Books · by Tomás Gómez · 2026-09-30

What nonfiction looks like when you stop optimizing everything in São Paulo

Context: I am not an expert, just someone trying to make Books feel less intimidating. I wrote down what worked, what felt awkward, and what I would do differently next time.

61 sparks · 12 comments

Comments

Rafael Almeida · 8 likes

The conclusion is too broad, but the example is interesting. That is the kind of detail beginners miss.

Benjamín Rojas · 2 likes

That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. For me it came down to the setup.

Tomás Gómez · 29 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way.

Ethan Brooks · 4 likes

That made the concept click.

Theo Bennett · 1 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Tomás Gómez · 2 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Maya Williams · 2 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.

Noah Campbell · 2 likes

Helpful correction.

Mango Comet · 1 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. The 2-minute rule is underrated.

Rafael Almeida · 1 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar.

Bianca Santos · 1 likes

I do not have a strong take, but the stop detail is useful. I noticed the same thing in Manila.

Tola Ibrahim · 0 likes

What would you change if you started over? The Lisbon example makes it feel concrete.