Scam Reading

Sylvia Bishop -

The Greatest Scam Ever Written

Rachel Browne | Walrus | 26th July 2023

Profile of probably the most successful living copywriter — a convicted fraudster. In two decades, Patrice Runner made $175 million through a mass-mailing venture that was supposedly selling psychic services. During that time, nearly 1.5 million people across Canada and the US responded to his letters and sent money, hooked by the promise of greater knowledge about their future (5,260 words)

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Reading Well

Simon Sarris | The Map Is Mostly Water | 17th July 2023

Sage advice on how to become "well read". Read slowly. Aim to be influenced by what you read. Start lots of books and only finish a few. Buy books on a whim. Re-read the ones you adore. Prioritise fiction over non-fiction. "Reading fiction helps you become an unsystematic thinker. It is easy to maintain an intellectual rigidity. It takes more care to maintain a loose poeticism of thought" (1,300 words)