Look away now if you don't want to know what's in our next book box. Everyone else, read on for all the details!
Theme // WELL
What is it to be well?
Is it just something we take for granted until we find ourselves in the kingdom of the sick.
For some of us, it's a state we strive for through tight control of what we eat and drink, how much we move and our so-called self-care routines.
We touch on the multi-billion pound wellness industry in the magazine but we weren't interested in sending a book that claims to know the secrets of being well.
In fact, this theme took us to some fascinating and, in some cases, quite dark places. We've read about -
- Pain and palliative care
- The history and current state of the NHS
- Ableism
- Living with chronic illness
- The science of medicine and vaccination
- Life during and after Covid
So, what books did we choose?
Book One
The Good Virus
by Tom Ireland
We'd expected to choose a memoir about living with illness or disability as the first book pick. There are lots of absolutely brilliant ones and we've included some of the best in our recommended reading in the magazine instead.
Ireland's book, a complete outsider when we stumbled across it, is such a high-energy and thoroughly entertaining romp through decades of history and research that it demanded to go into this quarter's box.
Not a fan of science books? Fear not. This is science writing at its absolute best.
The subject of the book is phages, the clunkily-named bacteria-eating viruses that could be the answer to the antibiotic-resistance that threatens to overwhelm our healthcare systems.
Full of eccentric characters and geo-political history, Ireland has an uncanny ability to explain even the most complex concepts. Get ready to discover the future of how science may keep humanity well.
Funny, informative, balanced but also genuinely exciting.
Book Two
The Phone Fix
by Dr Faye Begeti
If you want to feel better about the impact your phone might be having on your mental and physical health, this book, written by an NHS neurologist, is the answer.
In fact, it's the perfect antidote to the current moral panic over how we use our smart phones.
Ignore the mainstream media headlines and the clickbait scaremongering and find out exactly why you're not addicted to your phone and how to easily manage how much you use it.
Begeti's books is full of evidence-based research but written in a way that makes it easy to understand and, importantly, to apply to your own life.
Mercifully free of moralising and full of great, practical techniques for transforming how you use and think about your phone, we found it made an immediate impact on our own phone usage.
We picked this book because even if you've got a good handle on your phone use, what you'll learn here about how your brain forms and breaks habits is guaranteed to inform other areas of your life for the better.
And if you're one of the many who believe your phone is damaging your mental health, or perhaps you worry for your kids, you need to read this book.
Magazine
Our 32-page subscriber magazine is packed full of the interesting avenues to get you thinking differently about being well, loads of recommended further reading and exclusive interviews with both Tom Ireland and Dr Faye Begeti, our two authors this quarter.
The cover is by award-winning artist, Frances Featherstone, and beautifully evokes the compulsion to take to our beds when we don't feel well.
Gift
One gift this quarter but it's a substantial one - a handmade lavender therapy pillow (RRP £16).
Heat gently in the microwave to treat aches, pains and cramps or cool in the freezer to reduce swelling.
You can also use them at room temperature to lay over your eyes after yoga or other exercise, or just to help you drift off for a restorative nap.
Handmade by Botanique Workshop, an artisan florist based in Exmouth Market in London. Fabrics may vary from the image shown.
Digital Library
Every Drift + Focus box is packed by hand in Brighton in planet-friendly packaging and topped with a personalised welcome note, which includes a QR code to the Digital Library.
This is where we put all other fascinating content that doesn't go into the box, including, this quarter, an exclusive feel-good playlist to raise your spirits and a hour of sounds to help you focus.
Plus podcasts and other thought-provoking content we think you'll enjoy, to round out your reading.
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Know someone who'd love this as a gift?
Drift + Focus boxes make great gifts! Why not give the Spring 2025 box as a one-off gift - arrives mid-March, perfectly timed for Mother's Day.
Fancy a book box for yourself?
Start a brand new subscription with the Spring 2025 box (arrives in mid-March). If you don't love it, we'll give you a full refund. Subscriptions can be paused or cancelled whenever you like. Check out the FAQs if you have any questions or contact us.