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Hey Readers
I studied Japanese in college because I thought it would be cool.
What I found out the first day of class was that my last name, basically, means "idiot" in Japanese.
Not cool.
My odd web address? "bakadesuyo"? Yeah. That means "I am an idiot."
It also means "I am Barker." They're the same sentence.
So it might seem like that ended up being far from cool... But there were some surprisingly cool benefits.
I've been to Tokyo three times and have never had a Japanese person forget my name.
In fact, they seem to love saying it. Best icebreaker in the world.
People always ask me what the website name means and they always get a good laugh.
Sometimes cool isn't what you think and sometimes uncool isn't either.
And that's what this week's top post is about. (Plus it explains the science behind how we can all be cool like James Bond.) Check it out here:
Remember: if you have feedback, comments, or just want to tell me I'm an idiot in English, you can always reply to this email. I love hearing from you.
Thanks for reading,
Eric
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We've all wanted to be cool. But what is cool? What does it mean? And how can we be just a little cooler -- at any age? Here are tips from research on how to increase charisma, impress others and be just a little bit more like James Bond. Check it out here.
Why is The Art of War so celebrated after 1500 years? Because the strategy lessons inside actually do work. Here's how you can put them to use in your own everyday "battles" and come out ahead at work and at home. Check it out here.
Leaving your job because you're unhappy isn't always an option. So what can you do to make the job you have better? Here are four methods from research for making your workday happier and more fulfilling. Check it out here.
Book Of The Week
It's been a bestseller for over 1500 years for a reason. The Art of War is the classic book on strategy and in one of this week's posts I explain why it's more important now than ever. Check it out here.
