Some influencers use their social media channels to sell makeup, supplements, or shapewear. Dr. Julie Smith has a higher purpose: she creates TikTok videos to make mental health education accessible to everyone. Her mission has earned her more than 4 million followers on that platform. In our latest Instaread, we look at her practical advice […]
When millions of dollars aren’t enough
As a teenager, Steven Bartlett journaled about his aspiration to become a “happy sexy millionaire.” And really, who wouldn’t want that? As it turns out, the answer is Steven Bartlett. By the age of 25, he had nailed being a sexy millionaire. But he still wasn’t happy. What to make of this? Step One: Embrace […]
The writer who can raise the dead
Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize is probably one of the least interesting things about her. The novelist, who won the 2023 award for fiction, is a trained biologist, an environmental activist, and a spokesperson of sorts for the region of Appalachia, which she sees as maligned by opportunistic authors like J. D. Vance. Oh, and she […]
Why do we have generation gaps?
Anyone who’s gathered with extended family for a holiday meal knows that relationships between the generations can be tense. The same is true for intergenerational workplaces, where bosses may be much older than their employees—or vice versa. How can we have better conversations with people from a different age bracket? Winds of Change Technology is […]
The world through someone else’s eyes
As one of the hosts of NPR’s All Things Considered, Ari Shapiro has traveled the world to hear people’s stories. His first book, The Best Strangers in the World, shares his personal and professional journey as an intern at NPR, a full-time journalist, and his experiences as a gay man navigating the landscape of political divisions in the […]
Who’s afraid of who?
When you’re an ex-convict who’s desperate for a job, you’ll put up with anything. Even a live-in housekeeping role where your “bedroom” is a dark and dingy attic that locks from the outside. What could Millie Calloway do but accept the job? Plot Twist Millie’s new boss Nina Winchester supposedly has it all, but something […]
How’s your mental fitness?
Negative thought patterns inhibit our happiness and damage our lives. Shirzad Chamine, a Stanford lecturer and the CEO of the largest coaching organization in the world, calls these thought patterns “Saboteurs.” They’re the automatic, habitual mind patterns that work against our success. How can we banish them? Train Your Brain Chamine says that the brain […]
Searching for the right words
A dictionary may seem like an objective resource. But these books are created by humans (in the old days, only men), and therefore subject to their whims and biases. Our latest Instaread is a novel that explores how the words we use shape the world around us — and our experiences in it. Secret Treasure […]
Transform your most important relationship
Personal boundaries help you have healthy relationships, and that includes your relationship with yourself. In The Book of Boundaries, Whole30 co-founder Melissa Urban offers a comprehensive guide to setting — and maintaining — good boundaries. Let’s take a look. Start with You Self-boundaries only depend on one person, which can be good or bad. Strategies from […]
When the worst happens
Solomon Northup’s ordeal began when he woke up in the dungeon. He had been a free Black man who thought he was taking a job as a traveling musician. Instead, his “employers” had drugged him and smuggled him out of New York, and when he regained his senses, he found himself chained to the floor. […]