Category: Personal

I’ve learned some lessons about generosity and its emotional relative, gratitude. Generosity Magnanimous, “great-souled men,” as Aristotle called them, are generous. Generosity is about more than money and material gifts. It’s also expressing admiration, gratitude, love, and sharing knowledge, wisdom, and—if we have some to spare—money and possessions, too. My friends’ generosity toward me has…

Don’t try to tell me about climate change! I’ve experienced it, up close and personal. One year I was working in Boston, where the temperature was 18 degrees below freezing—frigid. I got on a plane to leave and, several hours later, got off in Los Angeles, where the temperature was 72 degrees. Now, that’s climate…

Peter Attia, MD, is an extreme athlete, mathematician, and engineer, as well as a surgeon trained through Harvard, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins. He specialized in oncology and—oh yes—has also studied management. He is a capable logician who functionally understands induction (his discussions on the topic are brilliant!) and other aspects of logic and epistemology. I…

This is a follow-up to my Remarkable Medical Statistic post of February 13, which referenced a study that found that 88% of those who sought a second medical opinion received a refined or new diagnosis. (Tony White commented on that post and identified a flaw: Because the study consisted of people seeking a second opinion…

I want to recommend, again, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, MD. It is an extraordinary book that could, and should, revolutionize the practice of living long and living well. A brief quote: Exercise is by far the most potent longevity “drug.” No other intervention does nearly as much to prolong…

Whenever a doctor recommends a medication or supplement, I ask Dr. Google about side effects before taking them. Usually, there’s a long and frightening list. Side effects are tricky…. Some things have horrible side effects, such as partying and overindulging in food and booze that leads to a hangover the next day. Overeating—we eat the…

I was having dinner with Peter Diamandis, the founder of XPrize (an exciting organization—Google it), and I asked him what his next big moonshots were. He said: education and healthcare.  “So, you want to reform education in America?” I asked. “No,” he said, “I want to crush it and replace it.” I asked him how…

Mark Twain wrote: “A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” Women have been lied to, the outcome of which is seriously detrimental to their health. According to Dr. Peter Attia “the widespread panic over hormone therapy risks have not been remotely justified. Yet, tragically, literally…

Two doctors and a nurse practitioner were reviewing the results of a routine examination and tests. They looked them over and said, “Mr. Barney, everything is normal. In fact, some of these results are impressive, quite a bit above normal. I think you’re in remarkably good health.” I smiled and nodded. They followed up with,…

The title above is intentionally provocative to counter the catastrophizing of gas stoves by politicians and the media, as well as the pending heavy hand of government force (i.e., banning them from our homes). According to a thoughtful article from Peter Attia, “Putting out the fire on the gas stove debate,” the problem is blown…