Three Things We Love: Perfect Criticism Edition

When the first cave person used a stick to poke at the communal camp fire, some cave critic or other doubtless piped up and critiqued the stick. Criticism is part of our nature. As our stuff evolved over the millennia, so too did the quality and quantity of reviews and reviewers of all things—tools, gadgets, autos, food, music, books, epoxy. We can’t help it, this urge to deconstruct and size things up.

But sometimes, all that debate is deafening. Sometimes, we simply want to know: What is the best [fill in the blank]? Herewith are three sites that answer that question.

Cool Tools: The Internet pioneer Kevin Kelly ovulated this project long ago as an email list, wherein subscribers could send along paens to the things they can’t live without. Tools, mostly, but gadgets and all kinds of specialty gear are celebrated here.

Cool Tools: The Internet pioneer Kevin Kelly ovulated this project long ago as an email list, wherein subscribers could send along paens to the things they can’t live without. Tools, mostly, but gadgets and all kinds of specialty gear are celebrated here.

The Wirecutter: Brian Lam, the erstwhile editor of the gadget site Gizmodo, invented this blog as his next act. He is clearly not a one-trick pony: Wirecutter cuts away the superfluous and is, in Lam’s words, “mostly a list of amazing gadgets.”

The Wirecutter: Brian Lam, the erstwhile editor of the gadget site Gizmodo, invented this blog as his next act. He is clearly not a one-trick pony: Wirecutter cuts away the superfluous and is, in Lam’s words, “mostly a list of amazing gadgets.”

The Burning House Blog:“If your house was burning, what would you take with you?” Random users upload photos and lists answering that signal question. If you’re willing to rummage through their stuff, you can find many heartfelt recommendations.

The Burning House Blog: “If your house was burning, what would you take with you?” Random users upload photos and lists answering that signal question. If you’re willing to rummage through their stuff, you can find many heartfelt recommendations.

~JoshQ
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