#5SmartReads - April 22, 2022

This week’s #5SmartReads is sponsored by Felix Gray.

America’s inflation problem is weirdly hard to fix (Vox)

This is as concise of a “how do we solve our inflation problem?” answer we’re going to get. But the why and how matter, and this piece does a great job of explaining the inflation situation, and providing multiple perspectives.

Why Fashion Matters, Even If It’s ‘Just’ Jeans and a Tee (So Many Thoughts)

In every single book event I’ve done, I’ve always been asked about the Vice President’s style (and a bigger question on “why does what a woman wears matter so much?)

Véronique Hyland’s new book Dress Code covers just that, and this interview with Elizabeth Holmes had me buying it immediately.

The interview touches on Hyland’s thoughts on fashion in politics, influencers, and trends, and shows how much history repeats itself (if not in trends, but in how society has responded to them largely in the same way).

Why Gretchen Whitmer couldn't wait (MSNBC)

There’s been a lot of coverage about a number of states effectively banning abortion, both in SCOTUS’ expecting ruling on Dobbs and their refusal to block SB 8.

We haven’t heard as much about the states fighting to protect abortion rights - such as what Governor Gretchen Whitmer is doing.

If Roe effectively falls with the expected Dobbs ruling, Michigan’s 1931 statue states anyone who attempts to or performs an abortion is committing a felony. And with the GOP in control of both houses in the state legislature, that statute won’t be amended anytime soon.

So what is Governor Whitmer doing? That’s what my very smart friend Lisa writes about, along with its likelihood of success. It’s am important read, and one I hope you take the time to read in full.

How do your eyes feel?

It’s been a long week of looking at screens - your computer, phone, tablets, TVs, and even some watches.

Mine feel okay - and that’s because I take eye breaks (putting down all screens, closing my eyes, and meditating for a few minutes every couple of hours) and wear my Felix Gray blue-light blocking glasses.

Felix Gray is having their birthday sale right now - get 15% off with code BIRTHDAY15!

The Erasure Experience (ZORA)

Anushay Hossain’s book The Pain Gap is one of the most important I’ve read. The way it shed a much-needed light on medical gaslighting and the stories of the women she shared is incredibly important.

So when both the New York Times and Washington Post published two pieces about “medical gaslighting” - both of whom neglected to include Hossain’s formidable work as part of the background research in this article, along with Harriet A. Washington and Dayna Bowen Matthew, two other published authors who happen to be Black.

There is more than enough space for more reporting and research on this topic, and I believe that the more voices there are to amplify this work, the better. But when a definitive work on the topic goes unmentioned in these articles that read like the Cliff’s Notes of the book, I feel Hossain’s righteous frustration that her work was being erased in real-time.

Cleaner Earth: Healing ozone hole, less smog, more eagles (Associated Press)

With so much of the news being so grim, let’s talk about what we can hope for.

The hole in the ozone layer is healing. Our air and water is cleaner (though we can still do more work on this front). Solar and wind power are significantly cheaper than they used to be.

We even have more bald eagles.

We can be frustrated about the slow arc of progress in our present, but when we take a look to study that arc from a wider viewpoint, it shows that we have made progress and that we can do hard things.

I choose to hope (and to work for this better future).