10/22/24
Books That Belong On Paper Issue No. 37
10/18/24
Access to tools, techniques, and shop tales from the diverse worlds of DIY
The Big Book of Secret Hiding Places, published in 1987, is an illustrated guide to concealing things in clever hiding places. It covers methods for concealing items in buildings, vehicles, and on the body. Even if you don’t need to hide anything (or smuggle it across a border), it makes for fascinating reading. — MF
A new podcast I am finding value in is Core Memory by Ashlee Vance. Vance sniffs around Silicon Valley talking to the crazy ones on the bleeding edge of tech, the mavericks with outlandish ideas, and the fast-talking renegades trying to do the impossible, plus the usual mix of over-confident nerds with grandiose visions. I like it because it keeps me on my toes. — KK
The Literature-Map is a data-art tool that helps you discover new authors. Just type in a writer you love, and it generates a visual map of related authors based on readers’ tastes—writers clustered together have a shared fanbase. It’s a fun way to expand your literary universe. — CD
I’ve been really enjoying an obscure book about the discovery/invention of electricity. I was reading it partly because I think there is an analogy to the discovery/invention of AI, in that the smartest people alive and working on it (like Newton) were totally wrong about what it was. Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field recounts the biographical story of the two main investigators and how they kept changing their ideas to meet new evidence. Their insights made me believe that Maxwell was more of a leapfrogging genius than Einstein, a not uncommon view among many physicists. Electromagnetic fields are so strange and counterintuitive, that by following these pioneers’ experiments and explanations, I came away thinking I understand electricity even less than I did when I started. I mean in the late 1800s they figured out the electrical energy does not flow inside a wire as everyone today thinks it does. Rather the energy is carried along outside by waves in the field that surrounds the wire. (I think we are equally misunderstanding intelligence of all types.) In the book there is exciting science, colorfully eccentric characters, and the lessons of widening one’s imagination to see what has not been seen before. — KK
If you’re interested in weekly suggestions for making your workplace more inclusive, Karen Catlin’s Better Allies newsletter delivers five actionable ideas in each issue. Topics range from accessibility and addressing bias, to tips on fostering allyship. It’s concise, clear, and never pushy or preachy—a great resource for anyone looking to build more inclusive habits at work. — CD
Our freezer doesn’t make ice, so I use ice cube trays instead. The ones I have make 2-inch cubes (a little over 4 ounces), which is perfect for keeping cocktails cold for a long time. They’re made from flexible silicone and come with a lid. Some people even use them for baking. Rycore sells the trays as a 2-pack for $21. — MF
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