A handful of links that make you think, discuss, or simply change your perspective.
Not everything is current. But everything is stimulating. And it is still worth reading.
1 – [RICHARD BRANSON] The Entrepreneurial Approach to Climate Change: Businesses and Sustainability (also WATCH THIS)
An iconic entrepreneur who talks about the environment with the same logic with which he builds business: vision and impact.
Why it is useful: it makes you think about how to face the great social challenges with an action-oriented mindset.
2 – [TED] Why Democracy Still Wins. A critique of Eric X. Li’s “A tale of two political systems”
A reasoned critique of the idea that the “authoritarian model” is more effective.
Why read it: useful for those who communicate internationally and want to avoid dangerous simplifications.
3 – [FINANCIAL TIMES] Snowden Leaks Hurt US-China Relations
A reflection on how leaks can alter the geopolitical balance.
Why it is interesting: it shows how thin the lines between ethics, security and reputation are.
4 – [FORBES] Some Food For Thought: Transforming Our Global Food System
A realistic and concrete analysis of the current limits of our way of producing food.
Why it is stimulating: it pushes you to think of sustainability as an economic lever and not just an ideological one.
5 – [MIDDLE EAST QUARTERLY] Islam’s Hatred of the Non-Muslim
Controversial content, but useful for understanding certain cultural and narrative dynamics.
Critical note: to be read with a critical spirit, without falling into sensationalism or prejudice.
6 – [TRIPLE PUNDIT] Taryn Sullivan, Efficiency Exchange, Builds Apps in China to Improve Supply Chains
Innovation applied to a concrete problem: making production chains more efficient.
Why it is useful: a practical example of high-impact business in complex contexts.
7 – [PSYCHOLOGY TODAY] Is Junk Sex as Bad as Junk Food?
An interesting provocation on compulsive consumption in the emotional sphere.
Why it is disconcerting: it leads to reflection on what we consider “satisfaction” and what is just habit.
8 – [LIVE SCIENCE] 5 ‘Health Foods’ You Should Avoid
Unhealthy choices often hide behind health labels.
Why you should read it: A lesson in marketing: what you sell is not always what it seems.
9 – [VICE] Italy’s Most Important Art Fair: The Venice Biennale
A slightly anarchic reportage on one of the most important art events in the world.
Why it’s useful: A fresh look at an often elitist and self-referential context
10 – [NEW YORK TIMES] A Short Lexicon of Italian Gestures
Ironic, well-done, perfect for explaining to foreigners (and ourselves) how much we communicate with our bodies.
Why it’s brilliant: It shows that the real content is not always written, but often gesticulated.
On the same subject, you might find this video of me teaching Taiwanese kids Italian gestures amusing :)
EYES TO SEE 
