There are great moments, when you are a heavy reader, of discovering new authors. This last week, I discovered Paolo Bacigalupi. He has written books before the one I found, such as The Windup Girl, The Water Knife, and The Tangled Lands. He also has a young adult series called the Ship Breaker trilogy. As a rule, as an adult, I don’t read young adult books; they tend to disappoint greatly. In his case, I might make an exception.   Because the book of his I discovered, Navola , is the first...

People say they want to be successful, but they behave like the person next to them. They try to make sure they are watching some of the same shows and make sure they are aware of the same memes, and the same viral clips. Let me be very clear: Success and commonplace do not walk hand in hand. Success and average have no common path to tread. Success and what everyone else does are not neighbors. Because the average person is not successful. I am American, so let’s talk about America. Less...

Having fun doesn’t have to cost money, but it generally does. Let’s talk about some common activities that people do outside their home.   Movies (In the theater): $13–$16 per ticket (about 2 hours) → $6.50–$8/hour Dinner Date (mid-range restaurant): $50–$100 per person for ~1.5–2 hours → $25–$65/hour Trampoline Park (indoor): $18–$28 for 1 hour pass → $18–$28/hour Axe Throwing: $25–$40 per person per hour → $25–$40/hour Bowling (lane cost): $20–$60 per lane per hour → if 4 people →...