Commonplace Reading - Issue #11
Well, that was an interesting week. But not that interesting. Everyone seemed to be too busy figuring out which political party in the UK had a good or a bad week, or recovering from Trump pretty much becoming the Republican candidate for the US president.
Perhaps that's why there's a somber tone to this week's links. Hey, works for a Monday morning, right?
Top read: Where journalism and science meet
How Chris McCandless Died
If you're familiar with Into The Wild - this will be interesting. If you're not, it's a fascinating example of science and journalism intersecting.
Three lessons from the tech world
3D Printing The Void
3D printing showed so much promise as a technology - with all the accompanying hype. So why has it all gone quiet – and why do some of the key businesses appear to be struggling. A nice look at an industry the tech hype has moved on from.
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'Burning Man for the 1%': the desert party for the tech elite, with Eric Schmidt in a top hat
This quite genuinely scares me. It's a subtly brutal picture of how the tech elite are granting themselves permission to be an elite, isolating themselves from others - and then talking about a "post-democratic" world. This is either a cult, or the beginnings of a technocracy. Neither possibility fills me with joy.
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Life Lessons from a Lifestyle Business
Rubbish headline on a fascinating interview with Matt Haughey, Founder of MetaFilter. Some useful lessons for anyone creating a business - wether or not you accept his final decision to rebuild his life around a lifestyle, not a business. And some insights into the fate of the last wave of web businesses.
Debunk-A-Rama
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Why You Can't Trust Yourself
A good compilation of all the psychological quirks we're all prey to, that means we're nowhere near as rational and aware as we think we are. It's basically a good argument for surrounding yourself with thoughtful, honest friends.
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Chasing Habits of Rich People Won’t Teach You About Success
Medium is filling up with pieces that tell you exactly what rich people's habits are. This is a cogent argument that - while interesting - this pieces aren't really very useful.
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Conwoman Belle Gibson faces $1m fines over cancer scam fundraising fraud
Disgraced "wellness" blogger Belle Gibson could face hefty fines after Victoria's consumer watchdog launched legal action against her company.
Bring the pretty
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All 13 Colors of iMac
I owned two of these - a Lime iMac and the much-maligned Blue Dalmatian, which I absolutely loved. I miss Apple's colourful period.
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Igneous Skis in Wyoming
I am not a skier. But, my goodness, this lovely short documentary about an artisan ski maker wishes I was. (Yes, I know how hipster than sounds. I don't care.)
Psst…
The Digital Publishing Irregular
So, based on feedback from last week's letter, here's my journalism and digital publishing newsletter. Think of it as a first draft of One Man & His Blog, rather than the best or most interesting journalism I've discovered - which is what this newsletter does.