Eric Scheske

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The One-Thing Files

No Cell Phones in This Room

No Cell Phones in This Room

The room: A room in his house that he has dedicated strictly to deep work. I think it's a den: a study or small library. He never takes his cell phone into it. Dr. Cal Newport: How to Enhance Focus and Improve ProductivityIn this episode, my guest is

The John's Penance

The John's Penance

One thing from Chapter 11 of Tom Holland's excellent Dominion: A clerical disciple of Abelard argued that, when determining the severity of penance for patronizing a prostitute, the woman's hotness should be taken into account.

Optimal Work on Josef Pieper's Leisure, the Basis of Culture

Optimal Work on Josef Pieper's Leisure, the Basis of Culture

Propaganda

Propaganda

It's easy to spot propaganda you disagree with. It's not so easy to spot propaganda you agree with. And if you think you're subject to propaganda, you're deluding yourself. Unregistered 149: Mark Crispin Miller — Thaddeus RussellI spoke with Mark Crispin Miller, a

Persian Tolerance Resulted in Alexander the Great

Persian Tolerance Resulted in Alexander the Great

The Persian Empire, compared to its contemporary empires, was extremely tolerant of conquered territories. It allowed states who submitted to retain their current governance as long as appropriate tribute was passed up to the King. This lax arrangement allowed Macedonia to grow in power mostly undisturbed, eventually giving rise to

About the One-Thing Files

About the One-Thing Files

“The One-Thing File” is a practice I learned from Econtalk. It's the practice of writing just one thing (okay, maybe more than one) that I learn from a book, essay, documentary, podcast, whatever. For younger TDE readers, think of it as Reddit's “Today I Learned” feature.