3-Step Brain Hack for Happiness

By
DAN HARRIS

Feb. 13, 2014

PHOTO: Meditation can help whip your mind into shape. — Meditation can help whip your mind into shape.

Meditation always struck me as the distillation of everything that was most annoying about the granola lifestyle. I pictured myself seated in an unbearable cross-legged position in a room that smells like feet. My attitude was not far from that of Alec Baldwin's character on "30 Rock," who said, "Meditation is a waste of time, like learning French or kissing after sex."

Turns out, meditation is the victim of a terrible PR. It's really just exercise for your mind -- bicep curls for your brain. And there's an explosion of recent science to back it up. A blockbuster MRI study from Harvard found that people who took an eight-week meditation course had thicker gray matter in the areas of the brain associated with self-awareness and compassion, while the regions associated with stress actually shrank.

Best of all, it doesn't require robes, chanting or incense. You don't even have to sit funny.

Three simple steps:

Sit Comfortably

You don't have to twist yourself into a cross-legged position -- unless you want to, of course. You can just sit in a chair. (You can also stand up or lie down, although the latter can sometimes results in an unintentional nap.) Whatever your position, you should keep your spine straight, but don't strain.

Feel Your Breath

Pick a spot: nose, belly or chest. Really try to feel the in-breath and then the out-breath.

Return to the Breath

This one is the key: Every time you get lost in thought -- which you will, thousands of times -- gently return to the breath.

I cannot stress strongly enough that forgiving yourself and starting over is the whole game. As my friend and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg has written, "Beginning again and again is the actual practice, not a problem to overcome so that one day we can come to the 'real' meditation."

How an On-Air Panic Attack Improved My Life

Notice that I said the above steps are "simple," but not easy. Repeatedly hauling your attention back from distraction takes grit, but it's worth it. Once you learn how to watch your breath without reactivity or judgment, you can start to do the same with anger, annoyance, impatience and all the other noxious impulses and urges that too often carry us away.

Start with five minutes a day. It's not a panacea, but it can help you in all sorts of ways -- from curbing your addiction to email to reducing mindless eating to being less frequently yanked around by your emotions. These benefits are why modern meditators include CEOs, elite athletes, marines, and me, a skeptical newsman. I've even written a book about it, called "10% Happier," coming out next month.

For more information on meditation, I like these websites: http://www.getsomeheadspace.com, http://www.sharonsalzberg.com/meditations, and http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/mindfulness-meditation.

Click here for more information on Dan's book.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/step-brain-hack-happiness/story?id=22466384

10 Best Books for Blockchain Developers in 2019

Alex Dovbnya
Sat, 06/29/2019 - 11:00
📚 WikiCoin

These are the books that U.Today considers essential for those who want to make a career as a Blockchain developer

Contents

If you are tired of trying to learn about Blockchain from random YouTube videos, you might consider picking a book that is written by a knowledgeable expert. U.Today has carefully picked the 10 best books on Blockchain for different types of readers — from absolute beginners who cannot tell the difference between Bitcoin and Blockchain to experienced developers with a penchant for self-improvement.

Mastering Bitcoin, by Andreas Antonopoulos

Bitcoin Core developer Andreas Antonopoulos is one of the most influential voices in the cryptocurrency space. His book Mastering Bitcoin, which was first published back in 2014, is a must-read book for everyone in crypto – from absolute beginners to seasoned Blockchain programmers.

Image by commons.wikimedia

At first, the book offers you some basic information about Bitcoin and Blockchain, the technology that underpins the world’s first cryptocurrency. The first couple of chapters are written in a beginner-friendly language, which would make it easy to grasp the gist even for those who know next to nothing about cryptocurrencies.

Gradually, Mastering Bitcoin is diving into the complex technical details of Bitcoin. Hence, the book is not a good fit for readers without any programming background (although, all explanations are very clear). You are required to have at least some knowledge of Python and C++.

Blockchain Basics, by Daniel Drescher

Blockchain Basics, as the name suggests, is a book that serves as an introduction to Blockchain technology. You won’t find confusing mathematical formulas or long code lines – Daniel Drescher, the book’s author, came up with a non-technical description of Blockchain in order to make it as approachable as possible for the average Joe.

You don’t need any background in Mathematics or Computer Science in order to lay your hands on this book since everything is explained with the help of images and analogies.

The book is structured in a good way – it is divided into 25 succinct chapters that build up the understanding of the highly complex technology.

Another peculiarity of this particular book is that Bitcoin is not its focal point. Bitcoin is always the elephant in the room that you cannot ignore, but Blockchain Basics masterfully stays away from it.

Programming Bitcoin: Learn How to Program Bitcoin from Scratch, by Jimmy Song

You have to be a tech-savvy reader in order to take full advantage of Jimmy Song’s book. It is recommended as a logical follow-up to Mastering Bitcoin that will allow you to dig deeper into the technical details of the cryptocurrency that started it all.

Obviously, a good command of Python is a must for successfully navigating through Mastering Bitcoin. Song will teach you all basic concepts that are necessary for programming a Bitcoin library (blocks, transaction, etc.).

Those patient readers who will manage to go through the whole 322-page book will be able to get an in-depth understanding of how Bitcoin works.

As an educator who himself teaches new Bitcoin developers, Song offers a step-by-step guide to learning Bitcoin, Blockchain, and cryptocurrencies.

That Book on Blockchain: A One-Hour Intro, by Jonathan B Morley

There are really fast learners, and That Book on Blockchain: A One-Hour Intro definitely taps right into that category. Software engineers Jonathan Morley embraced a hard challenge – he promises to teach you the Blockchain basics in just one hour.

While this claim might seem unrealistic (despite the book’s modest 106-page size), it is praised for its ability to explain Blockchain in a very brief manner.

The author successfully managed to shoehorn the advantages and disadvantages of Blockchain, its technical overview, and potential use cases into one tiny book, which is not an easy feat.

This book is for beginner-level developers who want to learn about the modus operandi of Blockchain in no time, but your understanding of the technology will be very superficial.

image by maxpixel.net

Mastering Ethereum, by Andreas Antonopoulos and Gavin Wood

In case you liked Mastering Bitcoin (we bet you did), there is one more book written by Antonopolous that deserves to appear on your reading list – Mastering Ethereum. This another go-to guide was written in collaboration with Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood.

Again, this book should be considered regardless of your level of Blockchain expertise. Although it contains significantly more technical stuff compared to Mastering Bitcoin, even uninitiated readers will be able to understand the general idea because of the way Antonopolous masterfully explains seemingly complex issues.

In essence, the book encompasses everything that you need to know about one of the biggest cryptocurrency projects that also created a $12.2 bln ecosystem. From smart contracts to dApps — Mastering Ethereum covers all the basics of the Ethereum network.

You will have a hard time finding a job as a Blockchain programmer without understanding Ethereum, which is why this book should end up on your shelf.

Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain, by David Gerard

While Blockchain is perceived by many enthusiasts as the next Internet, Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain, which was written by an award-winning journalist David Gerard, is definitely a sobering experience. Gerard offers an alternative opinion on Blockchain technology, showing some pain points that might prevent its mainstream adoption.

While the author’s tongue-in-cheek style might seem out of place, the book actually contains through research. By presenting cold facts, it calls into question the ability of Blockchain to leave a dent in the world.

The book doesn’t focus on any technical aspects of Blockchain but is an excellent read for everyone who wants to enhance their knowledge and examine the matter from a different perspective.

Blockchain: Blueprint for a New Economy, by Melanie Swan

The book lacks technical details, which might be obviously underwhelming for Blockchain developers. At first blush, it might seem like a perfect read for non-technical people who are only dabbling with the new technology, but it might also be useful for developers who want to find out more about the range of opportunities that Blockchain can offer.

Plenty of industries beyond the financial sector are already betting on Blockchain:

Energy
Property management
Healthcare
Education

If you are part of the industry, you might want to know how Blockchain will reshape the future. Hence, developers will know how vital the domains of potential for their skills are.

Melanie Swan, the book’s author who spearheads the Institute for Blockchain studies, faced some criticism for describing a fiction, but the disruptive potential of the bleeding-edge technology cannot be denied.

Blockchain for Dummies, by Tiana Laurence

Blockchain for Dummies is yet one more book that can serve as a springboard for beginner-level developers. There are hardly any chapters devoted to programming aspects, but this book amazingly shows the potential of Blockchain while dishing all possible applications of Blockchain to different businesses.

This is not the first option for those who want to have a deep understanding of the Blockchain technology. In her pursuit for the most comprehensible explanation of Blockchain, she fails to define some of the basic terms that are associated with the technology, such as "Merkle trees" and "scalability". Thus, you should avoid Blockchain for Dummies if you are, well, not a complete dummy.

image by flickr.com

Beginning Ethereum and Solidity Smart Contracts, by Greg Lim

If you are looking for an Ethereum developer’s cookbook, this might be the right choice. The book will guide you through the process of writing and managing Ethereum-based smart contracts and dApps that are written with the help of a programming language called Solidity.

The book is written by Greg Lim, an experienced technology expert who has already written a couple of other programming books.

It is one of the very books on the market that solely deals with Solidity without dealing with any other popular technologies.

Lim’s approach is to present the most relevant information without wasting his readers’ time. He promises that you will be able to build your first Ethereum smart contract “within minutes,” proving that brevity is the soul of wit.

The Book of Satoshi, by Jeff Berwick

The last book on our list is written by none other than Satoshi Nakamoto himself. It contains the complete collection of writings by the elusive Bitcoin creator whose real identity remains unknown up to this day.

The book is primarily aimed at tech-savvy cryptocurrency enthusiasts who want to go beyond the Bitcoin white paper, but it will probably be interesting for readers with any professional background.

It’s tempting to think that the book doesn’t represent any value since it is written based on public domain content, but its careful structuring and the author’s insightful comments make an easy buy.

Cover image via 123rf.com

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About the author

Alex Dovbnya

Alex Dovbnya (aka AlexMorris) covers all things crypto — from major projects, which are fighting tooth and nail to gain the upper hand in the burgeoning industry, to the latest regulatory trends around the world. When he happens to take a break from crypto, Alex delves into cognitive linguistics (metaphors can be fun too!).

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Blockchain Stocks List [Stocks to Watch in 2019]

Denis Sinyavskiy
Sat, 06/29/2019 - 06:00
📚 WikiCoin

🔎💰With unpredictable moves in the crypto market we found an alternative source of profit. Check out our stocks list to watch in 2019.✅💱

It has begun! Bitcoin is rushing up at a tremendous pace, do you want your ticket to the moon? Today's events around the main cryptocurrency talk about the market’s unpredictability. Only in the last 7 days, Bitcoin added $4,500 in price, and in the last 24 hours lost a third of this amount. With such fluctuations, even crypto enthusiasts should be careful. But, if many people use cryptocurrencies as a speculative asset, then the blockchain technology brings real positive benefits to society, albeit not in their original form. We want to talk about how to make money on the blockchain because this is a much less risky undertaking.

How blockchain became a guideline for investment

Blockchain, without a doubt, has become a revolutionary technology that can be applied in all branches of human life. Already, many huge companies use blockchains to simplify many internal processes: from reducing insurance payments to product quality control. The head of Medici Ventures, Jonathan Johnson, said the following about the blockchain:

We see what the blockchain does to transfer funds the same way that the Internet did to transmit information, and we want to be at the head of this wave of innovation and change.

Of course, the blockchain-related processes affect the stock price of a company, especially when the application of technology grows. Therefore, against the backdrop of an insane cryptocurrency market, investing in the stocks of companies that are actively introducing blockchain into their services seems to us an excellent little risky way to make a profit.

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7 best stocks to watch in 2019

We analyzed large companies that actively use the blockchain in their services, and selected some of the best in our opinion. In fairness, it’s worth noting that there’s a large number of promising stocks and describing everything is not enough for an entire book, because almost all giants implement the technology into their processes. Here are our favourites.

IBM [NASDAQ: IBM]

Founded: 1911
Capitalization: $122 billion
Stock price: $139

IBM can be called the pioneer of blockchain technology among large companies. Although its leadership in the IT field is unlikely to return, IBM is actively moving toward blockchain-related projects, which number already exceed 500. Of the clearly successful services, CLSNet can be distinguished, which is used for making payments. The other one is IBM Food Trust — a special service designed for Walmart, designed to simplify product quality control.

Image by TradingView

It's all about the platform Hyperledger Fabric, which allows creating blockchain-related products. IBM is a kind of Bitcoin among companies using blockchain technology. Therefore, the company's stocks will definitely be the right choice to replenish the investment portfolio.

IBM stocks show growth for 3 weeks in a row, and there have been no significant corrections. At the moment, the stock price is in the corridor of $138-140. If the upward movement continues, we can expect an update of the annual maximum of $145. Moving averages indicate that now is the best time to buy IBM stocks.

Alibaba Group [NASDAQ: BABA]

Founded: 1999
Capitalization: $440 billion
Share price: $170

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is almost as good as IBM. Their Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform also allows creating solutions based on technology. Alibaba is actively developing and after the start of cooperation with the American and European markets, the stock price has crept up.

Image by TradingView

Also, it’s relatively well known that the company is investing in cryptocurrency projects, for example, Tron. Despite the official attitude of the Chinese authorities towards cryptocurrencies, Alibaba doesn’t stop its blockchain-related services, and that says something.

Today, the price of Alibaba stocks is around $170. Throughout June, there was a gradual increase after the May fall, caused by the intensification of the trade war between the United States and China. Against the background of the latest news, it’s possible to make a forecast about the subsequent rise in stock price, technical indicators also speak in favour of this theory.

Accenture [NASDAQ: ACN]

Founded: 1989
Capitalization: $123 billion
Stock price: $184

Accenture is the largest consulting company with a staff of 450 thousand people. The company actively implements blockchain-related services to speed up business processes and increase the efficiency of business outsourcing and logistics processes.

Image by TradingView

Company stocks have grown in price all throughout 2019 with two minor corrections. Now, the stock price has reached $184. The movement of the course and technical indicators are talking about another correction. It may be a good time to enter the market.

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Overstock [NASDAQ: OSTK]

Founded: 1999
Capitalization: $470 million
Stock price: $14

One of the largest online retailers in the United States. Overstock, also knowns as O.co, from 2013 began to support the cryptocurrency idea and accept Bitcoin as means of payment. The company manages the tZERO exchange, which for many years has been at the blockchain revolution forefront and has been working closely with regulators since 2015. The company has released the world's first alternative trading system for blockchain assets, which meets SEC requirements, as well as the first issue of bonds using the blockchain and the world's first security on the blockchain.

Image by TradingView

Now may be the best time to buy Overstock stocks, because the last time the price was this low was about 3 years ago. Today, the company's stocks are trading around $14. All technical indicators point to a further increase in asset prices.

SAP [NASDAQ: SAP]

Founded: 1972
Capitalization: $160 billion
Stock price: $135

SAP is a software development company for organizations. Their solutions are applied in 25 business sectors. Of course, it’s impossible to attribute the company to the leaders in implementing blockchain technology because of its size, however, with such a capitalization, SAP plays an important role in popularizing the blockchain.

Image by TradingView

If you look at the SAP stock price charts, you can see steady growth over 6 months. At the beginning of 2019, the company's stock price was $96, whereas today it’s already $135. The price set an all-time historical maximum.

Mastercard [NASDAQ: MA]

Founded: 1966
Capitalization: $266 billion
Stock price: $260

The company doesn’t require a special presentation, as well as its type of activity. Mastercard is actively developing blockchain-related solutions to improve customer service. The main tasks are speeding up transactions, reducing commissions, but the main thing is to increase the level of service security.

Image by TradingView

As with many of the listed assets, Mastercard shares in 2019 steadily climb up. Having pushed off from the bottom of $176 at the end of 2018, the price has already reached $262, practically without being subjected to falls and corrections. Most of the technical indicators show the prospects and growth of the asset in the future.

Hitachi [NASDAQ: HTHIF]

Founded: 1910
Capitalization: $34.4 billion
Stock price: $36

The company is one of the founders of the Hyperledger consortium and the project and also collaborates with the Tech Bureau using the NEM-based Mijin blockchain-based management tool, whose number of customers is 150 million.

Image by TradingView

Hitachi shares showed excellent growth over the past year, adding 478%. At the beginning of autumn 2018, the price soared from $6 to $33, and today it’s in the area of $36. Growth continues today.

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Other popular blockchain stocks

Speaking globally, stocks of giant companies are always stable. We would like to add another small list of those, but in a shorter format:

Visa — an analogue of a Mastercard and the use of the blockchain is similar.
Bank of America — the owner of a huge number of blockchain patents, along with IBM.
Microsoft — are part of the Hyperledger consortium.
Samsung — developing its own blockchain.
Metlife — an insurance company using blockchain-related customer service.
NASDAQ — being an exchange, it actively uses technology to speed up transactions and minimize commissions.
Nestle — a food company that uses blockchain to improve logistics processes.

Conclusion

As you can see, investing in cryptocurrencies can have a slightly different look than buying Bitcoin or alts. Moreover, investing in the use of technology blockchain looks much more stable and less risky, especially looking at the events of today's market. Of course, profits will not be so big, but the chances of losing capital are much lower.

You can buy the company stocks described by us, or you can search for your own ways. Today, the use of blockchain-related services is not a novelty or something unique but has become a part of everyday life. Thank Satoshi for that.

Cover image via www.123rf.com

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About the author

Denis Sinyavskiy

Starting with a simple interest in cryptocurrency, over the past two years, Denis has worked in a cryptocurrency fund and become an author with an analytical bias. His engineering degree helps with the analysis of the technical part of the cryptocurrency market. As a fan of cryptocurrency, Denis believes that the blockchain technology is the future.

Philosophical Interpreter

Sunday, June 30, 2019