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Mind and Matter
John Urschel
At the age of thirteen, John Urschel was auditing college-level calculus. And when he joined his high school football team, he found another, equally inspiring passion. When he went to Penn State on a football scholarship, Urschel managed to be both scholar and athlete, and he continued on to pursue a PhD in mathematics at MIT while playing for the Baltimore Ravens. Urschel’s story defies the expectation that people can only develop expertise in one area. In fact, as he shows us, it’s possible to lead an integrated life.
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Entangled Life
Merlin Sheldrake
Take a deep dive into the fascinating world of fungi, where mushrooms are just one part of a complex kingdom of organisms. The rest of the system is hidden from view, supporting nearly every other living system on Earth. Biologist Merlin Sheldrake shows us how fungi are key players, healing and helping other life forms, from yeast to psychedelics. This book can change the way you see the world.
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Rules for Visiting
Jessica Francis Kane
Botanist Maya Attaway is more comfortable with plants than people, but she wonders if she couldn’t improve that with practice. When she goes on leave from her job, she decides to get better at friendship with humans, by connecting with four old friends. Maya uses the skills she knows as an academic to study her friends’ lives, and as she does so, she begins to confront her own pain. A tender novel for any Five who is looking to connect more fully with others.
Fives are deeply curious, with a desire to go beyond learning how things work, to why they work. This type is the thinker, the scientist, the creative, and the eccentric. More than anything, Fives want to become highly competent in something. Because Fives are usually engaged in an intense intellectual or creative project, they have a tendency to view relationships and other aspects of life as “distractions.” In this way, they can isolate themselves. By recognizing that they are part of their environment instead of attempting to withdraw from it, Fives can develop a healthy balance between their passion projects and other aspects of their lives.
