Warnings against “efficiency” and “optimization” date back millennia
What started as a birthday reflection on living less “optimized” has turned into a rabbit hole: a cross-century search for who else has challenged the cult of efficiency. This post gathers those voices -from Sappho to the Luddites; hooks to Doctorow- into a living bibliography of unoptimization, an ongoing project I’ll keep expanding as new resonances and missing voices emerge.
A Reading List for Aspiring “Unoptimizers”
I went to my bookshelf, my previous coursework, Bibliographies in a few treasured books, and ChatGPT to design a reading list if I were to teach a class or take a class on the topic of the history of “Unoptimization”. Here’s what I have so far - comments open for anyone to add / tweak what I’ve compiled.
What does it mean when meaning evolves?
Along the way we begin to think. We try on, reject, and are inspired by the thoughts, words, gestures, and expressions of others. We are rewarded, punished, and surprised by how we put shape and texture around our thoughts in a variety of scenarios: with coworkers, in romantic relationships, for online "communities".
Unoptimized
Why is everyone in such a hurry to remove the friction out of every task, every aspect of human life? For much of life, it’s the friction that keeps it interesting.
Intuition, Ingenuity, Small Data
The noisier the world becomes with notifications, emails, spreadsheets, link bait, things you should (and shouldn’t) be watching, reading, eating, drinking, and just generally doing… the more I find myself reaching for things that allow me to be focused, go deep, and get lasting results.
Beyond Data Science: Advancing Data Literacy
My dream, though, is a future of More Meaningful Data. And for that, we need: the data gathered and parsed; the data analyzed, interpreted, and contextualized; and the data visualized, narrated, and made accessible.
The Making of a Pinot Noir Vineyard: Leslie Bradshaw Interviews Jim Bradshaw
During a chance conversation with an old high school chum, who happened to be a fine wine salesman in Oregon, we decided to broaden our horizons seeing an opportunity to get into a relatively new and very promising wine growing region. We “kicked a lot of dirt” up and down the Willamette Valley and found the perfect spot to not only raise premium wine grapes but also to raise our “premium” children, Leslie (you) and Jennifer.
From Anonymity to Translucency
These are a few slides that I developed over the summer of 2009 that map out the way we have and (potentially) will engage as human beings, with one another and with brands, concepts, issues and politicians, online.
Coming Back Online, Maintaining Balance
I am just working to put it back into a larger context of my life/health, the lives of the people that matter to me (many of whom aren't mass consumers of the Internet's many gems) and the larger issues facing our world.
![That We Should All Turn [Out] Healthy?](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/671e92dea779f563ce684aac/1754366937929-95QVRIJM49TO3WR26U0V/JCHS.webp)
That We Should All Turn [Out] Healthy?
…the time has come to think about sex education. At this moment in history, the issues of gay marriage, LGBTQ rights in the workplace, and sex education policy and funding are ever-present.