Thank you to the readers who bring the “letter” part of this newsletter to life. When you respond to something I write, this feels more like a conversation. Receiving your emails is always important to me and I’m excited to see every message, whether they align with what I wrote or contain something entirely unexpected just because it was on your mind. 

Last week, I loved reading everyone’s views on free expression. And I winced slightly but paid close attention to a couple readers’ concerns that I didn’t include enough non-male comedians in

Laughing Matters (I highly recommend Jordan Jensen’s Netflix special for a trip to the edge – she makes Sarah Silverman and Kathy Griffin and Wanda Sykes and Chelsea Handler and Amy Schumer and Ali Wong, among my other female favorites, look mainstream. I also want to acknowledge that I got Ms. Jensen’s name completely wrong when I typed it from memory.).

When I write these essays/articles/missives, I usually approach whatever’s on my mind from an unequivocal perspective. It’s not my style to soften things with qualifiers like, “it depends” or “on the other hand…”  And especially when it comes to human rights, I do not believe that there are good people on both sides. 

I don’t expect people to agree with me. In fact, I’m super interested when you don’t. My favorite part is the conversation. The main reason I write this is because I am a philosopher (literally a “lover of wisdom”) at heart, and I believe the surest path to self-improvement and whatever passes for truth these days is exploring ideas, individually and together. 

And if one of us discovers something new? A missing piece of the conceptual puzzle that invites us to rewire our neural architecture and change our minds? That’s the icing on the cake. 

That’s learning. 

Thanks for reading, and thanks even more for responding.

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When was the last time you encountered an idea that was complete crap, and engaged the idea’s owner in a conversation that led one or both of you to a deeper understanding? Drop me a line – I’m curious!

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Open-Source Learning is yours. Free. Get the white paper here. Use what works and customize whatever you need, however you want. I’m here to help.

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Curiosity is worth practicing. That’s how we get better at it. When it’s done particularly well, curiosity can be elevated to an art form. Curiosity makes life worth living. I am literally Curious AF. And now you can be too! Click HERE to unlock your free membership subscription. 

Here is a taste of what I’m doing, reading, watching, and thinking about.

What I’m Reading –

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, saw its military applications, became worried about his legacy as the “merchant of death,” and bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. I’m always interested in the scientific advances that earn Nobels, and this year is no exception. From Reuters: “American scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi from Japan won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for work shedding light on how the immune system spares healthy cells, creating openings for possible new autoimmune disease and cancer treatments.”

What Else I’m Reading –

By popular demand (my daughter asked me to), I’m bringing back the LIT AF podcast and picking up Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where I left off, so that I can finish the book by the time the movie comes out in November. Come join the fun!

What I’m Watching –

The full moon set over the desert as I take an early morning walk to clear my head:

Quote I’m pondering –

I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.

- Dante Alighieri

Thank you for reading! This publication is a lovingly cultivated, hand-rolled, barrel-aged, ad-free, AI-free, 100% organic, anti-algorithm, zero calorie, high protein, completely reader-supported publication that is not paid to endorse any political party, world religion, sports team, product or service. Please help keep it going by buying my book, hiring me to speak, or becoming a paid subscriber, which will also entitle you to upcoming web events, free consultations, discounted merchandise, and generally being the coolest person your friends know:

Best,

Know someone who is also Curious AF? Please share this edition with them!

David Preston

Educator & Author

​https://davidpreston.net​

Latest book: ACADEMY OF ONE

Header image: Full moon setting on the morning of October 7, 2025. Photo: David Preston