One of the many perks of The Lavin Agency’s move to a bigger, brighter office is the spectacular view. From our twelfth floor perch atop the Art Deco era Balfour Building, we get an incredible viewing angle of the many layers of Toronto—from our lush green canopy to historic factories in the Fashion District to skyscrapers of Bay St., the sight is certainly breathtaking.

Here’s neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer, giving a keynote (and signing autographs) to a convention center full of library professionals. He spoke on how each of us can become more creative, which is the subject of his new book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, due in March.

In December’s Toronto Life, #1 international bestselling author  Neil Pasricha talks about positive thinking during the holidays. His third book, The Book of (Holiday) Awesome, is out this month. Here’s a quote from Neil, on the importance of the workplace:

If I wasn’t going to an office every day, I’d be massively unproductive. I would quickly devolve into a caveman who didn’t shave, ate Chicken McNuggets, and wore track pants. I need a reason to get up in the morning and put on a shirt.

Dr. Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs and Steel and an upcoming book on tribal societies, stopped by Lavin’s Toronto offices today. Last night, he delivered a speech at the Royal Ontario Museum to a capacity crowd of well over a thousand people. Sporting a stylish red blazer, the Pulitzer Prize-winner and “celebrity” scientist talked to us about what we can learn from tribal societies and discussed the role of geography in determining human rights. Though he’s a serious academic, Dr. Diamond was delightful and hilarious in person. At one point, he stopped an anecdote on tribal education to riff on lackadaisical teenagers and California stereotypes. He’s articulate, he’s funny, he’s personable, and he can call upon thousands of years of history at a second’s notice. If only all scientists were this engaging! 

(Above, Dr. Jared Diamond with David Lavin, president of The Lavin Agency)

Nathan Wolfe’s mission is to stop the next deadly pandemic before it has a chance to jump from animals to humans. TIME Magazine’s story on the celebrated Virus Hunter is a compelling read.

Nathan Wolfe quoted in TIME on the threat of the next pandemic:

“We sit here dodging bullets left and right, assuming we have an invisible shield, but you can’t dodge bullets forever.”

A seminal American artist, Patti Smith has produced a body of work spanning, and inspiring, generations. The New York Times T Fashion Magazine focuses on her photography in this cover story.