What are the best newsletters for general news, business, tech, cryptocurrency, health, etc? Here is a list of 40 newsletters to make you smart
Wikipedia defines a newsletter as “a printed or electronic report containing news concerning the activities of a business or an organization that is sent to its members, customers, employees, or other subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of interest to their recipients. A newsletter may be considered grey literature”.
A newsletter is a cost-effective means for building relationships and maintaining regular contact with clients, customers, and business partners. They contain important news and updates and other significant information. In fact, they are crucial for taking brand marketing to the next level.
Typically, the purpose of a newsletter is to promote a product or service and create an individual touchpoint with your email subscribers. Objectives could be things like improving your open rate and click-through rate, gaining new subscribers, or creating your best email yet in terms of conversions.
If you want to grow your business, it’s essential to understand the effectiveness of email newsletters. Email newsletters are one of the most powerful digital marketing tools available to market your business. They allow you to communicate in a personalized way with your customers and deliver the right message at the right time. This channel (the use of newsletters) beats out other digital marketing tools to help you sign up subscribers, convert subscribers into customers, and then deepen the brand loyalty of your existing customer base.
In fact, a study by Monetate found that email marketing leads 4.24% of visitors to complete a sale. Compare this with 2.49% of visitors who come from search engines and .59% who visit from social media.
Email newsletters have a much higher engagement rate than other types of digital marketing. Email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter. Email marketing also drives more conversions than search and social.
Email newsletters deliver a variety of messages. Some promote products or events. Others build community among a membership base or offer tips and advice. While your CTA will change with different campaigns, the name of the game is always the same—engaging your customers.
Types Of Newsletters
There are three types of newsletters: the company newsletter, the consumer newsletter, and the organization newsletter. You can know how to structure newsletter content when you define your topic and your readers.
- The Company Newsletter. Use this internal communication to keep employees and staff informed and build morale.
- The Consumer Newsletter. Use this publication externally – to stay in touch with your customers, readers, users, and subscribers and keep them in your “family.” Most businesses, entrepreneurs, and sole proprietors choose this newsletter format.
- The Organization Newsletter. Use this publication both internally and externally. Of the three types of newsletters, the organization newsletter is a unique blend that speaks to those in your inner operating circle (members, staff, employees, and board) as well as your consumers (donors, partners, readers, interested parties, and prospects.) Most nonprofits and ministries choose this newsletter format.
Importance Of Newsletters
Below are some innovative strategies that Forbes believes will be beneficial in terms of attracting readers’ interests, leading to higher conversion rates.
- Information And Knowledge: A newsletter opens the door to increase a better understanding and knowledge of your brand and the particular products and services you offer. Advertisements are not enough to reach potential customers, as they have a limited outlook of your products. A newsletter can expand your horizons and give your audience a broader picture of who you are. Embedding helpful links and giving visual descriptions can attract more readers.
- Advertising And Marketing: Email newsletters can be one of the greatest sources to advertise and promote a new product or service within your brand. Include creative visual posts and proper information on special offers in your promotional campaigns. Lucrative offers will capture the readers’ interests, and they will jump into the content to read the maximum information. One tip is to include top announcements and articles containing information about your product.
- Building Expertise: Establish yourself as a strong industry leader and build expertise with newsletters. They maximize credibility and build confidence in your company as a potential supplier. Send updated articles that have important information, and cover the latest issues and trends in your market and industry research. You can also add details of any upcoming conferences and presentations.
- Building Relationships: Sending newsletters at regular intervals is mandatory — either weekly, monthly or quarterly. Weekly newsletters have worked for our agency. To stand out in the crowd and maximize your marketing efforts, maintaining strong relationships with clients through consistency is significant.
- Widening Your Scope: A newsletter can help you enhance your target audiences. Place information about the newsletter on your website, and capture information and contact details of new audiences by asking them to subscribe. Know what your prospects are really looking for, and send email newsletters covering some of those important aspects. If your current newsletter strategy is not working, try playing with new techniques. Creating an engaging newsletter should be interesting as well as rewarding.
- Keep it simple but catchy: Writing a newsletter is not about fancy words, but conveying bulk information in a simple and concise manner. A catchy heading and subject line are important, as the contemporary world is hectic and full of tight schedules. We all get flooded with thousands of emails and newsletters daily. To catch a reader’s eye, you must think differently. A push notification or punch line is a great idea.
- Make content relevant: Your newsletter content must be educational. Subscribers and audiences look for relevant and timely information. You can include promotions if you have any big news about your product, service or organization to share.
- Reference pop culture and trending topics: Depending on the topic and subject of your newsletter, connecting your content with popular events and topics is a good idea. Marketers and readers are often looking for the latest trends, and this is one of the best ways to include your brand into the conversation.
- Keep the font consistent: As per our experience, one font works best for the newsletter. You must not use different fonts for headings or subheadings. It will make the newsletter look untidy.
- Include an engaging design: Boring newsletter templates never attract anyone. Play with the different and captivating designs to make your newsletter more interesting. Newsletters can make your company stand out in the crowd and encourage readers to buy from your brand. The benefits are not immediate, but patience and following the tips above can give you results with low costs.
As days go by, the number of websites created in the world keeps increasing. There are over a billion websites as of now with which each provides information every minute.
In a world full of information, one way to be able to ever keep on top of everything you should read and learn is through newsletters – a way of delivering valuable insight straight to your inbox.
There are tons of best-newsletter lists, TheVibely has selected the best 40 newsletters in their rightful categories to subscribe to learn and grow smarter.
Best Newsletters for the General News
1. Vox Sentences
If you’re super busy but like to be informed, Vox Sentences is for you. “Vox Sentences is a daily that truly puts the ‘brief’ in ‘news briefing.’ They excel at covering major new stories into concise bullet points,” explains Acciyo? founder Anum Hussain in her best-newsletter roundup for Buffer. It arrives five times a week.
Subscribe to Vox Sentences here
2. NextDraft
NextDraft from Dave Pell dives into “that swirling nightmare of information quicksand” we call the internet, looking for golden nuggets of news, so you don’t have to. “Dave shows me the most interesting, entertaining, and important stories that I’ve missed. Next Draft is invaluable,” raves Tim Sullivan, Harvard Business Review’s editorial director.
On Dave Pell’s NextDraft newsletter you’ll find his snippets-cum-commentary not only to inform you at a glance but beckon you to take a closer look. Everything is up for discussion, from geopolitics to science to feel-good miscellanea.
NextDraft’s daily digest offers ten points of consideration–notice how we phrased that. A single point might correlate to a single story, but there are plenty of issues that beg further context across several articles. Dave spoon-feeds it all to you, coupling colorful metaphors to direct quotes from linked sources spanning the political divide. It’s like Google’s Snippet algorithm became sentient and decided its mission was to help you, personally, give a damn about the world around you.
3. NPR’s Life Kit
If you’re looking less for straight news and more for lifestyle and how-to content, then NPR’s Life Kit might be worth a subscription. It covers “a wide range of topics including personal finance, health, parenting, education, journalism, and art,” explains Hussain, who recommends it for those looking for fodder for their social media. No set schedule.
Subscribe to NPR’s Life Kit here
4. 1440
Spoiler: If you’re going to subscribe to a single newsletter on this list, 1440 should be it. Remember when journalism had integrity–an honest intent to inform rather than persuade? 1440 remembers, eschewing partisanship and sensationalism for well-sourced, factual coverage. Imagine that.
1440 is split up into three distinct sections, clearly labeled by priority: Need to Know, In the Know, Etcetera. There are no clickbait or delaying tactics to get you to scroll through as many ads as possible; they frontload the good stuff and leave it up to you whether you’re in the mood for trivia.
While the stories are curated, offering myriad off-ramps to further reading, you can just as profitably stick to 1440’s on-page journalism. Their content model respects your time, facilitating both deep dives and casual skimming in due form. 1440 sets the standard for readability, easily justifying its place in your inbox (rather than the spam folder).
We recommend 1440 to anyone who values policy over politics; who has little time to fact-check the pundits; and who has a genuine desire to learn about and connect with the world around them.
5. NYT’s The Morning (formerly The Morning Briefing)
Sitting at somewhere north of 17 million subscribers, The Morning is the largest newsletter in the world. You might thus reasonably assume the publication to be monolithic in nature, lacking the personal touch inherent in smaller indies.
However, in early 2020, The New York Times moved to honor (and accelerate) the benchmark; they brought on David Leonhardt as the newsletter’s “host and anchor”. This broke from a long-running industry norm of foregrounding the editorial positions of the news institution itself, relegating its constituent journalistic voices to supporting roles.
It was hardly a gamble on NYT’s part; Leonhardt’s nimble, cogent reporting is more than a match for today’s rapidly developing news cycles. Each morning’s newsletter delivers ample factual heft in a highly digestible format. The Morning may lack some of the whimsy and fun of smaller newsletters. But it makes up for it in authority and scope–ensuring that you’ll never miss out on the most pertinent stories the world has to offer on a given day.
6. Morning Brew
One of the most comprehensive newsletters on our list, Morning Brew seeks to replicate the experience of opening a newspaper (presumably with a cup of the good stuff in hand). This is evident not only in the type and format of the content presented, but in the fact that it hits your inbox in the actual morning–rather than someone else’s time zone!
Your “front page” consists of a Good Morning tidbit, followed by market reports and the day’s most pressing news–complete with subtle tongue-in-cheek to keep your eyes glued to the page. Further down, you’ll find a rotating cast of categories including finance, tech, media, and much more. Each headline gets just enough supporting prose to form a proper value-add, alleviating the guilt of not clicking through to “read more” every step of the way.
And just like a physical newspaper, the Morning Brew is engineered to be read as you please. Maybe you’re not feeling the breaking news, and just need to unwind with a good crossword. Or, spice up your workweek with conversation starters, playlist ideas, movie recommendations, or thought experiments in the Brew’s Bets section. Morning Brew reinvigorates a classic media format, and it works better than it ever has.
Best Business, Marketing, and Finance Newsletters
7. The Moz Top 10
You don’t need to be a digital marketer yourself to appreciate what The Moz Top 10 has to offer. In fact, if your business is in any way touched by the Internet (and we’re betting it is), you’d do well to work this semi-monthly digest from the thought leaders on SEO into your newsletter diet. Even if you don’t fall into either of these camps, reading what the pros read will give you valuable insight into how to best use the cornerstone technology of the information age to your advantage.
Each issue offers ten blurbs linking to articles jam-packed with actionable marketing insights. You’ll learn to optimize existing practices, make new ones on board, and get a heads up on any sweeping changes incoming which could make or break your SEO. There’s even a “Local 3-Pack” to help SMBs better serve and connect with local markets.
8. The Hustle
The Hustle consistently stands out both for its irreverent, entertaining tone (stay away if you hate puns) and for the breadth of stories it covers.
Though it’s fair to classify The Hustle as a curatorial publication, its pages are littered with unique insights and hard-hitting journalism. Sure, you can read about the Perseverance landing elsewhere; but it’s The Hustle where you’ll learn about the immediate implications for business back on Earth in depth.
Historically covering what the best and brightest entrepreneurs and startups did right, The Hustle has become its own success story. HubSpot recently acquired the scrappy media company for an undisclosed amount–though, only after founder Sam Parr had turned down countless offers prior on the basis of maintaining integrity and trust with their readership.
Backed by the marketing giant, The Hustle’s core value proposition is going stronger than ever. You’ll get compelling profiles on key figures across a diversity of industries, highlighting how they started and, more importantly, how they scaled. Of course, VC and tech trends get plenty of air time, offering valuable context and actionable analysis for entrepreneurs, startups, and growing companies. There’s even room carved out for the digital water cooler, with memes of the day, shower thoughts, and more to tickle your fancy.
9. Hurry Slowly
Another personal favorite, Hurry Slowly, a newsletter from writer Jocelyn K. Glei, describes itself as offering “new ideas about how to be more creative and make time for the work that matters.” I find something fresh and interesting in almost every edition. Bimonthly.
Subscribe to Hurry Slowly here
10. The Broadsheet
Business news often skews males. The Broadsheet aims to fix that. “The newsletter, which highlights ‘the world’s most powerful women,’ is run by Fortune and it rounds up the best articles around the web on every topic from gender bias in machine learning to the fact that women of color are exposed to more chemicals in their beauty products than white women are,” reads Career Contessa’s recommendation. Daily.
Subscribe to The Broadsheet here.
11. Granted
Bestselling author and star Wharton professor Adam Grant rounds up both his own recent writing and some of the most intriguing business content from across the web for his newsletter Granted. Monthly.
12. The Pink Newsletter
Bestselling author Dan Pink also puts together a newsletter. Bplans’ roundup of top newsletters describes it as “a changing assortment of tips, suggestions, and recommendations relating to business in different ways. Topics involve articles, podcasts, TV shows, gadgets, and more.” Weekly.
13. Robinhood Snacks
Hussain’s post is particularly rich in business-focused newsletters, but her absolute favorite is Robinhood Snacks. She calls it “the newsletter that got me hooked on newsletters” and explains that “their content helps me stay constantly on top of financial business news in a non-boring, non-dry, and super simple way.” Daily.
Subscribe to Robinhood Snacks here
14. Below the Fold
Staying on top of major news stories is important, but it’s also nice to read more out-of-the-way news sometimes too. That’s what Below the Fold is for. “The content is what you would have found if you still had a physical newspaper and were flipping to page two, covering important stories not making headlines and, as a result, easy to miss,” writes Hussain (who confesses she might be biased as her company puts out this one). Weekly.
Subscribe to Below the Fold here
15. Marketing Examined
The best case studies and strategies to help you grow your businesses. Keep an eye out for the visuals!
Subscribe to Marketing Examined here
16. Launched
Crucial for any entrepreneur – it’s the guide to landing your first 1,000 users.
Best Newsletters for Tech & startups
17. Benedict’s Newsletter
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more qualified than Benedict Evans to write a weekly newsletter on tech trends. Drawing on decades of experience as an equity research analyst and consultant in Silicon Valley and abroad, Benedict is a one-man retinue of VC insider insight.
The first splash of information in Benedict’s Newsletter links to his latest work analyzing global developments in mobile, media, and technology. Benedict’s data-driven approach reeks of professionalism, but he’s careful not to talk over the heads of his rapidly growing general audience. Whether you’re on his level or not, you’ll walk away having a much clearer picture of “what mattered this week”.
Beyond the meat-and-potatoes of his own research, Benedict curates a masterclass in topical musings, neatly arranged in categories: News, Ideas from around the web, Outside interests, and Market data. His holistic brand of contextual analysis makes the endlessly complex implications of world-shaking trends and developments accessible and relevant–a skill precious few tend to share for free en masse. Of course, there is a premium subscription that takes you on even deeper dives, also opening up the entire back catalog of Benedict’s Newsletter.
Subscribe to Benedict’s Newsletter
18. TLDR?
Several roundups of the best tech newsletters called TLDR a “must open” newsletter. “Not only is the newsletter easy to read, but it is also coupled with an incredible list of news, tools, and cutting-edge tech links. All links come with a TLDR for when you’re just too busy for the long reads,” explains one fan, tech blogger Adelina Tuca.
Subscribe for daily updates on TLDR here
19. The Daily Pitch
The Daily Pitch is a good one to subscribe to if you’re looking to keep up with the latest news and trends from startup land. “Whether it’s movement on investing in female founders, which companies are IPO-ing, or any other insights on the ever-changing world of VC, PE, and M&A … The Daily Pitch from Pitchbook makes it easy to stay constantly informed,” says Hussain.
Best Newsletters To Feed your mind
20. The Browser
There is tremendously good long-form writing out there on the web, but it’s scattered across a dizzying number of sites. How do you find it without wasting your whole day online? The Browser is the answer. The carefully curated list of five links a day to some of the web’s best content may not be the most immediately useful newsletter on this list, but for my money, it’s the most consistently mind-expanding. Daily.
21. Read a Girl
Looking to grow your to-read pile? Want to broaden your mind with diverse perspectives? Then Read a Girl might be for you. This newsletter is designed “for bookworms wanting to increase the number of women authors in their reading pile,” explains Mashable. “Expect a monthly recommendation of a book written by a woman.”
22. ExecSum
The elite combination of financial updates, vibes, and memes.
Best Environmental Newsletters
23. The Climate Crisis (via The New Yorker)
Look, we get it. Going out of your way to read about climate change is practically an exercise in doom-scrolling. It can feel like the problems at hand are so monumental, it’s impossible for you to connect on a personal level. This is precisely what 350.org founder and author of the 1989 eye-opener The End of Nature, Bill McKibben sets out to address in his weekly newsletter for The New Yorker.
Appropriately titled The Climate Crisis, at the time of writing a selection of McKibben’s recent headlines includes “Can Green Energy Power the Cannabis Boom?”, “The Enormous Risk of Atmospheric Hacking”, and “Our Stuff Weighs More than All Living Things on the Planet”. Clearly, this is a newsletter that isn’t afraid to swing for the bleachers in terms of scope. Yet, it hits intimately close to home, relating the health of the world to our most topical fixations.
McKibben is no armchair critic, either. His expertise, voice, and network have lent the international fossil fuel divestment movement (known as the Fossil Free campaign) sufficient momentum to claim over $15 TRILLION in divestment commitments. He is living proof that solutions are not only attainable but entirely in our hands.
Subscribe to The Climate Crisis
24. Citizen’s Climate Lobby
Dovetailing with our previous recommendation, Citizen’s Climate Lobby provides the average Joe with an on-ramp to taking direct political action on climate change. Their newsletter illustrates how lobbying works; how it doesn’t require enormous personal wealth (despite what the donor class would have you believe); and how to adopt the tactics and language that work to sway policymakers.
A driving focus of CCL is the economic impact of climate change, with conservative estimates putting the cost somewhere around 10% of global GDP, starting now and unfolding over the next 50 years. You’ll become something of an expert on the carbon tax, and learn how you can join others in cultivating political will for a stable, healthy environment.
CCL’s weekly briefing newsletter highlights actions being taken around the world and provides informational links to learn more. You can even sign up for free training to become a climate lobbyist yourself. Short of building a Fortune 500 company and dumping billions of dollars into pet projects, joining Citizen’s Climate Lobby is one of the most singularly effective things you can do to make a positive impact on our collective future. Did we mention Bill McKibben has given his stamp of approval to CCL?
HOW AND WHEN
- Free to join, with options for a weekly newsletter and a daily digest
- Various
Subscribe to Citizen’s Climate Lobby
Best Newsletters for Self-Improvement
25. The Penny Hoarder
One of the greatest failings of most school curricula is the lack of education on personal finance. The Penny Hoarder steps in to fulfill this need, and it does so with aplomb. Their daily newsletter is but a facet of their larger platform, but it is well worth your time and inbox space.
The reason they’re successful (and we do mean successful–The Penny Hoarder was acquired by Sykes for north of $100 million shortly before Christmas 2020) is their plain-language approach to breaking down common financial problems that frankly scare the hell out of most of us to look squarely in the eye. The newsletter eschews jargon in favor of real-world examples illustrating what and what not to do with your hard-earned.
Whether it’s simple budgeting tips; managing the complex financial logistics of life events, like buying a home or divorce; or making smarter investments to bolster your portfolio; there’s always a useful nugget of golden wisdom to extract. The Penny Hoarder never promises get-rich-quick fixes, but you wouldn’t want them to. Their newsletter is geared for helping the average person get a leg up on the long-term, more than justifying the brief time you spend reading it each day.
Subscribe to The Penny Hoarder
26. NPR’s Life Kit
What does applying for student loans, falling in love, imposter syndrome, vaccine hesitancy, and chocolate all have in common? They all fall under the eclectic purview of NPR’s Life Kit. Okay technically, Life Kit is more of a podcast, but the newsletter feeds directly into it–and acts as a suitable substitute for anyone who doesn’t have 20 minutes of free ear-time to spare.
Life Kit is geared for personal growth, but it’s more pragmatic and less rah-rah than more mindset-oriented publications. There’s a rotating cast of journalists conducting interviews with experts in a true diversity of fields, so you’ll never lack variety. But true to form for NPR, the sheen of editorial quality on every piece of content that lands in your inbox are undeniable.
Topically and tonally, Life Kit is aimed primarily at millennials and zoomers. However, anyone in search of the tools necessary to craft a more fulfilling, kinder life will find plenty to hang onto.
Best General Interest Newsletters
27. theSkimm
While theSkimm has a definite target audience in mind–millennial women–its universal appeal has seen subscriptions skyrocket to well over 7 million since its 2012 launch. So what are they doing right? Well, an awful lot.
Theirs is an inclusive philosophy, covering the headlines with an eye for justice and using accessible language that makes no assumptions about their readers’ experience. Moreover, attractive visual design and concise text blocking prove theSkimm to be aptly named–lending itself to easy digestion by busy 20- and 30-somethings during brief interludes in the daily hustle.
theSkimm offers a masterclass in conversational journalism, blending wit with fact absent the burden of pretense. The publication’s legion of adherents sings its praises for providing much-needed clarity in a maelstrom of sensationalism and disinformation while maintaining a human touch and sense of humor. It’s a difficult act to balance, but theSkimm sticks the landing all across the impressive diversity of their coverage.
28. Now I Know
A staff favorite, Now I Know fills you in on everything you never knew you needed to know. While the topics are usually rather esoteric, they’re never unconsidered; Dan Lewis makes a salient point to make the random relevant, elevating “mere” trivia to stand alongside breaking news in an effort to make you a more informed, better-rounded individual.
Ever wonder why some coins have ridges, and others don’t? Discover the smelly history of that little hole in the top-left of the Farmer’s Almanac. And marvel at Vladimir Lenin’s corpse, which appears to get younger and younger as the years go by. It’s all par for the course with Now I Know.
Lewis also occasionally shares his own “now I know” moments, sourcing articles and testimonials that have helped him build a working understanding of current events. It’s this kind of stuff that reminds us that we can still consume content from humans, rather than algorithms. And as a further courtesy, each Friday edition of Now I Know recaps the week’s stories, in case you prefer to catch up over the weekend.
29. Below the Fold
While other newsletters largely gravitate to the biggest headlines, Below the Fold takes the path less traveled as a matter of course. They figure you’ll hear about Kim and Kanye without much effort on your own. Instead, Below the Fold meditates on the biology of daytime napping; reveals how French fashion labels are making land grabs in a Tampa Bay neighborhood; and criticizes the terrible financial advice floating around TikTok.
Of course, Below the Fold doesn’t go in for vain eclecticism–its fare often bests the value-adds of louder headlines. What’s more, there’s solid minute-journalism on these pages; well-sourced and replete with recommended reading. Most newsletters seek to replicate the experience of skimming the front page, Below the Fold reminds us there’s a whole newspaper worth reading behind it.
As of late February 2021, Below the Fold is celebrating its 100th edition and an ever-expanding audience. We appreciate their minimalist use of ads, adorable ASCII art, local news spotlights–not to mention their seriously major-league staff talent and credentials bringing it all together.
HOW AND WHEN
- Free to join
- Two emails a week, on Mondays and Fridays
30. Milk Road
All the complexities of Web3 are broken down so everybody can understand by subscribing to Shaan Puri’s newsletters.
Best Newsletters for Cultural Impressions
31. The Elevator
The Elevator is the premier newsletter for men, delivering a satisfying blend of eye candy and food-for-thought straight to your inbox on a daily basis. Just like your favorite aftershave, The Elevator smartens up your morning routine. You’ll enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of news, entertainment, history, relationships and sex, life hacks, and cultural artifacts–all meticulously curated to make you a more interesting and rounded individual than you were the day before.
Sure, there’s a healthy amount of the next-day-take to keep you up to date with current events. But The Elevator’s editorial team has a particular knack for digging up timeless gems. It might be a link to the original commercial advertising the DeLorean, a personal account of eating KFC in Vietnam alongside Anthony Bourdain, or a how-to illustrating the process of buying into Gambino family boss John Gotti’s legendary booze collection. Yeah, it’s badass.
Unlike the dude-mags of yore, The Elevator is never regressive or raunchy. Each issue features an absolutely stunning model,
but they keep it classy–more aesthetic palate cleanser than lusty centerfold. You (probably) won’t get anyone in trouble forwarding The Elevator during lunch break.
32. The GIST
There’s a lot of hubbub surrounding The GIST. Perhaps you’ve heard some of the commotions already: It sounds like yet another glass ceiling being shattered–this one having loomed over the domain of sports coverage for actual centuries. Launched by three college friends from Canada in 2018, The GIST brings long-absent female voices to the fore, offering a refreshing deviation from the traditional male-gaze of sports talk.
But even without the progressive context, The GIST is a damn-fine sports newsletter, crafting compelling narratives with respect to the numbers–just how sports nuts love it. It doesn’t feel like activism; it’s just outstanding athletic journalism with an inclusive bent.
The GIST leaves no stone unturned, covering everything from the gridiron to powdery slopes to fighting cages. Rather than assuming you’re already plugged into the aforementioned centuries of prior coverage and history, The GIST drops the pretense and presents all the context needed for a fun, meaningful read–no matter your background or experience. Sure, all the raw data is still there; but gone is the dry, exclusive format that has deterred generations of people not in “the know” by default.
33. Brain Pickings
Ostensibly, Maria Popova reviews books for a living. However, Brain Pickings swiftly reveals that it is, in fact, the human condition which is actually under review. But it’s not a bully pulpit of dry psycho-social analysis, smarmy cultural musings, or fiery political punditry; instead, Popova curates a holistic, interdisciplinary cornucopia that encourages you to think–and feel–it all out for yourself.
This ethos is reflected in Popova’s preference to remain relatively anonymous, meaning Brain Pickings stands on its own absent any cult of personality. That isn’t to say there’s no personal touch–quite the opposite. Brain Pickings is a window into a curious mind, where empathy and reason intermix to derive meaning and satisfaction from everyday experiences. It’s a mind we all share, though–Popova just shows us how to nurture its potential.
Don’t get us wrong, there isn’t a drop of woo-woo to be found in her critical analyses; nor is it always feel-good in nature. Brain Pickings tackles tough subjects such as death and being, interpersonal as well as abstract relationships, epistemology, burnout, and so much more. Topics may be viewed through the lens of an astrophysicist reading poetry, the imperfect fractal architecture of snowflakes, or experiencing solitude within a crowded city. Many have book reviews attached to them, while others are more open-ended musings. In any case, Brain Pickings speaks unpretentiously to the rational mind and human spirit, stirring you towards a more thoughtful, intentional life.
HOW AND WHEN
- Free to join, donations encouraged but not required
- Two distinct newsletters per week on Sundays and Wednesdays
34. The Lefsetz Letter
Bob Lefsetz isn’t here to curate content for you; he’s here to share his outspoken opinions on, well, basically everything. Ostensibly, the Lefsetz Letter promises pointed critiques of the popular music industry, and it does certainly deliver this in spades.
However, what keeps readers coming back is the blunt, seemingly stream-of-consciousness contextualization, encompassing a litany of societal facets such as film, politics, science, celebrities, business, and much more besides. Rather than redirecting your interest to various tidbits scattered across the Internet, Lefsetz demands your full attention with a prosaic heft perhaps better understood as a blog post than a newsletter.
The Lefsetz Letter is decidedly not light elevator reading. But, it’s guaranteed to give you perspectives you hadn’t considered before on a dizzying array of topics. Lefsetz is rightly called a guru of sorts, having worked in entertainment for the better part of 50 years. Having begun life as a print publication back in 1986, the Lefsetz Letter certainly has its street cred intact. Indeed, its conversational, direct-mail style can rant, but it never raves unhinged–remaining tethered down to earth by the gravitas of a consummate music industry insider.
Subscribe to The Lefsetz Letter
Best Newsletters for Travel
35. Jack’s Flight Club
Okay, we’re not ignorant to the fact that a recommendation for a newsletter netting you incredible deals on flights may not seem exactly timely in the midst of a pandemic. But if you, like so many others, have been grounded for the better part of a year, it’s a fair bet that your wanderlust has been, well, lusting for a getaway. And when life does inevitably return to normal, Jack’s Flight Club has you covered.
Unlike the majority of newsletters which promise to deliver content on a fairly strict schedule, Jack’s Flight Club sends you personalized flight recommendations as they come up–usually once or twice a week. You’ll need to supply some general information about which major airport or city you’re nearest to. But you can look forward to some jaw-dropping prices in exchange for this scant personal data.
How does a getaway from Philly to Iceland round-trip under 300 bucks sound? Or if you’re looking for warmer climates, try shredding some waves down in Costa Rica, departing from New York for around the same cost as a Broadway show. It’s all possible with Jack’s Flight Club. Not every flight you’ll get in your inbox is last-minute pricing, but it will help if you have some room in your schedule for flexible travel dates to get the most out of this newsletter.
Subscribe to Jack’s Flight Club
36. Atlas Obscura
Even if you’re stuck at home, you can still dream big about exploring the most fascinating places on Earth. Think of Atlas Obscura as your virtual tour guide, intriguing you with sights, sounds, and flavors both on and off the beaten path. Depending on what you’re looking for, you might sign up for any of up to five different newsletters: Daily, Weekly, Gastro Obscura, Unusual Trips, and perhaps most relevantly today, Online Experiences.
While you can indeed expect Atlas Obscura to spotlight some choice locales and landmarks, you’re just as likely to dive headfirst into the esoteric. What can that conch you picked up on the beach teach you about the region? Are napkins facing an existential threat by paper towels?
Where can you find a solid repository of West Africa’s food heritage? These are just a few of the questions with answers sitting in your inbox.
If you’ve never read anything by Atlas Obscura, think of it as a more arcane NatGeo that speaks more directly to explorers, tourists, and jet-setters. Consider this gem of a headline: “To Help a Rare Brazilian Parrot, Start with a Crossbow and Rappelling Beekeepers”. Far from clickbait, Atlas Obscura always delivers that rare bit of trivia or glimpse into another world that makes it a worthwhile addition to your daily read.
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