Welcome to Lines To Take
What is the value of a daily newsletter when you can just head to the BBC, skim your newspaper of choice or ask ChatGPT?
If you only have time for one subscription in your life, please, make that a paper. For one thing, this newsletter would not exist without them. But many readers have generously told me they find real value in what Lines To Take offers: the voice, the humour, the rigour — and the range, from the history of the balance of payments to what it’s like to go horribly, horribly viral.
This newsletter brings you insight into and analysis of one big story of the day, every day. By which I mean weekday. And by big story, that might mean anything from breaking news on the Budget unravelling to the rise and fall of Anchorage Airport.
Ultimately, the goal is simple: to help you understand what is going on. Whatever the subject, my ambition is no less than to add value to your day in an easily digestible and rigorously researched package.
If you choose a paid tier, you’ll also get audio versions, the ability to comment, connect directly with me and help shape the future of the newsletter.
Thanks for stopping by.
Jack
P.S. Curious what Lines To Take is like? Here are a few highlights to get you started:
What it's like to go horribly, horribly viral
Tony Hsieh, the former chief executive of Zappos and fabled internet entrepreneur, was known for his killer job interview questions. One in particular struck a chord with me. Hsieh would ask candidates to name the biggest misperception that others had about them.
Whatever happened to the balance of payments?
Uncollected rubbish piling up in the streets, NHS workers blockading hospital entrances and, most famously of all, the bereaved being forced to grab their own shovels as the gravediggers walked out. The Winter of Discontent of late 1978 to early 1979 shone a blinding light on excessive trade union power in Brita…
The EU is a US success story
“The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That’s the purpose of it. They have done a good job of it, but now I am president.”
A walk on the coast
First things first, you’ll have to get yourself down to Brighton. In summer, feel free to take your sweet time. Sip a coffee on the balcony, browse the FT Weekend. If we’re talking daylight savings, good for you! Still, you’ve got to be quick. It may only be an hour on the train from London Bridge, but the sun is alre…
American Paradox
Perhaps it is because I spent last night compiling old bank statements for my US tax return, or because I awoke to images of the president making threats against his political opponents in front of serving military officers. Either way, I’ve been thinking a lot about America recently. My guess is that you have been too.
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