| Tuesday, 01 July 2025 |
A community-powered Sunday newsletter on mental models, self-reflection, learning, growth, photos, books, and more Subscribe here
Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],
Dear reader, I’m afraid there is no lede section from me today. I am in Kerala for an extended family meet up. I’ll be back next Sunday. I know I’ve missed a few Sundays recently, and I promise I’ll make it up with some interesting editions.
For today, here are Hari and Jonathan with your weekly book recommendations and photos from the community.
Taking it slow
Hello everybody. It’s Hari here. I hope everyone’s looking forward to a slow, relaxed Sunday.
I’ve been experiencing something of a reading slump lately. It’s been oddly slow; turning pages has been a task. So I have taken to glancing through the pages of the few novellas and screenplays I have lying on my bookshelf, hoping they’ll help me pick up the pace again.
This weekend, though, after about an hour of staring into the void, I decided a better way to get out of the slump might be to give Yukio Mishima and his The Sound of Waves a shot. Mishima, if you didn’t know, is one of the more controversial figures in Japanese history.
I was introduced to Mishima by American film director and screenwriter Paul Schrader in what I consider to be his magnum opus, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. I saw it for the first time at a screening during the 2022 International Film Festival of Kerala, and I have been wanting to read Mishima ever since.
Now that I’ve finally picked it up, though, I’m taking things slow—trying to take in as much as I can rather than just rush through and tell myself I’ve finished one more book.
So far, it’s been a delight.
What would be a book you’d pick up if you wanted to get out of a slump? Do tell me using this link.
For this week, I also have two recommendations from the community I’ve been holding on to for a while now:
How Much Should a Person Consume? by Ramachandra Guha
“A thought-provoking read for The Ken-FP tribe.
I enjoy reading The Ken because it is informative, the articles are well researched, well written, without the spin and bias. I admire The Ken team for their dedication to getting closer to the true picture.
Hari Buggana
Chairman and MD, InvAscent
Transparent, Honest, Detailed. To me, The Ken has been this since the day I subscribed to them. The research that they put into each story and the way it is presented is thoroughly interesting. Personally, I’ve always had a great time interacting with the publication and reading the stories.
Harshil Mathur
CEO and Co-Founder, Razorpay
The Ken has proven naysayers wrong by successfully running a digital news publication on a pure-subscription business model in India. They have shown that discerning readers are willing to pay for well-researched, well-written, in-dept news articles.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited
As a designer, it’s easy to get lost in the craft of building products. As a business owner however, keeping up with a rapidly changing landscape is key to saying relevant. The Ken doesn’t just help me stay on top of what’s happening in India(and beyond), but makes it fun to do so.
Rahul Gonsalves
Co-founder and CEO, Obvious Ventures