Living A Life in Full Quarterly Summer 2016

Dr. Chris Stout, Editor
Note from the Editor
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Travel
“Travel makes one modest.
You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”
Gustave Flaubert
10 Huge Mistakes People Make When Booking
Flights
Tips from a pro on when and how to book your air travel.
By RAMSEY QUBEIN
When it comes to air travel, the frustration begins long before that wrap-around-the-corner security
line. But luckily, there are a few simple tips that can reduce the fear of forking over more hard-
earned cash to the airline than necessary. Here are some of the most common mistakes that people
make and how you can learn from them.
1. Searching directly on an Airline's Website
I am often asked what the best website is to search for air travel. Here it is: ITA Software’s Matrix
Tool. That’s not what you thought I was going to say, is it? While you cannot book travel using this
site, it is a comprehensive search engine of flight prices. It is even willing to combine airlines into
one reservation (something many airline sites are reluctant to do). It is easy to filter results by class
of service, departure time, nearby airports, and even the specific airline or connecting city you
want. Once you find the preferred flights, use the airline’s website to book the ticket. If it involves
multiple airlines or the same price isn’t on the airline’s website (hint, try using the multi-city tool),
then try Orbitz. If you find it on ITA Software’s Matrix tool, chances are Orbitz will sell the same
fare. Other popular options include Kayak or the map search tool on Google Flights.
2. ...Well, Sometimes
Airlines like Southwest and Allegiant do not list flights on other sites to save on internal costs.
This means that lower prices might be available, but it requires searching each airline’s own
website.

3. Going for the Low-Hanging Fruit
So you got a good deal on Spirit or Allegiant, but bring your credit card. Fees for everything from
seat assignments to carry-on bags can add up, and savings you scored on the ticket might be
eliminated once you land. Do your homework and study an airline’s fees before the hitting
purchase button. Those that travel light and without specific seat preferences will fare best on
these carriers.
4. Not Being Flexible with Airports
Don’t forget to search multiple area airports when booking a ticket (most websites have this
option). Alternative airports exist in many markets: New York has six (Islip,
JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Newburgh/Stewart, and White Plains). Miami residents can tack on Fort
Lauderdale and West Palm Beach as options. Be sure to factor in the cost required of getting there,
and if needed, the parking costs. Families stand to save the most with this option if buying several
tickets.
5. Falling for the “Pay for Premium Seats” Trick
If the only free seats available to reserve are middle seats, it can be tempting to pay for a preferred
seat. But, not all preferred seats are
actually worth it. Some of American’s
planes inherited from US
Airways sell seats closer to the front
of the plane despite having no leg
room. How do they get away with
that? They explain that you can get
off more quickly (but is that worth
$50!?). Keep in mind that airlines
often block seats or reserve certain
rows for frequent fliers. Instead of
paying for a preferred middle seat,
just don’t assign one at all. At the
airport, you will be assigned one
automatically (sometimes at the last
minute). You have a better chance of
scoring one of those blocked seats.
The worst thing is that you get that
same middle seat in the end. Of course, families or couples traveling together cannot always risk
being separated.
6. Giving into the Fear Factor
Many websites use language like this “only one seat left” to convince you of dwindling availability.
While it is true that seats in that “fare bucket” may be limited, chances are this is just a marketing
ploy since an airline may release more cheap seats based upon algorithms from revenue

management folks. Even if you do purchase a ticket because you’re worried the fare might rise,
time is on your side. U.S. airlines and most travel domestic travel websites give you a 24-hour grace
period to cancel. Until recently, American Airlines did not (in favor of the option to hold a seat
online for 24 hours), but they have since joined the bandwagon.
7. Not Knowing about the Cookie Monster
Be sure to clear Internet cookies after an online fare search (or at least use an incognito window,
different browser, or different device). Airline websites sometimes deposit cookies to tell if you've
been searching for a particular ticket, and occasionally, they will hike up the price after a couple
searches. The intent is to make it appear that the price is rising quickly to encourage you to book a
ticket. So clear those cookies, and always double check ITA Matrix before booking to make sure it
is the best deal (low-fare carriers like Allegiant and Southwest excluded).
8. Not Considering Airport Taxes
Some airports charge outrageous taxes to fund improvements or pay for regional expenses. It can
save you cash to avoiding some airports over others. For example, Germany has high airport taxes;
avoiding a flight connection there can shave money off the overall cost. Flying from U.K. airports
incurs additional tax cost, too, especially if in a premium cabin. Savvy travelers to Europe might fly
into the U.K., but choose to fly back from a non-British airport to avoid as much as $200 in taxes.
9. Ignoring the Benefits of Flexibility
While this is especially important when booking award tickets, it also applies with paid tickets.
Flights can be busier on some days over others when airlines may charge a premium. Mondays,
Thursdays, and Fridays can be especially busy on high-traffic business routes. In the case of leisure
destinations like Las Vegas, Saturday and Sunday can be busy with weekending visitors. Be flexible
with your travel plans by using the calendar search function available on many websites. Learn to
be spontaneous. Websites like The Flight Deal and Secret Flying post amazing deals (including the
occasional mistake fare) for those that can act quickly.
10. Making Silly Errors
Beware the “autocorrecting” airport. It is probably better to type in the airport code when
searching fares rather than typing city name. Who wants to buy a ticket to Portland, Maine
(PWM) when your destination is Portland, Oregon (PDX)? These mistakes could be pricy if not
caught within 24 hours of a reservation. Also, pay attention to departure times. It is not unusual
for flights to leave in the wee hours of the morning, especially overseas. Showing up at 1pm for a
1am flight could really hurt when it comes to paying a change fee.
SOURCE: http://www.afar.com/magazine/10-huge-mistakes-people-make-when-booking-
flights?email=cstout%40uic.edu&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Resend%20413%20flight%20book
ing%20mistakes&utm_term=Weekday%20Wander%20Newsletter

Growth
40 Amazing Places to Learn Something New Every Day
Learn something new and get smarter with these awesome sites and courses.
By Larry Kim
Founder and CTO, WordStream @larrykim
A few decades ago, when you wanted to learn something new it typically meant spending a couple
of evenings a week at a local school, taking a photography or bookkeeping class from a bored night
school instructor.
Today, the worlds of learning and personal or professional development are literally at your
fingertips. The open learning movement has made the opportunity to get smarter in your spare
time completely accessible to anyone with an internet connection, and it's exploded in recent
years. On one of the more popular online learning sites, Udemy, there are over 30,000 courses
available...and that's just on one site!
So here's what I want you to do: Challenge yourself to learn something new every day. It can
benefit your career, your personal life, and your mental well-being, making you a happier and more
productive person overall.

To help you get started, here are 40 amazing places to learn something new:
1. Lynda.com: Where over 4 million people have already taken courses.
2. Your favorite publications: Make time to read and learn something new every day from your
favorite blogs and online magazines.
3. CreativeLive.com: Get smarter and boost your creativity with free online classes.
4. Hackaday: Learn new skills and facts with bite-sized hacks delivered daily.
5. MindTools.com: A place
to learn leadership skills
(see more great places to
learn leadership skills online
here).
6. Codecademy: Learn Java,
PHP, Python, and more
from this reputable online
coding school.
7. EdX: Find tons of
MOOCs, including
programming courses.
8. Platzi: Get smarter in
marketing, coding, app
development, and design.
9. Big Think: Read articles and watch videos featuring expert "Big Thinkers."
10. Craftsy: Learn a fun, new skill from expert instructors in cooking, knitting, sewing, cake
decorating, and more.
11. Guides.co: A massive collection of online guides on just about every topic imaginable.
12. LitLovers: Practice your love of literature with free online lit courses.
13. Lifehacker: One of my personal favorites!
14. Udacity: Learn coding at the free online university developed by Sebastien Thrun.
15. Zidbits: Subscribe to this huge collection of fun facts, weird news, and articles on a variety of
topics.
16. TED Ed: The iconic TED brand brings you lessons worth sharing.
17. Scitable: Teach yourself about genetics and the study of evolution.
18. ITunes U: Yale, Harvard, and other top universities share lecture podcasts.
19. Livemocha: Connect with other learners in over 190 countries to practice a new language.
20. MIT open courseware: To learn introductory coding skills; plus, check out these other places to
learn coding for free.
21. WonderHowTo: New videos daily to teach you how to do any number of different things.

22. FutureLearn: Join over 3 million others taking courses in everything from health and history to
nature and more.
23. One Month: Commit to learning a new skill over a period of one month with daily work.
24. Khan Academy: One of the biggest and best-known gamified online learning platforms.
25. Yousician: Who said when you learn something new it has to be work-related?
26. Duolingo: A completely free, gamified language learning site (find more language learning sites
here).
27. Squareknot: Get creative with other creatives.
28. Highbrow: A subscription service that delivers five-minute courses to your email daily.
29. Spreeder: How cool would it be to be able to speed read?
30. Memrise: Get smarter and
expand your vocabulary.
31. HTML5 Rocks: Google pro
contributors bring you the latest
updates, resource guides, and slide
decks for all things HTML5.
32. Wikipedia's Daily Article List:
Get Wikipedia's daily featured article
delivered right to your inbox.
33. DataMonkey: The ability to work
with data is indispensable. Learn
SQL and Excel.
34. Saylor Academy: Offers a great
public speaking course you can take
online, and see more free public
speaking courses here.
35. Cook Smarts: Learn basic to
advanced food prep and cooking techniques.
36. The Happiness Project: Why not just learn how to be happy? I'd give five minutes a day to that!
37. Learni.st: Expertly curated courses with the option of premium content.
38. Surface Languages: A good choice if you just need to learn a few phrases for travel.
39. Academic Earth: Offering top quality university-level courses since 2009.
40. Make: Learn how to do that DIY project you've had your eye on.
There's no reason you can't learn something new every day, whether it's a work skill or a fun new
hobby or even a language!
SOURCE: http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/40-amazing-places-to-learn-something-new-every-
day.html?cid=em01016week10a

Fitness
Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy
body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.
John F. Kennedy
Finding Workout Motivation:
How to Stop Saying No to Your Goals
By Steve Kamb
You’ve decided the time for talk and half-measures is over, and you’re finally ready to take action:
you want to lose fat, pack on some muscle, and look in the mirror with pride.
Gladiator, I salute you.
Now, my first question is this: What’s different this time?
Be honest: how many times in the past have you said “I’m finally ready to get in shape” only to
flame out weeks later when life gets in the way? I love that you’ve chosen to step into the arena
again, to retake control of your life, but we need to talk about what will make this attempt
different from all the others.
After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting
different results. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and it starts by understanding how
we are going to win with three key truths about us as humans:
● We are creatures of habit.
● We are products of our environment.
● We are the average of the people we associate most with.

Build a Habit System to Win
I read a great quote on Quora when somebody
asked a question regarding their waning
motivation:
The number one response? “F*** workout
motivation, cultivate discipline.”
If you’ve watched Joe Rogan, you’re probably
pretty freaking motivated right now. And
motivation is a great place to start: it’s why the
gym is so crowded for the first two weeks of
January – everybody is motivated to get in shape! Motivation can get you started.
However, motivation is fleeting and unreliable – this is why the gym is a ghost town come
February. Once motivation disappears, it’s very tough to get ourselves to exercise instead of
sleeping in/playing more video games/eating another pint of ice cream.
If you want to get in shape and you’re serious about it this time, stop relying on motivation and
instead focus on building a system that sets you up to win. If you only exercise when you’re
motivated, or only went for a run when you felt like it, or only ate healthy when it was convenient,
it’ll never happen!
It starts with a system. Systems don’t rely on motivation, willpower, or inspiration to operate once
they’re set up. They are emotion-free. So let’s put a workout system in place in your life.
Let’s say you want to build a habit of daily exercise. Make this a very small hurdle that you can
jump over every day. Don’t say, “I’m gonna go to the gym for an hour every day”. This is a massive
hurdle to overcome. Instead, make it something that can be done in 5-10 minutes every morning.
Our goal here is to build something into your life permanently. We’re not doing 90-day “get-fit-
quick” or 30-day detoxes. We’re after something like “get strong and healthy forever.”
Here’s an example: “I will do 3 circuits of 10 push-ups, 10 pull-ups, and 10 squats every morning
when I wake up.” Or, “I will go for a 10-minute walk when I wake up.”
Remember, we want lifelong success. Building a 5-minute daily habit that you can do is indefinitely
better than a 60-minute habit that you give up on after 2 weeks. I want you to be a lifelong badass.
Change Your Environment
When we’re building new habits, our bodies and brains will always look for the path of least
resistance. The good news is that when you build a new habit, your brain will learn to expend less
and less energy to complete that task.

You are currently composed of a collection of
automatic habits that you’ve built up over
years and years and years… both the good and
bad.
Like how driving a car has become an
automatic, mindless activity for you, so too
might be coming home from work every day
and plopping down on the couch to drink a
beer and watch sports or play video games.
You’ve done it so many times that it’s now an
automatic activity.
Changing your environment can get you a
huge portion of the way to “exercising is now so easy, it’s mindless!”
We need to make two key adjustments to our environment:
● Decrease the number of steps between you and the new good habit you’re looking to
build.
● Increase the number of steps between you and the old bad habit you’re looking to break.
Sounds too simple to be true, right? In addition to making your habit so small that it can be
completely daily, we’re going to hack your environment so it becomes almost automatic for you to
complete.
Let’s look at both of those things individually:
Decrease steps between you and the healthy habit you want to build:
● Eat healthier: prepare all of your meals on Sunday, so that every day at work you can
simply heat up a quick healthy meal for lunch.
● Run every morning: sleep in your workout clothes and put your alarm clock across the
room so you HAVE to get out of bed to turn it off.
● Go to the gym: pack your gym bag the night before and put it in front of your door, so
you never forget it on the way to work.
● Do more pull-ups: Buy door frame pull-up bars and put them in each doorway in your
house. Every time you walk through a door, you have to do 1 pull-up.
Increase the steps between you and a bad habit you want to break:
● Watch too much TV: cancel your cable! Unsubscribe from netflix. Unplug your
television. Trust me, life will go on.
● Eat too much junk food: get it out of your house. Throw it all away.
● Eat too many snacks at work: don’t keep junk food in your desk, and avoid Susan from
accounting who keeps candy on her desk to get people to talk to her.
● Eat too much fast food: Change your route home from work so you don’t drive past Fast
Food restaurants and you won’t be tempted.

In short, understand that your body and brain WANT to be lazy, and use that laziness to your
advantage!
Focus On Big Wins
Now we’re talking. Like Neo in The Matrix,
you’re beginning to believe.
Are you familiar with the Pareto Principle? It’s a
concept that 80% of your success will come from
20% of your decisions. You’ll notice up to this
point I haven’t talked about bicep curls,
supplements, or super-secret tactics to sculpting
your calves or hitting all three heads of your
triceps.
Remember, we’re lazy and our brains want to be
lazy. So rather than focusing on the tiny details,
we’re going to use that information to focus on
the 20% of our decisions that will result in 80%
of our success.
Generally speaking, 20% of your day will revolve
around eating decisions. What to eat for lunch, to
snack or not to snack, what to have for dinner,
and so on. And yup, believe it or not, how you eat
will account for 80% of your success or failure
when it comes to getting in shape. So focus on as
many of these big wins possible:
● Every meal should have a protein
source: bacon and eggs for breakfast, salmon for lunch, chicken or grass-fed steak for
dinner.
● Every meal should have 1-2 servings of vegetables: add spinach to your omelet, make your
lunch salmon on top of a salad, and add asparagus or broccoli with your dinner.
● Cut back on sugar and processed carbs. Soda, juice, and other liquid calories are ruining
your waistline. Get rid of them.
● Don’t eat like an idiot. You know what healthy food is. You know what junk food is. Ask
yourself with every food decision: “is this getting me closer to my goal?” If the answer is no,
eat it rarely.
Once you’ve developed a nutrition strategy that you can live with (big wins), you can look at big
wins for your workouts too once you’ve developed a solid habit of daily exercise.
Especially if you are a beginner to working out, focusing on the big movements is the best way to
minimize your time at the gym and maximize your result: squats, deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups,
rows, and overhead presses.

Get REALLY
strong at those
three exercises, and
combine it with a
Big Win diet
strategy, and you’ll
be on a path to a
dramatically
healthier life.
Who’s In Your
Army?
I’m going to leave
you with one final thought – you’re not alone in this journey. Just like the heroes in our favorite
stories always have a sidekick or group of allies helping them out, so too should you!
In other words, you are the average of your allies. If you hang out with lazy people that eat like shit
and don’t exercise, you are being subtly (or not so subtly) influenced every day to drift closer to
their lifestyle.
They might mock you for picking a salad at dinner, or yell at you to come meet them at the bar
every day after work. They mean well, but they also just want to pull you back down so that they
can avoid changing themselves.
Conversely, if you hang out with people, stronger, healthier, and happier than you, you’ll be
influenced to be more like them whether you realize it or not.
I have a coach that I have to report to, friends that keep me accountable, and a private Facebook
group of people supporting me to live a better life.
Sure, I still have other friends that just want to play video games and don’t care about eating
better. I try to minimize my time with them or make sure I also spend enough time, online and in
the real world, with people that are influencing me to be a better person too.
It sounds cool to be “an army of one,” but why do it if you don’t have to? Surround yourself with
people that want you to succeed and make you better.
Putting it All Together
There’s a lot of info above, so let’s go ahead and break it down into simple actionable steps you
can take today.

Understand that your environment is influencing you:
● Add ONE step between you and a bad habit – unplug the TV, throw away your junk
food, give your playstation for a friend.
● Decrease ONE step between you and a good habit – sleep in your workout clothes, cook
all meals for the week on sunday, pack your gym bag the night before.
Understand that big wins are more efficient and easier to implement:
● Make an adjustment to your diet – cut out soda or cut back significantly. Swap out
veggies for fries when you go out to dinner.
● Focus on compound movements at the gym: get strong with squats, push-ups, and pull-
ups. Keep it simple.
Don’t leave it up to motivation or willpower:
● Build systems that keep you going even when you don’t
want to.
Recruit allies to help you on your cause:
● Minimize time spent with people who want to pull you back to
your old life.
● Maximize time spent with people who positively influence you
on your journey.
Remember, this is a lifelong journey. No detoxes, no cleanses, no
90-day sprints. We want lifelong success, daily improved
strength, and momentum working for us.
Source: https://www.onnit.com/academy/finding-workout-motivation-how-
to-stop-saying-no-to-goals/
If you’d like to learn more or watch videos of more
exercises, please use this link:
https://www.onnit.com/academy/basic-to-beast-
complete-bodyweight-workout-
program/?a_aid=DrChrisStout and you can also
signup for Onnit Academy. Check out Onnit for
the best tools to optimize your workouts and your
life. If you are serious about fitness, then you'll love
this site...!
https://www.onnit.com/?a_aid=DrChrisStout

IMAGE: Getty Images
Productivity
65 Top Tips to Sharpen Your Time-Management Skills
One of the most important keys to personal and professional success lies in how you spend your
time. Here are 65 of the best ways to manage it.
By Lolly Daskal
President and CEO, Lead From Within@LollyDaskal
Every day, each of us has 24 hours to spend. Some of us make better use of that resource than
others. Learning to manage time and spend it wisely is among the most significant things you can
do to build personal and professional success.
Here are 65 of the best ways to manage your time:
1. Know yourself. First and foremost, you have to know who you are. You can't structure your
time effectively if you don't understand your dreams, strengths, challenges, and priorities.
2. Create an action plan. When you plan to do something, create an action plan and give it all
your focus.
3. Construct a system. Whether it's electronic or paper-based, centered on tasks or goals or events,
something you purchase or develop on your own, find a system that works for you.
4. Focus on your goals. If you have goals but you tend to get distracted, start by focusing on what
you need to achieve and what it will take to make it happen.

5. Understand your patterns. Maybe you get a burst of energy in the mornings, hit your stride
after working out at lunchtime, or think best in the late-night quiet.
6. Structure your time. Focus your energy on doing your most important activities when you're
most productive. Save routine chores
for low-energy times.
7. Do the hard things first. Difficult
tasks require more discipline. If you
commit to doing the hardest things
first, you will end up doing them with
greater consistency.
8. Lace it with passion. Passion will
move you beyond your limits and your
shortcomings.
9. Create optimal deadlines. It's
crucial to create deadlines for yourself
to help you achieve your
goals. Think through what you want to accomplish and make your deadlines challenging but
realistic.
10. Overcome procrastination. Procrastination is the top enemy of achievement, standing in the
way of countless worthwhile goals. Get serious about becoming a person who gets things done.
11. Overcome fear. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. Don't let what is false keep you from
getting things done. Convert it instead to Face Everything And Recover.
12. If it's important, put it on a schedule. It's the best way to keep yourself on track.
13. Prioritize your to-do list. You can't do everything, so learn to prioritize the important and let
go of the rest.
14. Don't obsess over unimportant details. Trying to make sure that every detail is exactly as you
want it to be will bog you down.
15. Choose your battles. You win some, you lose some. Pick what is most important to hold on to
and be willing to let go of the rest.
16. Stay motivated. Learn what keeps you motivated and inspire yourself daily.
17. Maintain momentum. Learn what it means to stay in motion no matter what comes your way.
Momentum is key.

18. Stop worrying. Don't waste time worrying about things that may not even happen. Focus
instead on what you know and how you are going to be successful.
19. Manage your stress. Stress management is life management. Whether it's exercise, meditation,
prayer, family time, or social life, find what destresses you and schedule it regularly.
20. Stop multitasking. If you think you are being efficient by multitasking, think again. Focus on
what you are doing, get it done, and move on to the next thing.
21. Initiate a routine. Routines increase productivity by making it easier to identify shortcuts and
efficiencies.
22. Take notes. Save time by taking
good notes, electronically or on
paper. Develop a system to flag
things you need to remember or act
on.
23. Have an accountability partner.
Communicate your schedule and
goals with each other and meet
regularly to keep each other
accountable.
24. Think positively. Where your
attention goes, so goes your
emotional energy. Don't think about
what might go wrong; think about
what could go right.
25. Delegate tasks. You may be able to do anything, but no one can do everything.
26. Pay people to do things that would cost you time. For everything you don't like to do, there is
someone you can hire who will enjoy doing it well.
27. Take breaks. Being busy doesn't make you productive. Take a break to reset your energy.
28. Act now. If you read an e-mail, respond immediately. If you open a letter, act on it or throw it
away. If you need to speak to someone, pick up the phone. There is great power in now.
29. Time yourself. If you tend to get distracted or procrastinate, time yourself. Set a timer for 25-
minute intervals and commit to work without stopping or distraction in each block.

30. Turn off notifications. Every notification you get on your computer or phone is an
interruption that diverts your attention from your work. They're almost impossible to ignore, so
turn them off.
31. Manage distractions. Silence everything that distracts you so you can fully focus and be as
productive as you can be.
32. Eliminate time wasters. If there are things that you do that completely waste your time and are
not productive, eliminate them.
33. Create an email system. Use a system when you check your email: once in the morning, once
at lunchtime, and again in the evening. Being attached to your email and responding to messages
all day interferes with your productivity.
34. Limit social media. Unless you are using social media to grow your business, limit the amount
of time you spend on such sites as Facebook and Twitter.
35. Value your time. When someone asks for a block of your time, be clear on boundaries. Show
others that you value your time, and they will be more respectful of it.
36. Don't start projects you don't plan on finishing. Don't start a side project before you've
learned what's involved and identified the amount of time that it will take to be successful.
37. Take small steps. All big things start with taking small steps. Breaking a big project down into
smaller steps makes it achievable and
easy to accomplish.
38. Plan for the unexpected. Build
some flexible time into your
schedule so when the unexpected
happens--which will--you won't be
thrown off.
39. Leverage technology. Make use
of apps that can help you be
productive. My recent article on 75
apps for the busy professional is a
good place to start your research.
40. Be concise in your
communication. When you make a
request, be clear and concise in your
communication to make sure you get
what you need.

41. Build proficiency. Learn how to be more proficient in your daily tasks, because the better you
get at them, the less time they'll take.
42. Back it up. Make sure all your files are backed up onto an external hard drive. Anyone who
has learned this lesson the hard way wouldn't wish it on anyone.
43. Manage your meetings. Poorly run meetings are time wasters. Show your respect for all parties
by managing your meetings in a productive way.
44. Don't stop everything. If someone says it's important, make sure it's important before you
drop what you're doing.
45. Learn to do less. Make a point of learning how to work efficiently. Can you learn a new skill?
Can you ask someone to help?
46. Find a mentor. Find
someone you can learn
from who has done it
before so you can waste
less time trying to figure
it all out.
47. Solve a problem. Be
proactive and address
problems while they are
small and manageable
rather than putting them
off to deal with later.
48. Get into a
flow. When you get into
a flow state, things get
done in less time and the work goes easier.
49. Study best practices. Learn from what others have done before and practice those things
yourself.
50. Know your limits. When something is out of your expertise or skill set, find some help to get
it done.
51. Stop obsessing over perfection. Learn to work at your highest level of performance without
obsessing and backtracking.
52. Refine the way you make decisions. Establish a decision making process that allows you to
accurately and authentically make good decisions.

53. Avoid putting off decisions. When you have a decision to make, make it. Otherwise it will
take up too much bandwidth in your mind.
54. Don't keep revisiting the past. If something didn't work in the past, don't keep revisiting it.
Learn to move on and forward.
55. Have a nightly ritual. Get
everything ready for the next
day by having a nightly ritual.
56. Do things that make you
feel good. Do the things that
make you feel good, and you'll
also become more productive.
57. Reward yourself. When
you complete a set of tasks,
give yourself a reward.
58. Take time to recharge. A
constant state of stress and
overwork slows you down. Make sure you schedule time to refresh and recharge your batteries.
59. Learn to say no. Saying yes to everyone is saying no to yourself. Know your priorities and your
limitations and don't commit to anything that doesn't align with them.
60. Take pride in what you do. Take pride in how far you have come, and have faith in how far
you can still go.
61. Manage your energy. Manage your energy, not your time. No car goes anywhere without fuel.
62. Get enough sleep. Sleep is the foundational element that ties our health together. When you
sleep enough, you have more energy and happiness.
63. Never renegotiate the time you spend with your loved ones. Family time is off limits.
64. Enjoy your time. Leave room for fun and play.
65. Become the best manager. Don't just learn how to manage your time. Learn how to manage
your actions, projects, distractions, attention, and habits. Because either you manage your time or
time will manage you.
SOURCE: http://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/65-of-the-best-time-management-tips-that-will-work-for-
you.html?cid=em01016week08a

Leadership
The 100 best leadership and success books to read in
your lifetime, according to Amazon
By Shana Lebowitz
Learn how to make your dreams a reality.
Amazon's editors released a list of 100 leadership and success books to read in a lifetime.
"We chose books to help people plan for their futures and/or deal better with their present," said
Chris Schluep, senior books editor at Amazon.com. "The same book won't work for every
situation, or every person, so you'll see titles sitting beside one another that might not normally
share shelf space."
In other words, while this list does include books by traditional business people, you'll also find
works by outspoken entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and Hollywood producers.
What each of these authors shares is a desire to help people find out what they really want — and
to make their dreams a reality.
Check out the full, ranked list below, and learn more about the top 25 here.
1. "#Girlboss" by Sophia Amoruso
2. "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle
3. "Andrew Carnegie" by David Nasaw

4. "Awaken the Giant Within" by Tony Robbins
5. "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert
6. "Business Adventures" by John Brooks
7. "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life" by Daniel
G. Amen
8. "Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield, Mark
Victor Hansen, and Amy Newmark
9. "Choose Yourself!" by James Altucher
10. "Crush It!" by Gary Vaynerhcuk Amazon
11. "Do Over" by Jon Acuff
12. "Drive" by Daniel H. Pink
13. "Eat That Frog!" by Brian Tracy
14. "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance
15. "Emotional Intelligence" by Daniel Goleman
16. "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown
17. "Execution" by Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan, and Charles Burck
18. "Find a Way" by Diana Nyad
19. "First, Break all the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
20. "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
21. "Flying Without a Net" by Thomas J. DeLong
22. "Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
23. "Getting More" by Stuart Diamond
24. "Getting Things Done" by David Allen

25. "Getting to Yes" by Roger Fisher, William Ury,
and Bruce Patton
26. "Give and Take" by Adam M. Grant
27. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins
28. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by
Dale Carnegie
29. "How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton
M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen
Dillon
30. "Influence" by Robert B. Cialdini
31. "Leadership on the Line" by Martin Linsky and Ronald A. Heifetz
32. "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg
33. "Made to Stick" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
34. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl
35. "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius
36. "Mindset" by Carol Dweck
37. "Misbehaving" by Richard Thaler
38. "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss
39. "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
40. "Personal History" by Katharine GrahamAmazon
41. "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely
42. "Quiet" by Susan Cain
43. "It Worked for Me" by Colin Powell and Tony Kolt
44. "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse

45. "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek
46. "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson
47. "Strengths Finder 2.0" by Tom Rath
48. "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert
49. "Superforecasting" by Philip E. Tetlock
50. "Talent is Overrated" by Geoff Colvin
51. "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" by Al Ries and Jack Trout
52. "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene
53. "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferriss
54. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey
55. "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
56. "The Art of Happiness" by Dalai Lama
57. "The Art of Stillness" by Pico Iyer
58. "The Art of Strategy" by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff
59. "The Art of the Start 2.0" by Guy Kawasaki
60. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu
61. "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
62. "The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
63. "The Charisma Myth" by Olivia Fox Cabane
64. "The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande
65. "The Confidence Code" by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
66. "The Effective Executive" by Peter F. Drucker

67. "The Essays of Warren Buffett" by Warren E. Buffett and Lawrence A. Cunningham
68. "The First 90 Days" by Michael D. Watkins
69. "The First Tycoon" by T.J. Stiles
70. "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni
71. "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz and Janet Mills
72. "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown
73. "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn AchorAmazon
74. "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin
75. "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz
76. "The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton M. Christensen
77. "The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham
78. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
79. "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries
80. "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo
81. "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod
82. "The Now Habit" by Neil Fiore
83. "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg
84. "The Prince" by Nicolo Machiavelli and N.H. Thompson
85. "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran
86. "The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck
87. "The Road to Character" by David Brooks
88. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne

89. "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" by Deepak Chopra
90. "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman
91. "Titan" by Ron Chernow
92. "Triggers" by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter
93. "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
94. "Turn the Ship Around!" by L. David Marquet
95. "Uncertainty" by Jonathan Fields
96. "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman
97. "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter
98. "Willpower" by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney
99. "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rhimes
100. "Zero to One" by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
SOURCE: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-top-100-leadership-and-success-books-2016-2
Some of my Favorites are at: http://www.slideshare.net/drchrisstout1/banned-
books-59945400

Money Management & Investing
The Biology of Good Investing
By Duncan Gilchrist, PhD
Investment pundits – ourselves included – write a lot about how checking
your portfolio too frequently is hazardous to both your financial and
mental health. The evidence is overwhelming that those who check their
portfolios on a daily basis tend to underperform those who check their
portfolios less frequently.
The reason is simple: On any given day, there’s almost a 50-50 chance the
market will be up or down. Because people dislike losses more than than
they enjoy gains – a behavioral finding known as loss aversion – people who check their portfolios
daily find the process painful. And just like your gut reaction to pain is to draw away from the
source of that pain, your gut reaction to seeing an investment lose money is to make a change. To
sell. To panic. To act.
Changing your portfolio, or market timing as our Chief Investment Officer Dr. Burton Malkiel
calls it, is an investor’s Most Serious Mistake.
So what’s the solution? Just check your portfolio less often, right?
Unfortunately, things really don’t get much better if you check less frequently.
We looked at historical market data going back as far as possible (1871, to be precise) to ask what
the probability is that the market is down depending on how often you check.
Over the last 144 years,
there was a 39%
probability that an
investor who checked
her portfolio once a
month would see the
market down. Even if
she looked once a year,
there’s still a 31%
chance that the market
will be in the red.

Credit goes to Justin Wolfers for inspiring this chart. The data come from Professor Robert
Shiller’s Yale University website.
What’s an investor to do? Even if you control your curiosity and only check on your investments
once a year, you’re going to spend a third of your life fuming at the results!
It isn’t your fault: The human body simply isn’t built for making good investment decisions
Loss aversion isn’t driven by mental weakness; it’s a biological phenomenon. A study published in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that loss aversion is primarily driven
by the amygdalae, two almond-shaped parts of the brain that are key components our limbic
system, which is responsible for most of our emotional life. The study found that people with
damaged amygdalae aren’t loss averse.
Does that make you want to get rid of your amygdalae?
Scholars of evolutionary psychology actually believe that loss aversion is one of the reasons we are
here today. Recent research suggests loss aversion became an important part of human nature tens
of thousands of years ago, when we were foragers (McDermott, Fowler, and Smirnov, 2008).
Running out of food was fatal, so if our ancestors ended up in a location where there wasn’t
enough food they had to react quickly and change plans. Those who weren’t loss averse didn’t
survive.
What’s important to realize is that a loss in your investment portfolio isn’t the same as running out
of food. Running out of food is an immediate problem; a temporary loss in your investment
portfolio isn’t.
In fact, it’s a problem that tends to even itself out over time. As the chart below shows, $1 invested
in 1871 is worth nearly $34,000 today. It just took some bumps along the way.
At Wealthfront we try to
make very clear that our
investment approach is only
appropriate for the long term.
Please see What Defines Long
Term Investing for more
information on what that
means.
The best investors know they
must have a long term
perspective and find ways to
make investing less
emotional.

What to do? Find strategies to divorce emotion from investing
Research shows there is something you can do to make it easier. Specifically, the best approach is
to make a single rational plan and commit to it, and then use that commitment to ride out the
emotional ups and downs.
That means doing things like:
 Setting up a repeating deposit, so that you’re always investing … whether the market is up
short-term or down.
 Committing to an automated investment service or solid financial advisor … to take your
hands off the trigger.
 Training yourself to think about market pullbacks as opportunities to buy more at lower
prices … to prepare yourself for the inevitable.
It isn’t easy, bucking basic biology. But if you take a moment while you’re calm to firmly commit
yourself to investing early and often, it will pay off long-term.
Check out Wealthfront, they’re here to help. They work every day to improve our service to help
guide you in your desired direction. That means requiring you to do less and warning you before
you make a mistake. They’ve optimized our site to make it seamless, and we take care of the
annoying stuff, like automated rebalancing and dividend reinvestment, so you don’t have to check-
in as often. And they’ve created what we believe is the best automated daily tax-loss harvesting
process to soften the bumps from the inevitable pullbacks.
To paraphrase an old saying: Investing is simple. It just isn’t easy.
References
De Martino, Benedetto, Camerer, Colin F., Adolph, Ralphs. (2009) Amygdala Damage Eliminates
Monetary Loss Aversion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(8): 3788—3792.
McDermott, R., Fowler, James H., Smirnov, Oleg. (2008) On the Evolutionary Origin of Prospect
Theory Preferences. The Journal of Politics, 70(2): 335—350.
Shiller, Robert. U.S. Stock Markets 1871-Present and CAPE Ratio. Retrieved Dec 17, 2015.
Disclosure
Nothing in this article should be construed as tax advice, a solicitation or offer, or recommendation, to buy
or sell any security. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as
investment advice. While the data Wealthfront uses from third parties is believed to be reliable,
Wealthfront does not guarantee the accuracy of the information. There is a potential for loss as well as gain.
Actual investors on Wealthfront may experience different results from the results shown.
Source: https://blog.wealthfront.com/biology-good-
investing/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuavJZKXonjHpfsX57ewsW6O/lMI/0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4AScJqI%2BSLDw
EYGJlv6SgFTbjEMbJqz7gOWhk%3D

Productivity Tool Kits
Interested in learning about cool tools to help you travel the world, get really fit, become a
published author, start up your own company (or invest in one), experience unique situations, do
unusual things, improve your clinical practice, living an adventuresome life, helping others,
making a difference in the world, or all the above?
Then you will enjoy the free collections of tools and tips on an ever-growing set of topics, just click
here: https://issuu.com/dr.chrisstout/stacks/b0d30622ccb64ecc948dd558c192ef25

Intellectual Fun
23 Best Movies On Netflix You Haven’t Yet Seen
It is very easy to become lost in Netflix land and believe you've already seen everything worth
watching. Rest assured, there is very little chance you have. For the second time, we have curated a
list of the best highly-rated, little-known movies on Netflix.
The purpose at “agoodmovietowatch” is to reference movies you haven’t yet seen, that you can watch
immediately and love. To do this, we only recommend movies that have received a high rating on
IMDb combined with a high score on Rotten Tomatoes. This means that these movies have been
appreciated by both critics and viewers, so you can trust that they’re awesome. We also only suggest
movies that didn’t make a huge splash at the box office or which didn’t get the attention they
deserved, so there is little chance you have already seen them.
(Click on the images to go to the links.)
23. A Most Wanted Man (2014)
Based on the book by John Le Carre, this slow-burning thriller tells the story of a half-Chechen, half-
Russian immigrant suspected of terrorism, who is suddenly spotted in a big German city trying to
get his hands on money that was left to him. Gunter (played Philip Seymour Hoffman) is the head

of an international counter-terrorism unit created after 9/11 to spot threats like these early
on. Whether this man is a terrorist or not, what he is doing in Germany, how he fits in the grand
scheme of things, and whether Gunter will succeed in his efforts – all of these are questions you will
be begging to find answers for. Witty, supremely acted, and with a very provocative story line, A
Most Wanted Man is perfect if you’re in the mood for a sharp thriller.
22. The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)
You know Anthony Hopkins as the evil Hannibal Lecter, but in this film he gives a warm and
heartfelt performance portraying real life New Zealand motorcycle legend Burt Munro who set a
land speed record in 1967 on a hand-built 1920 Indian. It’s a story of never giving up on your dream
even in the face of ridicule and opposition. Hopkins’ performance turns what could have been just
another schmaltzy formulaic story line into true gold. You’ll be cheering for Burt/Anthony by the
end!
21. Fish Tank (2009)
A sincere portrayal of the gritty British working class life through the coming-of-age story of a girl
who loves rap music and dancing to it. It features a stunning and powerful performance from

newcomer Katie Jarvis who had no acting experience whatsoever, and who was cast in the street after
she was spotted fighting. She plays Mia, a 15 year old teenager whose world changes drastically when
her mother’s new boyfriend (played by Michael Fassbender) turns his eyes to her. Don’t watch this
movie if you are looking for a no-brainer, definitely do watch it if you are interested in films that
realistically portray others’ lives and let you into them.
20. [ICYMI] Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Two twelve year olds, Sam, an introverted Khaki scout (Jared Gilman) and the sharp yet sassy Suzy
(Kara Hayward), fall in love and run away to their own personal paradise they call “Moonrise
Kingdom.” The young girl’s parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) call the authorities. A
search party compiled of the local Sheriff (Bruce Willis), Khaki Scout Troop Leader (Edward
Norton) and his scouts along with an assortment of other characters try to track down the
young runaways through the wilderness.
The characters are as bright, quirky and colorful as their surroundings. The film’s trademark stylistic
handmade art direction and clever camera choices add character to the storytelling itself. Even with
its sweet and playful wrapper, major real world issues such as bullying and infidelity are touched
upon. Moonrise Kingdom is a delightfully charming film with a meticulously executed plot
and sophisticated humour.
19. Electrick Children (2012)

Electrick Children is the debut film for director Rebecca Thomas and one of the most unique and
visually stunning films I’ve seen in a while. This gem is about a teenager born and raised in a religious
community who believes she has been impregnated with the son of God from a cassette tape she
listened to. She decides to run away to neighboring Las Vegas in search of the real father, “the man
who sings on the cassette tape.” Heavy stuff, man. Electrick Children is one of those films you see
once and it stays with you. It deals with teenagers so delicately and accurately, depicting the
butterflies, the excitement, the romance, the heartbreak, the trials and tribulations of this age and
beyond. Its cinematography is hypnotizing and its soundtrack is divine (listen to Top of the Hill by
Conduits on repeat and it’ll start to have an impact on your life.) Its plot is completely fresh and is
able to grab and keep your attention from the first second until the very end. Watching this film
made me want to go back in time and fall in love all over again. It made me feel lusty and gave me
butterflies and made my heart flutter unlike any other film I’ve seen. You can’t pass this one up.
18. Nebraska (2013)
Nebraska is a poem distilled into a film. Peter Travers from Rolling Stone says “is it a comedy or a
drama? Both at the same time, as life itself.” Everything about it is perfect: the acting, the
photography, the story. In case that’s not enough and you need to know the plot to get convinced,
I’ll tell you that it’s a road movie about a senile old man and his son. If you still want more
information, you can Google it, but come on! You’ll just be wasting time that would be better spent
on watching this masterpiece.
17. Blue Ruin (2013)

Blue Ruin is a superbly acted, visually striking drama about a man’s poignant and brutally violent
journey for revenge when the culprit responsible for the murder of his father is released from prison.
While it might seem like any other revenge tale, it is so well-told and smart that any other similarities
with its crowded genre gently fade away.
The first 15-20 minutes are pretty slow, but the pay-off is hot fire.
16. Your Sister’s Sister (2012)
The acting… oh the acting! Your Sister’s Sister is a fantastic comedy which makes great use of
the amazing talents and suitability of its cast, including the criminally underused Emily Blunt. Far
smarter, quicker and grown-up than most other Rom-Coms, it’s a film built on secrets, lies and, yes,
love, sex and family.
15. The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Sit back, relax, and wait for the feels. With amazing performances from the ensemble cast
including Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Annette Bening, as well as excellent directing; The
Kids Are Alright is a highly realistic yet entertaining take on family, growing up, and witnessing
children grow up. Two kids meet the sperm donor who enabled their mothers to have them, and
develop a relationship with him. This confuses everyone as to how it redefines their status, from the
mothers who add a major issue to their already delicate relationship, to the laid-back and

lovingly goofy sperm donor (portrayed perfectly by Ruffalo). The Kids Are Alright is beautifully
emotional, funny, and just overall a pleasant watch. Nominated to four Oscars and winner of two
Golden Globes.
14. Life in a Day (2011)
A documentary where people all around the world were asked to document their day on July 24th,
2010. 80,000 clips amounting to 4,500 hours were submitted from 192 countries, eventually being
put together in a 90 minutes film to show what it is like to live a single day in today’s world. Produced
by Ridley Scott, and directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play); the
film-making effort is nothing short of extraordinary. The succession of simple yet deep moments will
give you an unprecedented look into just how different or similar your life, struggles, and aspirations
are from the rest of the planet. It’s moving, and extremely beautiful.
13. Mr. Nobody (2009)
Based on a beautiful premise, sprinkled with artistic vision, it is an intelligent man’s sit back and
relax movie. The film explores the life and times of Nemo Nobody, the last mortal man on earth, as
he reflects on important choices he took. Each of these choices are presented as branching pathways
of what could have been, utilizing innovative non-linear cinematography. In addition to the film’s

winning structure, its soundtrack is considered a masterpiece, perfectly fitting the plot via looping
and trilling melodies. The film garnered 6 Margaritte awards, and has slowly been developing into
an indie cult classic.
12. The Imposter (2012)
The impossibly true story of a mysterious Frenchman that claims to be the 16 year old son of a family
from Texas that went missing three years prior. This movie is shot so well with a story so unbelievable
that I had to look it up to believe that it was a real documentary instead of a fiction film played as
true. Expect twists and turns at every corner, with brilliant storytelling from the real life people that
lived through the whole thing. If Christopher Nolan created a 48 hour story, it would pale in
comparison to this film.
11. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
You’ve probably watched and heard about enough Holocaust films to expect a formula, but you
might want to put all that aside going into The Boy in Striped Pajamas. Bruno, the son of a WWII
Nazi commandant forms an unlikely friendship with a Jewish kid his age in his father’s
concentration camp. The film is World War II told through Bruno’s eyes, and while you might not
get why this movie is so highly praised in its first scenes, the twisting and profound second half will
have you recommending it to everyone in need of a moving story well executed, or quite simply a
good cry.

10. Headhunters (2012)
A nasty little chase film with dark humor and balls to the walls action sequences. It is slightly insane,
has some brutal fights in it and is completely beyond belief. The thing that keeps it going is its sheer
pace; often circumstances shift so quickly the whole film seems a little surreal, which is part of its
charm. The only point at which the film does slow down is when it hits incredibly suspenseful
moments, which are stretched to near infinity. As it’s from the continental tradition, expect all the
raw colors, emotion and slightly off kilter characters reminiscent of a violent Norwegian Lars Von
Trier.
9. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
Get ready for one hell of a journey. From the writer of City of God, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
is a poignant and powerful action-packed movie. Set in Brazil, the film follows two seemingly
opposed characters (one a police officer, one a professor) as they both work to treat the systemic
social ills that corrupt the country. As much a social commentary as it is an action-packed drama
(think The Departed and The Wire), Elite Squad will take you on a whirlwind journey that will leave
you considering the larger issues of poverty, crime, and “doing good” in the world.

8. Beginners (2010)
An American romantic comedy, Beginners is told through a series of flashbacks telling the story of
Oliver and his complicated and difficult relationship with his father. The film is gorgeously
heartbreaking, demonstrating how hurtful we are to those we love, while showing the ties of mutual
need that bind people. In the way it also takes on the process of finding one’s happiness, through
the character’s eyes and his father’s, what that process has in common for both, and how one is
inspired from the other. Beginners is lovely, funny, interesting, and above all very enjoyable.
7. The Hunt (2013)
Once again, Mads Mikkelsen gives us an unforgettable performance in this Danish thriller. Lucas is
a new teacher in a small town. He is just starting a new life after a divorce and the loss of his last job.
One day, a child from the class he is teaching accuses him of an unforgivable act. The lie will spread
throughout the small community and will tear Lucas’ life apart. The Hunt, or “Jagten” in its original
version, is one of those rare thrillers that will haunt you for days, and make you question everything
in its aftermath. Extraordinary!

6. Virunga (2014)
A documentary that is immediate and plays out like a thriller. Beautifully shot in Virunga National
Park in the Eastern Congo, the story focuses on the struggles between Park Rangers and a list of
adversaries including poachers, oil company goons, and an Islamic revolutionary army. The stories
of the endangered gorillas and the people who struggle to protect them will break your heart and at
the same time give you hope in humanity. On top of this, the editing is superb and gives the film an
intensity that rivals any recent thriller.
5. The Station Agent (2003)
The Station Agent is about loneliness, change and friendship. Sounds corny right? It’s not. The
characters are developed, they have their own reasons for the choices they make and nothing feels
forced, neither actions or conversations. It’s a small and wonderful movie about a little man that
moves out of the city and his comfort zone when his only friend dies, moves to said friend’s old train
station and sets his life there. From there on it follows his social interactions with a slew of people,
the relationships he forms with them. Oh, and the little man? Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister),
who pulls off a great performance, albeit a quiet one.

4. Fruitvale Station (2013)
The true story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old black man on the last day of 2008, where his will to
change is challenged by his past, surroundings, and the police. You’ve probably read and heard a lot
about young black men’s sad recent encounters with the police, and for this reason you might feel
like skipping this film. Don’t.
Produced by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, it is so compassionate and powerfully told,
that it surpasses the sadness of its subject matter to almost be a celebration of life. It is an
extraordinary and important watch.
3. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
You will not come out of this movie the same person you were going into it. Get ready to cry your
eyes out, scream in anger, and rejoice that such a powerful love can exist in our world. DO NOT
READ ANY SPOILERS OR SUMMARIES BEFORE VIEWING! This loving documentary about
the father of a young boy is one of the best movies of this decade! We can’t recommend this film
enough!

2. Beasts of No Nation (2015)
An instant classic, Beast of No Nation is a unique and uniquely-paced war drama which ranges in
patterns from explosive visual storytelling to calm character studies. A child joins a rebel group
consisting almost entirely of children and led by a charismatic leader credited as Commandant. As
you get to witness the conflict through the child’s eyes, his own development and his commander’s,
the film unfolds as an exploration of the never ending, pathetic state of war in Africa. From there it
takes you to varying conclusions, most of which you will have trouble admitting you've reached.
As Commandant, Idris Elba is transfixing, proving once more that he is one of the best actors of our
time. The whole cast of almost entirely non-actors, as well as the deeply authentic staging by True
Detective and Sin Nombre director Cary Fukunaga, are both mesmerizing.
1. Short Term 12 (2013)
Short Term 12 is exactly like being injured in a part of your body where you didn’t think it was
possible to get injured before. It will hurt but it will make you care. Natural and understated by
budget and by purpose, it is powered by perfect performances that will take you on an emotional
roller coaster ride you will never forget. It is at times sweet, at times depressing and at times hilarious.
The thing is, without even taking into consideration its small budget or the importance of the issues
it talks about – we would still consider Short Term 12 as one of the best movies of the past 20 years.
Source: http://agoodmovietowatch.com/netflix/23-best-netflix/

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Living A Life in Full Quarterly Summer 2016

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