7 holiday recommendations for you

The Grinding Wheel, vol. 7

Glen Roth

Nov 25, 2022

Welcome to the many new TfT Readers!

The Grinding Wheel is a collection of recommendations curated for you - things to read, watch, listen to that will help make you sharper … and some just for fun. I value quality over quantity so I tend to share these a few times a year. And since today is the start of the holiday season (at least in the United States), this issue features holiday gift recommendations along with content recommendations.

If you’ve been enjoying This for That, I hope you’ll recommend it to a friend or colleague.

For stories from high-stakes negotiations

The Negotiators (podcast) - this little-known podcast features first-hand accounts directly from some incredible negotiations - hostage negotiations, Mideast peace deals, nuclear arms treaty and more. I think you’ll find these stories illuminate lessons that you can apply to your own negotiations.

For a griping crime film

Emily the Criminal (movie) - a successful career is never the product of one decision but a long series of many small decisions. The same is true for a life of crime. The tension in this film is watching Emily make one small decision after another that escalate higher and higher. For context, I learned about this film from a Stephen King tweet. (streaming on Amazon)

For a valuable business memoir

The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger (book) - Earlier this week Bob Iger was re-installed as the CEO of Disney, a company he retired from in 2020 after 15 years as CEO. His excellent memoir details the deals he closed that transformed Disney: acquiring Pixar, Marvel and 20th Century Fox. Iger’s compilation of leadership lessons stands out among a sea of bland books by CEOs.

4 holiday gift ideas under $100

For your closest family and friends

Photos Book from Google Photos (starting at $14) - with the right photos, a Google Photo Book can carry far more meaning than anything you could buy at a store. The Google Photos app makes these books incredibly easy to assemble, organize and purchase. (Available in US, Canada and Europe)

For fun together

Ransom Note ($39) - I love this simple and fun game which is good for all ages (so long as they’re literate). You can play with as little as two people for just 10 minutes or with 10 people for hours. Here’s a video (2 min).

For dressing better

Stitch Fix ($20/mo + clothing) - I’m not particularly good at picking fashionable clothes. But it doesn’t matter. My Stitch Fix personal stylist does the work for me. Her clothing suggestions just show up at my door. If I don’t like them, I can send them back and I don’t have to pay much. I can choose how often these packages arrive and how expensive the clothes are. Stitch Fix makes looking and feeling good easy. (Available in the US and UK)

For yourself

Personalized notecards from Etsy - we have so much to be thankful for. Get yourself (or someone you love) a pack of personalized notecards on Etsy. Then take a few minutes to handwrite a letter to someone telling them how grateful you are for them. There is no better gift you can give.