Archive - Volumes.

June 2025

The Rise and Fall of Genius: Part I

On Stefan Zweig's "Chess" and the formation of greatness.

Jun 30 •

Choosing What To Read Next

On reasons for reading, entertainment vs edification, and the balance of a book.

Jun 27 •

David Wolpe: The Secret and the Mystery

On the signal in silence and the static of noise.

Jun 20 •

Taking Books Seriously

On the reader's responsibility, the writer's paradox, and a master of metaphor.

Jun 13 •

How to Die Well

A short bonus essay that builds on last week's essay about the final chapter of your life.

Jun 9 •

The Last Chapter of Life

How the tools of storytelling help us navigate living and dying well.

Jun 6 •

May 2025

Lazy and Stupid Stereotypes

On Michael Lewis, unsung heroes, and AI teachers.

May 30

The World Beyond Your Head

Efforts to personalise all the settings on our lives make us lonelier and more narcissistic than ever — but reading can help.

May 23 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts