I remember taking a class in business school, where we had to evaluate the financial prospects of startups. The startups were real, but the names were changed and in industries obscure enough that we rarely could guess the true identity without cheating. Given limited information and numbers, we were each given one company and asked […]
#1000
This is the 1000th post I’ve written for this blog. A little over 8 years ago I typed the first post for the blog. I was young—I hadn’t even had my 18th birthday yet. And I was full of enthusiasm, if lacking in experience. Originally I hadn’t planned on being a writer for a living. […]
How Well Did the No-English Rule Work for Learning Chinese?
Readers familiar with Vat and my current project of attempting to learn four languages in one year, will note that the big focus has been on one method: not speaking English. Today I want to talk about the failures and successes in applying that philosophy to learning Chinese. My Chinese After Three Months (+100 Hours […]
How Much Harder is Learning Chinese Than Spanish?
A big question I had in my mind before starting this trip was how much harder is learning an Asian language like Chinese than a European one like Spanish? Obviously Chinese is harder, but how much? Is it just a little harder than Spanish or is it several times more difficult? My experience with both […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.