Photo by Flickr/gorriti

This morning I've listened to an audio goodie that was a personal, honest and insightful account of acting on that dream which many of us have; opening a cute neighbourhood coffee shop.  

The audio piece is based on the reading of a story, entitled 'Bitter Brew' by Michael Idov, who ran a short lived cafe in Manhattan.  Yes, indeed, this story may dampen your romantic notions of swapping your tedious nine to five for brewing aromatic cups of delight, but perhaps it balances out those notions with the realities of this pipe dream.  

Having listened to many audio readings this particular one, from online magazine Slate, is read beautifully almost as though it's not a reading at all but a story being told off the cuff. Also, the audio quality is excellent and the format is appropriately simple.

Go on have a listen... this will not elevate your Monday morning blues, but rather entertain you with a well told personal yet slightly melancholic story.

Link to Podcast:

Slate Magazine: Bitter Brew

Related Links:

Slate Magazine

Michael Idov

Ground Up by Michael Idov

Coffee Shops on Flickr

Photo by Flickr/INeedCoffee_CoffeeHero

Okay so you're wondering if after listening to today's audio offering you will be hanging around street corners of shady parts of your city suspiciously trying to source a hit for fuelling your next creative endeavours!  Well, it's not quite like that but this talk by Brian Eno and Steven Johnson from a recent event at the ICA, London, is all about the different factors, conditions and qualities that evolve creative behaviour and innovation.

Brian and Steven give in depth observations based on case studies and general overviews of how and why innovation happens whilst going way beyond the usual innovation fluff that makes me for one hate the word.  It's a lengthy talk, at over an hour, and not exactly easy listening but more of a pumped up with caffeine whilst walking to work kind of listen.

Link to Podcast:

ICA: Brian Eno and Steven Johnson

Related Links:

Steven Johnson

Brian Eno

ICA

Innovation

Wikipedia on English Coffeehouses in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries