Quarantine Reading

Being mostly trapped indoors may be frustrating, but it also provides an opportunity to reframe or rethink just about everything. Nothing will ever really be the same again after this. And as the saying goes, “you can never go home” — so why not use the time to think about what could be rather than what is?

Reading can be a way to explore new ideas, to let our subconscious connect the dots between things our conscious minds might not or to just wander aimlessly. Although my family and I may be stuck at home for the foreseeable future, that time, however unusual, can be productive and engaging too.

And so if you happen to be looking for something to engage your mind that’s not attached to a glowing rectangle of light, any of the following would be an excellent place to start.

• It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work – Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
• Ruined by Design – Mike Monteiro
• A New Program for Graphic Design – David Reinfurt (Inventory Press)
• Citizen Designer – Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne
• How to Do Nothing – Jenny Odell
• What We See When We Read – Peter Mendelsund
• Feck Perfection – James Victoré
• Nobody Wants to Read Your Shit – Steven Pressfield
• Shopping in Jail – Douglas Coupland
• The Art of Noticing – Rob Walker
• Age of Earthquakes – Douglas Coupland
• The Process – Standards Manual (The Brand Identity)
• Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, and Keep Going – Austin Kleon
• Death Wins a Goldfish – Brian Rea