I'm Steven. I work in product management at LinkedIn. I like to make things - mostly food recently, share stories, and learn what makes things (and people) tick. I enjoy reading about productivity, life principles, and the future. In addition to books, talk to me about burgers - I keep a running list of my favorite burgers in the world. I spent five years in Seattle for university + work and built up some serious Pacific Northwest habits, like whole-day stints at Little Oddfellows and climbing at the Seattle Bouldering Project. I spent half a year in Manhattan, frequenting my local Bean & Bean nearly every weekend or The Flatiron Room when I wanted a touch of jazz. I'm now based out of the San Francisco Bay Area (splitting my time between Sunnyvale and SF), spending time with my family and friends at parks in the city (Golden Gate is the favorite!) with some good food in hand.
LATEST READS
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Some Desperate Glory - Emily Tesh (Jul-24)
Tesh really draws you into a vivid description of life after apocalypse. The way that you are brought along the journey of perspective of the main character, Kyr, challenges your own reflections of what it means to conform; the challenge of being an independent thinker and the rise of her own moral consciousness. The book raises perspectives on the observer's take on xenophobia and genocide throughout the plot. I felt myself feeling infuriated that she couldn't 'see' reason but empathic to her written experience, and it was an enjoyable read.
Ikigai;The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life - Hector Garcia (May-24)
A quick and easy readthrough with a study of some of Japan's longest lived residents. It was both captivating and informative to learn about the world's 'Blue Zones' where people live exceptionally long, and I thought the book did a good job detailing observations of these people. I loved that each chapter summarized the lessons learned from each section. While I might not enact each of these practices myself, I found it interesting to learn how other people lived - especially in Ogimi, Japan - and how they fostered community, activity, gratitude, and passion.