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Hi, I'm David. A journalist, and a curious generalist.
I've been curating the best of the web for my newsletter since 2011. I'd love to be your diligent curator, too.
Recommendations in the Weekly Filet are things I want my friends to see.
Things that tickle and delight a curious mind.
Articles, books, podcasts, graphics, videos, photographs,...The form is never the limit.
I let these questions guide me:
1. Does it help understand a complex, important issue?
2. Does it foster empathy by making you see the world through others' eyes?
3. Does it inspire self-reflection?
If it's timely, that's good. If it's timeless, that's better.
If in doubt, I prefer nerdy, witty, ambiguous. Solutions-oriented and actionable. Candid.
Don't expect news. Expect new insights.
Expect to be surprised.
Immerse yourself in a particular topic, with some of the best links from around the web, handpicked.
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2362 recommended links since 2011
...or shuffle for a surprise
New in my favourite nerdy subgenre: the in-depth profile of materials our modern world runs on. This piece makes you understand how crucial copper is for building a carbon-free future, and how that means we need plenty more of those biggest man-made holes in the world.
There’s a fine line between honest self-reflection and shallow grandstanding, and I will admit that I’m not close enough to British politics to be sure. That said, in this piece, Rory Stewart strikes a good balance between criticising others and being critical of himself. A remarkable reckoning with a caste of top politicians unable to adapt to a changed world. «I felt we had collectively failed to respond adequately to every major challenge of the past 15 years.»
Eye-opening: What progress could we make if the top 1% earners of the world gave 10% of their income, just for one year? (Btw, yes, if you’re reading this, you’re likely in that group)
The Builder. The Champion. The Collaborator. The Connector. The Energizer. The Companion. The Mind Opener. The Navigator. How to find them, and how to be such a friend to others. (If you can’t find a mind opener, the Weekly Filet will always be that friend to you.)
«When a natural disaster hits, it’s as if the planet itself has turned against you.» Tens of thousands are feared dead after devastating floods in Libya. But it’s not the planet who has turned against them. Corrupt leadership failed to prevent the worst, and continues to make things worse.
Think concretely. Share narrowly. Don’t panic. These are the three basic rules from this helpful guide on privacy in the digital age, compiled by The Atlantic. From there, it let’s you pick what’s important to you — from «I’m worried about protecting my children’s online privacy» to «I want to help create a more private world» — to provide more tailored advice.
An unexpected highlight. A deep dive into the business of debt collection. It starts with the premise that «an interesting lens for understanding how industries work is looking at their waste streams». Debt, most of it small amounts from ordinary people, is the waste stream of the financial industry.
Covid has completely vanished from public debates, it’s like we’re trying to make it go away by pretending it’s gone already. And yet, more and more people are getting sick again. The US has just issued a new recommendation for annual vaccinations for everyone. What’s the state of things? Listening to The Daily for a good 20 minutes will give you a good understanding.
An interactive book on «the great coincidence of how you became you, and who that is anyways.» I won’t say much more, in order not to spoil anything. Give it a go, it takes less than 5 minutes (unless you start overthinking, which you might).
If you like Black Mirror, this fiction podcast is for you. A dark tale from the near future, very high production quality. Seven of nine episodes are available already. If you can resist binging and instead pace yourself a bit, the remaining two will be ready when you get there.