Recommended Reading: The wrong way to ask in email, untrustworthy writers, and Vikings for bike helmets

This week I’m continuing this mini-series of Recommended Reading, also known as “newsletter lite,” in recognition of the busy times that are the late summer?(or winter for your southern hemisphere folks!). If these are busy times for you, too, which three articles most warrant a read this week? While this is a particularly rich collection of stories, here are three not to miss:

??The wrong way to email someone for career advice — and the right way to do it?(This applies far beyond career advice, by the way. As I noted when I first shared it, email is ALWAYS a place to lead with your ask—even better if it’s your?Throughline.)

??Why You Can’t Trust Successful Writers and Their Advice?(Not just because I enjoy the apparent, though not actual, irony of listing this one right after the previous Swipefile, but more because it’s a great explanation of why comparison—especially with successful people—can often be misleading.)

And because it can’t all be serious:

??Danish Viking Refuses to Wear Helmet in Hilarious Bike Safety Ad?(This IS, in fact, pretty funny, though I think there’s one thing — a?Truth statement?— that would have made it even stronger from a messaging standpoint. Do you agree??Email me?and let me know!)