In 2024, we introduced a Reading List on our website and will continue to add to our list over time. As a team, we sat down and discussed the resources we were consuming and prioritized them. We thought it valuable to include books, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, etc. that have been shaping how we think and how we process the information we are inundated with on a daily basis. The ease with which we can access information can be a blessing, but it has become increasingly easy to call into question the objectivity of that information as well. Both for-profit and non-profit news outlets operate under a business model driven by ad revenue or donor funding. Neither of these lend themselves to providing news that repels their reader/viewer base. By preying on our fear and/or greed, news organizations further fuel our human nature to gravitate toward sources that confirm what we already think or believe.
While compiling our Reading List, we found that books and blogs hold a much higher priority and have more lasting effect than consuming news and keeping up with current events. This isn’t to say we are ill-informed about what is happening in the world but reading publications that provide a different perspective and challenge our thinking have a greater impact on decision-making and our overall view of the world. We have found that a seemingly unbiased news aggregator, like the 1440 Daily, has been a pivotal resource to consuming our news differently.
There is little doubt we are living in a time of polarizing views and heightened emotions surrounding those views. It takes tremendous effort to emotionally disentangle from the issues we are facing today and to keep a level head. We aren’t successful 100% of the time, but the resources on our Reading List have, in some way, shape, or form, helped us in this pursuit, and our hope is that you find value in these resources as well. We would love to hear about the books, podcasts, websites, news sources, etc. that fuel your thinking.
"From Left Field" double play:
- This is a perfect example of someone who thought differently to achieve something amazing!
- Clearly, thinking differently would have been beneficial for the people behind this idea.
