Forbes - Be thankful 🙏

Every Saturday I send you a tight edit of Forbes’ future trends across tech, entrepreneurship, sustainability and more. Enjoy.


	Being thankful

No matter where in the world you are, Thanksgiving offers us a moment to stop, pause and reflect, before the final working weeks of the year sweep us off our feet.

This year, I'm thankful for three things: friends, family and good health.

I tested postive for Covid-19 in August and thanks to the vaccines, my symptoms were mild. But my longer term recovery turned out to be much more difficult, transforming me from someone who exercised 5 times a week into someone who sometimes struggled to stand up.

Health is something you never fully appreciate until it is taken from you. But almost three months later, I am finally starting to feel myself again. I am so deeply grateful for all the people who helped put me back together. And to my friend and colleague Iain Martin who kindly stepped into to keep this newsletter running in my absence.

There may be further uncertaintity around the corner with Covid. But we must focus on the things we can control, and with that, I have one ask of you: cherish the good you already have.

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Alex Wood

Managing Director, Europe, Forbes


	5 things we learned

A new Covid variant has surfaced. The new variant, first identified in Botswana, spread across South Africa and has been detected in Israel and Belgium. The news triggered falls in the financial markets.

Two Ukrainians became billionaires by fixing you’re sloppy writing. A cool $200m investment round minted billionaires out of the two founders of Grammarly, an automated writing assistant used by millions

You can work a 4-day week without cutting wages. Staff at startup Atom Bank will have their hours slashed from 37 to 34, working 4 slightly longer days. Its chief executive says the five-day week was an outdated relic from the 19th century.

On-street electric car charging needs a rethink. The U.K.’s newly unveiled “iconic” design for public electric car charging points has upset blind and disabled rights groups. The problem? Clutter on walkways.

Zurich is Europe’s best airport for the 18th year running. Swiss efficiency, market-leading green credentials and train connections to the city center taking just 11 minutes were praised.


	The good

‘Black Friday’ isn’t as popular as it once was. That’s according to search interest data from Google, which analysts blame on supply chain struggles and rising inflation. Or are consumers finally waking up to bad deals?


	The bad

The pandemic hit Trump’s real estate empire hard. Forbes’ latest analysis reveals almost a quarter of retail tenants have left or shut down operations after a devastating year for commercial property.


	Got an event coming up?

Know a great event our community should hear about? Let us know and we'll include it next week.


	Do this

Art Basel Miami Beach is back. Read our expert guide to Art Basel and Miami Art Week, including “luxury adjacent” experiences that are guaranteed to look fabulous on Instagram. Nov 30 - Dec 5, Miami, tickets from $60.


	Watch

Netflix’s first original series from Portugal. Glória tells the story of a small village that becomes engulfed in a web of political intrigue when a young engineer is recruited as a KGB spy. A slow-burner for those winter nights. Netflix, available worldwide with subscription.


	Listen

Have meaningful conversations at family gatherings. Just in time for the festive season, brush up on your listening skills and learn how to better connect with your extended family. Life Kit, NPR, free to listen worldwide.


	Read

How to build a modern home. Learn design and lifestyle tips from some of Britain's best designed homes in this stylish coffee table book. 5 Design Principles from The Modern House, Penguin, from $30.