Substacks recommended by John Naughton

Recommended by John Naughton

My personal Substack

A newsletter dedicated to revealing how dark money and hidden influence threaten our democracy

If you believe (as I do) that 'democracy dies in darkness' then Peter Geoghegan is one of the UK's great luminaries. I've followed for ages the attempts he's made to hold chaotic UK governments to account.

- John Naughton

Programmable Mutter

By Henry Farrell

Technology and politics in an interdependent world

Streetwalking with Howard Jacobson

I have written over twenty books, including seventeen novels, and won the Booker Prize for fiction. Words are my faith, novels my passion, great novelists my paragons of truth. You might think I should get out more. You are right.

Res Obscura

By Benjamin Breen

Notes on the history of technology, medicine, science, art, drugs, and empire. Also: AI in research and teaching.

Love the way he brings an historian's perspective to tech. And how he escapes from " the sociology of the last five minutes", which is the curse of tech commentary.

- John Naughton

imperfect offerings

By Helen Beetham

There's a crack in everything. It's how we know a human being is writing. Thoughts on technology and education, writing and related issues, from a critical perspective. Not always fully formed but never auto-completed.

In the current cacophony about ‘AI’ and education, Helen is one of the sharpest and thoughtful writers around.

- John Naughton

In the Writing Burrow

By Margaret Atwood

Whatever comes into my addled, shrinking brain.

PastPresentFuture

By Dan Gardner

Exploring history to understand today and shape a better tomorrow.

Frames

By Stripe Partners

Frames is a monthly newsletter that sheds light on the most important issues concerning business and technology.

I like the way it tries to get above the ruck of continual circular discourses about big topics. I particularly liked its use of Actor-Network-Theory to reframe conversations about how 'AI' will/should develop.

- John Naughton

GOOD INTERNET

By René Walter

A magazine about human machine relations, AI and tech, entertainment, arts and culture, the psychology of social media, and everything else too.

In the future, everyone will be famous for 15Mb

By David G.W. Birch

Digital identity, digital money, digital diligence

Thinking about...

By Timothy Snyder

Opening the future by understanding the past.

escape the algorithm

By Elan Ullendorff

A newsletter about taking control of our attention and finding a more human side of the internet. Featured in Wired and Rolling Stone.

Just Two Things

By Andrew Curry

I monitor what’s happening out there—economics, technology, culture, climate—and write two notes on what catches my eye. The brief: interesting, provocative, resonant. With some analysis and context. Frequency: usually three times a week.

Chartbook

By Adam Tooze

A newsletter on economics, geopolitics and history from Adam Tooze. More substantial than the twitter feed. More freewheeling than what you might read from me in FT, Foreign Policy, New Statesman.

Persuasion

By Yascha Mounk

The community for those who believe that a free society is worth fighting for.

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality

Economic history, economics, political economy, finance, & forecasting. Here to try to make you (and me) smarter in a world with many increasingly deep & complicated troubles...

Noahpinion

By Noah Smith

Economics and other interesting stuff

The Intellectual Investor

By Vitaliy Katsenelson

Value Investing, Life/Philosophy and Classical Music Explained

Letters from an American

By Heather Cox Richardson

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

The Convivial Society

By L. M. Sacasas

Thinking about technology, society, and the good life.

Memex 1.1

Recommended by John Naughton