About

A page where I list 5 articles every week that I really enjoy reading. It spans a variety of topics and is industry agnostic. I try to broaden my sphere of reading everyday and read at least 15 different news sources on a monthly basis. I hope you enjoy reading what I read. Please do send across any suggestions you have to saumya@shreesharda.co.in 

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Newsletter 1: 
  1. This one is from HBR written in 2016 on the topic of negotiations and still so relevant: https://tinyurl.com/gqvzuh3
  2. This is one from a great thinker and very well articulated about the pandemic it's a three part series I am highlighting one: https://tinyurl.com/yx27etx9
  3. This one is from New York Times talking about the culture of over productivity in a pandemic which is being spotted on social media: https://tinyurl.com/srwk2c5
  4. This one is from The Atlantic: https://tinyurl.com/ujqg3ze An interesting take on how the virus will end. [25 minute read] Gear Up!
  5. A very interesting read on how business giants are coming forward to help in the pandemic. However they are being bogged down by the politics and other constraints: https://tinyurl.com/ueljg7j
Newsletter 2:
  1. What Happened to American Childhood [43 min read]: It's a long read but a very thought provoking and informed article by the Atlantic: https://tinyurl.com/ycwdvak7
  2. The Ultimate Productivity Hack by James Clear [6 min read]: James Clear is the author of Atomic Habits and writes on his own website I love his articles. https://tinyurl.com/y383rjsp
  3. The Hidden Price of Mindfulness [5 min read]: Something one doesn't think about on an everyday basis especially with a positive word like mindfulness. https://tinyurl.com/ycqtl4s5
  4. Africans in China [4 min read]: This doesn't get featured in national or international news but I subscribe to an African weekly journal and it was displaying the double edged sword China is playing with: https://tinyurl.com/yajwpb5n
  5. Rewilding [8 min read]: A new concept I came across this week. Had to share. https://tinyurl.com/ycn85kg9

Newsletter 3: 
  1. From Binary to Quantum—in Politics: An Interview with Thomas L. Friedman [13 min read]: A very interesting interview that talks about the future of policy and politics in the world. https://tinyurl.com/y8uon2mg
  2. Inside the Dystopian Post Lockdown World of Wuhan [14 min read]: Informative and realistic. Life post lockdown at work. https://tinyurl.com/ybttclnw 
  3. America's Remarkable 4,400 km bike race [6 min read]: I never opened the sports section and this time I did and found something fascinating. Must read. A display of human strength and grit. https://tinyurl.com/y9bbhlg8
  4. Easy to Blame China but India's Wildlife Trade is Thriving Too [5 min read]:A topic generally ignored but must be given notice. https://tinyurl.com/yc8ornm9
  5. Kashmir: The Lockdown within the Lockdown [4 min read]: Wire articles are always informative and this included a mention. It gets emotional FYI. https://tinyurl.com/yc685zdv
Newsletter 4: 
  1. The Pandemic Isn’t a Black Swan but a Portent of a More Fragile Global System [9 min read]: An interview by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Must read. https://tinyurl.com/yac77gtf
  2. Why the Wealthy Fear Pandemics [6 min read]: A New York Time Opinion. Written by Mr. Scheidel, a professor of classics and history at Stanford University. https://tinyurl.com/yd9uudu3
  3. Why Attention Management Is The Secret Sauce To Success During The Pandemic (And After) [5 min read]: My productivity increased post reading this. https://tinyurl.com/y9dfvq2x
  4. How the Pandemic May Speed Asia’s Rise [5 min read]. Everyone is saying it so worth a read. https://tinyurl.com/ycsooj3z
  5. Density is Destiny [3 min read]: This one is by the Founder Collective. Thought provoking especially for parents. https://tinyurl.com/y9e2qfm8
Newsletter 5:
  1. Transient Advantage [18 min read]: An article from HBR from 2013 which I feel is relevant again today. Most of my readers are business owners or in the service industry and is very thought provoking. https://tinyurl.com/y8y7u8xa
  2. The Bionic Company [17 min read]: Something new for me. https://tinyurl.com/y7qj8j4d
  3. The 90% Economy that Lockdowns will Leave Behind [12 min read]: A comprehensive data driven article by the Economist. Must read. https://tinyurl.com/yc727kuz
  4. Chinese Carriers Restart Their Engines [3 min read]: https://tinyurl.com/y8g3opkx
  5. The Iguana King [1 min read and 9 min video]. Didn't know they had a king who captured them. https://tinyurl.com/ydxpyh44
Newsletter 6:
  1. Grandma Rocket, the Virus and a Family Whose Love Bridged 2,500 Miles [18 min read]: A heart touching article on the victims of the pandemic. https://tinyurl.com/ya8kbb7t
  2. What 20 Lakh Crore Package Doesn't Accomplish - By Yashwant Sinha [6 min read]: Ex-BJP, Ex- Finance Minister. An interesting viewpoint but obviously biased. https://tinyurl.com/y8zy5ctn
  3. The Migrant Dilemma [5 min read]: Descriptive and detailed. https://tinyurl.com/ya5ajey5
  4. I Just Flew. It Was Worse Than I Thought It Would Be. [4 min read]: This is from May 8th so super recent. https://tinyurl.com/y7tcm2wo
  5. Maybe Failure Isn't the Best Teacher [5 min read]. HBR always thought provoking. https://tinyurl.com/ycbk94w8
Newsletter 7:
  1. How CoronaVirus destroys the human body, one organ at a time [15 min read]: A detailed article from Wired. https://tinyurl.com/ycaynepb
  2. Containing COVID-19 Will Devastate the Economy. Here’s the Economic Case for Why It’s Still Our Best Option. [9 min read]: Written by a phenomenal economist in Kellog. https://tinyurl.com/y85a6r8x
  3. The Carouser and the Great Astronomer [8 min read]: Its like a small history story. It definitely took me 15 minutes to read and comprehend. https://tinyurl.com/yddfwfmz
  4. The pandemic could reshape the world order. Trump's chaotic strategy is accelerating US losses [8 min read]: Nic Robertson is an award-winning CNN International Diplomatic Editor. Must read. https://tinyurl.com/ycwvxtwo
  5. How Amazon's Bet on Autonomous Vehicles Can Help Protect Us from Viruses [8 min read]. I just started reading newsweek and loved it so sharing an article. https://tinyurl.com/ycwyvluy
Newsletter 8:
 
  1. Going Home Again [31 min read]: The Vietnamese Overseas Return. Learnt about Viet Kieu. Theodore Ross the author is the supervising news producer of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. https://tinyurl.com/yaoqfmm9
  2. 100,000 and Counting [13 min read]: America's CoVID experience is different, tragic yet not that exceptional. Particularly interesting is the graph of COVID Spread in Republican vs Democrat States. Super interesting from my fav The Economist. https://tinyurl.com/y8mvpy54
  3. In Perfect Balance. [12 min read]: You have not one, but five separate appetites for key components of food. Listen to them and you’ll only eat what you need, say David Raubenheimer and Stephen Simpson. Download Attachment for this or download from source you just need to pay $1.99 https://tinyurl.com/yafy7nua
  4. Importance of Being Rahul Gandhi in the time of Modi [6 min read]: An interesting view given that the importance of Congress in one's mind may have diminished. https://tinyurl.com/yaxvvlmd
  5. How Much Is Your Slice of That Unicorn Really Worth? [4 min read / 10 min read]: An SBR article. Always been curious about this. Make sure you click on the link of the online calculator in the article to actually get value from it https://tinyurl.com/ycxv6wa5 
Newsletter 9:
  1. The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake [41 min read]: A phenomenal article by The Atlantic. Please take out time to read. https://tinyurl.com/umcx3zp
  2. Racism is Built Into the US Economy [9 min read]: Given what has happened to George Floyd and what Trump has to say about it. Thought out article. https://tinyurl.com/y7estytk
  3. What Christopher Robin Really Thought of Winnie the Pooh [7 min read]: Quite an interesting twist of events captured by my favourite childhood magazine, The Readers Digest. https://tinyurl.com/ydd2s36v
  4. Promoting Wellness vs. Illness [5 min read]: I loved this line in a talk by Tara Brach the difference between illness and wellness is I vs We. https://tinyurl.com/ydyhllnx
  5. How a 15,000 year old bone could help us through CoronaVirus [4 min read]: Mary Meade was once again mentioned in this talk by Tara Brach that I watched which enabled me to further delve into it. Do read.  https://tinyurl.com/y87jlo98
Newsletter 10:  
  1. The CEO of Slack on Adapting in Response to a Global Crisis [18 min read]: If you have heard the saying Never waste a crisis. This man lived it. Typical HBR style. Loved it. https://tinyurl.com/ybrr5qam
  2. Can Amazon Keep Growing Like a Youthful Startup [16 min]: A teaser. Mr Bezos has managed to keep Amazon from aging beyond Day 1 for longer than most companies can dream of. But not even the best magician can stop the passage of time. https://tinyurl.com/y7wcn9hs
  3. How to OverCome the Struggles of Midlife [9 min read]: This week I had the chance to hear a webinar by Chip Conley. For those of you who don't know who he is: Chip Conley is the boutique hotel entrepreneur who helped Airbnb’s founders turn their fast-growing tech start-up into a global hospitality brand. If you have time to read just one article. Make it this. https://tinyurl.com/y9jmfalx
  4. Can the Pandemic Help us Fix our Technology Problem [8 min read]: Fascinating. Your mind goes on a journey with his words. Tim harford - one of my favourites. https://tinyurl.com/y8n4yapp
  5. The New World Disorder [5 min read]: Interesting read by the Economist talking about China's growing influence to it contributing up to 12% of the UN budget now. https://tinyurl.com/ycl45l9o
Newsletter 11: 
  1. The Middle East's Mission to Mars [20 min read]: Very Interesting read. Didn't really know much about the Middle East space program and how quickly it has accelerated. https://tinyurl.com/ya98dh7w
  2. Mark Cuban on race, robotics and why now is a great time to start a business [15 min read]: I don't love him but I do admire him a lot. His zeal and drive for life is admirable. https://tinyurl.com/ya43kw9z
  3. How to Value Stocks According to Aswath Damodaran [8 min]: A NYU Professor whose knowledge in valuations is widely quoted. https://tinyurl.com/yatdakpl
  4. How a Dining Club Briefly Took over the EU [5 min read]: Another amazing one by the Economist. I might be biased but I love their snippets. Very catchy headline and just a 5 minute read. https://tinyurl.com/y9z5muue
  5. Time Has Lost All Meaning [4 min read]: Ai WeiWei: A Chinese Activist and Artist. A poetic read that increased my heart rate. https://tinyurl.com/y8cr99s3
Newsletter 12: 
  1. How to Eat Less Plastic [17 min read]: Is there a non plastic path ahead? Can we do without it?  https://tinyurl.com/yc7hdo7g
  2. Driving over Air Travel and Take Out over Cafes: Pandemic Shapes Consumption [15 min read]: An interesting data driven read by WSJ. https://tinyurl.com/ybzdjkc3
  3. Why China Trade Ban will Hurt India more [9 min read]: This is something I was thinking of and after reading some 20 odd articles I felt this described it best. https://tinyurl.com/ybsrh8do
  4. Lightning Killed over a 100 People in India in a day. The Phenomenon.  [5 min read]: This was news to me as I didn't know it could have such devastating effects on families. An informative read back to Geography 101 I guess. https://tinyurl.com/ycn9dy24 
  5. Make Your Own Glaciers [3 min read]: National Geographic. How a group of monks in the Himalayas are protecting the terrain from climate change. Inspiring and commendable. Pictures you will want to see again and again. https://tinyurl.com/yca626az
Newsletter 13: 
  1. The Secret Rules of the Internet [44 min read]: Shocking and Gripping. The Verge. https://tinyurl.com/ycl43nq7
  2. Its 2022. What Does Life Look Like?  [12 min read]: I subscribe to David Leonhardt and he pops up in my inbox weekly. First time I am sharing. https://tinyurl.com/y9acbfu9
  3. Can You Die from a Broken Heart [11 min read]: Nautilus. One of my favourite reads, since I have so many. Its more like a real short story that leaves you wondering. https://tinyurl.com/q95969z
  4. The Forgotten History of How Automakers Invented the Crime of Jaywalking  [7 min read]: This was very interesting as close friends have received tickets for over $100 for Jaywalking. Something I learnt you don't get a ticket for in New York. Must read in my opinion. Brilliant Marketing and Survival Strategy. Article from 2015. https://tinyurl.com/ybecfd7v
  5. Zoom Etiquettes [5 min read]: WSJ. https://tinyurl.com/yahzqnwz
Newsletter 14 
  1. John Rock's Error [33 min read]: John Rock, a devout catholic. He had 5 children and 19 grandchildren and created the birth control pill. Fascinating read. About the history of inventions. An Old article though published in 2000. https://tinyurl.com/y4ey5t4n
  2. The way the world ends. Not with a bang but a PAPERCLIP [10 min read]: An article on Artifical Intelligence inspired by a game and a philosopher at Oxford Nick Bostrom. https://tinyurl.com/ybkouzsc
  3. The Tanger Outlets CEO thinks online shopping is Overrated but now he's betting on it [9 min read]: Fascinating to see someone double down on offline retail in the midst of the pandemic. https://tinyurl.com/yyjdkvry
  4. Build Up on the Border  [9 min read]: A detailed overview on the Indo-China border standoff. https://tinyurl.com/y2st6xgv
  5. Parents: Please let your kids fail, you will be doing them a favour [8 min read]: Fabulous, mind changing for helicopter tiger parents. In India mothers don't stop mollycoddling their children even when they are above 30. https://tinyurl.com/y2kqjq9a

Newsletter 15 
  1. The Strange Persistence of First Languages [18 min read]: How a Czech writer realized the influence of her native tongue upon the demise of her father. Nautilus is a fabulous magazine. Worth subscribing to in my opinion. An Article from 2015. https://tinyurl.com/othdmd3
  2. The Coronavirus Conspiracy Boom [10 min read]: Why do humans believe conspiracies, does it enable them to make sense of things which don't otherwise make sense. https://tinyurl.com/yxvt9svg
  3. Lab-Grown And Natural Diamond Factions Settle Hostilities, As Declining Jewelry Demand Threatens All [7 min read]: An interesting truce between two rivals. https://tinyurl.com/y4n5wt9a
  4. What Hamilton Reveals about Climate Change  [6 min read]: A gripping read on one of the founding fathers of America and how their views are still relevant in the pandemic. https://tinyurl.com/y42ljp27
  5. China’s Move to Buy Arctic Gold Mine Draws Fire in Canada [5 min read]: I knew of China's influence in Asia, and Africa but Arctic. My oh my. A frightening read for me. https://tinyurl.com/y3555n7w
Newsletter 16: 
  1. SPACs the New Hot Thing on Wall Street [15 min read]: As an ex-investment banker at Goldman. Finance & New York are my first love. Indian markets tend to follow far behind in terms of structuring and volumes seen in the West. Very interesting read. https://tinyurl.com/y2kev2xb
  2. The Transformer [12 min read]: Amongst the murders and mandir politics dominating the headlines in UP its easy to miss CM Yogi Adityanath's unlikely recasting of the state as a business friendly destination. https://tinyurl.com/y389qhqn
  3. How Marcus Aurelius' Meditations can Help us in this Pandemic [8 min read]: Let the emperor guide you on how to live life. Fascinating and knowledgeable. https://tinyurl.com/y2z87553
  4. Don't Sell a Product, Sell a Whole New Way of Thinking [6 min read]: A HBR article from 2014 that is very relevant today. Had to share: https://tinyurl.com/y826b3sl
  5. Life of acclaimed Indian Origin Artist Zarina Hashmi [3 min read]: Learning about people's lives has always interested me. Inspirational. It reveals a lot about her life and how she learnt ad-hoc through life. https://tinyurl.com/y3juq9ur
Newsletter 17: 
 
  1. How Corporate Kidnappings Work [25 min read]: I had no clue that corporate kidnappings was a term so it was read instantly. The entire read takes you through a series of emotions and leaves you wondering if it works out in the best interest of the children. https://tinyurl.com/y43bz39w
  2. How the Pandemic is Making the Opoid Crisis Worse[10 min read]: There's a desperate need for new weapons to fight for the lives of the 494,000 Americans over the age of 12 who are regular heroin users, the 15 million Americans who regularly abuse prescription drugs, the 774,000 Americans who regularly use meth and the 5 million Americans who regularly use cocaine. The statistics are mind blowing. https://tinyurl.com/y6krmpue
  3. The Impoverishment of Attention [8 min read]: A farnam street article. My favourite. Please see if you can read this before you divert your attention it is just a 8 minute read. See if you can follow through. https://tinyurl.com/y3ex2nsa
  4. Brunello Cucinelli on the Decision-Making Advice Jeff Bezos Gave Him [7 min read]: A  fabulous and refreshing read. It ain't easy to build an empire. Whatever industry it might be in. https://tinyurl.com/y3t3hu9l
  5. The Triumph of Avoiding the Traps [5 min read]: An interesting article from 2009 which talks about what Oprah did right and which traps she didn't fall into like her counterparts such as Martha Stewart https://tinyurl.com/y4qa2yen
Newsletter 18: 
  1. The Therapeutic Power of Gardening [20 min read]: This is something that instantly connected with me given I have my own garden that I am tending to these days. You must try it out. It all starts with one plant. https://tinyurl.com/y66n4n4e
  2. Forgive and Be Free [14 min read]: There is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation and this article is just a beautiful read. https://tinyurl.com/y4af5qjy
  3. Belarus has finally had enough of the "Last Dictator" of Europe [8 min read]: Had actually forgotten about this country as a whole in the midst of this pandemic. Just had to read it and share it with everyone. https://tinyurl.com/y6evxwl8
  4.  A mysterious 19th Century Princess who Fooled a Town [7 min read]: A  fun and light read. https://tinyurl.com/y26oog9v
  5. CitiGroups $900 million loan blunder [4 min read]: Still wondering how they did this. https://tinyurl.com/yxpagrgz

Newsletter 19: 
  1. Did Pangolin Trafficking Cause the CoronaVirus Pandemic [25 min read]: This is a topic still being explored by the New Yorker. A very interesting read on the relationship between humans and animals. https://tinyurl.com/y6dsoo6b
  2. How Trevor Noah bought The Daily Show home and the Future  [16 min read]: Written by the editor of Variety magazine and talking about questions that all of us struggle with in today's virtual world. https://tinyurl.com/y4fmmz8n
  3. Hollywood's Chinese Conundrum [11 min read]: The Impact of China on Hollywood's scripts and production houses. https://tinyurl.com/y4kj4lcx
  4. No one Wants your Used Clothes Anymore [5 min read]: A bloomberg article talking about a large scale industry in Panipat. https://tinyurl.com/yxe7fmf7
  5. Born of Boom and Bust [5 min read]: An article by Mr. Zweig talking about a William Hogarth Painting. https://tinyurl.com/yy4nzljq
Newsletter 20: 
  1. America is Trapped in a Pandemic Spiral [23 min read]: An excerpt to define: "The virus can spread before symptoms appear, and does so most easily through five P’s: people in prolonged, poorly ventilated, protection-free proximity."
  2. Money can Buy you a lot of things but Happiness is not one of them Say Experts [11 min read]: The first article I have ever quoted from Robb Report, a magazine I read purely for work purpose. The Complex connection between wealth and happiness. 
  3. Is Gold Still a Good Investment [10 min read]: An interesting data driven article by Outlook. 
  4. Newtons Law of Stock Momentum [5 min read]: Fabulous article by Andy Kessler a WSJ veteran. 
  5. Extinction is not Inevitable [3 min]: A NY Times classic thought provoking read.

Newsletter 21: 
  1.  
  2. Should India make Cannabis Legal? [15 min read]: A must read given all the controversy surrounding this currently. 
  3. America's Domination of Oil and Gas will not Cow China [15 min read]: I don't think I have one newsletter where I haven't mentioned China so lets start with it. 
  4. Externalities and Why We Can Never Do One Thing [11 min read]: The multiple repercussions of any decision, very thought provoking. 
  5. Huangs Law is the New Moore's Law [6 min read]: An important read to stay abreast in the world of technology. 
  6. Self Made Billionaires now Dominate India's rich not dynasts [5 min read]:A data driven article just how I like it. 

Newsletter 22: 
 
  1. Managing Risk and Resilience [16 min read]: In an uncertain and ambiguous world as we try and prepare our organizations and lives for future unseen risks. This is a very interesting read, putting into perspective multiple examples from across the globe. AN HBR Reprint in this edition. 
  2. Hugh Heffner who Built the Playboy Empire and Embodied It [14 min read]: I was just fascinated when I read about the concept of his round bed and this was a very interesting read so sharing it.  
  3. A New Look for the Yarn Industry [11 min read]: A very inspiring story with weaves of racism, grit, motherhood, support, and strength. 
  4. Raising a Moral Child  [10 min read]:  I have been reading a lot by Adam Grant. He kind of rose to fame by helping Sheryl Sandberg overcome the death of her husband. The youngest professor to be tenured at Wharton at the age of 28. 
  5. My Father Do Not Rest [6 min read]: An edited eulogy written by the great Sarojini Naidu upon the death of MohanDas Karamchand Gandhi. The Glory of India. 

Newsletter 23: 
 
  1. Reinventing Luxury [10 min read]: I rarely if ever read Business Week but this time the cover of luxury and trends was so relevant to my business that I read the entire issue. A very detailed issue highlighting the change in luxury buying. Which I have definitely noticed, experienced and adapted to.
  2. False Start [8 min read]: I know most if not all of us have been glued to the American elections. Heaving a sigh of relief for the world as Biden comes to power. However in the other side of the world. Myanmar is set for elections today. Aung Sang Suu Kyi, a lady I used to admire and emulate and one who disappointed me hugely. Waiting to see the results. Just another perspective. 
  3. Trumpism isn't going away [7 min read]: This is the scariest part of the election and the most interesting one as well. The perspective of being Republican has changed. Must read. 
  4. Can't Touch This [8 min read]: The CEO of a $1.2 billion space company can’t use its technology. It can't get more interesting. The Momentus IPO.
  5. Trump will Concede Gracefully [6 min read]: The White House Chief of Staff has written a tiny yet interesting article giving us a view into Trump and his presidency. Lets see how it plays out
Newsletter 24:
  1. 6 Keys to Keeping Sharp this year [5 min read]: CNN is not a platform I read much but this was an interesting start to 2023 so thought of sharing. Read this article backward in my opinion I really aim to do all but number 6 is topping my list. 
  2. The Obvious Answer to Homelessness [20 min read]: The Atlantic is one of my favourites, what an interesting perspective on homelessness in America which applies to other parts of the world partially.  
  3. All Uncreated Men are Equal [10 min read]: Have you heard of the BirkenHead Drill. If not then that and the headline should be captivating enough to read who should be saved in what order in an emergency. 
  4. Royal News [always a quick read]: William knows he’s a punchbag for Harry — he’s silent but burning inside. Oh the tagline is enough to get us reading but I still haven't been able to get myself to watch the netflix series. 
  5. Has the Amazon Reached its Tipping Point [26 min read]: A fascinating read to see how Gatti's life observing the Amazon has played out. It also balances life to see that there are people still out there just pursuing their passion and not just running after materialistic things and hoarding money. Just saw Avatar last night and I just wonder how much destruction is going to be caused before we realize we are causing our own destruction.