© 2026 Clay Reads

Split-screen illustration showing a hunched young man in a cool blue room with shadowy figures pointing behind him, a broken chain across the center, and—on the warm golden side—an elderly philosopher’s profile above a sunlit path where a lone figure walks forward beneath birds and an origami crane, symbolizing freedom from approval-seeking (featured image for The Courage to Be Disliked).

The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga

Clay | January 30

Stop Chasing Approval, Start Living: The Courage to Be Disliked Review I am honestly at a loss for how The Courage to Be[…]

Photorealistic cocktail party scene with two professionals talking while subtle overlay icons show microexpressions, personality traits, and trust cues, representing the science of charisma and social skills.

Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards

Clay | January 16

Charisma is a Learned Skill: My Review of ‘Captivate’ by Vanessa Van Edwards I discovered Vanessa Van Edwards through MasterClass. I subscribed to[…]

Elegant “ClayReads Book Awards” featured image with gold serif lettering on a dark theater backdrop, framed by curtains and subtle confetti, with stacks of books, a small gold trophy statue, reading glasses on an open book, and a Roman helmet beside an hourglass and quill.

2025 in Review: The ClayReads Book Awards

Clay | January 9

2025 in Review: The ClayReads Book Awards I read 72 books in 2025. That is 3 books short of my 2024 total, but[…]

Late-night study scene: a learner at a desk under a warm lamp with a math notebook and Pomodoro timer; glowing cubes rise into a starry sky with science icons, symbolizing chunking and focused vs. diffuse thinking.

A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science by Barbara Oakley

Clay | August 8

A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science by Barbara Oakley I first came across Barbara Oakley’s book, A Mind[…]

A digital painting of a young man with glasses reading a glowing book, surrounded by swirling purple and orange light, with abstract equations and molecular diagrams representing themes from science, learning, and lucid dreaming.

May Reads Wrap-Up: From Dopamine Loops to Lucid Dreams

Clay | June 1

May Reads Wrap-Up: From Dopamine Loops to Lucid Dreams May was a lighter reading month, mainly because I’ve been deep in a few[…]

Illustration of a young dreamer flying through a surreal night sky with a red convertible and celestial symbols, inspired by lucid dreaming and 90s new age aesthetics.

Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge, Howard Rheingold

Clay | May 30

Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge, Howard Rheingold Have you ever had a lucid dream? A dream where you realize[…]

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