Our Summer 2023 recommendations

Anthro Vision by Gillian Tett is a must-read for anyone who works with or employs humans. Gillian is famous for ‘predicting’ the GFC using anthropological techniques.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes is the perfect summer read… a book you can just absolutely get lost in. Two young women’s stories in love and war, separated by a century but united by a special piece of artwork. Highly recommended! 

Trust by Hernan Diaz is a collection of four interlocking narratives about a businessman who strikes it rich on Wall Street in the 1920s. Each version of the story follows the same broad strokes but as you progress, hidden differences and discrepancies start to emerge, so that the whole novel becomes a kaleidoscope of different perspectives on the same tale – leaving it up to the reader to see through the illusions. It’s a rich and rewarding read that also offers up a meditative take on wealth, power, and the nature of storytelling.”

Fortune de France by Robert Merle (French language) is a fascinating story of the narrator’s father’s rise from being a commoner doctor/soldier to a nobleman during the wars of religion in the 1500s through to the reign of Louis XIV, the sun king. Although seen through the eyes of a fictional character, Pierre Siorac, it is very historically accurate. It has been translated to English as a novel called The Brethren, but I have heard that the translation is poor, so better to read it in the French, if possible.

Slow Horses (series, Apple TV) is a witty espionage thriller where the star is a dishevelled character so far from the usual slick spies you normally come across on other programmes. It is a great way to relax and watch the underdog outwit those in charge.

Break Point (series, Netflix)! Following pro tennis players such as Serena Williams, Ons Jabeur and Nick Kygios, was excellent! It’s from the creators of Drive to Survive (Am I a Formula 1 fan now?). I’m not a sports person, but it shows a good documentarian can draw in a diverse audience, whatever the subject.

Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (series, Netflix). This documentary travels around the world to the communities where people live longer, healthy and vibrant lives.

My favoured podcasts are:

• Science Vs – research, current issues, breakthroughs – the  frontline

• Analysis – the BBC goes deep into an issue of the day

• No such thing as a fish – thought provoking but totally light relief

• Philosophise This – extensive series, instructive, succinct explanations of wide range of philosophies, in manageable steps

99% Invisible (podcast) is a sound-rich, narrative podcast hosted by Roman Mars about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.  Almost 600 episodes – one of my favourites was how the construction of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona started, stopped, and finally started again after decades of painstaking work trying to rediscover Gaudi’s original plans for this amazing church. But then there’s also the tale of how a secret room was found and utilised inside a shopping mall, episodes on flags, airport design, Kowloon walled city, Ikea, lottery jackpots, the ownership of shade and “the average person”. Fascinating information on subjects you never knew you could be interested in!

In The Dark is an investigative journalism series produced by American Public Media and The New Yorker magazine. Each season takes an in-depth look at a specific case – season one focused on a child abduction case that went unsolved for 27 years while season two looked at the case of Curtis Flowers, a man who was tried six times for the same crime. In each season the reporters look not just at the case itself but how it intertwines with wider issues in police work and the justice system. The reporting is nuanced, comprehensive and unafraid to ask the bigger questions; and the way the details unfold in each case makes for a great piece of storytelling.

Great podcasts to tune into:

• Why’d You Push that Button (The Verge) is about our tiny tech decisions. 

• Decoder Ring (Slate.com) is about decoding cultural mysteries. 

• Radiolab (WYNC) uses investigative journalism.