Finding great stories, so you don't have to

Hey, friend, welcome to February. A very short preamble today – enjoy the links.

How test screenings transformed iconic these Hollywood films
Testing a film before it goes on general release is a relatively modern phenomenon – and it some cases it made the difference between an OK and a great movie. 

How to not know things
This is a nice short article that – if I'm being honest – is probably most relevant for over-confident men. However, it also leads on nicely to...

BOOK OF THE FORTNIGHT
You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy
This has been on my to-read pile for a while and I'm slightly surprised it's taken me this long to get to it. Well, I wasn't disappointed. Even if you think you're a good listener, you still have lots to learn. I picked up so many great tips from this that – I hope – will transform relationships, friendships and other areas of my life. Also, once you've read this, you can't help but spot all the irritating habits others have that demonstrate how poor they are at listening. Highly recommended!
Buy links^*: Amazon / Hive / UK Bookshop

The insanity of being a Scrabble enthusiast
I love this piece that explains how the author got sucked into the world of competitive Scrabble. If you can find a copy of Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis (mentioned in the piece), it's thoroughly worth a read.  

How the Dryrobe became the most divisive thing you can wear
As a self-confessed Dryrobe wearer (who wears it after swimming in the sea!), this made me laugh a lot.

What baby teeth can tell us about our health
This is genuinely fascinating – although not fully developed, scientists believe that trauma and other early events get imprinted onto baby teeth.

Memories of a Russian winter: shopping
Following on from the first instalment I wrote earlier in the year, this time it's all about the experience of shopping in Yeltsin's 90s Russia.

The Coming Storm
This seven-part audio series from the BBC about the rise of QAnon is a compelling listen. Although it won't necessarily turn you into a believe, it makes you realise how easily this sort of thing can mushroom out of all proportion.

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