My 2024

The New Year is a few days old. Here are the people and things from the past year that I want to keep.

Reading

Reading went reasonably well this year. I held the volume steady: 40 books, after 34 in 2023, 42 in 2022, 59 in 2021, 80 in 2020, and 95 in 2019. Apart from the extra time created by job changes in 2019 and 2020, about 40 books a year may be my natural pace.

• Wang Yangming: Five Hundred Years of Thought made Wang Yangming accessible after several denser books I could not finish. There is a Youku documentary too.
• Chip War by Chris Miller was excellent. Many companies and people in today’s world make more sense after reading it.
• The Stanford Method for Recovering from Fatigue is for people who sit at desks for work. It offers simple habits and movements for keeping energy like an athlete; it introduced me to diaphragmatic breathing.
• An Introduction to Classical Chinese Medicine moved from questioning Chinese medicine, to understanding it, to entering its world. There are turning points in life that depend on what you are willing to believe: fate, health practices, and metaphysics.
• Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China works well alongside The Man Who Changed China.
• Money Games by Shan Weijian gives a feel for large financial narratives. His other highly rated book is Out of the Gobi.
• The Almanack of Naval Ravikant was one of the few investing books I would recommend from this year. The Munger Way is another I want to read, in memory of that lovely old man.

Film and Television

I will not go through popular titles such as Escape from the Trilateral Slopes, To the Wonder, and Her Story. Two films and one documentary stayed with me most.

The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, directed by Fang Li, tells the story of a Japanese transport ship sunk in 1942 and the rescue that followed near Dongji Island. The island is also known through Han Han’s The Continent. Fang Li was a marine scientist before entering film and produced Han Han’s first movie. The film leaves you with the feeling that those who bring real change and beauty are often the people stubborn enough to hold on to their ideals.

Perfect Days is another world entirely. I do not want to change the world, or work endlessly to rise above others. Sometimes I only want to live in my own small world. Is “accomplishing nothing” really so bad? Taking care of oneself and being at peace inside is difficult enough.

The Wave of the Old documents the spiritual worlds of older people, a group society often overlooks. One episode made Zheng cry hard. I was startled. I recommend it.

I also kept following three documentary series: Once Upon a Bite, Childhood Elsewhere, and Thirteen Talks.

Podcasts

I started listening to podcasts gradually in the second half of the year, mainly on my commute. I learned that I prefer other people’s stories. Solo shows, pure opinion, and business storytelling do less for me. The ones I kept returning to were:

• Li Dan, who has many life stories of his own and brings in interesting people from all walks of life.
• Three and a Half Rings, hosted by Liu Fei, a fellow internet-product person I have followed since his Zhihu days. I respect his persistence in making content.
• Rock & Flowers, Lu Yu’s interview podcast with outstanding women from many fields.
• Siwen and The Losers. Siwen is funny and direct, though after a while the format can feel repetitive. More guests would help.

I also followed interesting creators such as G Monk East and Torres. When I cannot go out myself, I can still see this strange and interesting world through them.

Travel

Japan. In April I took Zheng to Osaka and Kyoto. Compared with Tokyo, which I had visited long ago, I prefer Kyoto. Its commerce, history, and nature fit together beautifully, with something of the Tang and Song spirit preserved in its streets. Sitting by the Kamo River feels easy and right.

Sanya. When the pandemic began, I promised my mother I would take her to Sanya. This year I finally did, and it was my first big trip with the whole family. My feeling, just as I wrote in a social post: too noisy.

Another year has passed.

Another year has arrived.