#30: Lots to read, more on AI, and some food treats
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Hanging at my favorite cafe, Berkeley, CA, with some books and a drink.
This week: A reflection on something personal and reflective, like Exercise as a motivation to eat differently
In September, I saw a nutritionist who told me that I would never lose weight the way I was eating. "This is a healthy diet," she said, "but if you want to lose weight, you need to change." I started a low-carb meal plan immediately. No alcohol, dairy, sugar, or white bread, high protein, low carb. It's been one month, and I've lost ten pounds.
My low-carb food plan misses some of my favorite treats but has enough food options that I don't get bored or hungry. And unlike others I've tried, it's working.
A new motivator for doing this is enjoying exercise. I’d like to see more of the muscles I am getting lifting weights. Doing yoga poses like a forward bend with less stomach in the way sounds amazing. In the process, I've realized that I want to become more disciplined about my eating habits. Consciously managing—and sometimes restricting—what I eat–and continuing to move–is what will help me reach my goal weight. This is the first time I’ve felt this way–and it feels new. (I have also lost 10 pounds.)
Good things to read
NON-FICTION: Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World, by Cade Metz, Penguin Random House, 2021.
Long-time tech journalist Cade Metz has written an incredibly valuable book about the emergence of AI and its move from the edges to the mainstream of research and product development. Based on years of interviews, this book is both entertaining and accurate, providing such a good view of the development of AI that I will probably buy it for several less technical folks I know, both because it’s a great read and because everyone should be informed about AI these days.
FICTION: You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi, Simon & Schuster, 2022.
OMG! This Brooklyn and Caribbean-island-based novel is about Feyi, a 29-year-old artist who lost her husband in a tragic accident 5 years ago, but who is now ready to start dating again after years of artmaking and mourning. The characters are interesting, there is lots of juicy sex, and I dug the queerness woven into the story. Emezi is a compelling storyteller, and I could not put it down. This is a beautifully written novel that explores themes of grief, love, and resilience, and a unique take on the romance genre.
HISTORICAL FICTION: The Postcard by Anne Berest, Europa Editions, 2023, first published in France in 2021.
Before I went to Paris, I read a lot about the French not acknowledging their complicity with the Nazis during the Second World War. Having read so much on this, including Sarah’s Key, I didn’t know if this novel would resonate with me, but I loved it. Berest fictionalizes her family history to share their stories in this beautifully written and well-researched novel. She offers a unique perspective on a complex historical period, and her story is both moving and inspiring. This novel won the Choix Goncourt Prize when it was published in France in 2021 and has become a huge seller there. I recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, family stories, or the Second World War.
ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
Sam Altman Is the Oppenheimer of Our Age—OpenAI’s CEO thinks he knows our future. What do we know about him? By Elizabeth Weil, New York Mag, Sept 25, 2023
This 7,000-word article about OpenAI CEO and long-time tech exec Sam Altman is a great read for anyone interested in the future of AI. Weil covers Altman’s childhood, his family, his previous companies, his relationships, and his wealth, and characterizes him as a fairly emotionless person who cloaks coldness in an affable persona. The humdinger of the piece for me, is the section on Altman’s younger sister, Annie Altman. Weil depicts Annie as a kind of a Shakespeare’s sister, a woman with Altman’s intelligence, but held down by the bro culture of her brothers. (The section about the sister is so fascinating, it hijacked the rest of the article.) If you want to know more about power players in the AI world or are a tech person, this article is a must-read.
Alyssa Shelasky, How I get strangers to talk about their sex lives, New York Magazine, December 2022
Are you a fan of Sex Diaries in The Cut? I love them and have been reading for years. This behind-the-scenes piece is fun and sounds pretty honest. Bonus link: The 69 Best Sex Diaries (as of December 2022)
“On the weeks when no one has emailed in or a diarist gets cold feet at the last minute, I stop strangers on the bus, at a local bar, or on the street — if they seem like passionate, horny, or simply authentic human beings — and ask them to sit with me for a half hour and entrust me with their stories.”
Things to make: Brownies, Banana Bread, Granola, Roasted Nuts
I'm that person who has made so many versions of banana bread, or brownies, or whatever—just because I never found the perfect recipes. Now that I have great recipes, I wanted to share them. These four are my go-to's, and I'm sure you'll love them, too.
Banana Bread: I’ve tried dozens of recipes, but this one from Sally’s Baking Addition is perfect. The butter, brown sugar, and banana blend is so good.
Supernatural Brownies: This NY Times Cooking recipe turned out to be one of the best versions of brownies that I have ever made. Loaded with dark cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Granola: I’ve made this simple granola, from Eleven Madison Park in NYC, at least four times in the last year. If you eat granola, check it out.
The best-roasted nuts: In July, a friend shared this recipe for rosemary roasted nuts, and I’ve had it on repeat since then.
Parting links
Have you seen Ask Bubbe? Flo Rosen is a retired pediatrician and grandma whose daughter put her on TikTok and Instagram to give new baby advice to parents and caregivers. After just three months, Ask Bubbe has 131,000 followers on TikTok and 143,000 on Instagram. As my friend with a newborn told me, “Her advice is invaluable.”
The Lincoln Lawyer, Netflix, Season One and Two
The Lincoln Lawyer is my current guilty pleasures show. Lead actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is great in this role, and the ensemble cast is delightful. And it’s set in Los Angeles!
How are you doing? What is going on with you right now?
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All best, Susan
And since you made it this far: Bill Evans Live in '64 & '75, Pt. 1 & 2