Introduction

I consume more information than your average person. News articles, academic studies, white papers, podcasts, books - I am continuously taking in new information and opinions about how the world works.

Despite this, I frequently feel like information goes in one ear and out the other. I often read a passage, think "oh wow, that's interesting" and move on, never to interact with the spark again. In college, courses center on the discussion of ideas because while reading skills are important, truly grappling with new ideas through writing and debate are the best way to grow your thinking.

To develop a comprehensive worldview, not a disjointed compilation of factoids, writing and discussion are critical follow through. David Perell, a writing coach, tweeted the following image:

Without deeper engagement, the ideas and insights we learn are never connected. One of the more frustrating features of our information saturated age is the lack of deeper engagement. Instead of wrestling through nuance to arrive at the right answer, most people recite facts and quips from a source they trust. Instead of regurgitating talking points, I want to engage at a deeper level and arrive at my own conclusions.

As someone working in technology policy, most of my reading centers on politics, technology, the future, and how we get there. The bulk of my writing will focus on connecting the dots between the ideas within these topics. Part personal-blog, part professional-brainstorm, ByteLeg will initially consist of irregular book reviews and occasional long-form topical essays.

The barrier between the digital and physical worlds is being increasingly porous, blending e-commerce and commerce, social media and social interactions, and AI and automation.

As one person, I'll be writing about the media I'm personally consuming. This will include podcasts, newsletters, and academic articles, though initially it will focus on books. I welcome you to send me recommendations - my "to read" pile could always use another book stacked on top. At the same time, I will maintain a strict separation between the work I perform at my day-job and what I discuss in ByteLeg. All views and opinions I express are my own and will be based exclusively on publicly available information.

I hope you enjoy the content to come and that we can both think more clearly about the future of our digital lives.

Michael