As one of the earliest inhabitants of ScrollStack, I've had the pleasure of discovering a plethora of diverse sources to populate my To-Read list since July.

Here's a selection of my reading recommendations - by no means exhaustive, but the equivalent of a tasting menu.

Happy Reading :)

[WANT TO READ MORE IN 2021?

ADD YOURSELF TO THE BIBLIOTHERAPY READERS' LIST]

“I prefer walking alone to walking with others. That ladybird or the wild rose would escape my attention if I was engaged in a lively conversation with a companion. Not that the ladybird is going to change my life.

But by acknowledging its presence, stopping to admire its beauty, I have done obeisance to the natural scheme of things, of which I am only a small part.

Contemplating that tiny creature, or the flower on which it rests, gives one the hope— better, the certainty—that there is more to life than interest rates, dividends, market forces, and infinite technology.” - Ruskin Bond

Why I Write by Ruskin Bond

I am a fortunate person. For nearly seventy years I have been able to make a living by doing what I enjoy most: writing.

harpercollinsindia.scrollstack.com

“We are privileged to be alive at this time of rapid upswing in all kinds of technology, when even Moore's 'Law' has been outstripped by the pace of technological evolution. RIP after the 2020s, Moore' Law.

Humankind (as I've written elsewhere, please be kind, it is in our name as a species - let's live up to it!) will not stop refining technology because of an archaic (albeit really legendary, to coin an oxymoron) law bound by the physical constraints of current semiconductors (pun intended).

Instead, science fiction in all its forms - books, movies, TV series, games, comics, VR, to name but a few - will continue to inspire bright minds to be creative in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).” ~ Aradhye Ackshatt

Why Science Fiction Is Quite Interesting & Important

A small read about the overlap of POP-culture and the oeuvre of science fiction

opendurbar.scrollstack.com

“If you're anything like me and do not want to read anyone's hot take on therapy, why you should seek it, and what will therapy do to you, then this is for you.

It is easier to find a Tinder date to hookup than attempting to find someone to rescue you from a breakdown about your beloved, your job, family, or just a virus outside your door or all of the above.” ~ Anisha Saigal

What I talk about, when I (don't) talk about Therapy

If you're anything like me and do not want to read anyone's hot take on therapy, why you should seek it, and what will therapy do to you, then this is for you. It is easier to find a Tinder date to hookup than attempting to find someone to rescue you from a breakdown about your beloved, your job, family, or just a virus outside your door or all of the above.

snobster.scrollstack.com

ASKING FOR A FRIEND : Are You Using These Writing Assistants? + Where to Pitch This Week

I had a request from one of our subscribers for a round-up of writing assistants out there. So, here you go. 

nilanjana.scrollstack.com

“Now that you’re home, take a nap. Research says 10-20-minute daytime naps improve cognitive performance and boost creativity.” ~ Kevin Delaney

Reset: Rapid virus testing, 2021 budgeting, reverse mentoring, bras

By Kevin J. Delaney

work.scrollstack.com

“...A song inspired by the racial tensions that exploded in the US in spring 1968 as a symbolic way to support the civil rights movement. 

Shortly after returning from India where he was learning the art of Transcendental Meditation with the other Beatles, Paul McCartney wrote "Blackbird" while at High Park Farm in Kintyre, Scotland in April of 1968. Both the melody and the lyrics have the specific inspiration behind them. ” ~ Bidisha Bhatacharya

Blackbird: the Beatles song that meant so much more than just words!

The 25th of July, this year, gave us all an incredulous gasp when we had to painfully witness the terribly unsettling picture of Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, the 46-year-old African-American for nearly eight minutes while the other three officers looked on. 

bidisha.scrollstack.com

“Coincidentally, 9/11/2020 marks six months to the day that live theatre shut down due to COVID-19, not only here in New York, but across the country and most areas of the world.

Could anyone have predicted we'd be facing a six month-long intermission with no end in sight (at the moment)? Personally, it's the longest I've gone without seeing a play since I went off to college forty-five years ago.” ~ Ron Fassler

IN THE SHADOW OF 9/11

Nineteen years ago, close to 3,000 people died in a terrorist attack, the worst fatalities on American soil since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Coincidentally, 9/11/2020 marks six months to the day that live theatre shut down due to COVID-19, not only here in New York, but across the country and most areas of the world. My report on these duel days of mourning in today's "Theatre Yesterday and Today."

ronfassler.scrollstack.com

“A few years back, in order to shake up things a bit I created a comic making challenge for myself. To take a line (that's the line I am talking about) off a song and use that as a prompt for create a comic. The mood of the song and the comic have no connect- It was just a little visual gateway.” ~ Vidya Gopal

Take a 'line' for a walk

Credit for the title completely goes to Paul Klee, But the line I am talking about is different.

spinkbottle.scrollstack.com

“The objective of this post is to make you pause and smell the sea salt in the air. Explore the beach or the seaside.” ~ Mumbai Paused

B for Beach

Continuing #GreenSpacesDictionary to celebrate Mumbai Magic with…

mumbaipaused.scrollstack.com

“I make comics for my own amusement”. ~ That Thing I Do

I hate Emojis

family.scrollstack.com

“For everything, there is what economists call a ‘private value’ and a ‘common value’. So, based on our contexts and our stakes, we react to prices the way we do. So when your cousin shows you the gaudy shoes she got for a bargain at ₹ 2000 you scoff at her because your ‘private value’ for the shoes weren’t as high as hers was. It could be reversed when you try to explain why you paid ₹ 5,000 for that replica Liverpool jersey.” ~ Tareque Laskar

Pausing Rationality: Why we can't resist sale events

It is that time of the year again. Despite the pandemic, there will be a festive fervour around as India gears up for its biggest shopping season of the year. And sellers are at the ready with the most powerful weapon they have at their disposal - the sale event.

econormist.scrollstack.com

“Think about an online marketplace where you go and find short stories listed. Some are independent of franchise context, some belong to a particular series (Byomkesh Bakshi?) and all stories are brand new.

You read excerpts and click on the buy button next to the stories you find interesting. You pay… what? about 10 rupees for a story and it is added to your library.” ~ Vijayendra Mohanty (2013)

Short fiction and micro payments

The music industry was changed forever when mp3 files came to be the default unit of music media. Before the single soundtrack became the fundamental unit in the music market, that position belonged to the record. That is why the sellers were called “record companies” and not “song companies”. Music lovers bought a CD of 10 songs and ended up truly enjoying only one or two of them. They couldn’t choose to buy individual soundtracks unless they illegally ripped songs off a purchased CD. In an ideal world, a record company would have noticed the demand for such a market model and embraced the mp3 format, but it didn’t happen that way.

vimoh.scrollstack.com

“It's easier to sell a $500 smart watch today, but it's very difficult for a creator to charge $1 or INR 25 for a 2500 word long piece. It shouldn't be this hard. Our mission is make it easy for creators to charge small amounts for their content, and sell their content to a global audience. 

ScrollStack.com is the first step on this journey.” ~ Ritesh Mehta

How micropayments on ScrollStack can help creators monetise their content.

Mobile transactions now dominate the way people pay for goods (see chart below). As a result, digital micropayments have become practical for the very first time. Big technological investments and shifts (e.g. bio-metrics on smartphones for secure transactions) are all pointing towards an even more seamless experience for users.

ritesh.scrollstack.com

“ScrollStack is part of a new wave of platforms built to combine the best of the open web experience (creators own their content and audience) and social platforms (readers/viewers have a simple way to find creators/thinkers worth following).” ~ Samir Patil

Why build your own corner of the web now (preferably on ScrollStack)

At ScrollStack, we set out to build a platform that puts creators first. Last fortnight's update adds some new features to the profile including custom sections that allow you to showcase your work (example below). We have designed the profile to not be boring like the ones on LinkedIn and at the same time be more substantive than what you can do on social media. The profile + your custom URL is our attempt at helping you build your own corner on the open web.

samir.scrollstack.com

To check out the most recently active creators on ScrollStack at any time, bookmark the link below...

ScrollStack Creators

scrollstack.com

Name. One book/author/topic on your reading list for 2021. Email. Phone number (optional). That’s all.
Sign up below to READ MORE this year and beyond... :)