Recommended by Julian Gough
Steven Johnson is one of the great non-fiction writers. Intelligent, amusing, refreshing, surprising, wise. His books range from Where Good Ideas Come From (self-explanatory), to Enemy of All Mankind (pirates!). A generous, deeply enjoyable, wide-ranging newsletter that covers technological & cultural change (with an emphasis on creativity & innovation). Plus great interviews with people like Steven Pinker & Stewart Brand. He also shares his writing process, including tips & tools. Recommended.
Adam is my favourite kind of scientist; he loves science, but does not love certain aspects of our modern scientific and academic culture, and suspects there is a better, more productive, and more playful, way of doing it. His essays are delightful; witty, heartfelt, and thought-provoking.
Seeds of Science seeks out, and then draws attention to, innovative but overlooked scientific ideas. It's a great early-warning radar system for detecting fruitful new approaches, and potential breakthroughs, in science.
Erik Hoel writes (often with a refreshingly brutal honesty) about art and science. He is perfectly positioned to do so, as he is both novelist and neuroscientist. If, like me, you worry about the increasing chasm between the artistic and scientific worlds, this is for you...
Full disclosure: I like Solana Joy, the writer behind Mama Dentata, so much, I married her. In Mama Dentata, she is taking motherhood, and childhood, seriously – and imagining a society that also took them seriously, that placed them at its core. It's smart, passionate, and funny.