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"Brändövägen 8" av Henrik Tikkanen

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Brändovägen 8 av Henrik Tikkanen, skriven 1975.

Henrik Tikkanen skriver självutlämnande och vasst om sin uppväxt i den finlandssvenska överklassen.

Jag har tidigare läst hans hustru Märta Tikkanens Århundradets kärlekssaga, i vilken det är uppenbart att Henriks alkoholism gjorde honom till en usel make. Så ärligt talat ville jag inte gilla det här. Men ändå, jag kan inte förneka att han skriver bra. Riktigt bra. Det är skarpt och både uttrycksfullt och insiktsfullt och nu vill jag läsa de resterande fyra böckerna i serien.

"A System for Writing" by Bob Doto

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200

A System for Writing by Bob Doto is a well-written and practical book about how to use a Zettelkasten to write better.

What the hell is a Zettelkasten, you ask?

Good question.

“Zettelkasten” is a German word that literally means something like “a box for storing note cards”.

So what the hell does a note box have to do with writing better, you ask?

Again, good question.

As it turns out, Zettelkasten is not only an obscure German word, but in the Personal Knowledge Management space (PKM for people in the know) it has also become the name of an elaborate system of taking notes and organizing information.

"How to Read a Book" by Mortimer J. Adler

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren, 2nd edition, 1972.

This is a book about how to read books.

The big idea is that reading is a skill, with certain principles and rules that you must follow if you want to do it well.

Central to this skill of reading is what they call variable-speed reading. Which means that you should adjust the level of reading to the book you’re reading. Why? Because not everything is worth reading with the same care. In fact most books, they say, should only be read superficially.

"Nineteen Eighty-Four" by George Orwell

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — for ever.”

That’s how O’Brien explains the ideology of the Party to Winston Smith, in between the rounds of torture, in the book Nineteen Eighty-Four, written by George Orwell in 1949.

As the title suggests it takes place in 1984, in a hypothetical totalitarian future.

The Earth has been split in three parts: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Between the three there is an ever shifting state of war and alliance. Sometimes Oceania is at war with Eurasia, with Eastasia as an ally. Sometimes it’s the other way around: Eurasia the friend, Eastasia the enemy.

"I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

I, Robot is a collection of nine short science-fiction stories, written by Isaac Asimov between 1940 and 1950.

The running theme is robots and the Three Laws of Robotics they’re all programmed with:

A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

The stories are all either about robots and their relation to humans and humanity, or about various situations where the three laws give rise to unexpected problems.

"Writing That Works" by Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Writing That Works is a small book written by the American duo Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson, both from the renowned marketing agency Ogilvy & Mather.

The book tells you how to write in the business world, so that you can get your point across clearly and concisely. Both authors have long experience from the ad and marketing industry. Reading the book, it’s clear that they have a solid grasp of effective communication, and their advice comes across as trustworthy.

"The Art and Business of Online Writing" by Nicolas Cole

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

A book about writing online.

Interesting content, bad presentation.

See Thoughts on “The Art and Business of Online Writing” by Nicolas Cole.

Thoughts on "The Art and Business of Online Writing" by Nicolas Cole

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The Art and Business of Online Writing (2020) is a guide to writing and publishing online, written by Nicolas Cole. The content is overall good, but the presentation is repetitive and formulaic, and the structure is really bad.

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Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:47:06 +0200

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