Favorites
I get asked a lot about the tools and software I use, the books I read, and other things that I recommend. This page keeps track of my favorites. Everything here is something I think is high-quality, enjoyable, or otherwise useful and would recommend to anyone.
My top picks in each category are denoted with a star (⭐️).
Software
- ⭐️
Signal
A messaging app that's both highly secure and easy to use.
- ⭐️
ChatGPT
A chatbot that can help you solve problems, inspire creativity, and more.
Firefox
A web browser with great extensions for privacy and security.
Visual Studio Code
A light and powerful code editor with a wide variety of extensions.
Affinity Suite
A suite of powerful design tools that are a great alternative to Adobe.
Things
A task manager with a super-clean interface and cross-device sync.
DEVONthink
A document manager with full-text search, OCR, and powerful organizational tools.
iTerm2
A terminal emulator for macOS with helpful features like tabs and split panes.
1Password
A password manager that syncs across all of my devices.
Raycast
A Spotlight alternative with extensions, custom scripts, and more.
Little Snitch
A firewall that lets you control which apps can access the internet.
Books
- ⭐️
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
A fascinating look at the psychology of human behavior.
- ⭐️
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
A guide to finding meaningful work and building a career you love.
Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
The Martian by Andy Weir
Short Reads
(<5 minutes)
Long Reads
(>5 minutes)
- ⭐️
This World of Ours by James Mickens
The funniest paper you'll ever read, save perhaps for another of Mickens' works.
Dynamo: Amazon's Highly Available Key-value Store
Apple Platform Security Guide
Don't Call Yourself a Programmer, and Other Career Advice by patio11
Lena by qntm
List of common misconceptions from Wikipedia
TV Shows
- ⭐️
Severance
Every episode of this sci-fi psychological thriller is a masterpiece.
Mr. Robot
Arcane
Black Mirror
Movies
- ⭐️
The Social Dillema
A chilling documentary about the effects of social media on our lives.
The Social Network
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Catch Me If You Can
Video Games
- ⭐️
Beat Saber
A rhythm game that's a blast to play, and a great workout.
Minecraft
Celeste