Shows
A Mug of Insights034: Why Mindless Entertainment Won't Replace ReadingIn this week's episode, let's talk about why reading will not and cannot be replaced by other forms of entertainment & why you should implement more reading in the new year. Companion article for this episode:https://www.amugofinsights.org/reading-cannot-be-replaced-heres-why/ Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/ Also, we've just launched our new series of members' workshops: The Sessions, featuring monthly tutorials & protocols to sup...
2025-12-1719 min
A Mug of Insights033: The Missing Piece In Your Lifelong Learning JourneyToday, we'll cover a foundational concept called mastery and tackle the 3 main problems that are stopping people from becoming lifelong students. Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for 1 big idea and two journal prompts to master your lifelong learning journey: https://www.amugofinsights.org/We've also launched our new series of workshops: The Sessions, and you can claim an early-bird entry here: https://www.amugofinsights.org/tag/sessions/ Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for th...
2025-12-1027 min
A Mug of Insights032: How To Enjoy & Understand Poetry In this episode, we'll talk about how to start enjoying poetry with 3 simple steps. Also, there'll be a channel update for the first 7 minutes of the video to set the tune for our content heading into 2026 (see timestamps). Join the Analytical Reading Waitlist to receive an early bird offer: https://www.rcwaldun.com/arwlistWant more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/ Download the digital notebook I use...
2025-11-2620 min
A Mug of Insights031: A Two-Step Plan To Make A Reading Routine STICKMost people struggle to find time and stick to a daily reading routine. So, in this week's episode, we'll give you a 2-step practical plan for making time & sticking with a daily reading goal. Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/ Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes: https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopicon My classes on rediscovering the joys of reading & writing: https://www...
2025-11-1917 min
A Mug of Insights030: Why Reading Intimidates Us, Fiction vs. Non-Fiction, and How To Start A Book ClubThank you for all your amazing questions! This week, I scoured the community post section and offered my advice on how to start a book club, how to stop feeling intimidated by books, battling reading fatigue and more. Sources mentioned in the video: Don't let your TBR hold you hostage: https://www.amugofinsights.org/do/The two building blocks of a daily reading routine: https://www.amugofinsights.org/1-2-read-dont-put-your-life-on-hold-to-read/Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my...
2025-11-1244 min
A Mug of Insights029: Stop Wasting Time On Note-TakingWhat if taking fewer notes made you a better learner? In this special segment of Coffee Wednesday, we'll return to the basics and explore the Field Notes mindset — a practical approach to capturing ideas, not just information. Learn how to think more clearly by writing less.Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/ Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes: https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopicon ...
2025-11-0511 min
A Mug of Insights028: The Power of A Digital DeclutterIn this episode, I traced my steps and came up with three steps that have allowed me to reclaim my life from social media & find deeper meaning in intentional hobbies. Books mentioned in this episode: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport Stolen Focus by Johann HariIf you're enjoying this show, consider signing up for a paid subscription to my newsletter and gain access to the three-part series on rescuing your attention span from my newsletter: Part 1: https://www.amugofinsights.org/1-2-read-protocols-for-rescuing-your-attention-pt-1-willpower-isnt-enough/Part 2: https...
2025-10-2928 min
A Mug of Insights027: How Great Readers See Books DifferentlyIn this week's episode, let's talk about the one trait and habit all exceptional readers share, and how to practise it in our lives. Sources mentioned in the video: Toward A Psychology of Being: https://archive.org/details/towardpsychology00maslWant more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/ Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes: https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopicon ...
2025-10-2221 min
A Mug of Insights026: How To Stay Informed Without Going InsaneThis week, let's talk about how to keep tabs on the world without letting the news take over our lives. Read the latest 1-2-Read issue in my newsletter for free: https://www.amugofinsights.org/1-2-read-how-to-stay-informed-without-going-insane/And if you're enjoying what you're reading/watching, consider taking out a paid subscription to the newsletter! This is a direct way to support the show so that we don't have to rely on sponsors to keep it going. Sources mentioned in the video: https://www.opensourceceo.com/p/strategism-nytimes-games
2025-10-1529 min
A Mug of Insights025: How To Read 6 Books A MonthIn this week's episode, I'll share 5 reading lessons that have allowed me to get through 6 books in the month of September, alongside some recommended practices for you to optimise your information consumption.Read the three-part series on rescuing your attention span from my newsletter: Part 1: https://www.amugofinsights.org/1-2-read-protocols-for-rescuing-your-attention-pt-1-willpower-isnt-enough/Part 2: https://www.amugofinsights.org/1-2-read-protocols-for-rescuing-your-attention-pt-2-reclaim-your-free-time/Part 3: https://www.amugofinsights.org/1-2-read-protocols-for-rescuing-your-attention-pt-3-join-the-attention-resistance/Companion article for this episode: https://www.amugofinsights.org/how-to-read-6-books-in-a-month/Want more food...
2025-10-0822 min
A Mug of Insights024: Do You Need An English Degree To Read Well?In this week's episode, let's talk about the value of an English Degree and whether you need one to become a better reader. On top of that, you'll also learn about the degree's unique history and how it still impacts our perception of literature today.Sources mentioned in the video:History of the English Degree from Peter Barry's book: Beginning Theory. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.28799978Professing Criticism by John Guillory https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo181442592.htmlCompanion article for this episode:
2025-10-0122 min
A Mug of Insights023: A Defence of Long-Form Reading In Our Distracted AgeThis week, let's get beyond the headline and examine how our relationship to long-form reading has changed, and what we can do to rescue our attention through a digital diet. Sources mentioned in the video: The 2017 estimate of how many words we read daily: https://askwonder.com/research/words-average-smartphone-user-reads-per-day-compared-users-vision-problems-adhd-ntzomu34lThe 2023 study on The Reverse Flynn Effect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289623000156?ref=amugofinsights.org'On Ultra-Processed Content' by Cal Newport: https://calnewport.com/on-ultra-processed-content/?ref=amugofinsights.org...
2025-09-2429 min
A Mug of Insights022: Reclaiming The Joy of Reading From Our Productivity CultureOn this episode, we'll address the problems with productivity systems and how they might be ruining the joy of reading, alongside a practical tip on how to slowly rebuild it in the age of content saturation. Sources mentioned in the video: Cal's newsletter on the power of email: https://calnewport.com/email-is-most-useful-when-improving-a-process-that-existed-before-email/?ref=amugofinsights.orgThe Rise and Fall of Getting Things Done: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-rise-and-fall-of-getting-things-doneCompanion article for this episode: https://www.amugofinsights.org/dont-let-note-taking-get-in-the-way-of-enjoying-a-good-book/Want more food for...
2025-09-1722 min
A Mug of Insights021: Reading Advice For High School & College Students In this episode, we'll answer an email question from Kade, who brought up some excellent questions around how to be an effective reader in high school & college while still engaging with other aspects of campus life. If you want to send a question to the show, email support@amugofinsights.org, and we'll feature your question on a show! Links and goodies:Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips:https://www.amugofinsights.org/
2025-09-1722 min
A Mug of Insights020: What Makes A Book Life-Changing?Welcome back to season 3 of our show, and we'll resurrect a long-lost segment called Coffee Wednesday. And as the pilot episode of the season, we'll kick it off with an important question that's usually overlooked: what makes a book life-changing? Nowadays, it's difficult to look beyond the hype of 'life-changing' promises and find information that will benefit us. So, how do we go about searching for these books in the age of information overload? Join us in this episode and find out!Links and goodies: Want more food for thought and deeper insights...
2025-09-1622 min
A Mug of Insights019: The Future of Online Political Discourse with Alice CappelleToday, we'll sit down with YouTuber, writer and essayist Alice Capelle known for her insightful political commentaries and book: Collapse Feminism to discuss the urgency of social issues, creating content in the marketplace of ideas and the future of our political discourse on the internet. You can find Alice's work here: Collapse Feminism-The Online Battle for Feminism's Future: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/collapse-feminism-9781915672018YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AliceCappellePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/alicecappelleWebsite: https://www.alicecappelle.com/...
2025-03-191h 01
A Mug of Insights018: Is Personal Growth Possible In Our Polarised World? with Cole HastingsIn this episode, we sit down with YouTuber, writer and video essayist Cole Hastings to discuss the topic of personal development and self-help in our polarised world. The episode started with a deep dive into Cole's content creation philosophy. It gradually turned into a discussion on the role of social critique in personal development, begging the question: is personal development still possible when everything seems so hopeless and negative on the news? Find Cole's Work Here: Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thehastingsharvestYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColeHastingsSecond Channel...
2025-03-1043 min
A Mug of Insights017: Tools For Reading Difficult Books with William DozierOn this episode, I sat down with the author of FUMES and Instagram/TikTok sensation William P Dozier known for his excellent book recommendations. We discussed tools/strategies for tackling intimidating book titles, how to improve our taste in literature and how to have the courage to live first and write later. You can find Will's work below: Buy FUMES here: https://www.amazon.com/FUMES-William-Dozier/dp/B0CDNGMDF7Website: https://williamdozier.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williampdozier/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@williampdozierBindery: http...
2025-02-1751 min
A Mug of Insights016: Books That Made Us Who We Are with Ruby GrangerOn this very special edition of Small Talks, I sat down with the wonderful YouTuber, writer and founder of Pumpkin Productivity: Ruby Granger in Oxford and discussed everything from the double-edged sword of Dark Academia, rare manuscripts that we've handled as bookworms and why you should never feel guilty about quitting a book when it bores you. Find Ruby Here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6a8lp6vaCMhUVXPyynhjUAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_rubygranger/?hl=enWebsite: https://rubygranger.com/Pumpkin Productivity: https://pumpkinproductivity.co.uk/
2025-02-0349 min
A Mug of Insights015: Leaving Academia to Become A Sommelier with ClementineOn this episode, my friend, who is a certified sommelier and wine writer, sat down with me for an in-depth conversation about wine tasting, why people are overpaying for subpar bottles and why Clementine decided to drop out of her Master's Degree to pursue a life as a sommelier. Fine Clementine here: Wine with Clementine on Substack: https://winewithclementine.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dellasacre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-01-3149 min
A Mug of Insights014: Understanding Film vs. Literature with Hano LokmanOn this episode, we launch the show into season two with a brand new segment: Small Talks that attempts to capture those lightning-in-a-bottle conversations you wish you had recorded. Our first guest is my dear friend Hano Lokman who goes by @writtenanddirectedbyhano on his socials. He is a filmmaker, director and the brain behind the short film: Why Can't We Have Nice Things as well as many philosophical/cinematic dialogues on Instagram and Tiktok. Make sure to check out his work here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writtenanddirectedbyhano/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel...
2025-01-1529 min
A Mug of Insights013: How To Turn Knowledge Into ActionIn this episode, we'll explore the dangers of reading too much or taking too many actions. And we'll discuss how to balance theory and practice and turn what you've read into concrete actions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-01-0217 min
A Mug of Insights012: How To Quit Scrolling And Free Up Your TimeIn this episode, we'll discuss how to free up time (with a simple tool) we've wasted on social media and why we're facing a temporal crisis in our society, followed by an update from Robin on why he's heading to Oxford around early February. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-12-2623 min
A Mug of Insights011: Being Well-Read Doesn't Mean Reading More BooksOn this episode we’ll discuss what it means to be “well-read” and why it doesn’t necessarily mean reading more books. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-12-1614 min
A Mug of Insights010: Tips For Reclaiming Your Attention SpanIn this episode, we discuss the four essential mindsets for developing your attention span and regaining your ability to enjoy long-form books and content. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-12-0925 min
A Mug of Insights009: The REAL Reason Why College Students Struggle to Read BooksAn episode discussing the recent article by The Atlantic on why elite college students are struggling to read books and why attention span alone is not the real problem. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-12-0228 min
A Mug of Insights008: How To Build A Consistent Reading HabitOn this episode, we'll talk about how to develop a consistent reading habit and the future of this podcast. Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-11-2518 min
A Mug of Insights007: Listen To This Before You Start an Arts DegreeShow Notes:Link to original article:https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/a-word-of-caution-5-common-mythsLink to Angelene’s article:https://angelenekala.substack.com/p/your-sign-to-defer-uni Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-09-0718 min
A Mug of Insights006: How Critique Became The Mood of The InternetSubmit a question for the QnA episodes here:https://www.speakpipe.com/amugofquestionsLink to the original article:https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-being-surrounded-by-idiots Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-09-0113 min
A Mug of Insights005: Balancing Passion and College, Being Single In Your 20s and Substack Writing AdviceShow Notes:Submit a question to this show: https://www.speakpipe.com/amugofquestionsThis week’s article: https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/arent-you-a-little-young-to-readDeep work by Cal Newport: https://calnewport.com/deep-work-rules-for-focused-success-in-a-distracted-world/The Agony of Eros by Byung-Chul Han: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262533379/the-agony-of-eros/ Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-08-2516 min
A Mug of Insights004: In Praise of Cafés and Inactivity - From The ArchiveIntroducing the monthly segment where I read out a piece from the archive of A Mug of Insights. This month, we’ll start with a piece on why doing nothing is the best thing you can do for your creativity.Link to the full article with reading lists/citations:https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/doing-nothing-is-the-best-thing-you?utm_source=publication-searchSubmit a question for me on the weekly QnA show:https://www.speakpipe.com/amugofquestions Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on...
2024-08-1607 min
A Mug of Insights003: Future of The Humanities, Reading as a Hobby and Tools for Finishing a Difficult BookShow Notes:Submit a question via Speakpipe here:https://www.speakpipe.com/amugofquestionsNew piece from the Newsletter: I Hate Networking Too, But…https://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/i-hate-networking-too-but Books Mentioned:The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-righteous-mind-9780141039169Hooked by Rita Felski: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo58870481.htmlMore About Lydia Davis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Davis Get full access to A Mug of I...
2024-08-1021 min
A Mug of Insights002: Dealing With Too Many Interests, Information Overload And How To Handle Academic AnxietyOn this episode of A Mug of Insights, we'll address three questions on dealing with multiple interests, tips for being a more effective student and how to manage academic anxiety & carve out the time to think. Show notes: Weekly Recap: Latest newsletter on the five myths about studying an arts degreehttps://amugofinsights.substack.com/p/a-word-of-caution-5-common-mythsTips on how to read academic textshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKFlWdVXYIg&t=40sRecommendations: The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell
2024-07-3120 min
A Mug of Insights001: Dealing with cognitive overload, morning routines and how lifelong learning makes you more productiveIn this episode, we answered three questions from our readers about dealing with an overwhelming amount of information, the impacts of a flexible morning routine, and how lifelong learning influences our productivity.If you want to submit a question, follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/r.c.waldun/?hl=enand send me a DM. Once I've approved the request send a voice recording of your question and you just might hear your voice on an episode.Show notes:Caitlin's Newsletter: Ruminationshttps://caitlinellis.substack...
2024-07-2120 min
A Mug of Insights000: Spreading The WordsFor additional information about the show and premium episodes, head to https://amugofinsights.substack.com/ for more.Welcome to this brief introduction to this podcast! In this episode, we covered what this podcast is about, potential upload frequency and what you can do to support this project. If you have any potential requests and suggestions, please leave them in the comments down below (future AMA segments?).For now, take care, and goodbye! Get full access to A Mug of Insights at amugofinsights.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
2023-12-0706 min
Modo di BereLanguage is a Door: Lindsay Szper of Culture Without Borders (Part 2)Are children really better at learning language than adults? Is an unknown language a "barrier," or a door to another culture? What is an idiom, anyway? Lindsay Szper and Rose Thomas refer to Hannah Arendt on the mother tongue, James Baldwin on good bread, and the power of friendship to learn a language and to repair the world.
Lindsay studies language pedagogy at The New School and is working on a masters in Oral History at Columbia. Listen to Certificate in Teaching English program at The New School.
More information about the "affective filter".
Lindsay...
2023-04-2835 min
Modo di Bere: Drinks & DialectS1E9 Language is a Door: Lindsay Szper of Culture Without Borders (Part 2)Are children really better at learning language than adults? Is an unknown language a "barrier," or a door to another culture? What is an idiom, anyway? Lindsay Szper and Rose Thomas refer to Hannah Arendt on the mother tongue, James Baldwin on good bread, and the power of friendship to learn a language and to repair the world.
Lindsay studies language pedagogy at The New School and is working on a masters in Oral History at Columbia. Listen to Part 1 of this interview, "What I Need is a Friend," to learn more about Culture Without Borders Language...
2023-04-2835 min
Modo di Bere ItalianoLa lingua è una porta: Lindsay Szper della scuola di lingua Cultura Senza Frontiere (Part 2)I bambini sono davvero più bravi nell'apprendimento delle lingue rispetto agli adulti? Una lingua sconosciuta è una "barriera" o una porta per un'altra cultura? Cos'è un idioma? Lindsay Szper e Rose Thomas parlano di Hannah Arendt sulla madrelingua, James Baldwin sul buon pane e sul potere dell'amicizia per imparare una lingua e riparare il mondo.
Lindsay è un'insegnante di lingue e una studentessa di lingue per vocazione. Sta studiando pedagogia del linguaggio alla New School e storia orale alla Columbia. Ascolta la prima parte della intervista Certificate in Teaching English del New School.
Per saperne di più del "filtr...
2023-04-2835 minModo di Bere ItalianoLa lingua è una porta: Lindsay Szper della scuola di lingua Cultura Senza Frontiere (Part 2)I bambini sono davvero più bravi nell'apprendimento delle lingue rispetto agli adulti? Una lingua sconosciuta è una "barriera" o una porta per un'altra cultura? Cos'è un idioma? Lindsay Szper e Rose Thomas parlano di Hannah Arendt sulla madrelingua, James Baldwin sul buon pane e sul potere dell'amicizia per imparare una lingua e riparare il mondo.
Lindsay è un'insegnante di lingue e una studentessa di lingue per vocazione. Sta studiando pedagogia del linguaggio alla New School e storia orale alla Columbia. Ascolta la prima parte della intervista Certificate in Teaching English del New School.
Per saperne di più del "filtr...
2023-04-2835 min
Vibe Union PodcastMaking a Mess of Yourself ft. R.C WaldunThis episode of the Vibe Union podcast involves an insight into the writer's mind of R.C Waldun (Robin). Robin has his hand in many creative endeavors including; writing, poetry, video production and photography. He has a fantastic YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/RCWaldun/) where he posts video essays on various helpful topics including; creativity, writing, productivity and motivation. Host DillyDave and Robin meet up just before Robin headlines the Vibe Union spoken work night "Talking Blue" at Blue Bar in Prahran. They talk poetry, life experience, learning through making a mess an...
2022-02-2131 min
Vibe Union PodcastTalking Blue spoken word special w/ Jay the Author & R.C. WaldunWhat can the streets teach you about writing and life? What's the hottest new spoken word night in Melbourne all about? Lets discuss.SIGN UP FOR TALKING BLUEhttps://www.rhath.com/talkingblueTuesdays, 7pm Ronnies Blue BarMelbourne's most inclusive and open spoken word showcaseThis episodes guestsJay the Authorhttps://www.instagram.com/jaytheauthor/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKHgeyPCsJVPDzuvJ4gVvxQR.C Waldunhttps://www.instagram...
2021-04-0555 min