#107 - Notes on Bookshops, People and Development
Education Coffee is a 2xNewsletter on People, Ideas and Culture.
In each edition of this newsletter, I share some inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts.
1. Learning from People
On Episode 50 of #LearningStories, we chat with Anamika Suresh about building a career in the social development sector in India.
Anamika is an aspiring social entrepreneur, program designer, educator, traveller, feminist, trekker and experimenter. From 2012 to 2016, she completed an integrated MBA (BBM and MBA) from the Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra. With a strong leadership, curriculum development and capacity building background she has led impactful initiatives for students, teachers and social workers across multiple states in India. From 2018 to 2020, she was a Teach for India Fellow based in Chennai. Her journey in the social sector started during this fellowship. From 2020 to 2021, she was part of the core team at Ed Zola Techologies, that creates technology solutions for non-profits. From 2022 to 2024 she was the Administrative Director at Akshar Foundation, an organisation founded on the belief that quality education is the undeniable right of every child. She is currently exploring building sustainable and resilient communities. You can follow Anamika and her journey on Linkedin. Watch the full episode here.
2. Learning from Ideas and Questions
"No one really cares that much about what you’re doing. People are highly self-absorbed." - Tim Urban from #WaitbutWhy
Read the full article form my new favourite web writer here - https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/06/taming-mammoth-let-peoples-opinions-run-life.html
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blog
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hyunam Bo-Reum, felt like a cool gust of wind on a hot summer day. The characters do not transform in any special way. But it is one of the books where you slowly peel the layers of the characters presented at the start of the book. By the end of the book you get to know them and their fears, hopes and dreams a bit better. You root for them and hope for the best for them. I love bookshops and this was a fun read if you want to know how someone opened and built a bookshop from scratch. Hwang Bo-Reum was the author of this book. Bloomsbury was the publisher of this book. Here is a link to the Goodreads and Amazon page. You can watch an interview with the author below.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
Kodachrome (2017) heart warming travel film that gives you an insider perspective of a crumbling father son bond and the circumstances that led to the same. We carry the past with us through our lives and it defines how we experience the present and shape our futures. As we get older we often reflect on how we were loved, the projects we worked on and the moments we failed ourselves. It also shows you how your perspective on ambition changes as you get older and experience more of life. It got me thinking about what matters at the end of life. It made me realize that we need to put more thought into the work we do and the people we love because that can shape a lot of our life over time.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
How and why did bookstores evolve in America? What role do bookstores play in a community? What do people want to experience when they visit a bookstore today? What are some of the most beautiful bookstores in the world? Learned about this and much more in this podcast episode of the ‘Daily Stoic’ between Ryan Holiday and Evan Friss. Listen to the full episode here.
Thank you for reading this edition of #EducationCoffee. I look forward to writing weekly editions of this newsletter this year. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. You can also review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link (100+ newsletters here).
Please do send me your thoughts and resources on any edition of this newsletter to abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com. If you would like to read pieces in the future please do consider subscribing to this newsletter by clicking the button below. I love taking these discussions forward on those platforms and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Abhishek Shetty