Writing

Fifty essays, from the how-to down to the big questions. Pick a thread and pull.

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7 essays

The how-to: guides, recipes, favorite things.

Two boys walking on a dark rocky point jutting into Lake Superior under a blue sky with clouds

Favorite Things: August ‘25Northern Spain, good reads, one big exit.Aug 2025

Pebbly Mediterranean beach with blue water curving toward a hillside town and distant coastline

Favorite Things: 2023Neighborhoods, smoothies, Canadian music.Jun 2024

Flight search results from Minneapolis to Bologna on KLM and Air France, each 44,000 miles plus about $150 for two

Series · two partsItalyTwo roofs and an AC → Italian villas.Dec 2023

Red tile rooftops overlooking a calm blue sea dotted with sailboats and yachts under a clear sky

Favorite Things: 2022Breath, Obsidian, two months in France.Jan 2023

Hikers walking a trail past green stone terraces with steep Andes mountains and clouds behind

Series · two partsTravel for FreeSign-up bonuses → free flights.Feb 2022

Structure

29 essays

How I’m building: money, family, travel, habits.

Side by side: the Terminator's metal skeleton with red eyes, and Tony Stark's face surrounded by a glowing JARVIS display

Series · four partsHow to AISkeptic → expert → builder.Oct 2026

Graph of progress vs. effort 0-10: rapid gains from 0 to 1, then smaller returns, with 10x effort giving far less

Zero to OneZero → one beats dreaming of ten.Sep 2026

Western movie-style poster of a cowboy in a poncho, titled Seven Months in Europe: The Good, The Hard, Practical

Series · four parts7 Months AbroadSeven months, three kids, one continent.Sep 2026

Bald man with a white beard and headphones covering his face with his hand in a radio studio

Series · three parts13 YearsIn, out, and the tax bill.Dec 2025

Cover of Die with Zero by Bill Perkins, yellow and white text on a blue background

Die with Zero: AppliedSold the rentals. Moved to Europe.Nov 2025

A man stands on a fallen log over a small creek in a sunlit green forest.

Our First Home ExchangeWe swapped houses with strangers.Sep 2024

Cover of Die With Zero by Bill Perkins, yellow and white text on a blue background

Die With ZeroDon’t die with money in the bank.Feb 2024

Book cover of The End of the World Is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan, with a torn strip revealing a map

The End of the WorldZeihan’s doom, gut-checked.Dec 2023

Three kids in bike helmets stand on wooden chairs, peering into a cafe window set in a white brick wall

It’s Time for a RaiseA busy dad’s plan to double his savings.Jul 2023

Golden sandstone cliffs above a narrow beach and choppy turquoise sea, with white buildings along the coast

Of Pyrenees and PeopleBeaches, cobblestones, old coworkers.Mar 2023

Woman in a blue sundress leaning on a railing, looking over a green Provence valley at sunset

Series · two partsTravel with Young KidsWhy bother? And how.May 2022

A young teen in a black shirt guards an older player dribbling a basketball on an outdoor court

Series · two partsInvestingBeat the pros. Buy the index.Nov 2021

Black and white ultrasound image showing twin babies, labeled A and B

Parental Sacrifice in the Age of OpportunityKids cost more than ever. Still worth it.Oct 2021

Black and white photo of a young man in a white T-shirt looking down, with another person blurred behind him

The End of Digital GullibilityCigarette of the 21st century.Oct 2021

Cover of Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman: two figures in yellow suits with TV sets for heads on red.

The Dumbing Down of America: An Intro to Neil Postman in 4 QuotesAmusing Ourselves to Death, in 4 quotes.Sep 2021

Illustration of a night sky with a shooting star, a person on a tree swing, and a bike leaning by a fence

Biking: The Ultimate Life HackErrands by bike: cheaper, fitter, happier.Sep 2021

A pile of hundred-dollar bills behind a torn-open wall in a run-down house with rubble on the floor

Rental Properties… What’s That Like?One coffee → 6 rental units.Sep 2021

Whiteboard sketch: a small blue stick figure with an empty thought cloud, surrounded by pink stick figures talking

Intro: Why I Am Starting a BlogWhy I’m writing anyway.Aug 2021

Three bald figures posed as hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil: covering ears, finger to lips, covering eyes

Why I Shouldn’t Start a BlogEvery reason not to blog.Aug 2021

Foundation

14 essays

The big questions: God, meaning, thinking well.

Sénanque Abbey's pale stone church with a bell tower, behind rows of blooming purple lavender under a blue sky

Three Days a MonkThree silent days in a French abbey.Mar 2026

Hokusai woodblock print of Mount Fuji with a snowy peak, white clouds, and lightning near its dark base

Thinking in 2023Faith → reason → post-truth.Jan 2023

A person in a floral dress holds a glowing red lantern in a wheat field at sunset

Series · twelve partsFaith in the 21st CenturyDeath. Doubt. Reason. Jesus. The Bible.Mar 2022