How the 'Bliss Point' makes food irresistible
This is Howard Moskowitz, the person responsible for making some of the snacks you consume irresistible. You know how sometimes you open a bag of chips and you can't stop eating? That's due to the "bliss point" that Moskowitz helped find in food ingredient combinations.
His work is talked about a lot in Michael Moss' book Salt Sugar Fat and there has been widespread controversy over whether his work has made food addicting. I highly recommend watching the video above and if you're intrigued at all, go and pick up Salt Sugar Fat. It might just change the way you look at food. And if not, it's just a good read anyway.
Johnny Depp stars in Funny Or Die's Donald Trump movie
I feel like this movie came out of nowhere. Funny or Die released a near-50-minute video -- no, movie -- starring Johnny Depp as Donald Trump back in the '80s. The film is a live loose adaptation of Donald Trump's book The Art of the Deal.
That costume and make-up work is unbelievable. It looks so good. Not really looking like Donald Trump, but definitely disguising Depp's usual looks very well.
Robert Polidori's "After the Flood" is a collection of haunting photos of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
I'm desperately trying to track down this book for a decent price. Robert Polidori's After The Flood is a look at the disaster after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. I was reminded of this book recently after watching Beyonce's Formation music video (you should really watch it).
Polidori's photos make the mess in New Orleans look beautiful. But we all know it wasn't. Maybe it's a bit of disaster porn, but on a whole different level that we don't normally see. It was time-sensitive, just like the relief at the time, and the effects are longstanding.
But back to the book. It's out of print I think and copies are limited. It's currently available at Amazon -- but I'm holding my breath for a cheaper alternative.
Draplin Design Co. announces new book, "Pretty Much Everything"
This news makes me so happy! Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co., is releasing a mid-career survey of all of his work in book form. He's previously made posters of "Pretty Much Everything" but this book is really, well, everything up until this point bound into a nice 256-page volume.
His logos are some of my favorite of all time and his Field Notes are used worldwide by designers and notetakers. I'm sure this book is going to sell like hotcakes. Pre-order the book using the link below to lock in the pre-order sale price.
Brutus Magazine Coffee Edition
This looks real nice. Brutus is a bi-weekly Japanese publication about art and culture in Japan. This particular issue here, on sale for $21 at Kurasu (great Japanese site for coffee-related stuff), is all about Japanese coffee shops.
The articles are all in Japanese so if you're a non-Japanese reader/speaker you're gonna be out of luck. However, the photos are great and the maps are helpful if you want to have a caffeine-filled time while in Japan.
The Shallows by Nicholas Carr
I just finished reading Nicholas Carr's book The Shallows. It was a truly enlightening read with clear and concise explanations of many things I've been personally feeling about the way I think and act after spending so much time on the internet.
The book is a perfect reminder to step away from technology for a bit and wander out in the wilderness (literally) as it often brings people back sharper and more attentive than those who rely solely on internet and mobile stimulation to keep them going. The book is supported by a ton of research into the ill-effects of the internet in our way of thinking, but also offers a good roadmap to make sure we don't lose our culture and humanity to machines.
As the first book in my one-book-a-month series for 2016, I'm feeling like this is a very strong start. I would recommend this book. Get it below.