My Current Favorites – [May 2026]: Books on Abundance, Claude Code, #softlife
It’s been over a month since we arrived in Tahiti. As usual, I still wake up super early, giving myself time to read and enjoy my #softlife in Tahiti.
Ali Wong’s Dear Girls
Ali Wong has several comedy specials on Netflix, a movie, a series. She’s very funny.eI bought her book as soon as it came out, but it quickly ended up in the “books to read” pile. Then one day, I wanted to take a break from Taoist books, I wanted a funny book that didn’t require too much brainpower, I devoured her book (in audio version because I really couldn’t be bothered to read) and I was laughing my head off. It’s an autobiographical book, written as if it were addressed to her two daughters (when they turn 21 because there are quite a few graphic details). She talks about the behind-the-scenes of being an American comedian, the sacrifices, the fears, the risks of the job, and the long journey she took to become successful.
You can read my full review here. You can discover her book in audio, e-book, or hardcover (Amazon link), only in English, but it’s easy English because as she says herself, she doesn’t know complicated words since she has a terrible SAT score.
Get Rich, Lucky Bitch
After reading the book by Ali Wong, I sadly realized that the poverty mindset is passed down in families, regardless of the thickness of the wallet. Ali Wong, now a multi-millionaire, remains in survival mode and still acts like she’s poor. Closing the book, I asked myself “how to break free from the family survival mindset?” and a book fell from the sky: Get Rich, Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas (Amazon link). Her central thesis is simple and a bit unsettling: it’s not your skills, intelligence, or natural luck that keep you from being rich. It’s your psychological relationship with money. And that can be changed. That’s exactly what I was looking to understand.
My favorite chapter, aside from the one on psychological blocks, is the incremental upgrade. Ever since I upgraded my pajamas and wear 100% silk at home, I feel so much better and in a better mood. It’s an upgrade that didn’t cost me much but has a huge impact on my daily mindset.
I often use the example of a pineapple juice sold by the road in Moorea for €7, but right next door there’s a Sofitel where you can get the same pineapple juice for €9 in a dream setting. The difference is €2 but the experience is totally different. If you dare to walk through the doors of luxury hotels without being a guest (by working on your psychological blocks), you can have ultra-luxurious experiences and feel rich without necessarily breaking the bank.
That’s what Denise calls the incremental upgrade. And there are plenty of little upgrades like that you can do to feel rich right now (wear your favorite clothes more often, use nice dishes every day instead of saving them for guests, take an hour a day to read…).
Feeling rich = having an energetic vibration compatible with abundance = attracting even more abundance.
One of the most effective questions is: “What would my millionaire version do?”. It forces us to identify our true needs. We usually discover they’re much more modest than we imagined. My fortunate friends are often very discreet, almost low key, because they have nothing left to prove. And that’s precisely where this question gets interesting because you realize you’re already in abundance! But our ego wastes our money on outlandish things to impress people we don’t even like.
That’s also why the author reminds us to hunt for forgotten proof of abundance: loose change, uncashed checks, overlooked coupons, money sitting idle in a checking account instead of being invested (for investing, I have another book for you)… The money is there, but we ignore it. I remember at my old job, the employer offered a 600€ yearly match if you put 600€ into an account. Many people didn’t do it, not because they lacked the funds, but sheer laziness.
This book offers so many more tips, exercises, and tricks than what I’m telling you here—you can read my full review on my other blog. And if you can read the book in English (I’d rate the English level as “medium”), you can buy the book, ebook, or audiobook here.
I think this book is perfectly timed. In May, you filed your tax returns and concluded the state takes too much of your income. A friend accidentally sent the message “I pay too much in taxes” to the Universe. The universe listened, and she subsequently earned less. If you see taxes as a loss, you’re still in scarcity, whereas if you see them as a gauge of your growth, you’ll have a different approach. The message to send the universe is more like “I keep growing my income while smartly optimizing my taxes.”
Your Money or Your Life
Now that we’ve figured out how to earn more, we’re going to learn how to spend less and become FIRE, because the goal isn’t to become Scrooge, but to be free. I’ve just discovered this book that’s at the origin of the FI movement (Financial independence : Financial Independence), which became FIRE (Financial independence, retire early : Financial Independence, Early Retirement). Written in 1992 and updated in 2008, it’s often the first read for people in employment who are aiming for FIRE (entrepreneurs aiming for FIRE rather read Tim Ferriss’s book (Amazon link).
The style is a bit dated and it’s very long, so I’ve put together a summary here. The book is already translated into French if that interests you (Amazon link). The financial investments suggested in the book aren’t suited to the French, so I’d rather recommend this book, and the books listed here.
The central concept of the book “Your Money or Your Life” is based on a radical realization: money isn’t an end in itself, but simply something we trade our life energy for. This vital energy represents the hours of our lives, a limited and irreplaceable resource.
The idea is to calculate the true cost of everything we buy. For example, we think we’re paid €15/hour net, but when you factor in all the hidden costs of employment (car, clothes, shoes, makeup), personal time spent commuting, self-training, ironing clothes, doing makeup, Uber Eats you pay for because you’re too tired to cook etc., some people realize they’re actually only paid €7.5/hour net. So, a cocktail downed in 20 minutes, which costs €15 and represents 2 hours of work; or cigarettes that represent, at the end of the month, 16 hours of work; that’s two days off per month, or 5 weeks of vacation a year, now seems outrageously expensive.
Here’s a quote from the book:
Can you save your life? Yes, and Joe and Vicki’s approach offers even more. [Those] who use their money carefully generate incredible benefits beyond the obvious gains and security for themselves. First, their use of natural resources drops, since they consume far more thoughtfully: bonus point for the world’s ecosystems. Second, they may be able to work less: bonus point for other people’s employment opportunities. Third, they spend their money on necessary, worthwhile products: bonus point for the economy of goods, rather than that of bads. Fourth, they are freeing their time and are now able to spend time volunteering with non profits, playing with their own and others’ children, running for office, or just helping out where people are in need: bonus point for our communities. Fifth, they now have time to bring their dreams alive: bonus point for creativity, vibrancy, and joy. What are you waiting for?”
Mathis Wackernagel, executive director, Global Footprint Network
Can you save your life? Yes, and Joe and Vicki’s approach offers even more. Those who use their money wisely generate incredible benefits that go far beyond the obvious gains of personal security. First, their consumption of natural resources drops, as they consume much more thoughtfully: a plus for the planet’s ecosystems. Second, they can reduce their working hours: a plus for others’ employment. Third, they spend their money on useful, sensible products: a plus for an economy of “good things” rather than “bad things.” Fourth, by freeing up their time, they can get involved in volunteering, play with children, engage in politics, or help those in need: a plus for our communities. Fifth, they finally have time to realize their dreams: a plus for creativity, vibrancy, and joy in life. So, what are you waiting for?”
— Mathis Wackernagel, executive director, Global Footprint Network
A concept that comes up often in Lao Tzi is having “enough.” This concept is also developed in this book through the “fulfillment curve.” Initially, more things equal more happiness: you’re cold, someone gives you a blanket, you’re happier. You’re hungry, you eat, you’re happier. But at a certain point, at the top of the curve, you have enough. Enough food, enough clothes, enough comfort. Beyond that, fulfillment starts to decline. The problem is that our society has taught us that we never have enough. “More is better” is the mantra. But research shows that past a certain income level (around $75,000 a year in the United States), more money doesn’t bring more happiness (which confirms Maslow’s hierarchy of needs because money can’t get you the highest levels of the pyramid). Finding your own “enough” is revolutionary. It means you can stop the “rat race.”
This type of book is important to read in the context of the rise of AI. A report by Goldman Sachs published in April 2026 suggests that technological shocks can cause short- and long-term income losses and longer transition periods for exposed workers (developers, translators, illustrators…). In this context, we need to take control of our lives ASAP by changing our relationship with money, consuming mindfully, spending less without depriving ourselves, all while feeling abundance.
Claude Code
JB has been into Claude Code (and DeepSeek) for weeks now. He showed me what he’d done and it was too impressive. I got into it too. I think everyone should get into it so as not to be left behind by technology. “Learn to code!” is still good advice; when you know how to code, you know how to use AI better. You don’t need to be a full dev, but having some notions of algorithms, APIs, databases, using a terminal, understanding how a website works… helps enormously. It’s like languages, we don’t learn foreign languages to become translators, but an expert in their field who speaks several languages will have a competitive edge.
Taking care of myself
Just before our departure to Lille, I went to see a ton of health specialists for fear of not finding any in Tahiti, I did a sort of full check-up. And I found it super satisfying to take care of myself. I looked on Google Maps and found highly rated aestheticians and masseuses. Now I alternate between facials and Thai massages. In parallel, I’m getting back into a more complete routine for my lymphatic drainage, and taking some dietary supplements; because weather like Tahiti’s is more demanding on the skin. You have to be able to go from scorching heat to AC, protect the skin against salt water, wind, and heat.
I watched a “nighttime routine” video of a very rich woman. I thought to myself: this woman, who is so rich, could have an esthetician come every day to massage her, yet some gestures must still come from herself. The regularity we impose on ourselves is worth far more than any outside help, because taking care of yourself is, above all, an act of love towards yourself.
According to Mien Shiang (面相), a person’s facial features, especially after age 30, are said to reveal their destiny. So by taking care of your face, you partly influence your destiny. The tips I’ve gathered here and there are: (1) pay attention to your ears, I’ve already told you about auriculotherapy in another article (2) try to have the most symmetrical face possible. You can see an Occlusodontist. Some massages recommended by Heleva Pavaha are great, including this one, and that one, I highly recommend them.
Scooter
JB has always dreamed of living in a place where he can get around freely by scooter. And the dream came true because we just bought our first vehicle !! A 125cc scooter. There are a lot of traffic jams in Tahiti (there is only one expressway that goes around the island) so a scooter is recommended for those without children.
The model is called TANK and it has metal bars everywhere to protect the vehicle. You can also attach a suitcase or a basket if needed, which is super handy for our future trips to the neighboring islands.
The scooter is quite big for me so I need to practice a bit and do short rides. JB, for his part, handles it very well.
#softlife
Other than that, we really love our life in Polynesia. You can read our travel diary for Moorea here, our excursion around Tahiti here. We just changed airbnb, which gets us closer to the beaches. The new airbnb is much better equipped than the previous one, and overlooks a lush garden, which keeps the apartment cooler, we don’t even need to use the AC.
We’ve fallen in love with the white sand beaches full of coral less than 10 minutes by scooter from our airbnb. Here’s what it looks like; JB goes there every morning for snorkeling. #softlife
