Top Content from 2020

Another year and another mountain of content consumed. Even more so due to COVID. Anyway, here's the best from my side of the fence.

Author

Eric Brunts
January 03, 2021

Last year was the first year that I did a full round-up of all of the media content I consumed and listed out real recommendations. I did the same this year because not only did I get a lot out of the exercise but I received a lot of good feedback from people who read or listened or watched something I recommended. I’ve brought the same categories back: Books, Podcasts Songs & Movies. Let me know if any of these strike a chord!

Top Books from 2020

This year I read twice as many books as any year previous and I still feel like I didn’t read enough. There are so many books out there I have started a Notion Database to consolidate all of my recommended reads so that I never have to think about what to read next. If you see these recs and have anything that may interest me, please send it my way! I take all recommendations seriously.

  • This book was absolutely beautiful. A Pulitzer Prize winner from a renowned New Yorker reporter chronicling his life through the lens of surfing. Bill Finnegan has a way of describing the art of surfing, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s been said on Reddit that 1. Surfing is hard and 2. Writing is hard, there are few that can do one well, even fewer that can do both. Bill Finnegan is that man and this book is worth the read for anyone remotely interested in surfing or the life of an action sports addict.

  • A biography of the most interesting President this country has seen. While a three-part series, this first book, chronicling Teddy’s life before he took office, was an absolute blast to read. This was recommended to me by a number of friends and a worthwhile first dive into the historical biography genre. Teddy was a renaissance man in every sense of the word and I’m convinced that he lived more of life by age 26 than most do in their entire life. His diversity of experience and resolute dedication to his morals builds a clear and understandable path towards this nation’s highest office.

  • Patti Smith’s first book Just Friends was a damn near-perfect piece of autobiographical prose and The M Train was no different. She talks about the writing process and the life of being a writer in a way that somehow both illustrates the banality of putting words to a page and the beauty of living a life centered around creating art. Start with Just Friends, and if that style appeals to you, head right over to The M Train.

  • I don’t normally read Science-Fiction but I got this recommendation from a close friend, and never have I torn through a book faster. I read this 3000 MPH thriller in four sessions of reading, staying up late into the night to figure out what was going to happen next. I won’t spoil any of the plots, but if you’ve been stuck trying to get “into” a book and haven’t had any success, pick this up and I promise you won’t easily put it down.

  • This book is more of a philosophy and spiritual framework than a book about tennis. Reading this opened my eyes to a number of different perspectives on performance and competition. Most importantly, for us to think critically about the games that we are playing and what is our real goal for taking the actions we do. This is a great read for anyone interested in quieting your monkey mind and building the skill of relaxed concentration. I'll be rereading this one for years to come.

Top Podcasts from 2020

Podcasts are one of the best developments of the 21st century. I don’t care if that seems like hyperbole, I fully believe it. With Podcasts, we now have a direct line into the brains of some of the most interesting and inaccessible people on the planet. Even though shows like Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan get a lot of (deserved) flak for generating bro-y cult-like followings, they still provide some of the best insight into the mind of the uber-successful that is available today. Below are some of my favorite interviews from this year with a short description of why.

  • Michael Lewis is somewhat of a writing output legend. In this interview, he goes deep into what habits he uses to continue to produce and how he came into the writing industry. As an aspiring writer, interviews like these humanize the people who write bestsellers, and Michael Lewis’s down-to-earth demeanor and humility make this one of my favorite interviews of 2020.

  • Ric Elias was on the United flight that crashed into the Hudson River in New York. In this interview, he talks about what that experience did for him, and how he began to appreciate much more of his life. The biggest takeaway for me was his statement “I’ll apologize for anything and everything these days. Even for things, I didn’t do. I don’t care. It’s not worth it for me to carry that negativity around.” Ric’s whole perspective on life is one that I love and would like to adopt where possible.

  • Every time this guy does an interview I’m guaranteed to listen a few times minimum. More than anything Naval offers a perspective that I haven’t found anywhere else. This conversation ranges from the toxicity of the news, to how to create lasting wealth in a repeatable fashion. Pair this with The Almanack of Naval for an illuminating perspective on how to live a fulfilling life.

  • Nick Kokonas was told countless times that restaurants were bad businesses and he decided that only bad businesses were bad businesses. He went on to found Alinea (3 Michelin Stars in Chicago) and a successful restaurant centered tech company called Tok. His frameworks for the restaurant business illustrate how conventional thinking is often wrong, and the opportunities that exist for those who dare to go against the pack.

  • The writer of Fight Club and Choke is just as interesting of a character as you would expect. This interview is a quick (by Tim Ferriss’ standards) 90 minutes but is absolutely packed with insight into the mind of one of my favorite fiction writers. I don’t normally take notes through podcasts but I found myself pausing this episode frequently to make sure I wrote down every nugget of info shared.

Top Songs Discovered in 2020

I’m going to try something different from the section of songs from 2020. I’m going to write a few words next to each song to serve as the descriptor. If the description appeals to you I ask that you check it out and let me know how well I did.

Top Movies from 2020

2020 meant quarantine and quarantine meant more time than ever to watch movies. Below are my favorite movies that I’ve seen this year. If my descriptions are a little vague, it’s only because I don't want to ruin anything for those of you who haven't seen these quite yet.

  • This has been on my list for over a year and after finally getting around to it a couple of months ago, I wish I hadn't waited. This is a beautiful, emotional mind-fuck of a story that rips your heart out multiple times. This is also a movie that will get better on the rewatch, so I've got it queued up for the near future.

  • The Safdie Brothers have a way to make you feel uneasy and nervous for the entirety of a film and this was akin to Uncut Gems in how it built anxiety- and refused to relieve it. I love these types of movies but if you don't enjoy being taken on a ride, I would steer clear. This one seizes you for the full 90 minutes.

  • An off-putting, uncomfortable story about drug enforcement on the US - Mexico border. This movie was brutal, raw, and accordingly gripping. I've been meaning to watch this one for a while and it did not disappoint.

  • A story of the classic tumultuous teenage years told through the lens of a self-aware rebellious girl from Sacramento. Ladybird does an excellent job of telling a quintessentially human story, one of growing up, in a way that feels honest and fresh.

  • This was a near-perfect story of an innocent boy raised in WWII Germany, struggling with the morality of Nazi practices as he learns that his mother is sheltering a Jewish girl. If there is a better portrayal of the innocence of youth, I haven’t seen it. It's funny, hard-hittingly emotional, and full experience. I can't recommend this one enough.

That’s it. That’s the top of my consumed content from 2020. If you end up reading/ watching/ listening to anything on that list and like it or hate it, please let me know! Also, if you have any recommendations for me, please drop me a line.