Month: February 2023

Stephen Hawking, Invisible Man, The Last King of Scotland, Bright Side, and a Quran Passage

Stephen Hawking, Invisible Man, The Last King of Scotland, Bright Side, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 26, 2023

Sunday Supplement #94 (February 26th, 2023)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”

– Stephen Hawking

Book of the Week:

Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953 and is on many best novels lists of the 20th century.

The book is told from the point of view of an unnamed Black man who lives in hiding at the start of the novel and recounts his life up to that point.

Without spoiling the entire plot, the novel covers the narrator’s time in school, living and working in New York City, and making speeches at rallies for an activist group.

There are many themes in the book around identity, illusion, and race that are brilliantly explored in the vivid narrative.

Ellison’s novel is on so many best novels lists for a reason. If you haven’t checked it out yet, put it on your list.

Movie of the Week:

The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland is based on the events of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s regime during the 1970s.

The 2007 film follows Scottish med school graduate Nicholas Garrigan as he goes from working at a missionary clinic to becoming Idi Amin’s personal physician.

Garrigan realizes how naive he was when he started his journey and realizes few are willing to help him escape the country as events escalate.

Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Idi Amin. The rest of the brilliant cast is rounded out by James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, David Oyelowo, Gillian Anderson, and Simon McBurney.

Whitaker’s performance alone is worth watching the movie for, but the film itself is well-written and has much to appreciate.

Brainfood of the Week:

11 Optical Illusions That Will Trick Your Eyes | Bright Side

For this week’s Brainfood of the Week, I decided to share a fun video that goes over 11 different illusions that challenge the brain.

Some of the illusions are ones you might have encountered before, but there are sure to be a few that have you scrolling back to see what you missed.

I think this video is a fun reminder that everything we encounter isn’t always as it appears.

Bright Side is an amazing YouTube channel with over 44 million subscribers that uploads three videos daily.

Their channel covers a variety of great topics, including recent discoveries, space exploration, true stories, valuable tips, fun tests, riddles, and more.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Know that the life of the world is only play and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the broth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure; whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.”

– Surat Al-Hadid 57:20

I don’t prescribe to any religion in particular, but I find many passages from various religious texts contain much wisdom.

In this passage of the Quran, the emphasis on the illusion of the world is a fascinating look at how we can mistakenly place great emphasis on things or thoughts.

Regardless of whether or not you have faith in a God or an afterlife, the example of how fickle a perspective can be should give us pause in our own beliefs.

This Quran verse reminds me to continue to grow, have patience and understanding, and not be disillusioned with my own narrative.

Try to be patient and understanding, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Nelson Mandela, Will, A Few Good Men, Cory Booker, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Nelson Mandela, Will, A Few Good Men, Cory Booker, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 19, 2023

Sunday Supplement #93 (February 19th, 2023)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“It always seems impossible until it is done.”

– Nelson Mandela

Book of the Week:

Will – Will Smith & Mark Manson

I only read Will Smith’s autobiography the other week, but it’s still fresh in my mind as a reminder of perseverance and growth. It helps that the book is wildly entertaining too.

For those that don’t know, Will Smith is a Grammy Award-winning musician, Academy Award-winning actor, and NAACP winner.

Smith covers his journey from his youth in Philadelphia to his career as a hip-hop artist, conquering Hollywood, and all the struggles in between.

Mark Manson, the #1 New York Times bestseller of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, pens Smith’s autobiography and helps it flow while still being authentically in Smith’s voice.

I don’t put too many books on my must-re-read list, but this is one of them.

Movie of the Week:

A Few Good Men

Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men follows a military lawyer assigned a case of two Marines accused of murder despite their claims of being under orders.

Tom Cruise stars as the military lawyer, and Demi Moore, Wolfgang Bodison, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, and Jack Nicholson all give phenomenal supporting performances.

The actors are so brilliant in the film because of the writing by Aaron Sorkin. The story and the characters are wonderfully crafted to supply a compelling drama.

A Few Good Men was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Nicholson).

I typically put this film on once a year, and I always find it worth the watch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Cory Booker Interview | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

I wouldn’t usually recommend a politician in a brainfood of the week since I don’t know much about politics.

However, Tim Ferriss’s podcast interview with Cory Booker is one of the more memorable episodes I’ve come across.

The interview was conducted in 2017, so it’s a bit dated, but the conversation has much worth tuning in for.

Booker talks about his mentors, receiving a Rhodes Scholarship, his participation in a hunger strike to draw attention to urban development issues, and much more.

I’ve featured Tim Ferriss’ podcast on many previous Sunday Supplements, but I’m still finding more that are worth highlighting. This is one of them.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“You have the right to work but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.”

– Bhagavad Gita 2:47

This passage from the Bhagavad Gita makes me question the purpose behind my actions.

I think it’s an interesting prompt to consider whether or not you would pursue something if the result isn’t guaranteed.

I don’t think that means we shouldn’t want to achieve our goals, but it helps me focus more on the love of the process.

Thinking about why you’re truly engaged in any endeavor is an interesting insight into what you really want. Sometimes our surface-level wants often have much deeper needs.

Think about what you truly love in your life, nurture it, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Oscar Wilde, Blink, Men in Black, Sprouts, and a Zen Proverb

Oscar Wilde, Blink, Men in Black, Sprouts, and a Zen Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 12, 2023

Sunday Supplement #92 (February 12th, 2023)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.”

– Oscar Wilde

Book of the Week:

Blink – Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is a bestselling author, journalist, staff writer for The New Yorker, and public speaker.

In his New York Times bestselling book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell directs how we often think without thinking during choices that seem to be made instantly.

Blink highlights examples from psychologists who learned to predict whether a marriage will last (I featured one of their books in Sunday Supplement #69), an expert tennis coach who knows when players will double fault, as well as other intriguing cases.

The book addresses why some people are brilliant decision-markers while others end up stumbling into error.

Blink directs how our brains work in different situations and how the best decisions can appear inexplicable at first glance. It’s a fascinating book worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Men in Black

The 1997 film Men in Black follows an NYPD officer as he joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.

On the surface, Men in Black comes off as an entertaining Science Fiction Action Comedy movie. However, many deeper themes give the film an extra dimension.

The existential questions over what we assume about our world and our unconscious biases about those around us are at the core of the entertaining narrative.

The mentor figure of Tommy Lee Jones and the hero, young officer Will Smith brilliantly bring the movie’s depth to life in an exciting film for a thoughtful popcorn movie night.

Brainfood of the Week:

Experiential Learning: How We All Learn Naturally | Sprouts

Sprouts defines experiential learning as learning through experience or learning through reflection on doing and argues that it is the most natural and powerful form of education.

The video uses the example of learning to walk to show how we start out naturally doing this. It breaks down how our brain reflects on failure to help us understand how to succeed.

Musicians often perform better on most tests, regardless of what the tests measure, because of their experience of not being put off by failure.

The concept of experiential learning is pretty basic, as is the video, but it’s a powerful reminder of how we should embrace failure and see what we can learn from it.

Sprouts is a YouTube channel with over a million subscribers that makes educational videos about psychology, pedagogy, and child development.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Obstacles do not block the path. They are the path.”

– Zen Proverb

This Zen Proverb reminds me to think of the obstacles in my life from a different perspective.

Usually, when I think of an obstacle, I think of something that blocks a path or prevents someone from moving forward.

The proverb gives me the perspective of viewing obstacles as a chance to learn, deciding how to best move forward, and learning from the experience.

Sometimes obstacles can seem like hindrances, but I think in the end, they help us challenge ourselves and bring out our best.

Think about how an obstacle might be helpful, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, The Power of Now, BlacKkKlansman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and a Bible Passage

Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, The Power of Now, BlacKkKlansman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 5, 2023

Sunday Supplement #91 (February 5th, 2023)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Without knowledge, action is useless, and knowledge without action is futile.”

– Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq

Book of the Week:

The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

I’ve featured Eckhart Tolle in six previous Sunday Supplements, but I haven’t featured arguably his best work, The Power of Now.

The book delves into concepts of self-reflection and being present. Tolle provides insight into why both are powerful tools, and he gives exercises to achieve the principles.

Tolle is a spiritual teacher, public speaker, and bestselling author. Oprah Winfrey hosted a 10-episode web series with him and, in a previous interview, stated that what she learned from him eliminated all stress from her life.

Most self-improvement books point to many of the same conclusions about living a better life. For me, Tolle’s The Power of Now is one of the best and most useful.

Movie of the Week:

BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee’s catalog of movies is extensive, stretching back to the 80s, and well worth delving into. BlacKkKlansman is one of his more recent masterpieces.

The film tells the true story of the first Black detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Ron Stallworth infiltrates a local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of his Jewish colleague and combats the racist organization from within.

BlacKkKlansman has much to appreciate from a filmmaking point of view and much to take in on the history of racism in America.

Brainfood of the Week:

Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big | The Tim Ferriss Show

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, educator, and author. He has been appointed by the United States government on multiple occasions in an advisory capacity or to serve on a scientific commission.

In the interview with Tim Ferriss, Tyson discusses his childhood, his education, and how he progressed in his career as an astrophysicist.

There are many entertaining stories in the almost two-hour interview, in addition to the coverage of his career in science.

I’ve featured many Tim Ferriss podcast interviews in previous Sunday Supplements, and there is always something worth picking up from them. Tyson’s is another great episode.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”

– Titus 1:16

The Epistle to Titus is attributed to Paul the Apostle and describes the requirements and duties of elders and bishops.

This passage calls out those who preach the word of God but don’t walk the walk. It emphasizes the expression that actions are louder than words.

The Bible has many passages that express how God doesn’t view flowery words and lack of action highly.

There are also passages that express the good path of improvement. This verse from the Epistle to Titus reminds me to reflect on what person I want to be.

Think about what you want to put out into the world, and have a blessed week ahead!

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