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Should your aging parent still live alone?
Plus, Paris on a budget, the rise of reverse recruiting and your brain on little sleep
This is an edition of the WSJ Weekend Reads newsletter, a weekly look at our most colorful, thought-provoking and original feature stories on the business of life.
The kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has many families rethinking their own situation.
The tension between adult children and their aging parents is nothing new. Parents have long wanted to maintain their independence while the kids worry about them becoming increasingly vulnerable to injury and scams. But scarier things like what has happened to Guthrie exacerbate this push and pull, Clare Ansberry writes in her piece this week.
Clare looks at how the case is shining a light on the risks of having an elderly parent living solo and prompting difficult conversations.
Some other topics we delved into include the rise of reverse recruiting, seeing the City of Love on a budget and real-world money lessons in the classroom.
Happy Valentine’s Day! And enjoy the long holiday weekend with these and all the great reads below.
Leading Off
Let’s Talk About It
The case of Nancy Guthrie has families rethinking the safety and independence of elderly parents.
Retirement’s Biggest Surprises
Sometimes postwork life is exactly what you expected and sometimes it isn’t—in ways both good and bad.
See the Story
Paris on $1,000? Oui
A weekend trip on a budget can lead you to unexpected and delightful corners of the French capital.
Health
When We Don’t Sleep Well
New research looks at what happens inside our brain when we are sleep deprived.
Your Money
Real-World Lessons
High schools are coming up with innovative ways to teach teens about money. Cue the 16-year-old tax preparers.
Tech
A Digital Paper Trail
Security cameras and video doorbells are becoming ubiquitous, capturing roaming wildlife, package deliveries and even potential criminal activity. But there are privacy questions when it comes to all that footage.
Family & Relationships
Bonds on the Brink
Columnist Elizabeth Bernstein discusses the rise in family rifts and what loved ones can do to avoid becoming estranged.
Careers
The Era of Reverse Recruiting
How bad is the market for white-collar workers? Bad enough that some job seekers are the ones paying recruiters.
Home
A Hot Feature in High-End Spaces
Wood-burning fireplaces have gone from a home’s heating-source staple to a status feature. There are a few reasons for that.
Arts & Entertainment
The Streaming Effect
America has a rich history of protest songs. But the fragmented way in which we now listen to music makes it harder for such songs to achieve cultural impact.
Beyond the Newsroom
WSJ | Buy Side: Understand how 20-year term life insurance works, the costs and who it can help the most.
About Us
WSJ Weekend Reads is a showcase for the wide range of great feature writing at WSJ. Let us know what you think by emailing editor Cristina Lourosa-Ricardo at cristina.lourosa@wsj.com (if you’re reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply).
