From Mindful Manuals To Intuitive Eating Guides, Here’s What Form Was Reading in 2020

Some people used all the extra time gifted to them in 2020 to build the home gym of their dreams. Others took up gardening, or baking. A lot of us just sat around bingeing Netflix. At Form, we partook in all of the above at one point or another. But we also used the bonus hours to get stuck into some enlightening literature, eight of which you can find below.

If you’re stuck for something to dig into over the holidays, looking for some motivation for ‘new year, new me’ season, or just at the tail-end of your current page-turner, here’s our recommendations for your next read.

No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram By Sarah Frier

“Pervasive through most of our personal and business lives, Instagram, whether you like it or not, is shaping society. This book takes a well-researched dive into the founding of the social media platform through to its billion-dollar acquisition by Facebook – and the clash of cultures and fall out that ensued.”

Damian Soong, CEO and Co-Founder of Form

Just Eat It (How Intuitive Eating Can Help You Get Your Shit Together Around Food) By Laura Thomas PhD

“Food and our relationship with it should be easy: eat when you’re hungry, stop when you are full. But life is messier than this, especially living in a society that praises the thin as the ideal without any thought of the costs. Thomas calls out this diet culture, how we internalise it, and what we can do to get back to an intuitive relationship with food and movement. Food for thought.”

Marlene Rohde, E-Commerce Manager at Form 

The Science Of Storytelling By Will Storr

“I picked this book up because like every young journalist I have grandiose thoughts about decamping to a woodshed in the wilderness and writing the next great British novel. Till then, I’ll just fantasise about it. And so while this book proved useful in its breakdown of standard plot and character, it’s the exploration of how civilization has moulded storytelling, from the ancient to the modern, that really lifts it from the guidebook for dummies I thought I had bought, into something a whole lot more profound.”

Richard Jones, Editor at Form

How To Be Human: The Manual By Ruby Wax

“If your mind is already full and you think mindfulness is not for you, this fun, scientific and down-to-earth approach to contemplative practices from comedian and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax will revolutionise your thinking (and potentially your life!)”

Natalia Bojanic, Brand Director and Co-Founder of Form

Rebuilding Earth: Designing Ecoconscious Habitats for Humans By Teresa Coady

“Worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns have made many of us realize we aren’t as happy in our homes as we thought. Coady offers an opposing vision then of building communities that are environmentally sustainable, personally meaningful, and most importantly human-centric not commerce-centric.”

Bryan Bumgardner, Head of Growth at Form

In the FLO: Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life By Alisa Vitti

“This book teaches women how to use their 28-day cycle to optimize their life by letting their internal clock and natural rhythms guide their time management, diet, fitness, and more. It’s written in a very approachable and thought-provoking way; you’ll feel like a different person once you’ve finished.”

Issey Rider, Social Media Co-ordinator at Form

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday

“Former director of marketing for American Apparel and media columnist for the New York Observer Ryan Holiday condenses the ancient philosophical concept of stoicism and rewrites it for the 21st century. The main takeaway? Stop trying to control what you can’t control.⁠”

Pete O’Donoghue, Head of Operations and Co-Founder of Form

Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Baseds Gut Health Program by Will Bulsiewicz

“With a 28-day program complete with meal plans and more than 65 recipes to cook along too (as well as some essential advice on food sensitivities), Fiber Fueled offers the blueprint to start turbocharging your gut for lifelong health.”

Vanessa Rohmig, Customer Experience at Form