The Monday Media Diet with Murali

On Farnam Street, Kai Bird, and New Orleans

Murali is a UAE-based brand strategist and longtime WITI supporter. We’re happy to have him on the page with us this week. -Colin (CJN)

Tell us about yourself.

I’m the muppet animal in human form. A composer who pocket dialed themselves into a career in brand strategy. An American expat in Abu Dhabi. Technically, a brand and innovation strategist.

Describe your media diet. 

Living on the other side of the world from that which I’m familiar makes my media diet a bit off-kilter. I wake up to the US sports scores from the previous night. My morning newsletters arrive at 3p every day. So I’ve had to adjust how and when I consume media. That being said, I have a fairly steady diet divided between what I call near and far views, largely built around newsletters and links.

On a daily basis, I read Politico Playbook, WSJ Market Updates, NYT, and Al-Jazeera to get the news. I’ll also scroll IG for longer than I should.

And then on a weekly/monthly basis, I read Farnam Street, GZero by Eurasia Group, Aeon Magazine, and all the links that I’ve saved up. 

Too many tabs stress me out so I’m an avowed Pocket user. But I also have 148 saved articles, so that’s not working as well as I would’ve hoped.

I’ve tried to get into podcasts, I swear. And I listened to a few that really hooked me. But I just haven’t found a way to fit it into my life. 

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What’s the last great book you read?

Cairo Circles by Doma Mahmoud

A friend recommended it to me and I didn’t think much as it was a first novel from a friend of hers. But man, crumbling the noodles on top gives it an extra snap. I was blown away. I couldn’t put it down. I first learned about dramatic irony in Oedipus Rex. Reading this, I had a desire to shout out-loud, “No, no, wait!”

What are you reading now?

Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra 

I found it on GoodReads, so I gave it a shot. It’s good thus far, though I am far from hooked. I’m going to proceed a bit further But I am also embracing the reality that if I read 12 books a year, I’ll probably only read 300 more books in my lifetime. So no use slogging on books that you don’t love.

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

I don’t know the last time I picked up a print pub. But I’d assume it follows the same strategy that I follow with my online pubs. I go directly to the recurring columns/sections that I know and love. And once I’m done with that, I go to the index and see if there’s anything else I want to read.

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

Kai Bird. He came to fame with his book “American Prometheus,” which was turned into the movie “Oppenheimer.” But all his other books are amazing, especially “The Good Spy.” 

What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? 

Non-famous is tricky, because I assume all the random apps on my phone are well-known. But I think I’d have to say Notes. It’s a Swiss-Army Knife that I use for pretty much everything from remembering what shows to watch to planning my trip packing list to anxiously drafting an email to my CEO before I send. What can’t it do?

Plane or train?

Plane - There are just too many amazing places in the world that require you to cross a body of water to get to. And who doesn’t love the joy of standing in close proximity to a bunch of strangers who forget how planes work every time they board a flight?

What is one place everyone should visit? 

New Orleans. It’s one of those places that most Americans say, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to go there.” Tennessee Williams once said “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” I agree.

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into.

Years back, I was living in New York and acquired a foxglove plant. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t poisonous to my dogs, so I started reading about it. Turns out it’s highly poisonous! (I got rid of it) But then I started reading about it and how it’s been used historically. And then I got onto other poisonous plants and their use. And now I’m writing a book on how people have used poisonous plants throughout history. (M)

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Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN)

Why is this interesting? is a daily email from Noah Brier & Colin Nagy (and friends!) with editing help from Louis Cheslaw about interesting things. If you’ve enjoyed this edition, please consider forwarding it to a friend. If you’re reading it for the first time, consider subscribing.