Ian Proud discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.

Ian Proud is an expert in strategic thinking, politico-economic analysis and diplomatic tradecraft. He was a member of His Majesty's Diplomatic Service from 1999 to 2023. During that time, he was one of the Foreign Office's most accomplished crisis experts and was Chair of the Crisis Committee at the British Embassy in Moscow when the Salisbury nerve agent attack happened in March 2018. He posts international relations articles and podcasts from his Substack page, The Peacemonger. His first novel, Searching, is now available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Searching-love-story-Ian-Proud-ebook/dp/B0GFYC25YZ/

1. Curiosity –One reason we see so much racism and intolerance is a lack of curiosity in society.

2. Boat 813 – for me the most vivid symbol of the destructive power of the 2004 tsunami is the 60-ton Royal Thai Navy patrol boat that was dragged 2 kilometres inland. I saw it for the first time just a few days after that tragic event beside the road as I drove towards Takua Pa.

3. Stink beans – the first time you eat stink beans, or sataw as they are known in Thai, the taste is bitter and overpowering. The second time you eat them you might be addicted, like me.

4. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute’s 1950 book explores our human ability to endure terrible suffering and yet survive, potentially find true love and live happily ever after. This is a theme I explore in Searching.

5. King Charles Street – the façade of the Foreign Office, directly adjacent to Downing Street, is grand and intimidating, which doesn’t help the perception that British diplomats are out of touch elitists. And yet the vast majority are not.

6. Sleep – in a crisis, I can work for forty hours without sleep, although I wouldn’t recommend it. A healthy pattern of sleep is the foundation for our physical and mental wellbeing.

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Sahar Hashemi discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.

Sahar Hashemi OBE has enjoyed a successful career as an entrepreneur, bestselling author and business thought leader. Initially forging her success as the Co-Founder and former CEO of Coffee Republic, the UK’s first American-style coffee bar chain, Sahar has since built great authority as a business leader and earned an appointment of OBE for her services to the UK economy and charity. Now the Co-Founder of Buy Women Built and hired as a leading keynote speaker, Sahar is commended for her ability to build more creative, customer-centric and resilient workplaces in which a “can do” spirit is paramount.

1. The invisible economy of women-built brands www.buywomenbuilt.com

2. Cluelessness as a competitive advantage https://aicomo.com/advantages-of-being-clueless/

3. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://julias-books.com/2020/03/12/book-review-mans-search-for-meaning-by-viktor-e-frankl/

4. Why telling people to dream big is so misguided https://www.reddit.com/r/DecidingToBeBetter/comments/3fmaay/why_telling_kids_to_dream_big_is_a_big_con_our/

5. The benefit of ice cold showers every morning https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/conditions/alternative-health/are-cold-showers-good-for-you/

6. Amichien bonding https://janfennellthedoglistener.com/about-jan/

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Eleanor Anstruther discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.

Eleanor Anstruther was educated at Westminster School but dropped out of university to travel the world where she was lost and found for twelve years. When she inherited a farm in southern England she set up a commune and began to write. Her debut, A Perfect Explanation (Salt Books) was a finalist for the Desmond Eliot Prize & Not The Booker. She now lives not quietly at all between London, Surrey and the south of France. Her latest novel, Fallout (Empress Editions) is out now at https://www.eleanoranstruther.com/fallout. Find her on Substack at The Literary Obsessive at https://eleanoranstruther.substack.com/ and at https://www.eleanoranstruther.com/.

1. Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp https://phm.org.uk/blogposts/greenham-common-peace-camp/
2. The Tommy Tiernan Show https://www.judecollins.com/2021/01/tv-reviewthe-tommy-tiernan-show-rte/
3. Cold Baths https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/cold-water-therapy
4. Menopause is the best thing that can happen to you https://www.drcoppaobgyn.com/blog/its-not-all-bad-5-positive-parts-of-menopause
5. Nick Cave's The Red Hand Files https://www.theredhandfiles.com/
6. You can talk to trees https://jane-cobbald.medium.com/how-to-talk-to-trees-839f247df239

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