We miss you too!
It's been almost a year since we kickstarted the Library of Scroll, and the last two weeks are the first proper break we've taken in its existence. Spending our days without publishing feels nothing short of strange, our curations have now piled up and not a day goes by when we don't get heartfelt messages from many of you wishing for us to get better. To all of you, we say - thank you for sticking by, and you'll have to wait no longer - we’re officially back up next week!
Until then: as is true for many of you, poring through the Library of Scroll archives has been a comforting activity for both of us. Rereading some articles which struck a chord, forwarding pieces to friends who felt like they'd benefit from some gems, or just immersing ourselves in some wonderfully narrated piece is nothing short of therapeutic. Hence, as a precursor and an exercise in reminiscing: we're going to be sharing our favorite reads all week!
On life and work, the pillars of our existence…
Happiness & the Gorilla: Ever wondered what the algebra of happiness looks like? Professor Scott Galloway from NYU unpacks the lessons from his life in the form of thought-provoking, relatable and sometimes hilarious math equations in this brilliant long read from his newsletter No Mercy/No Malice.
The Gervais Principle: Fan of The Office US, and all the hilarity that Dwight, Jim and Michael brewed over the years? We can guarantee that you will love, re-read and potentially bookmark this read for life - we definitely have. In this fantastic 6-part series from Ribbonfarm, Venkatesh Rao examines the social structures of the offices we encounter in our day-to-day lives, by doubling down on our favorite characters. Be warned: you'll never look at yourself or your colleagues the same way, again!
…and everything else. (There is no reason you should accompany a man as he hunts for a lost tune, figure out how to sell diamonds or know how Japan obsesses over our favorite treat. It still doesn't make sense to us that these three wacky reads had our whole and undivided attention when we read them. Why?!)
What’s that song that’s stuck in my head?: You know that feeling of overwhelming annoyance when a tidbit of a song plays over and over in your mind, but you have no clue which song it is? How far do you think you’d go to quench your curiosity? Join Tyler Gillett as he scours heaven and earth for a song that he can’t quite seem to place, in this podcast from Gimlet.
Have you ever tried to sell a diamond?: The invention of the “rare diamond” is like a brilliantly executed con — it fools you, but still leaves you in awe at how neatly it was pulled off. Think you knew what you were doing when you bought that shiny rock? This 1982 Atlantic piece by E. J. Epstein will surprise you to no end.
Japan’s Kit Kat obsession: Japan is the holy land of all things quirky, and so many things in that country amaze us to no end - the music, the clothes, the food… everything. In a land with so much unbridled joy, how does a consumer goods company reinvent itself to stay relevant? We discover the wonderful job that Nestle has done with Kit Kat, in this visual essay for The NY Times.
That's all for now - we hope you have a blast reading or re-reading these, and urge you to: DM us with your experiences reading our curations (we love to chat!), comment with your favorite pieces, and forward our collection and/or your favorite picks to friends and family. Our archives are always available, separated by genre, here for your reading pleasure.
Cheers!