[reads]

About the themes

Our missions at [reads] is to inspire the forever learner. We created these themes as starter packs to explore new topics. We've carefully selected each theme in hopes that it will inspire you to read outside your work speciality, your hobbies and interests in order to learn about something new and unfamiliar. Our [reads] boxes are the perfect gift for someone who says "I wish I read more but I don't know where to start." Each box includes a curation card, the inspiration behind the theme, a further reading list on the topic and ways to interact with each of the books. 

There is always more to learn.

About the Collection:

We take a look at going through heartbreak at any age, understanding the complexities of really loving someone and our versions of love as we grow older with experience. Love as a language. This collection is made up 3 books– one book of audio recordings transcribed as a running diary from the 1980s at the height of the HIV crisis. The second book is a classic narrative prose from the 1970s New York City art world. The final book is a collection of poems on nature and finding love.

Inspired by:

This collection is inspired by the film Beginners, Nora Ephron's love for her apartment, new crushes aka Timothee Chalamet, Essays on A General Theory of Love and Carrie Mae Weems Kitchen Table photo series. Love remarkable take on many forms and we have such varied perspectives that are a culmination of our experiences.

The Earth will not heal itself.

About the Collection: 

This collection is broadly focused on doing our part— it takes a deeper look into the politics of climate change, measuring our footprint and what practical solutions we can take. We wanted to think about sustainability, our environments and introduce our readers to some interesting perspectives on what “caring for the planet” actually looks like. The first book takes a look at the American desert from an Asian perspective. Our second book is changing the way people interact with and think about non profits, trust us— it's unconventional. Our final pick looks at climate change and learning new ways to inhabit the earth.

Inspired by:

This collection is inspired by Cal-Earth Institute, charity:water, The Great Barrier Reef, 180 degrees South, beekeeping, the way politics now influences climate change, and measuring our footprint.  

Surveillance is the business model of the internet.

About the Collection:

Google knows what you're looking for. Facebook knows what you like. Targeted ad's are reflective of conversations you've had in the privacy of your home. Sharing is the norm, and secrecy is out. But what is the psychological and cultural fallout from the end of privacy?

Our first book consciously plays with the idea of history vs the way it is told by deliberately handing marginalized communities control over their own images by making them their own. Our second book takes a deep dive into what privacy really means with the rapid advancement of technology in the 21st century. The final book in this collection is a startling look at the scary realities of what really is private.

Inspired by:

Ai Bots, Surveillance, Facebook, WikiLeaks, the Kardashians, pseudonymity, privatization, Netflix’s You series, Millennial burnout lol, The Circle by Dave Eggers, The Answers by Catherine Lacey.

"The first and last thing I do every day, is see what strangers are saying about me."— The Circle by Dave Eggers

It's human nature to search for belonging.

About the collection:

The human experience is a multicultural one. In this collection we look at the complexities of indigenous cultures, what it means to find a tribe and what makes up those communities of individuals. 

We're all looking for our tribe, for people who share commonalities or possess the traits we aspire to adapt. Our tribe is important because it reflects our values while simultaneously satisfying our need for companionship.

People are not cardboard cutouts— we are in fact very complex. We wanted to intimately explore these experiences, and how they’ve turned vulnerability into power. 

Inspired by:

Every person who has ever lived in a refugee camp, partisanship voting, Donald Trump’s border wall. The film “The Insult”. Cristina Martinez from South Philadelphia Barbacoa, Immigrant communities and the podcast The Work We Do.