Editor’s Picks: December 28th 2020

<p>A selection of three articles read aloud from the holiday issue of The Economist. This week: <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/christmas-newsletters-are-a-form-of-slow-social-media?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a history of Christmas newsletters</a>, <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/erasmuss-teachings-are-still-pertinent-today?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the life of Desiderius Erasmus</a> (18:20) and <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/how-one-man-made-art-out-of-nothingness?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-note" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the lure of pebbles</a> (37:45).</p><p><br></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Please subscribe to <em>The Economist</em> for full access to print, digital and audio editions:</p><p><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastoffer?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/podcastoffer</a> </p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>