My favourite read for this month has to be The Revenge of Analogue by David Sax. Although this book was published nearly ten years ago, and some of the research it is based on would have been changed by the pandemic, I found it a really inspiring read. I love all things analogue from stationary and paper notebooks, to sending actual letters in the post and listening to vinyl records, and I have read a LOT of books about these (if you have never come across the fabulous Adventures in Stationary by James Ward, I thorough recommend it. There is a whole history of post-it notes and paperclips to be discovered!). What I found fascinating about The Revenge of the Analogue was the business perspective: examples of how industries were revived not for nostalgic reasons, but because of profit.
Standing in line on Record Store Day, patiently waiting with hundreds of other enthusiasts, it made me so happy not to be the only woman who was waiting to buy a record. The independent record store industry here in Cardiff seems to be thriving, reaching new audiences beyond the stereotypical collectors. There were families, young adults and teenagers (at 7am!) and… plenty of women – all waiting to get their hands on the newest releases whilst sipping coffee in the early morning sunshine and watching the recycling being picked up by lorries from the nearby bars and restaurents. Quite a different story to a few years ago, when I was definitely part of a small minority of new enthusiasts. Yay for the popularity of analogue (even if it results in hipster style queuing at ungodly hours).
On my radar for this month
A brand new read arrived by post yesterday, thanks to a kind friend, who sent me Mary Oliver’s Devotions. I love a bit of poetry, and I am looking forward to exploring this volume. Reading the description, I was won over by the promise of ‘exuberant dog poems’.
Non-fiction reading 2024
Creativity and culture
- Art Matters by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Hybrid working and leadership
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Rooms of Their Own (Where Great Writers Write), Improbable Libraries and Shedworking, all three by Alex Johnson
- Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra
- The Social Cost of Algorithmic Management
- From beating burglary to weight gain: 12 ways that working from home has changed Britain
- Working from home can bring big health benefits, study finds
- Cory Doctorow’s McLuhan lecture on enshittification
Coaching and reflective inquiry
- The Big Book of Beautiful Questions by Warren Berger
- Coach the Person not the Problem by Marcia Reynolds