is essential for anyone interested in risk management, economics, and understanding the unpredictable nature of our world.

Rank Anything is your ultimate top picks guide in any category in the world. Discover top rated books, foods, countries, products, films, music, habits, workout routines, websites and anything in between. If you can think it, you can rank it.

"War Dogs" is a 2016 dark comedy-drama film starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller. Directed by Todd Phillips, the movie is based on a true story and follows two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who land a $300 million Pentagon contract to arm America's allies in Afghanistan. Jonah Hill delivers a standout performance as the eccentric and morally ambiguous Diveroli, bringing both humor and intensity to the role. The film explores themes of greed, corruption, and the consequences of living recklessly, blending humor with a critical look at the arms-dealing world.