A book I would recommend in a related field is "Conceptual Mathematics: A First Introduction to Categories" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Conceptual-Mathematics-First-Introduction-Categories/dp/052171916X

It starts out assuming mathematical knowledge but nothing specific and progresses rapidly. I found it hugely interesting as a piece of general reading (I didn't have a direct purpose for reading the book other than fun).

One of the tactics I have heard is to pay a friend a certain amount at the start of the night. Each new person or group you start talking to they give you come of the money back. What ever is left you friend gets to keep.

I'm not sure that adding more stress would help overcome social anxiety but if you think it will work then it is probably worth a trial run of $150 of $15 per group you say hi to - that must be done in one night. It it works you can start upping the total number of group you have to talk to but keeping the $150 the same.

I've written a summary of the meetup and the files used below:

https://groups.google.com/group/lesswronglondon/attach/b18dcf2153a9463/achieving-good-goals.pdf?part=4

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/lesswronglondon/FfctMn33gXA/Y5Q6FfLcGAsJ

Hope you find it interesting.

Nice to meet y'all, expect that I'll be there again in future. "Optimize everything in sight" should probably not be a Less Wrong goal, though (have you read Francis Spufford's "Red Plenty"?)

Looking forward to seeing everyone at 2pm this Sunday. Here is a rough plan on what I plan to cover:

1. Finding goals for yourself.
2. Making them a better fit of what you actually want to do (rather than things that sound good).
3. Turning those goals into tasks you are actually likely to do.

Great stuff, see you there.

I'd definitely go, unless it was on the weekend of the 9th Aug.

I would probably be happy to let some people stay at my house if they were traveling from outside of London. I would have to agree this part with my housemate.

It might also be worth adding to this thread on the LessWrongLondon group https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/lesswronglondon/sLdnshaeHHg (I would certainly appreciate it as I don't check LessWrrong.com very often)

Thanks everyone for coming. It was an intense discussion with quite a few points for me to mull on (and more important a few things I will do). I hope everyone had fun.

It looks like there will be another meetup at 2pm tomorrow (Sunday 12th) in the same place (Shakespeare's Head Holborn). I hope to see you all there.

Some of the points discussed (I'm not saying I agree, simply pointing them out):

• If you can program computers then get part-time freelance 'rent-a-coder' work online. This is good because it will give you a strong safety net to take risks (e.g. quit work to try doing ..., be able to follow through on leaving if you don't get a raise, whatever). It is also good as you can earn while travelling the world (which you should do). I have also realised that it helps make trade-off decisions easier (e.g. I should hire a cleaner IFF the amount I pay them is less than I can earn doing freelance work in that time).

• Drugs are good (unless you are an idiot or addict). Psilocybin mushrooms and weed were mentions to expand or change thoughts. Dexadrin and similar were mentioned to work well for learning (not sure if that is keeping focused, memory retention, or other).

• Quick happiness hack: send thank you letters to people who you should thank.

• All our special guests talked about about creating a movement, bringing together smart, dedicated people.

• http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/ The Future of Humanity Institute (University of Oxford) is worth visiting and chatting to the people there.

• There was a discussion (Rikk and others) about having another sort of meetup where we do stuff rather than talk. Or even plan stuff that we then go and do rather than talk. I am strongly in favour of this.

I'm sure there was more that I didn't manage to hear.

Thanks Cat, Michael and Jaan.