Historian and translator Raymond Ibrahim publishes polemical essays on medieval and early-modern clashes between Islam and Christendom, such as the Ottoman wars with Skanderbeg and the Almoravid victory at Sagrajas. Each issue pairs selected translated primary-source quotes with a strongly argued thesis, and it pushes a paid subscription for longer archive pieces.
Website: https://raymondibrahim.substack.com
Long-form essays on the history of innovation and the causes of the British Industrial Revolution, drawing on archival research. Recent issues cover the salt trade, Scotland's outsized role in invention, and Tudor labour laws and trade.
Venkatesh Rao writes personal, theory-driven essays that build loose models of technology, history and culture, including his world machines theory and his experience of working with AI coding agents. Issues also cover his book club readings, protocol fiction and commentary on debates about humanism and AI.
Unpopular Front is an independent newsletter of left-leaning essays on politics, history, and culture, including psychoanalytic and Marxist readings of media and commentary on current US political events. It also offers paid subscribers a regular roundup of reading, watching, and event recommendations.
A weekly newsletter that explains one mental model per issue through a detailed historical story, then ties it to creative work. Issues cover topics such as hostile attribution bias, design thinking and the Gestalt law of closure.
One short email a week with hand-picked newsletters from the index. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
