We are excited to roll out two new books from 6 Degrees Writer and The Growing Group. They are The Pursuit of Happiness and Caregiver’s Guide to Happier. Both are digital ebooks and include a subscription to the Growing Group’s weekly motivational newsletter. A good way to start the holiday season!
On Film… Some Films of Note
Holiday classics get all the attention, but there are a few gems that deserve a place on your watchlist:
- The Nativity Story
A warm and faithful retelling of the original Christmas story. A simple, heartfelt look at the journey to Bethlehem.
- Jesus of Nazareth
Franco Zeffirelli’s mini-series with Olivia Hussey and Anne Bancroft. If you want something rooted in the religious meaning of the season, this is it.
- Everyone Says I Love You
One of Woody Allen’s later films. A light musical of sorts with Goldie Hawn, Alan Alda, and a big ensemble cast singing some old standards. Sweet, quirky, and holiday-friendly.
- Exodus
An epic about the founding of modern Israel, featuring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, sweeping landscapes, and an unforgettable score. Worth seeing at least once.
- The Freshman
A silent comedy with Harold Lloyd that still lands with modern audiences. If someone in your life swears they cannot enjoy silent films, start here.
In theaters now, Hamnet imagines the events that shaped Shakespeare’s writing of Hamlet. Shakespeare’s son Hamnet really did die at the age of eleven, and the film builds from that truth to explore how Shakespeare and his wife may have carried their grief.
Some Science Notes
I confess I am obsessed. It is the mystery that even the smartest people in the room cannot pin down. Which is why the latest hints of a breakthrough are so exciting. Scientists still believe the universe is an 80/20 split, but now we may be closer to understanding what that 80 percent really is.
Plastics
Microplastics are turning up everywhere, from our water to our bodies. More research means more ways to reduce our exposure and rethink the plastics we use, including those black plastic utensils many of us still have in our kitchens.
The COP30 Conference
Results are in, and yes, it fell short. Still, there is a path forward. Leaders laid out a few clear signals for how nations can speed up progress toward carbon neutrality. Small breadcrumbs, but real ones.
Into the Future
As we have pointed out in past months, the future is already here! For the past few months I have been using Artificial Intelligence to help with writing and editing. Writers were warned about it, and the warnings were not wrong. But used well, it is simply a tool like any other. It can help, guide, and support your work. Creativity still has to come from you.
Fun things ahead
Flying taxis and autonomous cars were supposed to be everywhere by this point in the 21st Century. Reality did not match the hype, but things are moving. New prototypes and new robotics breakthroughs are popping up each month. Our magazine 6 Degrees Into the Future is packed with stories about them.
We put together a set of end-of-year reads across every genre: science, fiction, mystery, history, fantasy, and nonfiction. Something for everyone as 2025 wraps up.
A few changes are on the way, along with a new book coming soon: The Pursuit of Happiness. We have been looking deeper at the idea of happiness and the recent rankings naming Finland the happiest place to live. Here is why Finland keeps scoring at the top:
- Strong social support
- High trust and equality
- Freedom in life choices
- Solid economic and social indicators
- Healthy work-life balance
- A cultural mindset of grit and resilience known as sisu
Meanwhile, the United States has taken a noticeable drop in the rankings. This may be a good time for all of us to look at the indicators that matter most and see where we can make some changes!
History Notes
The year is ending, and we are also inching closer to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country. I hope you had a chance to watch Ken Burns’ The American Revolution on PBS. I am still working through it myself.
On the Revolution
Democracy, like comedy, is harder than it looks. It is comforting to remember that a country this large and varied will always wrestle with how to form a more perfect union. What matters is returning to the idea that we are all in the pursuit of happiness, together.
That’s all for now. We are already working on the next edition of The Blurb Blog with links to the best writing and most thought-provoking pieces from 2025.
Wishing everyone the happiest of Holiday Seasons!