📚 October 2025

A month’s worth of wisdom

In partnership with

It’s the first Sunday of November, so we’re revisiting the books we featured last month.

Which Book Spotlight was your favorite?

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In case you missed any, here’s your October 2025 recap:

Money isn’t just for earning or investing—it’s for enjoying life.

In The Art of Spending Money, Morgan Housel explores why spending is subjective art, not hard science. Forget the formulas and one-size-fits-all advice: he guides readers to discover personal spending choices that bring real happiness—not status or applause.

Investor Chris Davis—who serves on the board of Berkshire Hathaway and Coca-Cola—says The Art of Spending Money is “not so much a sequel as the masterful, Oscar-worthy completion of” Housel’s first book, The Psychology of Money, which sold over 7 million copies.

Sleep isn’t just rest. It's repair.

In Why We Sleep, neuroscientist Matthew Walker dives into decades of research, revealing that sleep enriches memory, balances mood, powers creativity, and is crucial for physical health. The book unpacks how sleep resets our emotions, fortifies the immune system, and even helps regulate appetite and metabolism.

Walker’s big message? Quit skimping on sleep. The quality of your slumber could have life-altering consequences.

Salt isn’t just that thing on the dinner table.

In Salt: A World History, Mark Kurlansky whisks readers across continents and centuries to show how this simple mineral transformed civilizations—propping up empires, funding wars, spawning new foods, and even inspiring revolutions. What looks ordinary on a pretzel was once worth its weight in gold and literally changed the world.

Have you ever felt like your worst enemy is YOU?

In Leadership Unblocked, Muriel M. Wilkins draws upon decades of executive coaching to reveal a tough truth: your mindset may be the only thing standing between you and your potential.

In the book, Wilkins shares stories, guidance, and tools to help you break free from the beliefs that hold you back.

Every Thursday we send a short email featuring an interesting word. It includes a definition of the word, a quote from a book, and a tip to use it today.

Take a minute—yes, only a minute!—and get one word smarter. Revisit our October Words and the books we found them in.

  • Liquidity 👉 as used in The Big Short by Michael Lewis

  • Sati 👉 as used in The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh

  • Zeitgeist 👉 as used in Fewer, Better Things by Glenn Adamson

  • Eudaimonia 👉 as used in Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

Want more? Explore the archive of our One Word Smarter series.

Our Author Bookshelf series is coming back soon!

Have an author you’d like us to feature? Reply to this email with your favorite author, and we’ll do our best to connect with them.

Creators of Slightly Smarter

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