Friends,

This may be the least predictable newsletter imaginable. But unlike the rest of the stuff clogging up your inbox – this is not selling or asking anything of you. It’s just some good stuff that I’ve come across lately.

I’m still writing a lot for the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. If that’s a language you’re comfortable reading, then here’s a listing of my latest work. If not – you’re out of luck, for the time being at least.

I hope you find something interesting among the recommendations below. And happy holidays.

/Björn

Three artists to spend time with

• Doechii – She just crossed over into the mainstream, but this is the most interesting rap I’ve heard for a long time. It’s versatile, clever, and artistic.
  Listen to: Nissan Altima.

• Caroline Polachek – Hardly a new artist, this former singer from Chairlift is now on a solo ride. I discovered her this year, so it’s new to me. The music is unusually original and goes way beyond the average pop song.
  Listen to: Sunset + Watch: Dang (live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

• Remi Wolf – Her single “Cinderella” was one of my most played songs in the car this summer. It’s poppy and fun, with a souly voice.
  Listen to: Cinderella

Two books for your holiday break

• Gambling Man – The wild ride of Japan’s Masayoshi Son, by Lionel Barber

  There’s hardly a major internet company that hasn’t been touched – in some way – by Softbank and their founder, Masayoshi Son. How did it happen? This former FT editor does a fantastic job of describing both the background and context for Masa’s trajectory, as well as a lot of juicy anecdotes from behind the scenes. A delightful read.

• Send Nudes, by Saba Sams

  Short stories written in a light, bouncy manner. Little moments of youth get caught and dissected from the inside. This is fiction that reminds you of what it is like to be young – with everything good (and bad) that comes along with that.

One documentary to cherish

• Wise Guy – David Chase and The Sopranos (MAX) – This is so much more than a walk down memory lane for Sopranos fans (which would have been fine by me). It adds personal depth to what I consider to be the finest tv-series ever made.

Three bonus things worth a look & a listen

• The Rip Current – My friend Jake Ward (previously of NBC News and Popular Science fame) has a new Substack about technology that you should check out. He has a good eye for the space.

• The Reith Lectures; Is Violence Normal? – The BBC series invites the forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead to answer the seemingly simple question “is violence normal?”. The answer is more nuanced and interesting than it sounds.

• If Books Could Kill: Who Moved My Cheese? – A podcast which is always a laugh, but this episode was especially good. A brutal teardown of a management literature staple.

Originally published on Substack on December 19th, 2024.