HeyJaredKnowledge Lust
An academy for autodidacts and polymaths looking to build an intellectual life outside of school through serious reading and self-directed study.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 13
- Latest publication
- Sep 29, 2026
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- Aug 2, 2026
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My 2-part system for writing about books I read (opens the original)
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“The greatest improvisation of the human mind is that which gives existence in the non-existent.” — NapoleonThree months ago, I decided to start writing about every book I read.I wanted a simple, time-tested way to engage more deeply with the author, remember what I read, and generate my own unique insights on the stories, ideas, and arguments I encounter. In other words, I wished to converse with the author, not just listen to their lectures, and to sharpen my intellect through those conversati
Why I started writing about every book I read (opens the original)
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Readers often ask how to gain more intellectual growth from each book they read. They want to read more deeply, remember the key ideas, and perhaps even generate their own unique insights into the topic, using the book as a springboard for reverie.They’re confused, though. They’re already reading carefully. They pause to reflect on a thought-provoking sentence. Maybe they even take notes. So why, a week later, when somebody asks them what a book is about, do they freeze? Why do they utter some v
How to make your life as spellbinding as childhood (opens the original)
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You need an obsession outside of work.A place to go for no other reason than the fact that it interests you. This is how you become a curious, playful, relaxed 8-year-old again, at least for part of your day.I wish somebody had told me that when I was 24 years old, when life felt dull. I would come home from my sales job, watch television, scroll on my phone, then do it all over again. If I studied at all, it was usually for career advancement. Compared to childhood and college, my life was miss
5 tips to learn like Thomas Edison (opens the original)
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Last Spring, my wife and I visited Thomas Edison’s laboratory in Orange, New Jersey.Today, the multi-floored “invention factory” operates as a museum for nerds who have nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon.The complex is impressive in size and ambition. It contains rooms for every step in the invention process, from drafting to assembly. Of all the rooms, it was the library that most enchanted me. <a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!
Every book I read in August (opens the original)
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This was a mind-altering reading month.I read just 3 books, mostly because I started a lot of books and then stopped them (sorry Babbitt). Also, ever since I lost my freelance writing client and decided to go all-in on this Knowledge Lust publication, I’ve been extra busy working on (and studying) my business. But all three books all affected me deeply and, as the best books do, changed me in ways I can only begin to understand.In August, I read two nov
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