Daily rituals, middle managers, solitude and more in this week’s #TheEdit.

• The quiet magic of middle managers. They are David Brooks’ unsung heroes of our age – NY Times
• The benefits of daily rituals. While some may cringe at forced corporate rituals, research shows that personal and team rituals can actually benefit the way we work – Harvard Business Review
• The drawbacks – and benefits – of solitude. Three books examine the perils and pleasures of being alone – The Economist
• Five pillars of a good life. The great Swiss psychoanalyst left us a surprisingly practical guide to being happier – The Atlantic
• What phones are doing to reading. It’s becoming harder, or at least less common, to read the old-fashioned way. But the new ways of reading are not all bad – New Yorker
• How to make a map of smell. We can split light by a prism, sounds by tones, but surely the world of odour is too complex and personal? Strangely, no – Aeon
• What is the Purpose Gap? The business world may merely be paved with good intentions – The Beautiful Truth