Working for Harvey Weinstein was a 'brutal experience'

In 1998, former New Yorker editor Tina Brown went into business with Harvey Weinstein. That was a colossal mistake.

  • Tina Brown was never sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein, however in 1998, she began a business partnership with Weinstein founding a new magazine following her success rebooting The New Yorker.
  • She describes the experience as a "colossal mistake" and Weinstein as a brutal bully who abused and humiliated his staff and left Brown shell-shocked. The venture was dropped, and Brown's regret is that she didn't pull the plug as soon as she learned what Weinstein was like behind closed doors.
  • Before you get into business with anyone, get to know who they are, advises Brown. Make phone calls to people who have worked with them in the past, and draw a line in the sand so you do not become roped into a bully's world.
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Five essential writing tips backed by science

Will Storr has written a masterful guide to writing with "The Science of Storytelling."

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  • In "The Science of Storytelling," journalist Will Storr investigates the science behind great storytelling.
  • While good plots are important, Storr writes that great stories revolve around complex characters.
  • As in life, readers are drawn to flawed characters, yet many writers become too attached to their protagonists.
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20 incredible facts that people recently tweeted

This Twitter thread may provide all the education a person needs.

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  • A simple question on Twitter resulted in an avalanche of mind-blowing answers.
  • What else are we supposed to do with all of these stray bits of information?
  • Sciency, helpful, and ridiculous — we've got 'em all.
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Psychology toolbox: How to use skepticism

  • Psychological illusionist Derren Brown presents magic as an analogy for how we process the world around us. In the same way we believe in a trick by forming a narrative around it, we can tell ourselves stories in life.
  • It's important to maintain a sense of skepticism. But it's equally as important to recognize the edges of usefulness in being skeptical.
  • For example, an atheist can be skeptical of religion while still admitting that the narratives around religion might be valuable and psychologically useful.
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People aren't reading less. In fact, literature has never been so interactive.

A new study at the University of Basel shows how interactive literature has become.

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  • Researchers at the University of Basel tracked the habits of millions of readers using the platform Wattpad.
  • Over 100,000 stories written in over 50 languages are shared every day by predominantly young readers.
  • "Social reading"—everything related to the experience of reading ebooks, including bookmarking, sharing, and commenting—has emerged from interacting with digital texts.
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