Michael Benninger

Among the multitude of authors featured on Blinkist, one of the most popular in recent years is Ryan Holiday, whose books have influenced countless people from all walks of life. Today, we’re delighted to release a conversation with the author on our new podcast, State of Mind.

Whether you want to finish a personal project, get a new business off the ground, or simply be better at your job, how you choose to allocate your time, energy, and attention plays a significant role in determining your progress toward achieving your objectives. But actualizing our goals is something many of us struggle with. Despite our best efforts, it can often feel as if we’re getting nowhere.

Barack Obama once remarked that “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible, from complex word problems and the meaning of our history to scientific discovery and technological proficiency.” Those are words the former POTUS continues to live by, and each year he releases a list of his recommended reads.

If you’ve read any amount nonfiction over the past 30 years, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Bill Bryson. Among today’s most prolific nonfiction authors, Bryson has penned more than 20 books about language, science, history, and his adventures traveling the globe.

This has been a banner decade for publishers of nonfiction, as sales have steadily outpaced fictional literature every year since 2013. So as the curtains draw to a close on the 2010s, what better time than now to take a look back at the most noteworthy nonfiction published since the end of the aughts.

Among the numerous nonfiction authors who have debuted this century, few have made as much of an impact as Malcolm Gladwell. A journalist, public speaker, and consummate connector of dots, Gladwell has published six eye-opening books since the turn of the century, each of which has appeared on the New York Times bestseller’s list.

It’s hard to believe that while debt is a primary worry for many people, an astonishing 21% of Americans don’t know whether or not they even have any outstanding balances. Yet that’s exactly what the U.S. News & World Report discovered in May of this year when they surveyed 1,000 consumers about how much money they owed banks, schools, and other institutions.

You don’t need to look far these days to find that millennials are being condemned for killing many aspects of modern culture. Indeed, older Americans are quick to point their fingers at today’s twenty- and thirty-somethings, blaming them for the demise of everything from breakfast cereal to breastaurants. Yet there is one age-old institution that’s thriving thanks to millennials: long-lasting marriages.

Whether it’s flunking an exam, being chewed out by a boss, or getting rejected by a romantic interest, no one enjoys feeling like a failure. And for some people, this sense of dread can become so great they give up entirely on attempting to achieve their dreams in the first place. But where does this insecurity come from, and is there a way to leverage a fear of failure to your advantage?

College was a blast, right? You partied, made a few friends and might’ve even learned a thing or two. But now that your final semester is in the rearview, it’s time to think about how you’re going to pay for that hard-earned education. ...

As Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg knows a thing or two about sustaining a successful business. Like many other leading luminaries of the tech industry, she's a voracious reader who credits the habit with helping her achieve such stratospheric heights.

Buffett spends up to 80% of his waking hours buried in a book. Yet even more astonishing, is that his favorite book focuses on the greed, deceit, and the monumental failure of one of the world’s biggest companies.

If interacting with animals ranks high on your list of things to do in Sydney, consider a stop at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium an absolute necessity. Boasting the largest Great Barrier Reef display in the world, this underwater wonderland is home to more than 700 species and 13,000 animals. That’s a lot of mouths to feed!

There’s no doubt about it, the Sydney Opera House is easily the most recognisable building in the country. Yet despite the fact that everyone knows what it looks like, this spectacular structure holds a number of secrets even most Sydneysiders aren’t aware of.

From the soaring heights of the BridgeClimb to a breathtaking whale watching tour, Sydney is jam-packed with amazing things to do. How do you choose?!