on air

The best thing that can happen to someone with a pen in his hand is not that someone will read what he writes. That's arrogantly taken for granted. What else would be the point? The best thing that can happen is for someone to read it and disagree with it – and keep reading because the writing is good or convincing or interesting. It's the ultimate compliment.

When I started reading the Economist sometime in the early 2000s, I was frequently revolted by the opinions expressed or the points made – and nearly always bowled over by the presentation of the arguments. A balanced exploration of both sides of the story is the best basis for a constructive discussion.

I'm not a journalist and I'm not in the business of fostering debate. But the other day, in a comment, a friend of mine disagreed with my points and complimented me on my writing. I highlighted the day in my calendar to remember it in years to come. And I did some quick research to see how I could support my position more convincingly. Here is what I meant to say.

There is no need for any more images of natural disasters, war or ecological collapse. Everyone has seen enough and is sufficiently depressed by them. I am convinced that everyone knows what the issues are (and you might argue that this is where I am naively wrong), and I think people need inspirational examples of how to make a positive difference in the world to propel them to action.

For a good year or so, I've been subscribed to the LSE podcast. The London School of Economics and Political Science has the most impressive line-up of speakers of any educational institution that I'm aware of, and recordings of all their lectures go on-line shortly after the event. (This is all the better as tickets can be extremely hard to come by.)

Their latest offering at the time of writing is a talk by John Elkington about the role of innovation, finance and business in the transformation of the economic framework towards a more sustainable model. The talk is cautiously (and necessarily) optimistic about our ability to survive and gives examples of revolutionary ideas that, even if they don't lead to profound change themselves, will pave the way into a livable future. I wish I could have made my case like Elkington.

I listened to this talk over the course of three walks, two to work and one back home. Head-phoned sleepwalking is a habit I've picked up since ditching my bicycle for commuting. Seeing the same dirty terraces and the same quiet streets every morning and every evening, I need something to keep me entertained and distracted, and podcasts fit the bill.

Most of the time, my ears are tuned to Ehab and Mohammed at Arabicpod. But when I don't want to twist my brain into a Möbius strip of linguistic confusion, I seek lighter alternatives. As mentioned earlier, the LSE is a good resource. This American Life is obviously on my player, as are the News from Lake Wobegon. Recently, I added the History of the World in 100 Objects, a brilliant guide to history from the perspective of a British Museum curator, using nothing but objects amassed over the centuries in the museum's vast halls and archives.

This sounds a lot, but ten walks a day at 25 minutes each add up to more than four hours a week. And here's the reason for this post, a question: What else should I add to iTunes? What other shows, podcasts or recordings would enlighten, challenge and educate me between home and work? I'm sure you, my dear readers, have your own favorites. Please share them with me, especially if I'm likely to disagree with the content while appreciating the presentation.