Synthesis
From book to brain
Happy New Year!
In today’s essay, I review one element of what I learned from the books I read in 2025. Instead of a straightforward list, I attempt to articulate the thoughts/ideas I have gleaned from these books; a metanarrative of sorts. It’s an exercise in reflection and forced synthesis, which I feel compelled to do to prove to myself that there’s a utility to all of this reading (maybe there isn’t). That is, what did I learn from these books (if anything) and how will I apply it to my life? I plan to continue this discussion with other themes from 2025’s reading in future essays.
I hope you get something out of it, and thank you for reading Next Adventure.
- Jesse
Some ideas seem significant, novel, and valuable when I discover them, and most of these originate from books. Over 52 weeks, I read about one book per month.12 I read daily, but much of my reading also comes from essays, magazines, and textbooks.3
Some books are great reads; in the heat of the moment, the information seems helpful and applicable. But often, the gems of wisdom dissipate. Example: Ryan Holiday’s books are enjoyable and quick reads; I appreciate their accessibility and Stoic elements. However, I can’t tell you what I’ve learned from any of his books. It may be my own issue or something inherent in his books.
I’ve read other self-help books and gleaned applicable knowledge from them, so I don’t think it’s a genre issue. I've noticed a trend among some authors in the self-help space (e.g., pop Stoicism, pop psychology). Scott Galloway is another author who, like Holiday, writes captivatingly about meaningful subjects. Yet days after reading, it’s hard to know exactly what the point of it all was.
Both Holiday and Galloway have had very successful careers in marketing; they know how to create effective sales campaigns, so they’ve no doubt applied these methods to the book-selling sphere. I can’t help but think this is also why, in the end, their books reach only superficial layers of my psyche.
Alternatively, if I go directly to a source an author like Holiday draws from, such as Meditations, I glean hundreds of helpful, thought-inspiring inspirations I end up writing on pieces of paper and taping to the wall; they “stick.” What begins as a note evolves into a message I apply to my own perspective, one I continually revisit.
One idea gleaned from 2025’s reading is “usefulness.” Useful to me? My family? My community? Having an honest conversation with myself about my practical skills and contributions serves as a self-induced wake-up call. For example, if electricity and the internet disappeared tomorrow, what would we do with our time? What skills could we contribute to our community? Thinking about this from time to time may inform today’s actions.
A new skill or ability? Maybe it’s getting in shape or, conversely, reassessing a compulsive exercise habit to prioritize another aspect of our life. This is a subjective and personal form of assessment.
There have been days when it truly seemed useless to move electrons on a screen; there’s really been no material change in the world as a result of the desk-based work. Alternatively, seeing a stack of firewood I spent the day processing from my woodlot is gratifying. Yet recently, this chosen challenge can seem vain. I decided to do it primarily to get heat. But is it useful? Heat is useful, but does the outcome add value or meaning?
The obvious question here is “so what?” What am I to do with this thought, this sentiment? This is where pragmatism clashes with meaning. The Lord of the Rings trilogy may be less pragmatic than The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens, but in total, LOTR has likely added more meaning to the world.
There are endless mental gymnastics to play here, but the point is to consider our purpose through a lens of usefulness and see what comes to mind.
For years, I’ve felt the collective pull of humanity’s digital realm to stay seated at a screen for everything: work, communication, and learning. Therefore, the answer to the “so what?” test in terms of how “usefulness” applies is to balance this digital pull with engagement with the world's incredible tactile and kinetic elements. Perhaps the measure of something’s utility is if it brings us meaning.
A minimal number compared to Sam Alaimo’s 86 books!
Yes, usefulness as the standard. Except for the arts which are, for me, mostly about bringing some beauty into the world, I am a utilitarian about most things. If you can’t DO something of value with a thing, I’m not impressed. I take that view of education as a whole. Simply “learning stuff” isn’t enough ROI. Thanks for a good read Jesse!
“the point is to consider our purpose through a lens of usefulness”
Man, that is such an important principle to understand. So obvious, but most often overlooked. Along these lines, you might be very interested in reading Cicero’s On Duties.