The New Zealand Herald is bringing back some of the best stories of 2021 from our premium syndicators, including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Times of London and The New Zealand Listener.
Todaywe look at quitting coffee, the truth about vaping, the sensation that is Ted Lasso, the children of 9/11 and KitKat's global appeal.
The dark side of coffee withdrawals
Times writer Will Pavia experienced withdrawal symptoms similar to a drug addict when he stopped drinking coffee. Could he cope without the black stuff?
Will Pavia experienced withdrawal symptoms similar to a drug addict when he stopped drinking coffee. Photo / 123RF
The truth about vaping: How big business took us for suckers
Investigative reporter Lauren Etter has spent years reporting on the disastrous history of the tobacco industry and more recently e-cigarettes.
She recently dove into the story of Juul, the biggest-selling vaping device on the US market, and whose arrival triggered the global popularity of pod-based vape devices.
Her reporting looks at how a product designed to counter the dangers of smoking was marketed at teens and ultimately taken over by Big Tobacco.
Juul's mistake was appealing to a new market of young people who had never touched a cigarette before. Photo / Daniel Ramos, Unsplash
How TV went from David Brent to Ted Lasso
Two decades ago, TV's most distinctive stories were defined by a tone of ironic detachment. Today, they're more often sincere and direct. How did we get here?
If the patron imp of early-aughts comedy was Ricky Gervais's David Brent, the essential face of comedy today might be Ted Lasso. Photo / Michelle Rohn, the New York Times
Children of 9/11: 'I spent my childhood expecting him to walk through the door'
More than 3,000 children lost a parent in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Twenty years on, the sons and daughters of some of the victims talk about loss and remembrance.