Category Archives: Advice

From Trees to Networks–A Paradigm Shift in How We Think?

Posted on November 18, 2015 by mbrowning

Manuel Lima, in this TED talk, offers a tantalizing suggestion. If he’s correct, then one of the most basic metaphors on which our thought depends, knowledge and existence as a branched tree, is being replaced by a metaphor of knowledge … Continue reading →

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Great Writers Might Be Born, But That’s Not the Whole Story

Posted on September 15, 2014 by mbrowning

I’m a runner–a relatively untalented runner. Yes, I’m 51 years old, so no one expects me to be super fast, but my best time for a mile to date is a rather unimpressive 7:26. I’m pretty sure I’ll never run … Continue reading →

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The Problems with Statistics

Posted on August 27, 2014 by mbrowning

An article by Reuben Fischer-Baum points out that nobody can know, by looking at crime statistics in the U.S., exactly how many people are killed by the police each year. As surprising as that might seem, we especially do not … Continue reading →

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The Jimmy Fallon Approach to Ethos

Posted on August 22, 2014 by mbrowning

Do you want to have credibility with your readers? That’s a major part of the tool traditionally called ethos. Jimmy Fallon, it turns out, is a sort of Ethos Savant, as this article in Forbes explains. One technique that Fallon … Continue reading →

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Lewis Carroll’s Writing Advice

Posted on January 28, 2014 by mbrowning

Nearly 125 years ago (in 1890) Lewis Carroll provided eight rules for letter writers. While most of us do not write as many letters in a year as Carroll would have written in a week and while many of us … Continue reading →

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