Recommended by Mitchell Stirling
Hannah Ritchie is a data nerd (I'm one too so this is a term of endearment) of the best kind. She gets into the numbers that can solve some of the big problems we are facing this century was a dose of optimistic realism that is a breath of fresh air.
Why Politics Fails is a great new book from Ben Ansell, who has been doing brilliant work pouring cold water in the faces of political commentators who don't understand the numbers and shining a light on some important but less or badly covered topics such as productivity, housing and prosperity.
Rob Ford co-wrote a book a decade ago with Matthew Goodwin called Revolt on the Right that showed us origins of what would become Brexit. Ford continues in that vein with detailed looks at the numbers from inside the polling. Thankfully, Goodwin has his own Substack which you don't have to read.
Prof Johnson was one of a small platoon of mathematicians, statisticians, epidemiologists and data scientists whose work meant that I could sleep at night during the pandemic. Also check out his excellent book, Numbercrunch.
Dan Gardner is the New York Times best-selling author of Risk, Future Babble, Superforecasting (co-authored with Philip E. Tetlock), and How Big Things Get Done (co-authored with Bent Flyvbjerg) - all of these books are very good and so is his Substack.
Singer Belle Plain's Weather Report is where the Canadian prairies' songstress takes a warm look at her life, her music as well as tales of motherhood, poems and everyday musings.
Brad's Front Row & Backstage is either about the Houston Astros baseball team OR Brad's look back at his time rubbing shoulders with the great and the good on the rock scenes of the 70s and early 80s. Iggy Pop, Peter Gabriel, The Ramones, The New York Dolls, Sex Pistols & many more feature!
If you are seeking instrumental music that you can imagine writing to, or to soundtrack the quasi-montage in an indie film then Fog Chaser is able to deliver a monthly balm for the soul direct to your inbox.
Like Dylan on his Never Ending Tour, Ray Padgett is vying for a Never Ending set of recommendations from me for having another excellent Substack, this one which uses one of Bob Dylan's thousands of concerts for a launching pad on a great dissection or discussion.