Finding great stories, so you don't have to

Hi, friend. This week my partner went on one of those company away-day things where they get their 'personality' measured via a psychometric test – in this instance using the Carl Jung-derived Insights report.

Funnily enough, I had mine done over 20 years ago and I still have the report. I re-read it and, although some of the insights were still relevant, I can tell you that I'm a VERY different person in many areas to who I was in 1999. So maybe we can change after all.

Right, on with the good stuff...

Brilliant Douglas Adams letter to his US editor
It's a shock to discover that Douglas Adams has now been dead for over 20 years, and to be reminded he was only 49 when he died. This 1996 letter providing feedback to his US editor on how 'not' to change his work is testament to his brilliance. 

How a watch actually works (with animations)
This is a long piece of content, but it's really good. If you've ever marvelled at Steve Fletcher on The Repair Shop, this might enlighten you slightly. I love the mini animations peppered throughout, which make it much easier to understand. 

BOOK OF THE FORTNIGHT
Breadsong by Kitty and Al Tait
This is part memoir, part recipe book, but one with a difference. It's written by Al Tait and his daughter Kitty and tells the story of how baking was Kitty's salvation when she started experiencing severe anxiety at the age of 14. It's written half by Al and half by Kitty and is a truly uplifting and inspiring. Plus, it has some amazing recipes. It only came out in hardback at the end of April, so may be one you save for later, but worth it, however you choose to read.
Buy links^*: UK Bookshop / Amazon / Hive

-oOo-

How to become a better listener
I mean, don't talk is Rule No.1, but this gives you a bit more than that. 
Further reading: Kate Murphy's excellent book 'You're Not Listening'

The last phone boxes: broken glass, a can of cider and a dial tone
"Five million payphone calls are still made each year in the UK" is the intro – that's astonishing. When was the last time you used one for an actual call? More to the point, when did you even last notice one? Excellent long read this

The great cultural slowdown
I really like Jonn Elledge's writing and this is a great observation. Essentially, the differences between the 60s and the 80s seem marked, yet 2004 and 2022 (beyond a bit of technology) seem far less. Or is just us getting older? Answers on a postcard...

A cosmos indoors: My Kingdom for a Mint Cracknel
Lovely nostalgia-infused essay by Andrew O'Hagan from the London Review of Books.

The explorers who walk every street in their city
I've read a lot of 'walking' content recently, but this felt the most relevant. After all, most of us live in an urban environment, yet we probably can't claim to have got close to what these people have done.

A salutory tale of the power of cancel culture
I confess the original story passed me by (which possibly isn't surprising), but it yet again highlights how ridiculous 'cancel culture' has become. 

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“There is a test to determine whether someone is toxic or nourishing in your relationship with them. Here is the test: You have spent some time with this person, either you have a drink or go for dinner or you go to a ball game. It doesn’t matter very much but at the end of that time you observe whether you are more energized or less energized. Whether you are tired or whether you are exhilarated. If you are more tired then you have been poisoned. If you have more energy you have been nourished. The test is almost infallible and I suggest that you use it for the rest of your life." (From 10 Things I Have Learned by Milton Glaser)

If you like Content-ment, feel free to buy me a Ko-fi! ☕️

The end blurb...
^*My book recommendation links usually go to one of three places: 
1) Bookshop.org (an online bookshop with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops – it's an affiliate link, so I earn a tiny amount at no extra cost to you)
2) Hive, which makes a donation to a local independent bookshop of your choosing every time you buy from them.
3) I also include an Amazon affiliate link, though, as I know lots of people still read via Kindle, even though they're taking over the world!

I'm always grateful when people send on recommendations for inclusion in here. If you ever see something you think I'd love to read, please let me know. The internet is a big space and I only search a small part of it...

Finally, if you're reading this for the first time, why not sign up here to get a dose of similar enjoyment every two weeks, or simply email me at rob@robmansfield.net with "Content-ment" in the subject line.

See you in a fortnight!

Rob