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Once Upon a Stranger by Gillian Sandstrom The Science of How Small Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life

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What's it about? Once Upon a Stranger (2026) makes the case that brief, low-stakes exchanges with strangers are an antidote to the loneliness epidemic of modern life. Drawing on original research and personal anecdotes, it shows how even the smallest moments of connection –⁠ with a barista, a fellow commuter, a stranger in an elevator –⁠ can generate joy, curiosity, and a deeper sense of belonging. Narrated by…. You’re standing in line at a coffee shop. The person in front of you is wearing a t-shirt from a city you once visited. You notice it, feel a small flicker of curiosity –⁠ and then look back down at your phone. Sound familiar? Most of us have been there. And most of us have decided, without really thinking about it, that talking to that stranger just isn’t worth it. They probably don’t want to be bothered. It’ll be awkward. What would you even say? Better to keep to yourself. But what if that instinct is wrong –⁠ and what if it’s costing you more than you realize? Gillian...
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Getting to Zero by Jayson Gaddis How to Work Through Conflict in Your High-Stakes Relationships

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What's it about? Getting to Zero (2021) is a guide to dealing with conflict in intimate, high-stakes relationships – those with your family, good friends, and partners. It describes a process for “getting to zero” by achieving resolution and closure after conflict. What does the word conflict mean to you? For many, it conjures up visions of violence, political discord, and war. But these are extreme forms of conflict. What about conflict in your close relationships? People often try to get by without resolving conflict in their interpersonal relationships. But there are times when conflict can be just what you need – conflict could save your marriage, for example, or help rekindle an important relationship. In these lessons, you’ll learn how to “get back to zero” after a conflict – that is, get to the point where the conflict is resolved and you have the level of connection you desire. The advice in these lessons isn’t intended to resolve trauma or abusive relationships. For tho...
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The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius A look into the triumphs and tragedies of the Roman Empire's first twelve emperors

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What's it about? The Twelve Caesars (121 CE) is one of the most colorful biographical works ever written. By turns opinionated, sensational, and dramatic, it documents the lives of the men who wielded absolute power in Rome after its transformation from a republic into an empire in 27 BCE. A one-time private secretary to one of those emperors, Hadrian, Suetonius was intimately familiar with court life. In the Twelve Caesars, he uses that knowledge to shed light on the highs and lows of the empire’s early years, as well as on the virtues and all-too-human failings of its supposedly divine rulers. Stretching from the north of England to the Sahara desert, from Portugal to the middle east, the Roman Empire was one of the biggest empires in history. And at the heart of this huge empire sat one man ruling over everything: the emperor. Rome’s emperors could be good, bad, kind, cruel, sensible or unhinged. In these lessons, we’ll look at Rome first’s emperors through the eyes of the ...
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How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative

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What's it about? How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay (2026) hands you practical, lived-in strategies for handling mental health struggles, creative block, and overwhelming anxiety. You’ll find ways to reframe your darkest moments into sources of strength, along with tools for setting unapologetic boundaries that protect your peace. These insights help you survive and thrive on the days your brain tries to sabotage you. Narrated by…. Some mornings, you wake up already tired. Your brain starts running before you’ve even opened your eyes, listing everything that could go wrong today, everything you forgot yesterday, everything you’re behind on. You lie there for a minute just trying to gather enough fight to sit up, and that alone takes more out of you than most people spend on a full day of work. But the world keeps asking you to show up – and keep producing, keep working. You end up convinced everyone else got some instruction manual for being a person that you somehow missed. Thi...
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Digital Exhaustion by Paul Leonardi Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life

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What's it about? Digital Exhaustion (2025) explores how everyday digital tools quietly drain your energy by fragmenting attention, distorting social inferences, and amplifying emotional strain. It lays out eight practical rules for reshaping how you use technology so you can reduce burnout, regain focus, and turn your devices into a source of support rather than exhaustion. Do you ever close your laptop feeling wiped out, even though you have physical energy left in your body? That wired-but-empty state fueled by endless emails, chats, and social feeds is digital exhaustion – your mental battery draining while your devices keep demanding attention. In this lesson, you’ll explore digital exhaustion, how it relates to stress and burnout, and why your habits with screens matter more than any single app. You’ll find out exactly what drains your energy and discover eight simple rules to protect it, recharge sooner, and let your tools refresh you instead of wearing you down. Let’s di...
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