Learning

Apocalypses destroy old worlds, but they also create new ones.

Science journalist Lizzie Wade challenges the idea that apocalypses are solely about destruction. Instead, she argues they can be moments of transformation—times when societies collapse but also rebuild, sometimes in better ways.

ARTICLE: The Ancient Role of Catastrophe in Forging Better Futures

Habitat

How to turn an abandoned industrial site into an urban oasis, a community and cultural center, and a business incubator.

The Evergreen Brick Works is an inspiring abandoned industrial brownfield meets social enterprise meets ecological restoration story.

CASE STUDY: Transformation: The Story Of Creating Evergreen Brick Works

Learning

"I truly think that autodidacts are responsible for all that is good and great about alternative culture."

Celine Nguyen is a designer and writer from California. She publishes a great newsletter that explores "literature, design, fashion, technology, phenomenology, perfume, and Proust"—a list that only skims its depth and breadth.

ARTICLE: Research as Leisure Activity

Company

How one company is supporting forest regeneration and biodiversity by incentivizing forest conservation.

Reimagining the role of corporations in climate action, Natura—a sustainable cosmetics company based in Brazil—has launched the Greenventory campaign (short for Green Inventory).

VIDEO: Natura - The Amazon Greenventory (case study)

Civics

Six ways to host a gathering that you'd want to attend

Regular readers know that one of the inspirations behind this letter is one of Austin Kleon's maxims: draw the art you want to see, make the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read.

Company

At its core, organizational health is about integrity.

I keep several copies of Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business in my library. That way I always have one to give away when his perspective comes up in conversation. And it comes up often, because it’s powerful.

“With a little education, we can become the number one nation.”

For those of us who still care about creativity in advertising, it's fun to look at the Cannes Lions Festival—the "other" Cannes—which has celebrated the best in advertising since 1954. And for those who believe advertising can be used to sell ideas we actually need, it’s worth paying attention to the winners of the Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good.

Learning

"Goals are often surrogates for clarity. We set goals when we’re uncertain about what we really want."

Joan Westenberg recently reflected on her experience of achieving goals. Yes, she had reached some—but so what? The achievements felt hollow.

Learning

Some nitty-gritty details regarding Joan Didion’s writing process

Jillian Hess describes her newsletter, Noted, like this: “I’ve spent the past two decades studying hundreds of notebooks, and I’m excited to share the most interesting, inspiring, and unique notes with you.” Through Noted, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creative processes of some of the world’s most fascinating minds.

Civics

A visual exploration of how a critical piece of social infrastructure came to be.

It won’t surprise you to learn that the first libraries were for white men only—and that their eventual spread and democratization was driven largely by the tireless efforts of women.

Company

Reshaping tomorrow’s workplace for both individual fulfillment and the common good.

South Mountain Company on Martha's Vineyard is widely recognized for its commitment to environmentally responsible design and construction.

Nature

The historical landscape ecology of New York City

The land that would eventually become New York City was once a highly productive, biodiverse landscape of hills, valleys, forests, fields, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, beaches, springs, ponds, and streams.