# Will Patrick

> B2B product marketing specialist and writer. Articles on marketing, strategy, and internet culture, plus notes and reviews from 80+ books.

## Articles

- [$24,000 for 1020 shitty blogposts](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/24-000-for-1020-shitty-blogposts/): There are two ways to see a bubble: either you study the numbers, or you find something that just doesn't feel right.
- [Compartmentalized decoy optimization](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/compartmentalized-decoy-optimization/): On the tendency to optimise for proxies instead of outcomes — and how easy it is to mistake frantic activity for actual progress.
- [The joy of owning crap stuff](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-joy-of-owning-crap-stuff/): It's not absolutely crap, it's relatively crap — and that's liberating. On the underrated freedom of not caring about the things you own.
- [How I rate the books I read](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/how-i-rate-the-books-i-read/): Every book note on this site gets a rating from 1 to 10. Here's the system behind those ratings, why I use it, and how it shapes what I read.
- [Why I take notes when I read books](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/why-i-take-notes-when-i-read-books/): Taking notes while reading is slower, but it improves recall, makes books easier to reference, and deepens understanding. Here's why I do it.
- [Writing online is a serendipity engine](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/writing-online-is-a-serendipity-engine/): Writing online introduced me to people who changed my life. On the unexpected, compounding value of putting your ideas on the internet.
- [A Plague of Gurus: How the Internet Was Flooded With Fake Success](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/a-plague-of-gurus-how-the-internet-was-flooded-with-fake-success/): Online gurus promise health, wealth and happiness — but their expensive courses deliver little more than recycled advice. How the hell did we get here?
- [Optimising For Deck Chairs](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/optimising-for-deck-chairs/): It's easy to mistake busyness for progress. Here's how to slow down, identify the real problem, and stop optimising for the wrong things.
- [How to Buy Gifts That People Actually Want](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/how-to-buy-gifts-that-people-actually-want/): We buy more bad gifts than we realise — and nobody tells us. How to use psychology to stop wasting money on gifts people don't want.
- [If You Want to Be A [Noun] You Have to Do The [Verb]](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/be-noun-do-verb/): The easiest way to become someone is to do something. Here's why, and how you can begin the process as early as today.
- [The Idea Lifecycle: Why Good Ideas Are Not Enough](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-idea-lifecycle-why-good-ideas-are-not-enough/): Good ideas are worthless without execution. A framework for understanding what happens to ideas — and how to turn them into something real.
- [The Anatomy of a Viral Blog Post](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-anatomy-of-a-viral-blog-post/): One of my articles went viral. I kept detailed notes as it happened — this is my analysis of why it spread and what I learned from the experience.
- [My Utterly Bizarre Routine to Write 1000 Words Every Day](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/my-utterly-bizarre-routine-to-write-1000-words-every-day/): In which I discuss the *totally weird* life-changing benefits of consistently sitting down and doing the work, every day, until it is finished.
- [Building a Creativity Kanban](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/building-a-creativity-kanban/): To get more creative work done, think like a car manufacturer. A system for optimising the creative process and breaking through your barriers.
- [The Unusual Way to Work Like a Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-unusual-way-to-work-like-a-nobel-prize-winning-physicist/): Are you having enough fun? Forget always trying to 'crush your goals' 24/7 - try goofing off once in a while. You might surprise yourself.
- [The Tyranny of the Popcorn Post](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-tyranny-of-the-popcorn-post/): Popcorn Posts — listicles and empty content — are clogging up the internet. Why this is bad, and how writers can do better.
- [The Ultimate Guide to Safety Razor Shaving](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-safety-razor-shaving/): Safety razor shaving is cheaper, better for the environment, and gives a closer shave. A complete guide to switching from cartridge razors.
- [Notes From A Flat Earth Conference](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/notes-from-a-flat-earth-conference/): I attended a flat earth conference to take portraits. I thought it would be a simple photography project. What I found was more complicated.
- [You've Never Manifested Anything](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/youve-never-manifested-anything/): Sorry to break it to you. Here's an explanation of what's really going on, and why 'manifesting' is such a misleading concept.
- [The Lightbulb Obsession](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-lightbulb-obsession/): An exploration of our obsession with the idea-as-lightbulb narrative. If you want to have amazing ideas, don't just sit there - do something.
- [S-Curve Thinking: Why Your Life Looks Like a Wobbly Line](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/s-curve-thinking/): Life isn't linear — it follows S-curves of growth, plateau, and disruption. Stuck in a rut or not sure what to do next? It's time to get wobbly.
- ['Am I Wrong?' 3 Ways to Turn Error Into Opportunity](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/am-i-wrong-3-ways-to-turn-error-into-opportunity/): We often expend a lot of energy avoiding mistakes. But with any error comes opportunity, depending on how you approach it.
- [How to Learn Online for Free](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/how-to-learn-online-for-free/): You can learn almost anything online for free — if you know where to look. A practical guide to self-directed online learning.
- [Are You in It for the Learning?](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/are-you-in-it-for-the-learning/): You don't need an education to learn, but you do need to learn to succeed. On the difference between credentials and genuine understanding.
- [The Ethics of Teaching Online](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/the-ethics-of-teaching-online/): It's never been easier to begin teaching online. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should. And if you do, are you sure you're acting ethically?
- [Is It Too Late? No. Start Now.](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/is-it-too-late-no-start-now/): Sometimes it feels like it's too late to start. Luckily, it's not. Here's why it's so important to get started today, and how to go about doing exactly that.
- [There's No Such Thing As Multitasking](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/theres-no-such-thing-as-multitasking/): The greatest myth about multitasking... is that it even exists. Here's why, and how you can break out of the trap.
- [Stop Worrying About Productivity (And Do This Instead)](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/stop-worrying-about-productivity-and-do-this-instead/): Having a great productivity system will help you to get a lot done. But it might be doing more damage than you think.
- [You Don't Have to Be 'A Creative' To be Creative](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/articles/you-dont-have-to-be-a-creative-to-be-creative/): It's a common misconception that only certain people get to be creative. The truth is that we all are, and it's the most important thing we can be.

## Book Notes

- [On Writing](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-writing-stephen-king/): Part autobiography, part instruction, part taste and opinion on how to write fiction well from one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
- [Save the Cat! Writes a Novel](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel-jessica-brody/): Brilliant explanation of story and plot for fiction writers. Risks being read as formulaic, but many classics fit her interpretation of good story structure.
- [The First 90 Days](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-first-90-days-michael-watkins/): Tailored more to a VP/C-level global blue chip audience, but a useful read in advance of any promotion or new company transition.
- [The Long and the Short of It](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-long-and-the-short-of-it-field-binet/): Comprehensive evidence-based review of advertising effectiveness, recommending a 60/40 balance between long and short-term marketing. Mostly B2C focused.
- [How Brands Grow (Part 2)](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-brands-grow-part-2-romaniuk-sharp/): Excellent follow-up to the first book, answering many of the lingering questions I had. Another essential read for marketers.
- [How Brands Grow](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-brands-grow-byron-sharp/): Evidence and research replace opinion and faith-based belief in marketing. Pretty shocking it took so long to get here. Extraordinarily valuable.
- [Scientific Advertising](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/scientific-advertising-claude-hopkins/): A historical curiosity from 1923 and not scientific in any way. Has its charms as an artefact of early advertising thinking, but most can safely skip.
- [Hey Whipple, Squeeze This](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/hey-whipple-squeeze-this-luke-sullivan-edward-boches/): The world is full of shitty ads, but Sullivan and Boches tell you how to make a good one. (And they do it with a sense of humour, too.)
- [The Innovator's Dilemma](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-innovators-dilemma-clayton-m-christensen/): Many well-managed companies fail because they don’t adapt to disruptive change. This book explains why, and what to do about it.
- [Crossing the Chasm](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/crossing-the-chasm-geoffrey-a-moore/): A strategy and marketing classic, still as relevant as ever. Dissects the difficulty of moving from early interest to wide adoption for disruptive tech.
- [Sales Pitch](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/sales-pitch-april-dunford/): Dunford's done it again with a clear and compelling approach to selling. If you're even remotely involved in software startups, it's worth reading.
- [The Shallows](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-shallows-nicholas-carr/): Detailed and thoroughly researched, but perhaps not forceful enough. An interesting exploration of how the internet is, to put it bluntly, bad for our brains.
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/amusing-ourselves-to-death-neil-postman/): Should be read by anyone who uses the internet. Remarkably prescient and indispensable for understanding our current media landscape.
- [The Medium is the Massage](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-medium-is-the-massage-marshall-mcluhan-quentin-fiore/): This cult classic from the sixties was talking about television, but it feels eerily accurate today with the rise of social media and life online.
- [On Bullshit](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-bullshit-harry-g-frankfurt/): A neat, concentrated exploration of what bullshit really is and a foray into why there's so much of it. Can be read in a single sitting. Beautiful stuff.
- [Extremely Online](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/extremely-online-taylor-lorenz/): A remarkable history of the social web, from early blogging to TikTok. Highlights the formative, often unrewarded roles of women and people of colour.
- [No Bullshit Strategy](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/no-bullshit-strategy-alex-mh-smith/): Clear on fundamentals but thin on execution. A consumer goods marketer's perspective. For deeper grounding, read Rumelt's Good Strategy/Bad Strategy.
- [Wanting](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/wanting-luke-burgis/): A walkthrough of René Girard's philosophy of mimetic desire. A truly interesting way of looking at the world, powerful at explaining modern phenomena.
- [Good Strategy/Bad Strategy](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard-rumelt/): Rumelt knows exactly what strategy is, what it means, and has endless examples to back it up. The wisdom of decades, packed into a fascinating book.
- [Fermat's Enigma](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/fermats-enigma-simon-singh/): The fascinating story of how one of maths' hardest problems was solved. A survey of mathematical history that doesn't demand much knowledge of maths.
- [The Brand Gap](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-brand-gap-marty-neumeier/): Packed with hard-won knowledge, devoid of the usual business book padding. If you want to know what 'brand' really is, there's no better place to start.
- [Influential Internal Communication](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/influential-internal-communication-jenni-field/): Underwhelming and lacking pragmatism, but not bad as an introduction to the importance of internal communication.
- [Smart Brevity](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/smart-brevity/): I've read smarter and briefer. It's not entirely terrible, but it'd probably be better to read Strunk instead.
- [Play Bigger](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/play-bigger-ramadan-peterson-lochhead-maney/): Too long-winded and full of waffle, but interesting. I'm still sceptical anyone can create a category, but if you want to try, this is the book to read.
- [Category Creation](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/category-creation-anthony-kennada/): A practical, marketing-first guide to category creation. Not suited to broader strategic discussions — read Play Bigger for that — but enormously useful.
- [The Brand Positioning Workbook](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-brand-positioning-workbook-ulli-appelbaum/): A straightforward guide to positioning consumer brands (less suited for B2B). Stops short of defining deliverables, an important step to miss. Still useful.
- [Positioning](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/positioning-al-ries-jack-trout/): Not as strong as 22 Immutable Laws and dated in its examples, but still a fascinating read for marketers. Only covers how to position towards the end.
- [The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-22-immutable-laws-of-marketing-al-ries-jack-trout/): The best marketing book I've read. Useful for understanding marketing strategically and worthy of a re-read. Makes 22 arguments with sparing words, no fluff.
- [The Body Keeps the Score](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-body-keeps-the-score-bessel-van-der-kolk/): An extraordinary exploration of modern psychology through the lens of trauma and its impact on our lives. A life's work from an expert, beautifully written.
- [Junior](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/junior-writing-your-way-ahead-in-advertising/): Decent advice for someone in advertising or an adjacent role. Some interesting tips on creative writing techniques, but nothing too in-depth.
- [Powerful B2B Content](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/powerful-b2b-content-gay-flashman/): Possibly the highest-value-per-page specialist book I've read. Only worth it if B2B content is your thing, but if it is, you're in for a treat.
- [Thinking In Systems](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/thinking-in-systems-donella-meadows/): Life isn't so simple, most everything has nuance, and it takes more than you think to make changes or corrections.
- [What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/what-money-cant-buy-the-moral-limits-of-markets-michael-j-sandel/): A thorough dive into market values at work in our lives. Poses interesting questions and follows them up with convincing answers. Sandel at his best.
- [The Art and Craft of Feature Writing](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-art-and-craft-of-feature-writing-william-e-blundell/): Incredibly useful on writing feature-length articles, with full example pieces. Rooted in newspaper journalism, so consider how it applies to other media.
- [Crush It!](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/crush-it-why-now-is-the-time-to-cash-in-on-your-passion/): A thin volume of opinion & the epitome of 'Hustle Porn'. Also reasonably outdated and likely ineffective tactics by now.
- [Ponzinomics](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/ponzinomics-robert-fitzpatrick/): A thorough history of the MLM phenomenon that pulls no punches about how immoral, fraudulent and cult-like they are. Repetitive in parts, but worth it.
- [The PR Masterclass](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-pr-masterclass-alex-singleton/): A straightforward guide to traditional press and media PR. Biased towards a British print media perspective, but provides solid generic advice nonetheless.
- [Building a Storybrand](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/building-a-storybrand-donald-miller/): A helpful and straightforward system for building a compelling 'story' as the basis for framing your brand. Helpful with regard to website content especially.
- [Promise Land](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/promise-land-jessica-lamb-shapiro/): A critical, insightful and often very funny look at the world of self-help. Worth reading if you've ever wondered why you own so many self-help books.
- [Obviously Awesome](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/obviously-awesome-april-dunford/): A coherent, straightforward guide to product positioning. No filler, useful stories, and first-principles thinking rather than a rigid system or steps.
- [The Four Agreements](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-four-agreements-don-miguel-ruiz/): The agreements themselves are sound and the philosophy is a useful life model, but it's spoiled by generalisations and new-age drivel. Wisdom buried in waffle.
- [With the Old Breed](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/with-the-old-breed-eugene-sledge/): Gruelling because of the horror of the Pacific theatre, compelling because of Sledge's fine prose. One of the two memoirs HBO's The Pacific is based on.
- [The Elements of Style (Illustrated)](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-elements-of-style-illustrated/): Useful, straightforward rules for writing well. Some conventions skew North American and of their time. Won't transform you overnight, but it helps.
- [SHAM](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/sham-steve-salerno/): Useful criticism of the self-help industry. Starts with an interesting assessment but goes off the rails — the second half is opinion over substance.
- [Health, Wealth, and Happiness](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/health-wealth-and-happiness-jones-woodbridge/): A history of the New Thought Movement and how it led to the start of the Prosperity Gospel. Beyond that, it was not so interesting.
- [The Psychology of Money](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-psychology-of-money-morgan-housel/): In the 'I wish I'd read this 20 years ago' ranks. Rather than bland money tactics, Housel uncovers the unusual psychology driving our financial behaviour.
- [Band of Brothers](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/band-of-brothers-stephen-ambrose/): The story of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, whose story through WW2 is incredibly compelling.
- [Don't Make Me Think](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/dont-make-me-think-steve-krug/): A practical, well-written introduction to web usability and testing. Some elements feel dated, but the core concepts remain just as valid today.
- [The Cathedral and the Bazaar](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-cathedral-and-the-bazaar-eric-raymond/): Essays on the history of computing, hacking, and why open source is revelatory. Interesting insight the layman rarely sees, though dense with jargon at times.
- [Everybody Writes](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/everybody-writes-ann-handley/): An excellent introduction, but if you already know the world of content publishing — especially with other books on the topic read — it may be too light.
- [What Is Life?](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/what-is-life-paul-nurse/): A wonderful introduction to biology written by one of the most qualified biologists around today. Brief, beautiful and optimistic.
- [Never Split the Difference](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/never-split-the-difference-chris-voss/): Negotiation techniques that work in the real world, not the classroom. Also thrilling — chapters open with compelling hostage negotiations Voss was part of.
- [How to Become a Rainmaker](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-to-become-a-rainmaker-jeffrey-j-fox/): Old-fashioned, cheesy sales advice that reads like Glengarry Glen Ross. Still a good reminder of what sales is really about and what salespeople should do.
- [Tao Te Ching](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/tao-te-ching-lao-tzu-derek-lin/): I might have read this book, but I haven't really read the Tao. You can't; the Tao that is called Tao is not the Tao.
- [The Goal](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-goal-eliyahu-goldratt-jeff-cox/): Written like a thriller, but about manufacturing. Sounds bananas, but it's surprisingly effective at explaining Lean principles via the Socratic method.
- [Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/zen-mind-beginners-mind-shunryu-suzuki/): All the time I spent reading and taking notes would probably have been better spent simply sitting in zazen. But here we are nonetheless.
- [Content Strategy for the Web](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/content-strategy-for-the-web-halvorson-rach/): A straightforward guide to building content strategies. Pitched at the person in a business rather than the broader spectrum of content creators.
- [Content Design](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/content-design-sarah-richards/): Short, sweet and endlessly valuable. Written by the woman who transformed gov.uk from a messy tangle of websites into a resource millions rely on.
- [The Right Stuff](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-right-stuff-tom-wolfe/): The story of the seven Mercury astronauts, the first Americans in space. It's hard to describe how good this book is without you reading the whole thing.
- [Ikigai](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life/): An underwhelming survey. The concept of Ikigai can be found in a succinct diagram on the back of the hardback, mostly voiding the point of the book.
- [The Tyranny of Merit](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-tyranny-of-merit-michael-j-sandel/): Made me reconsider assumptions I've carried my entire adult life, while reframing how I think about the last decade — Trump and Brexit in particular.
- [The Art of Startup Fundraising](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-art-of-startup-fundraising-alejandro-cremades/): For a layman like me, this was a helpful ready reckoner covering the ins and outs of how startups work from a financial point of view.
- [Obliquity](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/obliquity-john-kay/): Probably had more value as the FT article it started as. I quit with 25% left — the same point repeated endlessly. Worth the first few chapters only.
- [Finite and Infinite Games](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/finite-and-infinite-games-james-carse/): A philosophical out-of-body experience that will subvert the way you understand the world. Remarkably dense and abstract — go slow. Tapers off at the end.
- [The Lessons of History](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-lessons-of-history-will-ariel-durant/): Extraordinarily enlightening for such a compact volume. A broad survey of history through government, war, religion and economics. Astonishing in its brevity.
- [The Tao of Pooh](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-tao-of-pooh-benjamin-hoff/): Explains Taoism through the lens of Winnie the Pooh — who is, according to Hoff, a Taoist. I think he's right. A wonderful warm-up to the Tao Te Ching.
- [The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-autobiography-of-benjamin-franklin/): A portrait of a fascinating life well-lived, and it's comforting to know that 'life hacks' are not just the preserve of the internet age.
- [Show Your Work!](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/show-your-work-austin-kleon/): Worth reading by anyone with an interest in doing creative work, especially online. An instruction manual presented in an approachable, relatable way.
- [Atomic Habits](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/atomic-habits-james-clear/): Boring and repetitive. It feels like it should be practical and useful, but it isn't. Trite productivity advice trotted out as wisdom.
- [On Writing Well](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-writing-well-william-zinsser/): Zinsser lays down the law. A reassuring starting point for the fundamentals of writing quality non-fiction, even if the finer points are debatable.
- [Consider the Lobster](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/consider-the-lobster-david-foster-wallace/): Articles, essays, speeches and miscellany by the singular David Foster Wallace. A collection suffused with deep sadness and humour at the same time.
- [Siddhartha](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/siddhartha-hermann-hesse/): An exploration of life's meaning through a boy who becomes a man and reaches enlightenment. Told as dialogues with those who pass through his life.
- [Man's Search For Meaning](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/mans-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/): Part autobiography, part philosophy, part psychology, part prayer — an incredibly human exploration of how meaning and salvation can be found in suffering.
- [The Effective Executive](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-effective-executive-peter-drucker/): Dated but contains some of the best writing on productivity, time management and decision-making I've come across. Can be dry in places.
- [This is Water](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/this-is-water-david-foster-wallace/): On the ethics of how we choose to think and what that means for our daily lives. Originally delivered as a commencement address at Kenyon College.
- [Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/surely-youre-joking-mr-feynman/): Dated and clearly a misogynist, yet a brilliant collection of anecdotes showing an extraordinary mind — unafraid of opinion, obsessed with scientific truth.
- [A Technique For Producing Ideas](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/a-technique-for-producing-ideas-james-webb-young/): There is a replicable process for coming up with ideas. A brief, 80-year-old volume that enjoys a special place in the history of writing about ideas.
- [The War of Art](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-war-of-art-by-steven-pressfield/): A resounding rallying cry. Names the enemy of creative work — 'The Resistance' — and shows how to defeat it. Pick it up in the morning, done by the afternoon.
- [Anything You Want](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/anything-you-want-derek-sivers/): A short, powerful read from one of the web's original entrepreneurs about how to do business. An enormous amount of insight in a tiny volume.
- [Born Standing Up](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/born-standing-up-steve-martin/): A fascinating insight into Steve Martin's early career, with lessons on the creative process, originality, and consistently working at your craft.
- [Where Good Ideas Come From](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/where-good-ideas-come-from-steven-johnson/): An eye-opening exploration of how ideas form and innovation actually works. Busts a lot of myths and misconceptions along the way. Strong recommend.
- [How to Take Smart Notes](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-to-take-smart-notes-sonke-ahrens/): The number one book I wish I'd read before university. A plain-English system for managing your own thoughts and ideas. Changed how I think about learning.
- [All Marketers Are Liars](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/all-marketers-are-liars-seth-godin/): One of my favourite marketing authors explains the realities of brand-driven marketing in the 21st century. Repetitive but mercifully short.

## Optional

- [Now](https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/now/): What Will is working on right now.