Finding great stories, so you don't have to
Hi friend! We hold our friends dear, don't we? Except that they don't stay as constant as we think they do.
In fact, it's incredibly normal for friends to drift in and out of orbit, depending on life stage, personal circumstance and, well, just stuff.
The reason I'm talking about friendship is because there's been a confluence of friend-related content that I've happened across in the past couple of weeks.
So whether you're confused about how many friends you need, why it's so hard to make new friends (especially as you get older) or the book you need to read, then this is the place!
Oh, and there's a bunch of other interesting stuff, too. Shall we begin?...
The insane language around being a trans 'parent'
I don't normally start with a podcast link, but this episode of The Allusionist was truly enlightening. It starts with the whole bureaucratic complexity of being a pregnant trans man (which as you can imagine brings its own challenges), moves onto the issues with the word 'mother', and ends up in the frankly bewildering logic behind being/not being able to register birth certificates. Genuinely worth your time.
Does having kids make you happy?
Do you like the segue?! "Some of the most prominent scholars in the field have argued that if you want to be happy, it’s best to be childless. Others have pushed back, pointing out that a lot depends on who you are and where you live."
BOOK OF THE FORTNIGHT
The Power of Geography: Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of our World by Tim Marshall
If you like a bit of history and politics, then ironically, this is the book for you. It takes 10 countries/regions and delves into how the geography has affected their history and their modern-day politics. I've learned loads from it, even about countries I thought I already knew a fair bit about. Fascinating for understanding why many of the world's current conflicts exist.
Buy links*: UK Bookshop | Hive | Amazon
-oOo-
THE FRIENDS SECTION
How many friends do I need?
Excellent short podcast by Mona Chalabi getting to grips with her friends dilemma. (Apple podcast link)
In the podcast, Mona talks to Professor Robin Dunbar who has written the excellent book Friends: Understanding The Power Of Our Most Important Relationships. I read it last year and can highly recommend it.
3 things no-one told you about making friends in adulthood
Excellent advice in this and applies no matter what age you are, I think.
Solve awkward social situations: understand conversation styles
Then I came across this, which isn't explicitly about making friends, but it has a huge nod in that direction.
-oOo-
What does tech take from us?
Great interview with Pamela Paul, whose new book 100 Things We've Lost To The Internet examines how technology has change society. I love this sentence: "As late as 2019, she bought – read this slowly – portable CD players for two of her children."
How the experts spot trends
If you've ever wondered how those 'futurologists' or 'coolhunters' manage to be ahead of the game, then this is absolutely worth a read.
Why can't we teleport?
Science alert! If you've ever watched Star Trek or The Fly and wondered why we still haven't managed teleportation yet, this is for you.
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