May "Book Club" Recommendations

I thought this conversation between Tim Ferris and Rick Rubin was really interesting. Rick Rubin is a record producer who has worked with artists and bands including Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Metallica, and Jay-Z. What I most appreciated were his thoughts on bringing out the best of each performer, working more as a coach than as an artist himself. And it's led to some pretty phenomenal music.

As an example, check out Johnny Cash performing "Hurt" (originally a Nine-Inch Nails song). In a different interview, Rubin talks about how he put this song together with Cash.

On a financial note, the big story continues to be higher-than-expected inflation and what that means for interest rates, as well as stock and bond valuations. I wrote up an article on it, summarizing what's happening and the assumptions we can make going forward. The article is a month or so old now, and the markets have shifted (rates up, stocks down) since then, but the core principles remain relevant. Check it out, if you're interested. The main point (as always) is that it's important to be long-term thinking, and to make decisions based on a 5-10 year timeframe rather than on what markets might do in the next few months.

Enjoy!

Nicholas