Welcome to the forty-sixth edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'.
A newsletter recommending good examples of storytelling across:
Let's dive in.
Such a cool visual to show the differences in daylight hours. I wonder how southern California gets more sunlight than Florida and Texas...
I couldn't agree more with Mr Harari when he implores scientists to improve their storytelling skills.
Topographic maps are so cool! I'd love to 3D print one... and stare at it for hours.
a. Post against communism by Devon Eriksen
Sometime back a kerfluffle erupted on Twitter when Emmett Shear (ex-CEO of Twitch and briefly the CEO of OpenAI) made a radical suggestion:
This led to several reactions, but most memorably from a sci-fi author named Devon Eriksen. You can read the entire thread here.
What fascinated me was one of the long tweets by Devon - almost like an article - which makes a impassioned case against advocating the forced redistribution of all wealth (a.k.a. communism):
Brutal.
b. How the Internet Destroys Your Focus (and How to Get It Back) by Thomas Frank
(Hat/tip: Swanand Kelkar, through #ROTD)
Some interesting insights on how our tools can influence our brains:
I also liked the idea of top-down control vs. responding to bottom-up stimuli:
The article ends with 10 specific tips to reclaim our attention spans from the internet.
Celebrated biographer Walter Isaacson got unprecendented access to Elon Musk for writing his biography. What's remarkable was how Musk agreed to Isaacson's conditions:
Musk is a remarkable person - especially given the severe trauma he went through during childhood. He does drive himself and his team crazy, but his vision, drive and skills have given some incredible gifts to humanity.
I loved Isaacson's response to the last question (emphasis mine):
That's all from this week's edition.
Ravi
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A Storytelling Coach More details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/
A very Happy, healthy and prosperous Diwali to you! So, I'm on a week-long holiday in sunny Kerala and especially loved the backwaters of Kumarakom and the fascinating multicultural ethos of Fort Kochi. An area called Kuttanad is one of the many interesting places I learnt about during the vacation. It's located just south of the Vembanad lake (India's longest lake). It is among just two sites globally where farming happens below sea level (around about 4 to 10 feet below). More on the...
As I hoped last week, I did get in some book-writing time this week. The chapter I'm writing? Humour in storytelling! That's right - I'm writing about fun (yet safe) ways to use humour in workplace communication. Can't wait to share all of it, along with the other chapters, by sometime late next year. (I know - it's such a long way away!). Meanwhile, here's a great quote I'm keeping in mind even as I write the chapter: "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. They both die in the process."...
Phew - it's been a busy week with 4 training days out of five and I'm a bit exhausted! (In a rare state of affairs, I'm writing this newsletter at 8.30 pm on Friday night!) Having said that, I did manage to catch a movie during the week (Thalaiva's Vettaiyan; would NOT recommend for Jailer fans). Hopefully, next week will be easier and I can get in some book-writing time. And now, on to the newsletter. Welcome to the eighty-sixth edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'. A newsletter recommending...