In a letter to polymath Robert Hooke on February 15, 1676, natural philosopher Isaac Newton wrote: “If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants.”

Newton was referencing a far earlier quote, attributed by John of Salisbury in 1159, to an even earlier man: “Bernard of Chartres used to compare us to dwarfs perched on the shoulders of giants. He pointed out that we see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up and borne aloft on their gigantic stature.”

We are the sum of our knowledge, experience, and relationships, and I have been fortunate to have a long list of supportive family members, friends, teachers, and mentors. Some I have known personally, others only through their work. These people have influenced my thoughts and actions, and to them I am grateful.

Michelle Brock
Dave McSporran
Gordon Brock
Karen Brock
Ari Uotila
Lea Uotila
Mark Buchanan
Robert Greene
Tim Ferriss
Ryan Holiday
James Altucher
Noah Kagan
Derek Sivers
Seth Godin
Steven Pressfield
Tom Hodgkinson
Bill Bryson
Roald Dahl
Gordon Korman
Viktor Frankl
Brother Roger
Henry David Thoreau
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Josiah Henson
Benjamin Franklin
Baltasar Gracián
Brother Lawrence
Samuel Johnson
Solomon
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Marcus Aurelius
And above all, Yehoshua ben Yehoseph

Thanks to the many people who have influenced my thinking and taught me important lessons over the years. Apologies to those I’ve overlooked. This list isn’t updated often enough.