Recomendo is just one of several newsletters we publish. This week, I want to highlight Book Freak. With over 12,000 subscribers, each issue offers short pieces of advice distilled from a wide range of books, including both popular and obscure fiction and non-fiction. The goal is to share practical wisdom and insights in an easy-to-digest format that you can apply to your daily life. 

Here’s an example from BJ Fogg’s book, Tiny Habits, from issue 61:

 Change your behavior with this 3-step plan

“In order to design successful habits and change your behaviors, you should do three things. Stop judging yourself. Take your aspirations and break them down into tiny behaviors. Embrace mistakes as discoveries and use them to move forward.”

Before making a decision, ask yourself these two questions

“Will it help you do what you already want to do? Will it help you feel successful? The answers to those questions is freeing because if the change program doesn't satisfy these two requirements, it's not worth your time. ”

For more advice from useful books, subscribe to Book Freak. — MF

I recently stumbled across an interactive wheel designed to help explore the complexities of human emotions. This wheel displays eight basic emotions and illustrates how they relate to each other, intensify, and combine to form more complex feelings. Although I don't know much about the organization behind it, Six Seconds is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the world’s emotional intelligence. What I found most fascinating and useful is learning the typical sensations that one feels in the body based on the emotion, because that is how I tend to recognize an emotion before naming it. It's a great tool for anyone looking to enhance their emotional literacy or better understand the nuances of their own feelings. — CD

When you are entering text on an iPhone and many Android phones, you can turn the space bar on the keyboard into a trackpad. While pressing down the space bar, slide the cursor to exactly where you want it on the screen. Much more accurate than tapping. — KK

To manage pet hair shedding, we recently upgraded from our Furminator to the Maxpower Planet Pet Grooming Brush. I'm amazed by how well it works and how much hair it removes from our dog. We also use it on our outdoor cat, who always has matted knots and debris in her long-hair coat. Both pets are now better groomed, and I'm not constantly vacuuming pet hair from my office carpet. — CD 

Compassion-Focused Therapy helps manage your threat system and activate your safeness system during stressful interactions with other people. The four main points are recognizing triggers, practicing mindfulness, using soothing techniques like rhythm breathing, and responding with compassion. For instance, when provoked, pause, breathe deeply, and express your feelings calmly to avoid escalating conflict. For more, read "How to take the high road" at Psyche. A shorter version: “Be polite to rude strangers – it’s oddly thrilling.” — MF

Writer Sam Anderson travels to distant places in order to encounter his favorite animals eye to eye. He made a highly entertaining podcast series, called Animal, about these encounters for the New York Times. The podcasts are super great, creatively edited.  A large part of their appeal is their unusual style of reporting. Sam is warmly idiosyncratic and the animals are mirrors to his own internal life. I’ve not heard any other podcasts like it. My favorite in the series is Puffins. — KK

If you need to renew your US passport there is a pilot program to renew it online, but you’ll need 8 weeks to process it. Mailing it in is currently faster. But if you are not comfortable mailing your passport, consider this official state department beta program Renewal Online, which only accepts a limited number of applicants per day. (Thanks for the tip from our sister newsletter, Nomadico – written for people who work while they travel.) — KK

During a recent move, our movers suggested replacing our bulky plastic hangers with super-thin, non-slip velvet hangers — and they were right. They maximized my closet space while keeping clothes from slipping off. The 360-degree swivel hook makes it easy to adjust items so that they all face the same way. At around 50 cents per hanger for a pack of 30, they're an affordable way to instantly declutter your closet and give it a more uniform, boutique-like appearance. Best of all, no more clothes on the floor! Here's a photo of my closet with the hangers. — MF

Explainthatstuff.com is a science and technology website that I find myself returning to again and again. Created by science writer Chris Woodford, it offers simple yet engaging explanations of how things work—from everyday gadgets to complex scientific concepts. I have to admit that lately, when I want to quickly understand something, I’ll ask an AI to explain it to me like I’m 5 years old. However, in comparison, this human-written website is much more satisfying to read and learn from, like having my own private science tutor at my fingertips. — CD

I just completed a six-day walk across the island of Bali. We carried only day packs and our luggage was forwarded each day. We walked roughly 77 km from Ubud, up to the volcanoes in the center of the island, and then finished on the north coast. We had two guides to lead the way through the rice terraces, and we slept in local villages, Balinese style along the way. I highly recommend the organizers, who charge only $500 for the whole trip, including all the vegetarian meals along the way. This is miles off the tourist, or even backpacker, tracks. The hosts, Astungkara Way, also offer a 10-day version which goes coast to coast. — KK

I love this visual guide that shows the best months to visit all U.S. national parks. It's easy to read and will hopefully take the guesswork out of planning your next outdoor adventure. Here is the accompanying blog post about the criteria used to determine the “best” times to visit each park. The creator considered factors like historical visitor statistics, seasonal weather, road and trail closures, and even special annual events like bat flights and wildflower blooms. — CD 

Last year, Paul Graham, a renowned programmer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist known for co-founding Y Combinator, wrote an essay titled "How to Do Great Work." He covered a wide range of topics, from choosing what to work on to cultivating originality. This week, I came across Peter Schroeder's terrific visual representation that maps out the main ideas from Graham's essay. It's useful even if you don't read the essay. — MF

I have an update to my previous recommendation of self-adhesive hidden desk drawers. Recently, I switched out my Ikea motorized standing desk for a smaller one on caster wheels—which I am very happy with—but, like my previous desk, it does not have any built-in storage. Luckily, I found these under-desk organizers that are larger but just as easy to mount with self-adhesive tape. — CD 

Henry Segerman is a mathematician who likes to make clever, remarkable mathematical shapes and 3D print them out into real things. He then makes a youtube explaining their origins. Each beautiful object becomes a mathematical lesson. He favors odd gears, weird knots, unusual shapes. You can watch Segerman videos for very nerdy satisfaction, but to fully close the loop, you can also purchase one of his exquisite objects shown in the videos. I have a few on my shelf. They are both conversation pieces and mathematical proofs, and great gifts for the nerds in your life. — KK.

During a trip to Europe 30 years ago, I discovered Euronews and became a fan of its "No Comment" video segments. These segments feature short clips of raw, unedited video footage capturing events from around the world without any narration. The lack of commentary make them more impactful. Recent samples:  “El Salvador transfers 2,000 inmates to mega prison” and “Search for survivors continues after deadly Papua New Guinea landslide.” You can watch more here. — MF

I’ve tried many ways to keep our car tires inflated, but since we don’t go to gas stations anymore (because EVs), the most convenient way I’ve found to inflate tires (autos and bikes) is with a cheap compact cordless pump that is powered by a cordless tool battery. Since I always have at least one cordless tool battery charged, I can grab this small hand-held, walk to the tire and pump it up instantly. I’m on the Dewalt battery system so I got this no-brand Foduuo Cordless Tire Inflator for $30, that works fine.
— KK

I used Bookshelf.so to create an interactive bookshelf for free. The easiest way to do this is by exporting and importing your Goodreads list. I then used markup to add links and a favorite quote from each book. I added my personalized bookshelf link to my social media bios, and I would love to see your digital bookshelves if you create one. My bookshelf is comprised solely of my favorite books on Spirit, New Age, Psychedelics, Jungian Psychology, and Mindfulness. — CD

I recently discovered Spoken.io, a website that reveals the practice of "white-labeling" in the furniture and home decor industry. White-labeling is when the same generic product is sold by multiple retailers under different brand names and prices. Spoken.io tracks items from over 100 stores, making it easy to compare prices for identical products across retailers like West Elm, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel. The price differences can be substantial, so if you're furnishing a home, it's worth checking out to ensure you're getting the best deal. — MF

Tastes in music and art vary tremendously person to person. I have no idea whether you’ll enjoy these artists as much as I do, but here is a short list of the artists I follow on Instagram. I tend to follow those who keep surprising me.

• Ad hoc, guerilla, tile art on the street

• Cartoonist and art teacher

• Designer of odd and unexpected things

• Ultimate spirograph artwork

• Digital gif-like abstract images

• 1950s-vibe collages 

• New Yorker cover artist

• Floating ink, in action

• Color pencil photorealist

• Inventive miniature dioramas

• Psychedelic rainbow colors

• Scrapwood abstracts

• Vinyl-toy-like ceramics 

• Illustrator of botanical forms

• Outsider art

I am sure I have only touched the surface of all artists posting. — KK

If you’re seeking a bit of serenity during your workday, check out this web project that features one-minute videos of parks from around the world. The creator’s goal is to fill every minute of the day with park scenes and is currently accepting contributions. Thanks to Johnny Webber for introducing me to this website in his most recent Link Dump. — CD