The Alpinist/OpenTimes map/Ultimate Book List
Recomendo - issue #455
Nail-biting documentary
If you found the documentary Free Solo – about climbing sheer mountain cliffs without ropes – nerve-wracking, then you’ll find The Alpinist documentary even more so. The crazy protagonist of Free Solo says the Alpinist is even crazier – he ascends sheer mountains in winter snow and ice – without ropes and by himself. This film tries hard to explain the why – why would anyone do this for fun? Watch till the end (on Amazon Prime). The documentary explains as well as it can be explained. — KK
Travel time U.S. map
Just click anywhere on the OpenTimes map of the United States and it displays color-coded zones showing how long it would take to drive, bike, or walk to surrounding areas — up to 6 hours away. (The driving times can be optimistic since they don't factor in traffic.) — MF
Ultimate Book List
The Ultimate Book List is a directory of books recommended by famous personalities, celebrities, and experts. I like that it includes source links to interviews and articles where these books were mentioned. If you’re just browsing, you can filter all the listed books by "most recommended." — CD
AI photoshopping
As a photographer and artist, I’ve longed for this tool, which you can try out for free now. It’s pretty cool. Using Google’s experimental Gemini 2.0 Flash you can upload an image (photograph, painting, cartoon, etc.) and have the AI make very specific changes in the image while keeping the rest of the image intact. Usually you get very convincing edits that match the original image. Sort of like the world’s best photoshopping for free instantly. (You need to register with Google’s AI Studio > Image Generation to get this beta version. Choose Gemini 2.0 Flash (Image Generation) Experimental from the Model dropdown menu in the right column, and then use the + to upload an image, and then type your request.). — KK
Discover your cosmic worldview
This Substack post presents a two-step "cosmic worldview" quiz designed to help you identify your core beliefs about the nature of reality and your place in the cosmos. First, you answer a series of questions to identify your beliefs about the nature of reality at a high level. Once you've identified with a broad cosmological category, you refine your beliefs by answering one final question to pinpoint your precise view of the cosmos. I took it a few times, because I don’t have a precise view, I’m somewhere between animism, Gnosticism, and the multiverse theory. This quiz is useful for self-discovery and for understanding diverse perspectives on existence. — CD
Best Wooden Spoon Set
I'm starting to replace my plastic cooking utensils with wood and metal. I started by getting an OXO Good Grips set of 3 beech wood spoons (small, medium, and large). I like the solid (rather than laminated) design with a chunky handle. Just don't put them in the dishwasher — that's a quick way to ruin any wooden utensil. — MF
Recomendo is an authentic, hand-crafted, human-written weekly newsletter that is free, but not cheap. Please consider supporting our work with a paid option, now at the low price of $45 per year. Paid subs enable us to keep making it free for others.
Recomendo Unclassified Ads work! Here’s how to reach over 102,000 subscribers for just $150.
UNCLASSIFIEDS
Thousands of trusted product recommendations from Recomendo, now instantly searchable. Explore years of our newsletter picks in one searchable database with photos.
Pets can't tell you what's wrong—but we can. At Sage Veterinary Imaging, pets get human-quality MRI & CT scans for precise answers. People travel from all over to our Round Rock, TX center for expert diagnostics. Learn more at SageVeterinaryImaging.com.
10 Amazon Prime Perks You Need to Be Using. Are you taking advantage of your Amazon Prime perks? Whether you’re already a Prime member or considering signing up, here are 10 Prime member benefits you should be using!
"A binge-worthy newsletter...hooks me every time with killer stories." Each issue of The3mix combines 3 unrelated stories about creativity, business, sports, and entertainment to reveal one essential lesson. Read for free every 3rd, 13th, and 23rd of the month at 3:33PM.
Recomendo is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We also run the Cool Tools website, a YouTube channel and podcast, and other newsletters, including Gar’s Tips & Tools, Nomadico, What’s in my NOW?, Tools for Possibilities, Books That Belong On Paper and Book Freak.
What are some image prompt you might use to edit a photo? Do those prompts change for a landscape photo versus a portrait? Any hot takes on prompts that dont give good results?
This issue of Recomendo hits on some fascinating recommendations, especially the OpenTimes map and AI photoshopping tool. The Alpinist documentary sounds nerve-wracking in the best way—nothing quite like watching extreme feats of human endurance. I’m also intrigued by the “cosmic worldview” quiz. I’m always exploring different perspectives on reality, so this feels like a fun way to dig deeper. Keep the awesome picks coming! Looking forward to next week’s issue.