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London-based property management company Lowe Guardians has a unique business proposition for landlords of abandoned buildings: rent them out. The company has pioneered the brilliant strategy of offering young people a chance to become “guardians” of an abandoned building, living in fabricated housing often in prime locations for an unusually affordable price. If there was ever … Read more
We expect libraries to maintain an archive of humanity’s best thinking, but what if a library decided to put so-called “pulp fiction” on the shelves? The term refers to a category of cheaply printed books from the early 1900s about lust, sex, theft, betrayal and degradation that were so lowly regarded that most were “pulped” (destroyed) … Read more
As multiple hurricanes swirl around the Atlantic, this article about how to talk with climate change deniers is particularly relevant. Aside from the timeliness, it struck me that this is exactly the type of step by step guide that probably would be useful for a wide variety of other topics too. The point is, how … Read more
I once heard a CEO describe the mentality of many new marketing executives as similar to a dog peeing on a fire hydrant: they are both too focused on engaging in mostly futile attempts to establish ownership. The analogy is slightly off putting, but not all that inaccurate. In that context, this unearthed print ad … Read more
When you ask Millennials to describe the doorbell, a surprising number use phrases like “panic-inducing,” “hateful” and “terrifying.” Sound overblown? It turns out many millennials see the doorbell as an unwanted intrusion much like a phone call during dinner from an 800 number. Friends or family don’t show up unannounced and ring the doorbell. They … Read more
Nothing says forever like getting vacuum sealed in plastic to be photographed with your newly beloved. Tokyo-based photographer Haruhiko Kawaguchi describes his quirky portrait idea as “a way for people to express how close and in love they are. ” At the end of the day, everyone wants to have that unforgettable wedding photo so there … Read more
To combat early sexism, the co-Founders of ecommerce art site Witchsy invented a fake co-founder aptly named Keith Mann and started communicating with developers and partners through his virtual personality. To their surprise, the ruse was sadly successful. Keith would often be treated with far more respect by men and women in the tech industry alike. … Read more
On August 24th the Canadian government approved a provisional measure to allow individuals who identify as neither male nor female to select a gender neutral “intersex” option on official documents. While the US government continues to head in the opposite direction by reducing gender inclusiveness, in Canada this measure will already take effect as of August … Read more
While it may seem nostalgic, a growing number of schools are going back to teaching cursive to children thanks to growing evidence that writing by hand improves unaided memory, retention and may even help improve IQ. As one researcher noted, “we found that children until about grade six were writing more words, writing faster, and … Read more
As apartments get smaller and urban areas get more crowded, real estate companies and residents themselves will look for more creative ways to use limited space. A new robotic “microapartment” hitting the market now may offer an interesting solution focused on creating a living space smart enough to adapt at the touch of a button … Read more
Non-Obvious Thinking is my upcoming book about the 4 secrets of becoming a non-obvious thinker - coming 09/24!
Rohit Bhargava is a trend curator, founder of the Non-Obvious Company and the 3-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of ten books.
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Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.
