The Digital Radish Book Club: October’s top picks
We’re big believers in that creativity, inspiration, and learning can come from anywhere. It doesn’t just have to come from a design book, an advertising podcast, or a marketing video.
So in this month’s book club, we’re bringing you some of our favourite non-design/marketing/advertising books, podcasts, and videos that have inspired us in our work.
AIR is an Amazon Prime film telling the story of a then undiscovered Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionised the world of sports and culture with the Air Jordan brand.
Next up is… a… wrestling podcast? Unbelievable but true. ‘Something to Wrestle’ is a podcast with Bruce Prichard, a long-term (on, off, and back on) employee of WWE (formerly the WWF), who tells the stories behind some of the legendary wrestlers, matches and events that have shaped so many childhoods.
Finishing up this month’s ‘book club’ blog, in a shocking move, is an actual book! The Book Of Five Rings was written by Miyamoto Musashi, a famed swordsman, in around 1645 and is a text about kenjutsu (Japanese swordsmanship) and the martial arts in general.
We’d absolutely love to hear if you love these as much as we do, or if you have any other suggestions for us on this month’s theme.
Check out last month’s top picks from the Digital Radish Book Club here.
What’s it about?
Air is a biographical sports drama film by award winning director Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery. The film is based on true events about the origin of Air Jordan, a basketball shoeline, of which a Nike employee seeks to strike a business deal with rookie player Michael Jordan
How do the writers sum it up?
“This script came along, and the idea that someone stood up and demanded to be paid what they were worth was a groundbreaking moment. If someone becomes the biggest icon in the world and creates value, they deserve to be compensated accordingly. That idea was very much in line with what we were trying to do.” — Ben Affleck
Why we love it
“It’s just an inspiring story, something that perhaps not everyone knows. It showed me that ultimately, bad times don’t last and you just need to keep going.” — Ben Chamberlayne
What we learned
That even the simple act of going for a run can completely change your mindset, and the course of your day. It sounds so simple but taking a break, changing tact and doing something different really can lead to inspiration and an ‘eureka’ moment.
What’s it about?
If you’ve always wanted to know what the real story was behind some of wrestling’s biggest moments, Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard will finally give you the answer. Bruce takes the listener on a journey as he pulls back the curtain and takes the listener inside some of wrestling’s most outrageous, controversial and fascinating moments.
How do the hosts sum it up?
“We decided just to beat up what the newsletters have put out there for years that we as wrestling fans have kind of always just been led to believe was kind of the gospel, and then ask someone who was there, ‘What really happened?’‘. — Co-host, Conrad Thompson.
Why we love it
“Because you don’t have to be a wrestling fan to get something from it. Wrestling is based on storytelling. Shaping, crafting, and then effectively telling a story to engage with an audience — sound familiar?.” — Brian McKay
What we learned
That storytelling is hugely powerful, no matter the medium that it’s told through. Creating a compelling story means you need to understand where you want to end up, where do you want the audience to go? Then, it’s about knitting the beats together to form a strong story.
What’s it about?
Miyamoto Musashi is widely regarded as one of the greatest samurai sword fighters ever. He had more than 60 sword duels, the highest number ever recorded, and was said to have killed 17 people in his battles — with his first battle taking place when he was just 13. The book is Musashi’s philosophy to swordsmanship, with the overriding principle of always being fully prepared for the battle ahead.
How is it summed up?
“There was a time when I was reading this book before all my major competitions. It focused my mind on the concept behind skill development and application. If you have the ability to understand concepts and apply them to your interests, this book is for you.” — BJJ Canvas
Why we love it
“Although it’s a martial arts text, the underlying principles and lessons can be applied to many aspects of life, especially so in your chosen career.” — Ray Philp
What we learned
That by identifying a weakness, you can work on it to make it a strength. And that strength can filter out into other areas, helping other aspects of your life to grow and become better.
Share your favourites with us
Do you have any podcasts, videos, blogs or even documentaries that you’d recommend to the Radishes? We’d love to hear from you – email us at hello@digitalradish.co.uk.