Dear Community,
Growing up, the brain and how it works was a big topic in my household. On Bring Your Parent to School Day my doctor father brought my fourth grade class a human brain in formaldehyde, and explained how the brain is the source of all of our behaviors and emotions. That same year, my mother began working on PhD in psychology.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And I think one of the silver linings of the pandemic has been that talking about mental health is finally normal. I hope you and everyone in your life has the support you need.
Krista Tippett and I recently had a wonderful conversation for her On Being podcast Living the Question about rituals that nourish our brains, bodies and souls as we emerge from the pandemic. You can listen to it here.
In this newsletter, great books (Hidden Valley Road), new books just out (like How to Change, Afrominimalism Guide to Living with Less, Metobolical and Extra Life), Webby Awards nominees, films to watch, and more below.
Lastly, and closest to my heart, today, May 11, is the anniversary of my father Leonard Shlain’s death. In the Jewish tradition, after someone dies, we honor the day of their death instead of their birth to mark the life they led. So I dedicate this newsletter to my father, who taught me so much and was such an incredible human with an amazing brain. See some of his books about the brain, history, humanity and more below.
Love,
Tiffany
(The image above is from Brain Power: From Neurons to Networks, a 10-min film we made in 2012 on how to best nurture a young childs brain. You can watch here.)
