the outlier
Ben Mercersuddenly a working storyteller, pro rugby player in a past life, author of 4 books, thinking aloud on substack
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Twice weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 159 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 6 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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benmercer.substack.comLatest Issues
the outlier №289
I’m Ben Mercer and welcome to The Outlier. This letter covers a lot of ground — taking in my move from pro rugby player to author and online man of letters — with reflections on books, interesting individuals, cross-cultural connections and...
the outlier №288
I’m Ben Mercer and welcome to The Outlier. This letter covers a lot of ground — taking in my move from pro rugby player to author and online man of letters — with reflections on books, interesting individuals, cross-cultural connections and...
ben's summer stuff 2026
Last year I recommended A Month in the Country and various other warm weather treats. All remain excellent and I refuse to retract them.
Rather than repeat myself, below are the new additions to the bag but the old one still works just fin...
the outlier №287
I’m Ben Mercer and welcome to The Outlier. This letter covers a lot of ground — taking in my move from pro rugby player to author and online man of letters — with reflections on books, interesting individuals, cross-cultural connections and...
Using Constraint, Revisited
📎 Compare: original 2020 post (published 3 July 2020).
Almost six years ago, in the long flat middle of lockdown, I wrote a post called Using Constraint.
The argument was simple. The artists and athletes we love most are usually...
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