A Mug of Insights

In this week's episode, let's talk about the value of an English Degree and whether you need one to become a better reader. On top of that, you'll also learn about the degree's unique history and how it still impacts our perception of literature today.Sources mentioned in the video:History of the English Degree from Peter Barry's book: Beginning Theory. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.28799978Professing Criticism by John Guillory https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo181442592.htmlCompanion article for this episode:https://www.amugofinsights.org/are-universities-ruining-the-pleasure-of-reading-and-how-to-get-it-back/Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes: https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopiconMy classes on rediscovering the joys of reading & writing: https://www.rcwaldun.com/classesLegal:This episode was produced and published under the imprint of © Literary. Publication. Our design consultant for the show is Victoria Aitken, and the intro/outro music, 'Armchair Expert' was composed and performed under the music project 'The Woods' by © Johnny McFadzean.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IG6UBvhnU3607AuOtCYFqWebsite: https://www.musicfromthewoods.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, let's get beyond the headline and examine how our relationship to long-form reading has changed, and what we can do to rescue our attention through a digital diet. Sources mentioned in the video: The 2017 estimate of how many words we read daily: https://askwonder.com/research/words-average-smartphone-user-reads-per-day-compared-users-vision-problems-adhd-ntzomu34lThe 2023 study on The Reverse Flynn Effect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289623000156?ref=amugofinsights.org'On Ultra-Processed Content' by Cal Newport: https://calnewport.com/on-ultra-processed-content/?ref=amugofinsights.orgCompanion article for this episode: https://www.amugofinsights.org/how-i-trained-my-attention-to-read-again/Links & Goodies: Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips:https://www.amugofinsights.org/Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes:https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopiconMy classes on rediscovering the joys of reading & writing:https://www.rcwaldun.com/classesLegal: This episode was produced and published under the imprint of © Literary. Publication. Our design consultant for the show is Victoria Aitken, and the intro/outro music, 'Armchair Expert' was composed and performed under the music project 'The Woods' by © Johnny McFadzean.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IG6UBvhnU3607AuOtCYFqWebsite: https://www.musicfromthewoods.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we'll address the problems with productivity systems and how they might be ruining the joy of reading, alongside a practical tip on how to slowly rebuild it in the age of content saturation. Sources mentioned in the video: Cal's newsletter on the power of email: https://calnewport.com/email-is-most-useful-when-improving-a-process-that-existed-before-email/?ref=amugofinsights.orgThe Rise and Fall of Getting Things Done: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-rise-and-fall-of-getting-things-doneCompanion article for this episode: https://www.amugofinsights.org/dont-let-note-taking-get-in-the-way-of-enjoying-a-good-book/Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips:https://www.amugofinsights.org/Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes:https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopiconMy classes on rediscovering the joys of reading & writing:https://www.rcwaldun.com/classesThis episode was produced and published under the imprint of Literary. Publication. Our design consultant for the show is Victoria Aitken, and the intro/outro music, 'Armchair Expert' was composed and performed under the music project 'The Woods' by © Johnny McFadzean.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IG6UBvhnU3607AuOtCYFqWebsite: https://www.musicfromthewoods.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we'll answer an email question from Kade, who brought up some excellent questions around how to be an effective reader in high school & college while still engaging with other aspects of campus life. If you want to send a question to the show, email support@amugofinsights.org, and we'll feature your question on a show! Links and goodies:Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips:https://www.amugofinsights.org/Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes:https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopiconMy classes on rediscovering the joys of reading & writing:https://www.rcwaldun.com/classesThis episode was produced and published under the imprint of Literary. Publication. Our design consultant for the show is Victoria Aitken, and the intro/outro music, 'Armchair Expert' was composed and performed under the music project 'The Woods' by © Johnny McFadzean.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IG6UBvhnU3607AuOtCYFqWebsite: https://www.musicfromthewoods.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to season 3 of our show, and we'll resurrect a long-lost segment called Coffee Wednesday. And as the pilot episode of the season, we'll kick it off with an important question that's usually overlooked: what makes a book life-changing? Nowadays, it's difficult to look beyond the hype of 'life-changing' promises and find information that will benefit us. So, how do we go about searching for these books in the age of information overload? Join us in this episode and find out!Links and goodies: Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes: https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopiconMy classes on rediscovering the joys of reading & writing: https://www.rcwaldun.com/classesThis episode was produced and published under the imprint of Literary. Publication. Our design consultant for the show is Victoria Aitken, and the intro/outro music, 'Armchair Expert' was composed and performed under the music project 'The Woods' by © Johnny McFadzean.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IG6UBvhnU3607AuOtCYFqWebsite: https://www.musicfromthewoods.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we'll sit down with YouTuber, writer and essayist Alice Capelle known for her insightful political commentaries and book: Collapse Feminism to discuss the urgency of social issues, creating content in the marketplace of ideas and the future of our political discourse on the internet. You can find Alice's work here: Collapse Feminism-The Online Battle for Feminism's Future: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/collapse-feminism-9781915672018YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AliceCappellePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/alicecappelleWebsite: https://www.alicecappelle.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we sit down with YouTuber, writer and video essayist Cole Hastings to discuss the topic of personal development and self-help in our polarised world. The episode started with a deep dive into Cole's content creation philosophy. It gradually turned into a discussion on the role of social critique in personal development, begging the question: is personal development still possible when everything seems so hopeless and negative on the news? Find Cole's Work Here: Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thehastingsharvestYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColeHastingsSecond Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CoalHastingsSelf-Mastery School: https://cole-hastings.com/selfmastery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, I sat down with the author of FUMES and Instagram/TikTok sensation William P Dozier known for his excellent book recommendations. We discussed tools/strategies for tackling intimidating book titles, how to improve our taste in literature and how to have the courage to live first and write later. You can find Will's work below: Buy FUMES here: https://www.amazon.com/FUMES-William-Dozier/dp/B0CDNGMDF7Website: https://williamdozier.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williampdozier/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@williampdozierBindery: https://wpd.binderybooks.com/about/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this very special edition of Small Talks, I sat down with the wonderful YouTuber, writer and founder of Pumpkin Productivity: Ruby Granger in Oxford and discussed everything from the double-edged sword of Dark Academia, rare manuscripts that we've handled as bookworms and why you should never feel guilty about quitting a book when it bores you. Find Ruby Here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6a8lp6vaCMhUVXPyynhjUAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rubygranger/?hl=enWebsite: https://rubygranger.com/Pumpkin Productivity: https://pumpkinproductivity.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, my friend, who is a certified sommelier and wine writer, sat down with me for an in-depth conversation about wine tasting, why people are overpaying for subpar bottles and why Clementine decided to drop out of her Master's Degree to pursue a life as a sommelier. Fine Clementine here: Wine with Clementine on Substack: https://winewithclementine.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dellasacre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we launch the show into season two with a brand new segment: Small Talks that attempts to capture those lightning-in-a-bottle conversations you wish you had recorded. Our first guest is my dear friend Hano Lokman who goes by @writtenanddirectedbyhano on his socials. He is a filmmaker, director and the brain behind the short film: Why Can't We Have Nice Things as well as many philosophical/cinematic dialogues on Instagram and Tiktok. Make sure to check out his work here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writtenanddirectedbyhano/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu3DFXuHlJZJWy-VCfLQ-Qw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we'll explore the dangers of reading too much or taking too many actions. And we'll discuss how to balance theory and practice and turn what you've read into concrete actions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we'll discuss how to free up time (with a simple tool) we've wasted on social media and why we're facing a temporal crisis in our society, followed by an update from Robin on why he's heading to Oxford around early February. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we’ll discuss what it means to be “well-read” and why it doesn’t necessarily mean reading more books. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss the four essential mindsets for developing your attention span and regaining your ability to enjoy long-form books and content. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An episode discussing the recent article by The Atlantic on why elite college students are struggling to read books and why attention span alone is not the real problem. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we'll talk about how to develop a consistent reading habit and the future of this podcast. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes:Link to original article:https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/a-word-of-caution-5-common-mythsLink to Angelene’s article:https://angelenekala.substack.com/p/your-sign-to-defer-uni Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Submit a question for the QnA episodes here:https://www.speakpipe.com/amugofquestionsLink to the original article:https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-being-surrounded-by-idiots Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes:Submit a question to this show: https://www.speakpipe.com/amugofquestionsThis week’s article: https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/arent-you-a-little-young-to-readDeep work by Cal Newport: https://calnewport.com/deep-work-rules-for-focused-success-in-a-distracted-world/The Agony of Eros by Byung-Chul Han: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262533379/the-agony-of-eros/ Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.