📚 100 Book Giveaway, Dating Advice, and more.

A&B #282

February 15, 2026

👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

🥳 100 Book Giveaway:

I teamed up with The Daily Upside to give away 100 books to 1 lucky reader.

The Daily Upside is a free newsletter that shares the most important stories from finance and investing every day. It's short, smart, actionable, and read by over 1 million readers.

The giveaway winner will be announced in my newsletter next week (Feb. 22nd, 2026).

📚 Book Recommendations:

This week’s book is “How to Not Die Alone” by Logan Ury.

Every single person I talk to complains about how hard the dating market is right now. So, I figured I’d reshare one of the best books I’ve read about dating.

PS: If you’re someone who’s already in a relationship, then I’d recommend reading “The Love Prescription” or “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” to strengthen your relationship.

📖

1) Great Relationships are BUILT, Not Found

Here's the truth: every relationship requires work and effort.

That's why it's important to find a partner who has a "work-it out" mindset (the belief that relationship success derives from putting in effort) and NOT someone with a "soul mate" mindset (the belief that relationship satisfaction comes form finding the right person).

“People with the work-it out mindset tend to fare much better in relationships because when they stumble, they put in the work needed to get the relationship back on track, rather than giving up," shares Logan.

A good way to test what mindset someone has is to ask them if they have a “fixed mindset” (believing your abilities are still) or a “growth mindset” (believing abilities can be developed through effort).

📖

2) Identify What's Holding You Back From Finding Love

There are 3 common dating blind spots that hold people back from finding love:

  • The Romanticizer has unrealistic expectations of relationships.

    • They want the soul mate, the happily ever after, the whole fairy tale.

  • The Maximizer has unrealistic expectations of their partner.

    • They love to explore their options and want to feel absolutely confident they're making the right decision.

  • The Hesitator has unrealistic expectations of themselves.

    • They feel like they're not ready to date.

Take Logan's free quiz to discover the secret blind spots holding you back in dating.

📖

3) How To Get More Matches on Dating Apps

Everything is a science, even dating.

And as the director of relationship science at the popular dating app Hinge, Logan has a ton of helpful tips for getting more matches.

Here's her advice: 

  • Pictures that use filters or have a possible significant other in the photo received 90% fewer likes.

  • Women see a 70% boost in their chances of getting a like when they're standing alone or smiling with teeth.

  • Candid shots are 15% more likely to receive a like than posed photos.

  • Selfies (especially bathroom selfies) decrease your chances of getting a like by 90%.

Check out Logan’s book for more online dating tips.

💎 Weekly Gem:

Podcast: Acquired

The hosts spend 2 months researching a business then record an in-depth podcast about it.

You would think the history of a company would be boring, but David and Ben are master storytellers. They cut out all of the boring parts while keeping all of the important insights, so a 4-hour-long podcast flies by and actually sometimes feels too short.

They’ve covered a wide range of businesses, including:

If you’re interested in business (whether it’s starting a business, growing a business, or investing in a business), this podcast is a must-listen.

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Alex W.

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