tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66749087910698315572024-03-19T03:54:03.096+01:00Critical Masses - discussing books and lifeTBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-51404920351785332482013-02-14T14:30:00.000+01:002018-12-21T18:35:49.600+01:00The Harbor by E. Poole and A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently read of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undercover_Boss" target="_blank">television program</a> in which senior managers go and work undercover in entry-level positions within their same company. They deep fry the chicken, sweep the floors or work on the production line. It is often the case they become overwhelmed by the touching stories of their new colleagues and when returning to their Vitra Executive Throne, are quick to dole out bonuses for these people or scholarships for their children.<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2BvaQXq" target="_blank"><u>The Harbor</u></a> written in 1915 told a fictional account about the New York Harbor. It captures a period when two distinct ideologies were projecting their visions upon this heart of commerce. Capital versus Labor. The capitalistic world was made up of the great industrialists who saw the harbor and what it meant in an economic sense for the city, its businesses and people. In no way were their visions of the harbor's transformation malicious ones. They were simply abstract, taking the Harbor itself to be the living, pulsating organism instead of the people who were actually giving it this life. The men working the docks or shoveling coal in the ships were not considered as not to complicate this constructed view.<br />
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143106449/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143106449&linkCode=as2&tag=criticalmasse-20&linkId=5010c82888e26bae2cfe9b5e0cea56b8"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0143106449&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=criticalmasse-20" ></a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=criticalmasse-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0143106449" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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The managers of the TV series who pay low wages and approve limited benefits to the employees do so for a similar reason. It is the corporation that is once again the organism to keep alive through profitability not those toiling within it. A business or an entire macroeconomy is nothing more than the people it comprises. And all of these people have stories to tell. It is ironic how these managers will grant bonuses to people who emotionally impact them at a personal level while refusing increased wages or health benefits to the entire workforce.<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2GAaYee" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<u><a href="https://amzn.to/2GAaYee" target="_blank">A Man in Full</a> </u>is a wonderful story about what leadership means to five men who are all linked together by a series of events. The protagonist, Charlie Crocker, is an immensely wealthy developer who has over extended himself in his latest venture. He now risks bankruptcy and is required to take certain actions in order to repay his outstanding loans. In the same nature as our Undercover Bosses he agrees to layoff 15% of his work force as opposed to selling his quail plantation and private jet. He justifies keeping the ranch and plane in order to avoid having to let go the staff of twenty or the pilot and personal flight attendant. In one scene the butler at the quail plantation is brought out by Charlie during a dinner party and embarrassingly forced to describe the countless kind gestures extolled on him and his family by Cap'n Charlie. In order to preserve these tokens of his charitable gestures he will sweep away hundreds of other workers whose personal stories he does not know - yet.<br />
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553381334/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553381334&linkCode=as2&tag=criticalmasse-20&linkId=ff7b2ba1dc6a42e83aceee27c34b8afd"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0553381334&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=criticalmasse-20" ></a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=criticalmasse-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0553381334" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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All of this changes when he is brought into contact by one of the laid-off employees whose job it was to work in a warehouse freezer for eight hours loading frozen meat. It is through this young gentleman that Charlie is reminded how "the only real possession you'll ever have is your character...Everything else is temporary and worthless in the long run, including your body".<br />
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Returning to <u>The Harbor</u>, the young journalist, Billy, is born near the rough and tumble docks but drifts away due to his studies, travels and later on by the success of his own career. He begins to write profile pieces on the great industrialists in the United States during that time. He is captivated by their success, world view, and overall good nature. His work is appreciated because people are fascinated by successful people. Yet again, the same theme returns. To write about these men means ignoring the labor who are directly impacted by their grandeur.<br />
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He knows as well he cannot stay away from the Harbor forever. Its presence is too strong and the connections to him too many. Billy's childhood friend, Kramer, has returned to the Harbor. He is there as an organizer of strikes and wants Billy to write about the Harbor through his eyes. It is a conflicting choice since he knows to write about it means losing the readership and access to the establishment. <br />
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The books greatest strength is in how it separates so distinctly these two worlds. It is a wonderful insight into the portrayals of socialism in the twentieth-century. There are many paralleles to be drawn with society today. I have not read the biography of Steve Jobs by Isaacson but I would venture to guess there is little talk of the Foxconn facilities used to churn out the hundreds of millions of iPhones. A book about our modern day industrialist visionary would not read the same if the author had seen the bedrooms where people sleep eight to a room without windows. Nor will a book or article on Foxconn ever reach the same number of readers. We want stories of individual success, leadership and personal struggle. The somber saga of the masses is something we can do without. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"These people in their leisurely way talked of literature and music, of sculpture and painting and travel abroad, as their fathers and even grandfathers had done - in times when the rest of the country, like one colossal harbor, changing, heaving, seething, had had time for only the crudest things, for railroads, mining camps, belching mills, vast herds of cattle and droves of sheep, for the frontier towns my mother had loathed, for a Civil War, for a Tweed Ring, for the Knights of Labor, a Haymarket riot, for the astounding growth of cities, slums, corporations and trusts, in this deep turbulent onward rush, this peopling of a continent."</span></div>
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<br />TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-91370684765836631772012-06-21T16:38:00.000+02:002018-12-21T18:42:24.387+01:00Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I compare the impact of this book to being introduced to someone in the neighborhood you have never met before. Upon having met them you become convinced thereafter that you spot them often. Is it just because I know her that I see her all the time? <a href="https://amzn.to/2QLXBMs" target="_blank"><u>Thinking, Fast and Slow</u></a> received a lot of acclaim in 2011 for successfully bringing to non-academics the lifetime of work of Daniel Kahneman in the areas of psychology and behavioral economics. Business writers, journalists and bloggers have already fully embraced it and I have come across references to it in a half dozen other articles over the last two months. Stranger yet, I have read several articles where the author was referencing terms such as anchoring, framing or priming that were discussed in this book. They did not directly reference him but I could not help but believe they were applying aspects of his study to their own subject matter. Is it just because I know these terms now that I recognize Kahneman behind them? The subjects addressed in the book are not new and have been around for decades since Mr. Kahneman and his scholastic partner, Amos Tversky, were passing Sundays together crafting various puzzles to be tested in psychological experiments.<br />
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The personal impact of this book was twofold. The first was a feeling of selfish frustration. It is one of those books you wish was published for your eyes only. With so much fascinating content in the area of judgment I found myself wanting to be in sole possession of it, like a secret you want to prevent from getting out. The second effect was the desire to read it again. It is not a difficult text but to truly grasp the concepts requires a second read. While reading it I was often eager to share one of the groundbreaking experiments mentioned in the book only to find myself having trouble deciding where to begin. To truly synthesize the text requires a second review of the material.<br />
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374533555/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0374533555&linkCode=as2&tag=criticalmasse-20&linkId=ac6a387c41df5aafe68bafc752b809bf"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0374533555&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=criticalmasse-20" ></a><img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=criticalmasse-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0374533555" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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The central thesis is that the brain is comprised of two modes of thinking; System 1 and System 2. Both of which impact humans in how they apply judgment. System 1 operates automatically and quickly - thus the impulsive instinct of the brain. System 2 is the slow, calculated and concentrated thought process. The main premise lies here. We attribute decision making to be done in a conscious, well-thought out manner when in reality we are often not aware that System 1 is really acting in its place. The issue with System 1 is that it is prone to countless, non-rational biases which often impede correct judgment.<br />
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The first section of the book introduces what remains the main theme throughout - how previous events, impressions, patterns or emotions affect non-related choices. The System 1 mode of thinking acting in its impulsive manner will quickly and subconsciously rely on the non-related past at the moment of the decision. These inaccurate decisions can also be greatly impacted by how information is presented. The Framing effect - the presentation of identical information in different manners impacts judgment ; The Priming effect - increased sensitivity to past stimuli effect future beliefs; Storytelling - the impact on beliefs, and later judgment, that can be made based on the quality of the story told.<br />
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The second section begins to branch out by examining the types of decisions likely to be impacted. He also brings in more real life examples in the areas of finance, project planning and making estimates. He introduces how our ability to properly make estimates is affected by non-related numbers presented prior to the estimate (The Anchoring effect). He brings in another anecdote from when he was planning to write a book with several academics. Their planning was driven almost completely by best-case scenarios of each person. No one considered looking into base cases of other similar type projects and the time required to complete them. In numerous situations like this we ignore or grossly underweight the statistical base case and instead rely on personal experience or very small sample size. <br />
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The final section looks more towards judgment within a very human context. He does so by making a clear distinction between two "selves". The "remembering self" and the "experiencing self". How people remember events varies drastically from how they experienced them at the moment they were actually happening. As it should be clear by now, people tend to overweigh recent or specific events when judging how happy they are intrinsically. Our response to pain is no different. When recalling pain we underweight the duration as well as the average pain levels and instead base our judgment of pain on its level when it terminated. In one of the most memorable quotes he describes the two selves in relation to vacationing, an excellent example of the two selves of happiness:<br />
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"Tourism is about helping people construct stories and collect memories. The frenetic picture taking of many tourists suggests that storing memories is often an important goal, which shapes both the plans for vacation and the experience of it. The photographer does not view the scene as a moment to be savored but as a future memory to be constructed" <br />
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In the end, it is the System 1 which leads to many of the errors humans make in decision making. It is what has received the focus of many of the engaging experiments conducted by Kahneman over the years. However, it is also the system that has allowed humans to survive on earth. We need to active on impulsiveness at times like when we are being chased by a lion. We also need System 1 to survive in today's consumer driven world. You would not be able to make it out of the cereal aisle if System 1 was not guiding you. It recalls back to a story I heard of someone who was in an accident and lost the ability to make System 1-like decisions. He essentially could not function. The success of the book is how it brings to light these errors in judgment. It is up to us to spot them in our own life and apply System 2 when it is needed.<br />
<br />TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-75953138093753754962012-05-21T19:49:00.000+02:002012-05-21T19:49:40.863+02:00Endurance by Alfred Lansing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8RfufFTOu1M/T7p4MGbJiBI/AAAAAAAABUI/0P7_TNZe-_0/s1600/shackleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8RfufFTOu1M/T7p4MGbJiBI/AAAAAAAABUI/0P7_TNZe-_0/s200/shackleton.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
It is hard not to wrap your blankets a bit tighter around yourself when reading about the incredible voyage of Ernest Shackleton and his crew in 1914. The title of this book, and name of the ship, captures in one word what it took for the twenty eight members of this Antarctic-bound vessel to survive over 400 days stranded, for the majority of the time, on large pieces of floating ice. <br />
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The original intent of the trip was to traverse Antarctica, arriving with the <i>Endurance</i> on one side of the continent. From there the crew would have crossed the land mass on dog sleds where upon completion a second ship would have been awaiting them. They never made it to Antarctica but were instead trapped by a pack of ice which brought the journey to halt and continued to slowly crush the ship itself. They were forced to abandon the ship and remain on the ice until being able to set sail on smaller boats to the nearest land mass 850 miles away. What ensues is nothing less than incredible. <br />
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Boredom and wetness. To overcome these two feats were to me there most incredible accomplishment. When I find myself without an umbrella or enough bedding at night, I will only have to say "Endurance".<br />
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The perseverance of the crew warrants praise as does the leadership ability of their captain. Leadership provides order when without it chaos would exist. What continued to emerge throughout was how the men remained positive and loyal to their captain in a place where no laws, rules, or codes really existed any longer.<br />
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From Shackelton, I learned the following about being an effect leader (at least when stranded on a floe of ice):<br />
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1. Know the weak traits of those in your organization and have measures in place to prevent them from diffusing further.<br />
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2. Manage moral. Without it you can not face adversity in a group.<br />
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3. Scrutanize your decisions but once they are made do not second guess yourself - at least not publicly.<br />
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4. A dominating presence is not a prerequisite for a leader. <br />
<br />TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-76304348296455812812012-04-29T14:23:00.001+02:002013-01-08T12:54:29.352+01:00The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRLLYEMoJC8/T50XpK0jQAI/AAAAAAAABT8/yVyPhzP0Ahw/s1600/LF_Day_of_Battle_Atkinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRLLYEMoJC8/T50XpK0jQAI/AAAAAAAABT8/yVyPhzP0Ahw/s200/LF_Day_of_Battle_Atkinson.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944<br />
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It was not my intention to inaugurate my return with a book review on World War II. However, it happened to be the first book I finished among the four I am currently juggling and I could not wait any longer to get back to writing.<br />
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There are two aspects of World War II I find particularly fascinating. The first is how so much continues to be written about it. Atkinson's book is the second in a dense trilogy he has composed over the last ten years. Is there new material coming to light that was not known before? Atkinson makes good use of many of the U.S. commanders' personal diaries. However, I do not believe that these diaries were not available or referenced before.<br />
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Instead, the main reason is because there continues to be a large audience of readers interested in this subject. World War II remains one of the greatest representations of U.S. supremacy and it therefore appeals to a broad readership who find great satisfaction and pride in its outcome.<br />
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I brought this argument up to a <a href="http://abramsbooks.blogspot.de/" target="_blank">friend</a> of mine who studies U.S. history. What he described to me about the U.S. historical narrative proved very interesting. Roughly speaking, the historical academics divide into two camps. One is based on a cohesive, all-encompassing narrative that justifiably declares all groups in society have a right to have "their" history shared. These include includes the more marginalized in American history including women, Native Americans, and immigrants. The historian, Howard Zinn, comes to mind as the flag bearer for this camp.<br />
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The second camp holds the belief of a history based on victory and success. How can a country establish hegemony if it reflects too much on its occasional failures? It is better to glorify its greatness in continual forms of declaration than wallow over a few mistakes made throughout its past. A solidly constructed history based on achievement will withstand the tests of time. <br />
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The second aspect of World War II I find intriguing is the role geography played throughout its course. I am particularly drawn to Italian topography. It is hard to not be fascinated by the battle of Cassino when you have looked up at its daunting rock face where the famous monastery sits. The battles waged in the difficult Italian Apennines mountains, including Cassino, receive particular attention in this book. Too many lives were lost in a terrain strikingly different than the softer images of the Italian land that generally would come to mind.<br />
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Another conclusion drawn from what is a thoroughly well-written and researched text, is the role logistics and military scale played in shifting the war in favor of the allies. Other popular works such as <u>Band of Brothers</u>, often describe the more exciting and heroic individual battles fought by the infantry. Their prominence makes it easy to forget how war may even be more about boring, efficient supply chains than anything else. As Atkinson describes, the level of production of munitions, trucks, and airplanes by the U.S. come 1944 began to greatly surpass the German manufacturing machine.<br />
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The decision to invade Italy
still remains a controversial one. The Allied losses were significant in
its campaigns to push up from Sicily to Rome. And they did
so based on a strategy whose foundation was set on the idea that any attack in Italy would shift German troops and resources
away from France thus making
the invasion at Normandy
a less challenging feet. A dear price to pay.<br />
TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-12512249614309397212012-04-29T12:24:00.002+02:002012-04-29T12:24:59.583+02:00Legacy of Ashes by Tim Weiner<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S6KIrvKvJ2I/AAAAAAAABL8/TJ_30E5ehsY/s1600-h/cia.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450068784048973666" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S6KIrvKvJ2I/AAAAAAAABL8/TJ_30E5ehsY/s320/cia.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 139px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>New, Unpublished Material!</b> </span>Back in 2010 I hit the wall, losing the ability to write new book reviews. Then family matters took a big portion of my time - and still do. However, the desire to write has returned and am I am happy to start things off by publishing this incomplete post I started to write two years ago but never finished. I hope you enjoy it. It is good to be back.<br />
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Subtitle: The History of the CIA<br />
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It was the right time in my life to read a book about the history of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The impression I had conjured up of the agency was still strongly based on the wild fascinations of my youth - one part Mission Impossible, one part gifted linguists, a touch of the Berlin Wall and deep KGB penetration as the garnish. Not the definition to carry me into this new decade at hand especially considering how this ongoing belief somehow prevented me from developing an updated opinion that took into account the blunders and deficiencies of the organization I was coming across in both history texts and current journalism. <br />
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It is not my intention to base my opinions of the CIA on one book. There are always two sides to the story. However, it is fair to say that <u>The Legacy of Ashes</u> gives a solid starting point to begin the formation of one's opinion. It is a book whose every statement can be supported by documentation. The Notes section alone is 172 pages long. It is not a page turner packed with gripping stories of espionage. It is actually rather dry and the author, a NY Times journalist with years of experience covering the CIA, makes no intention for it to be anything but. It is an important piece of American history needing to be written in order to raise the curtains and open the windows of a shadowy organization. It does not bode well for the reputation of the CIA.<br />
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The CIA was born out of the intelligence arm of the military, the OSS, used during World War II. After the war's end, Harry Truman turned to them to provide information regarding the intentions of the Soviet Union. It was meant to provide almost newspaper-like details to foreign affairs which the president could refer to when needing to make decisions on foreign policy. Along the way it morphed into an entity consuming vast amounts of resources to promote democracy over the contaminating communist forms of government which were developing throughout the world. Instead of infiltrating the the communist parties in places like Greece, Italy, small Latin American countries and later Indonesia and Vietnam with agents capable of providing valuable intelligence, they used other, simpler and less-effective tactics. It was surprising to see how the majority of their efforts were concentrated on the financing of radio stations, newspapers, and democratic parties who they deemed capable of promoting democracy. Though this "push" form of marketing democracy may have promoted itself as superior to communism, it did little in providing intelligence. <br />
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The book continually sites examples where the CIA, with its thousands of agents scattered throughout the globe, time after time failed to foresee significant events that would happen in the specific countries they were suppose to be monitoring. Often these small, satellite countries with upcoming communist leaders such as Honduras or Vietnam received a disproportional amount of attention, and none the less saw events occur that the CIA was unprepared for. On the other hand, the one country which required the most precise intelligence, the Soviet Union, proved to be a place they knew so little about. Their information was consistently inaccurate. <br />
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"The CIA would come in and paint the most scary picture possible about what the Soviets would do to us. They had charts on the wall, they had figures, and their conclusion was that in 10 years, the United States would be behind the Soviet Union in military capability, in economic growth. It was a scary presentation. The facts are they were 180 degress wrong. These were the best people we had, the CIA's so called experts," said former President Gerald Ford who sat on the secret budget committee for CIA funding in the 1960's.<br />
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<br />TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-7029379197309260792010-02-13T12:29:00.009+01:002010-02-21T18:52:04.143+01:00Nexus by Mark Buchanan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S3aNdCGQEQI/AAAAAAAABL0/XMBcjEsWwaM/s1600-h/nexus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 116px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S3aNdCGQEQI/AAAAAAAABL0/XMBcjEsWwaM/s320/nexus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437689130015265026" border="0" /></a>Subtitle: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Science of Networks<br /><br />I am fascinated by networks. Certainly the social networking websites currently available are revealing in a less abstract manner how far our connections are really spread. The most rewarding aspect of joining these sites was the initial 30 minutes after having signed-up when you were quickly reconnected with ex-colleagues and long-forgotten high school acquaintances. From there it is mostly downhill and I am still amazed by those who find so many non-commercial ways to occupy their time posting, tweeting and chatting away.<br /><br />I spend little time on these sites and am becoming more and more skeptical that they will be able to retain their entertainment value (and massive subscriber growth) before being besieged by individuals and companies trying to push their products and services on you. A recent interview from a Pepsi marketing manager I unfortunately saw on CNN should give a clear indication of what is to come. Pepsi's desire to have a <a href="http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2010/01/30/qa-with-pepsicos-chief-engagement-officer-frank-rose/">"conversation"</a> with its customers does not bode well to those who find a large aspect of Facebook's appeal to be the limited advertisements pasted on its pages.<br /><br />However, I do confess to having a soft spot for LinkedIn. It has focused on the business community from day and is now evolving into a profitable company with a clear business model. By being a site catering to business users, it is somehow more justified to find ways to drive revenue - a luxury not necessarily granted to Facebook.<br /><br />LinkedIn is so great because it allows the users to really see the reach of their networks. By using the "people" search function on the site, I discover to have contacts in Madagascar, Saudi Arabia and Suriname and all of them are only one contact removed from me - meaning that they are connected to someone in my own 170-person network. 20 years ago these same networks existed but it was just much harder to visibly construct them.<br /><br />The premise of <span style="font-style: italic;">Nexus</span> is that there is scientific evidence demonstrating how the network that links the six billion of us is not completely random in nature but actually has a certain structural configuration. The author then demonstrates how such network structures are not just relevant for human acquaintanceship.<br /><br />Buchanan introduces the argument by referring to a fascinating experiment conducted by the psychologist, Stanley Milgram in the 1960s. I was familiar with Milgram for the famous test that bears his name yet was unaware he was also credited what came to be know the "six-degrees of separation".<br /><br />In the Six-Degrees test, Milgram mailed at random letters to people living in Omaha, Nebraska and asked them to forward the letter to a stockbroker friend of his in Boston. He provided <span style="font-style: italic;">no address</span> for the stockbroker but instead asked them to send it to someone who they believed to be "socially closer" to him than they were. Most of the letters made it to his friend as each subsequent recipient forwarded the letter to the next person applying the same request. The most surprising aspect was that it did not take hundreds of mailings but six.<br /><br />It was then the work of two other academics, Watts and Strogatz, who when further studying Milgram's test, found these six-degree connections to be neither orderly nor random but somewhere in between. These patterns took on an even greater significance when they started examining other types of networks such as electric power grids, human brain cells or the world wide web only to discover clear similarities in all of them.<br /><br />Before returning to the book, let's look at an example given by one of my professors, Dr. Karen Stephenson, during my graduate studies that should help in understanding how these networks are patterned:<br /><br />Think of the organization you work in. Most likely it has some type of hierarchical structure of management. Yet by looking at this pyramid, does it really show how the organization is networked together? It is true that the person at the top holds a lot of decision making power but it is certainly bound to be the case that individuals scattered throughout the ranks wield a disproportional amount of network power. These linchpins are the types of people you go to for questions, information or advice and most certainly others turn to them as well.<br /><br />If every person in the organization drew lines to each person they contacted throughout the day for a question or advice and then all of these drawing were compiled together, you would see a web-like structure emerge. In this web certain people would be crucial "hubs" as they would appear as being connected to a lot of other people as well. Interestingly enough, it is probably the people towards the top of the pyramid who have the fewest connections to others in the organization.<br /><br />This type of network formation exists in all the communities we interact with on a daily basis. Yet how is it that we are connected in such a short number of steps to people on the other side of the globe if we interact only with our local communities? It is by people acting as "bridges" to other groups far beyond the ones we are involved with at a local level. The exchange student you still keep in touch a couple times a year via email serves as a bridge to her entire network of friends and family back home. Lose connection with her and this whole world (even if you are in no way actively apart of it) disappears.<br /><br />As stated earlier, this network layout applies to other areas of science as well. One of the more vivid examples is the development of the world wide web. Internet pages are being developed randomly and frequently. However if you look at the links between all of the billions of web pages, you find once again Internet pages acting as "hubs" and a certain order to the random development. What it also means based on the study that examined the network of the web is that even as another billion webpages are added, the number of clicks required to navigate will not change by more than one or two clicks.<br /><br />These "small world networks" thus make information, electricity or gossip travel much faster than a world without them.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-6779139200635193892010-01-31T11:45:00.010+01:002011-03-18T11:49:59.293+01:00The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S2VgO9mXVMI/AAAAAAAABDc/9hniNN3DfLI/s1600-h/girl_dragon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 135px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S2VgO9mXVMI/AAAAAAAABDc/9hniNN3DfLI/s320/girl_dragon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432854335662281922" border="0" /></a>When I was home in Seattle a few months ago I took a trip to my favorite book store, <a href="http://www.elliottbaybook.com/">The Elliott Bay Book Company</a>, in Pioneer Square - the city's most historic neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was most likely my last visit at its current location. The bookstore is preparing to move to another part of the city. Considering the fate of many independent bookstores, this outcome is far from terrible. And reflecting on it objectively, I should actually be happy.<br /><br />For those of you unfamiliar with Seattle, Pioneer Square captures perhaps the last glimpse into the origins of our modern city. While I have a hard time believing the commercial- residential buildings constructed in the last decade that include a Quizno's Subs and tanning salon on the ground floor will withstand the tests of time from an architectural standpoint, Pioneer Square with its brownstone edifices offered something different. This "difference" also included the aroma of stale beer and urine on the vast majority of its sidewalks. Yes, Pioneer Square is truly dying and with the loss of Elliot Bay it's destined to become an urban carcass of its former self. Notwithstanding the verbal assault by numerous panhandlers and con artists, I thoroughly enjoyed the trips into Pioneer Square to visit the bookstore. There is a certain sense of loss. Yet as I already said, the move will actually benefit me because Elliot Bay will now be located in an area I actually do frequent for its nightlife.<br /><br />It was exactly for this reason that Elliot Bay was forced to move locations after a very difficult last 12 months in terms of sales. An independent bookstore relies on foot traffic, especially in the evening. And you can trust me that those going out in Pioneer Square after dark were not the same market segment likely to pop into the reading room to hear an author present her latest work. <br /><br />I respect Elliot Bay's store as well as its business model and wish it the best of success! We should all be cheering it on as the outcome "post-move" will tell us a lot about what businesses will work and which will fail in the future. One mantra of business strategy is based around the belief that a company must either focus on being a cost leader or a high value-add specialist. Finding yourself in the middle is a recipe for disaster due to the competition you will face from both sides.<br /><br />Elliot Bay Bookstore does not discount its books. In the days of Amazon, I know it is a hard concept to grasp that a bookstore may actually sell its goods at the list price found in small print on the back of the cover. But it is the case. They do this because they clearly recognize that a war based on price cannot be won against the likes of online retailers or massive chain stores. What they do offer is exceptional staff who know what they are talking about. My favorite thing to do there (and what can also be done in an excellent music or wine shop) is to go in with a set amount you want to spend, say $100, and let them recommend different books for you based on your interest. It is a great way to get guidance in new directions you may have not normally ventured and it is not something Amazon can offer you - even though they try.<br /><br />However, as this move is eluding to, the specialization they are offering may still not be enough. It is my belief that our ever enduring quest for low prices is devastating large aspects of value and we are not fully aware of it. This value is what lies between a normal versus a basement bottom price. Before parting on too extreme of a tangent, I will just say that the subject of pricing will be further addressed in an upcoming post.<br /><br />And how is this connected to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</span>? I was in Madrid last July. It was a balmy afternoon and we had made an appointment to meet a friend who was getting off work for her lunch hour. She arrived toting the huge, hardback copy of this book. She was in full addiction mode and was unwilling to part with it even on her lunch break.<br /><br />During my discussion with a salesperson at Elliot Bay a few months back, I noticed my basket of books becoming disproportionately overrepresented with non-fiction and I therefore asked him for a good piece of 2009 fiction. He pointed me towards this book and thinking back on my friend in Madrid, I grabbed it without hesitating.<br /><br />It is certainly an engrossing story which combines mystery, sex, violence and Sweden. I consumed it in a couple of days much in the same way I would plow through a good TV series if I had the whole thing on DVD. It is entertainment above all else.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-88608359478340120732010-01-16T16:36:00.007+01:002010-01-26T20:43:49.127+01:00Straw Dogs by John Gray<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S1rg0EOrx6I/AAAAAAAABDU/ywy8PXYvS34/s1600-h/straw+dogs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 124px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S1rg0EOrx6I/AAAAAAAABDU/ywy8PXYvS34/s320/straw+dogs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429899485841704866" border="0" /></a>Subtitle: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals<br /><br />I have confessed in other postings that my background in philosophy is far from profound. However, it is a subject (in a very broad definition) that is calling out to me with greater regularity. I have read few of the great works and each attempt to do so thus far has been a struggle. On the other hand, I am always in search of modern day thinkers from whatever academic discipline who are writing about society in a more robust, and shall we say, philosophical context. It is very difficult to do so without tying in the arguments of some of history's great minds and therefore provides me a way to slowly develop a better understanding of some of their principle theses. Wrapped in the discussion of modern society makes it a much less abrupt approach.<br /><br />One of my favorite current writers is <a href="http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/">Nassim Taleb</a>, renown author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Fooled By Randomness</span> and later <span style="font-style: italic;">The Black Swan</span>. In an interview I saw of him he recommended two modern scholars - <a href="http://www.ted.com/speakers/karen_armstrong.html">Karen Armstrong</a> and John Gray - for their intellectual excellence in their respective fields. Gray is the former professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and author of several books. He has written on globalization, religion and philosophy. As is often the case, shorty after being introduced to him and his works, I came across several articles reviewing a recently published book of his.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Straw Dogs </span>was published in 2002. It is a collection of musings stitched together by Gray's underlying belief that humans, in their rather modern distortion of humanist thought, have essentially created a new faith but fails to recognize it as such. This form of humanity, grounded in its roots of Christianity, is based on progress and mankind's ability through such progress to create a better world. Gray argues that "to believe in progress is to believe that, by using the new powers given to us by growing scientific knowledge humans can free themselves from the limits that frame the lives of other animals."T his humanistic vision of progress, outside of science, is a myth fabricated only recently in Western society. It was not long ago when humans thought of themselves as equal to other animals. In many cultures they were even worshiped by humans.<br /><br />Gray recognizes that humans are a highly developed, and incredibly destructive species. Since our arrival in the New World 12,000 years ago, approximately 70% of the world's species have been eliminated which is quickly approaching the same number caused by whatever event, most likely a meteor, wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.<br /><br />At the same time, our destructive species is raging on in fierce debate about how - through science - we can save the earth from the overheating caused by greenhouse gases. Perhaps it is Earth's means of ridding itself us? <br /><br />Ironic to me is how many of the central responses to climate change revolve around the use of elaborately developed technological tools to save us from such overheating. Humans have never been farther removed from nature as they are now. It is through the abandonment of certain forms of technology that we will make the easiest and fastest gains in this battle. Changing the way we eat based on a diet of local vegetables and occasional meat consumption and distancing ourselves from the meat industry would make enormous gains. Walking or bicycling as opposed to the frequent use of the automobile is a very simple concept that proves incredibly difficult to grasp. In a later chapter Gray reminds us that the average American puts in 1600 hours in the car to get 7500 miles: less than five miles per hour. Not much more than what someone would walk in the same time. It is obvious the automobile represents more to us than a form of transportation.<br /><br />Straw Dogs is not a book on environmentalism, however the example demonstrates a certain fallacy in human thought based on scientific progress. Many other such anecdotes make up the remainder of the book though I found they begin to stray more and more from his central thesis along the way. Nonetheless, they are fascinating and provocative. It is a book that does not need to be read from start to end but can be "dipped into at will" as well. Either way, it will get you thinking.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-48614082889340471592010-01-06T14:49:00.004+01:002010-01-06T15:08:45.384+01:00The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S0SVQQf7OlI/AAAAAAAAA6U/RDnNH5IQNS4/s1600-h/dain.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 116px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/S0SVQQf7OlI/AAAAAAAAA6U/RDnNH5IQNS4/s320/dain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423623957800237650" border="0" /></a>After three rather arduous non-fiction reads, I was more than eager for a quick injection of crime mystery, one of my favorite fictional genres. Hammett, most famous for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Maltese Falcon</span>, is certainly one of the most well-regarded American mystery writers. And it was a late night viewing of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Maltese Falcon</span> with its solid performance from Bogart and a quirky and devilish Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo that prompted me to dive further into the works of Hammett. <br /><br />It is clear that Hammett knows what he is writing about after having been a private investigator for many years. His writing style is tight, direct with no superfluous words. In both <span style="font-style: italic;">The Maltese Falcon</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dain Curse</span> the stories move at a breakneck speed. To be honest, some time the speed and number of characters in the latter was too much for me. I often had to flip back a few chapters to remind myself who was who and what had they done. The book does not disappointment but it did not leave me floored either. <br /><br />What crime/mystery writers do you like?TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-35388958690649679832009-12-17T19:34:00.005+01:002009-12-19T11:58:24.015+01:00When Markets Collide by Mohamed El-Erian<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SyywmqV5cQI/AAAAAAAAA6M/rVobEoGnIaE/s1600-h/markets.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 116px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SyywmqV5cQI/AAAAAAAAA6M/rVobEoGnIaE/s320/markets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416898630067515650" border="0" /></a>Subtitle: Investment Strategies for the Age of Global Economic Change<br /><br />As 2009 comes to a close and we prepare for the unknowns of 2010, it seems a just time to quickly summarize the current status of our global economy.<br /><br />There is a global shift taking place from the traditional power centers - the U.S. and to a lesser degree Western Europe - towards heavily populated, emerging players. This shift, which would have taken place even without the near collapse of our financial system, is now intertwined with the decisions made to stave off disaster over the last year.<br /><br />The United States acted as the motor for growth and consumption over the last fifty years. The American consumer has driven this consumption, especially over the last twenty years, through debt. We are all aware this can no longer occur and a shift towards savings and debt repayment means consumption will have to come from elsewhere. This U.S. led consumption has made an enormous impact on other countries as well. By importing more goods than it exported, the U.S. generated a large current account deficit resulting in the sending of vast sums of US dollars to the exporting countries. Oil producing nations have likewise accumulated hundreds of billions of dollars due to the exporting of oil to the U.S. and other rich world countries. Amassed with US dollars these countries through vehicles such as sovereign wealth fund, are seeking a home for their liquid dollar assets - from homes on the French Riviera to large stakes in Morgan Stanley.<br /><br />As exporting nations have been producing goods for the U.S. at low cost, they have put ever more demand on natural resources (commodities). They have begun to see an upward pressure on wages as their local economies grow. Both of these factors, demand for commodities and increasing wages, will fuel inflation. Add on top of this the government spending in the rich world in the forms of various stimulus plans and inflationary concerns abound even though we are currently in a quasi-deflationary period.<br /><br />Basic demographics are also changing with Europe's population getting older, the US being in between and countries such as Brazil possessing a rather young population. Governments will have to respond accordingly as they struggle to provide the services these population segments require. Demands for certain goods and services will become more relevant based on these shifts.<br /><br />The above encapsulation of global economics is the context within which El-Erian, the world's largest bond investor, and former directer of Harvard's Endowment fund, frames this concise and relevant text. The majority of the book is spent setting the stage for what is to come and what has developed over the last few eventful years.<br /><br />He then attempts to outline measures that can be taken to benefit from these shifts taking place. How as investors can we accumulate the wealth needed to support a prosperous future? And, equally as important, how can we counter balance our portfolios to prevent massive loss through huge downswings in markets <span style="font-style: italic;">or </span>erosion of certain asset classes due to inflationary effects?<br /><br />I am no longer in possession of the book so I can only recall what stayed with me since I read it over one month ago. This will have certainly been meshed together with my own beliefs. Perhaps this is a more useful exercise. Some points for investing in the future:<br /><br />1. Develop a view of the global economy and dedicate a certain percentage of assets to the shifts you believe likely to occur. If inflation is a concern due to rising wages in Southeast Asia, commodities, real estate or inflation protected securities will be safer bets than cash or certain types of equities.<br /><br />2. Watch out for "home bias". Investors have the tendency to buy stocks from their home country, especially in the U.S. but also in other countries as well. Active Swedish investors place 48% of their invested money in Swedish stocks even though Sweden makes up 1% of the global economy (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008). Investing in what you know makes sense up to a certain degree but does not warrant such a disproportional approach. This is equally true in the States where a robust and transparent equity market warrants a large percentage of investment focus but not the absurdly high percentages most Americans have in their home market.<br /><br />3. Emerging Market Government Bonds can essentially be grouped with more traditional bond types as their government balance sheets are in healthier shape than many more traditional markets, e.g. Greece and Ireland.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-71383550698208794282009-11-22T18:12:00.015+01:002009-11-26T03:18:30.278+01:00The Prize by Daniel Yergin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Swlyq4-htqI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/hX-o0qNTmwE/s1600/prize.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 129px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Swlyq4-htqI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/hX-o0qNTmwE/s320/prize.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406978908809705122" border="0" /></a>To claim <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prize</span> to be a book on the history of oil already by such definition limits the impact this commodity has had on the development of society over the last 150 years. What it really is is an analysis of global economic and military history over this time period framed within the context of oil.<br /><br />The book begins by concentrating on the historic period before World War I when Winston Churchill, as civilian head of the Royal Navy, began to see the importance of replacing the coal fired fleets of the British navy with those using oil in order to gain in speed and agility. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Yergin</span> chooses this as his starting point, even though he then moves back 60 years to the true founding, because this was an important turning point in how oil was used. It was at this time when oil became a "disruptive technology" as it moved from an energy source mainly used for providing light to one that would become the standard form of fuel for all transportation.<br /><br />After this introduction, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prize</span> returns to its chronological unfolding using as the starting point a key series of scientific discoveries regarding oil's potential uses and then later to the first wave of major U.S. discoveries. Though oil's history can be dated back long before this, the foundation of oil as an industry and major fuel source has an American heritage. .<br /><br />In 1859 the Drake Well in central Pennsylvania was hit thus sparking the first wave of oil mania. This mania brought all types of people from expert scientists and geologists to green thumb enthusiasts with nothing to lose. The creation of boom towns in desolate parts of the U.S. became common. These towns would quickly be erected often to satisfy the needs of the fortune seekers (booze and prostitution). Means for distributing the oil would be hastily devised with a very short term approach to get the black liquid to far off markets. Once the source showed signs of reduced volumes or a bigger source was discovered elsewhere, the towns would quickly find their streets and brothels empty. The comparisons between the boom towns and the massive cookie cutter neighborhoods erected in the last five years in the States during our latest housing boom are strikingly similar.<br /><br />The next part of the book explores how the fragmented industry, from finding the oil to distributing it, paved the way for on opportunity of massive levels of consolidation and vertical integration. It was seized and later exploited mainly by one man - John Rockefeller of Standard Oil. Rockefeller bought other oil companies both large and small, keeping the efficient ones and merely closing down the others to limit any potential threat of competition. Standard Oil was the first true monopoly in the U.S., controlling 90% of the oil derivative, kerosene. Its dominance led way to growing discontent of the American public who lacked alternatives to Standard Oil products and became more aware of the incredible fortune being amassed by Rockefeller as a result. In 1911 the Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil be split into 32 different regional companies who would then compete with each other for customers and markets.<br /><br />World War I was a very labor intensive struggle fought and won in the trenches with limited reliance on machinery. World War II, as painted by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Yergin</span>, was a war in which oil played a decisive role in the outcome. Both Japan and Germany lacked domestic sources of oil and were therefore dependent on other countries, namely Romania and Indonesia, to provide the oil needed to power their ships, planes and tanks. The lack of this crucial resource and the failure in certain cases to effectively distribute it to the divisions in need led to losses at key junctures in World War II events . An interesting example is how German troops, led by the brilliant Rommel, were unable to seize control North Africa to the extent desired because at key battles they were without fuel needed to power their panzer tanks.<br /><br />The U.S. and Russia were instead at a particular advantage because they could rely on domestic fuel sources. An agreement between the U.S. and the U.K. also meant Britain, whose North Sea source would not be found until decades later, was also able to receive its needed share of American oil. However, having access domestically is only one part needed for success. How you manage your operations is another. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Yergin's</span> description of a floating fuel station comprised of numerous ships and tankers that were able to provide fuel to other ship fleets in the South Pacific was fascinating. Though the author dedicated several chapters explaining why Japan and Germany were greatly hindered by their lack of oil, I found the book thin on other examples of Allied success.<br /><br />The post-World War II era led to the rise of what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Yergin</span> defines as the "the Hydrocarbon man", i.e. the individual consumer who developed an ever growing thirst for oil. It also was the period of the oil producing dominance of the Middle East region. The book is probably at its strongest here. It brilliantly explains how the major oil companies established themselves with marketing (downstream) channels in the consuming countries and favorable partnerships with Middle Eastern countries. By providing technical expertise in this region they were given a disproportionately large share of the revenue generated from each new barrel. Later <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Yergin</span> clearly explains how OPEC was born and the economic significance it played in the market - essentially by controlling two levers - setting supply levels as well as prices per barrel.<br /><br />The 800-page book is referred to as "the Bible" of oil history. The magnitude of this industry in terms of global scale and historical importance over the last 150 years means that in order to effectively write one, all-encompassing volume a certain high level approach and style is necessary. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Yergin</span> succeeds in incorporating the macro level history and economic connections oil has played over this time period. However, by taking such an approach it is inevitable that some other aspects regarding such an important subject will be less adequately addressed.<br /><br />I respect the focus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Yergin</span> took in writing the book and his unrelenting ability not to defer from it. However, there were two main faults I found in doing so. The impression he gave when discussing the "hydrocarbon man" and his insatiable thirst for oil was that the oil companies were passively responding to the demand for their product that was being begged for by consumers. However it was never discussed how this demand was stimulated to such excessive levels. What was lacking in the text was an adequate explanation as to why consumption levels grew at such astounding rates over these years. What were the relationships like between the auto manufactures and the oil companies? Certainly these industries were strongly connected to the centers of power in Washington D.C. yet was never mentioned.<br /><br />Hydrocarbon man became dependent on the automobile due to lack of alternatives. The classic example of the removal of all tram lines in Los Angeles certainly encouraged such behavior yet it, nor any other relevant example was even eluded to. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">And why were such large vehicles in such demand? Yergin</span> refers to the adaption of the first fuel economy standards in 1975 of 27.5 mile per gallon within 10 years as revolutionary step which led to a drastic reduction in oil consumption. Though the book was published in 1990, a few years prior to the SUV boom, it is hard for his praise of such regulation not to ring hollow considering the impressive gas mileage of the Ford Expeditions and other "light trucks" exempt from these standards. Such <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">SUVs</span> went on to make up 50% of all vehicle sales in the U.S. The automakers gained on the higher profit margins of these vehicles as well as special deprecation status they were granted for business purposes. Oil companies also make more money the more often consumers need to fill up their cars. Such a thrust by automakers towards these types of vehicles certainly pushed hydrocarbon man's demand for oil. These type of factors were absent in his book.<br /><br />The focus of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prize</span> as a work of economic history also meant that the small time victims of such a massive industry were ignored. As someone who is far from an expert on the industry, I am still aware of tragic stories such as the one of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/27/ken-saro-wiwa-shell-oil">Ken <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Saro</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Wiwa's</span></a>, who fought against Shell and the Nigerian government because of the environmental damage the oil drilling was causing in the Niger delta. A reference, at least collectively, to the victims of the oil industry as well as the environmental impact it has made was something due in the book yet was nowhere to be found.<br /><br />Regardless, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prize</span> is required reading for those on all sides of the debate as it provides the foundation to what has become the lubricant of our daily lives.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-18766652487933583822009-09-27T16:30:00.005+02:002009-09-29T19:43:51.723+02:00L'eleganza del Riccio (The elegance of the Hedgehog) by Muriel Barbery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Sr93zv3lwNI/AAAAAAAAA4w/fHkU5TM1-N4/s1600-h/riccio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 142px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Sr93zv3lwNI/AAAAAAAAA4w/fHkU5TM1-N4/s320/riccio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386155410265063634" border="0" /></a>Ah, France! This novel, with such French attitude, scoffs at the wealthy for their shallowness, as well as their unmerited sense of cultural superiority over the social classes below them. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Barbery</span> does this by focusing her story around two central characters: the door-woman of an elegant resident building in central Paris and the twelve year old daughter of one of the families living in the building. Both of these characters are made to be the most culturally and intellectually astute individuals in the novel, much more so than the barbarians that grace the floors of the building.<br /><br />It would be easy to dismiss the stereotypes portrayed of French society as cliche', however, they are made so apparent throughout the novel that their blatancy somehow makes them comical. Instead, the subtler aspects of the book touch on more philosophical arguments regarding such subjects as art, beauty, the purpose of life, and human existence - shall we say the <span style="font-style: italic;">pain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">et</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">beurre</span></span> of French intellectual thought.<br /><br />The story is simple and for this reason pleasurable. The door-woman, Ms. Michel, lives what at first glance appears to be a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">monotonous</span> life, ignored by the inhabitants of the building. However, she finds comfort in this solitude and actually makes all efforts possible to draw as little attention to herself as possible. To do so she must hide all her intellectual pursuits as not to raise any questions in the eyes of the pseudo-intellects around her. However, they are probably too stupid to pick up on them anyway. When Ms. Michel is not reading Russian literature, she is hammering away at the shallow and miserable lives of the rich around her. There is a certain sense of irony here since the pursuits such as shopping, shampooing hair multiple times and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wearing</span> make-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">up</span> are looked down upon by her that is until she catches the eye of a new resident to the building - Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Oke</span>, a retired Japanese.<br /><br />Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Oke</span>, being someone truly steeped in culture and intellectual capacity is quickly able to see how the door-woman is not a typical type. He then begins inviting her to various activities much as Richard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Gere</span> did to Julia Roberts in <span style="font-style: italic;">Pretty Woman</span>. The response of Ms. Michel is not much different in that those superficial activities of the wealthy become appealing as soon as someone comes along who is interested in her.<br /><br />When compared to modern American novels, this book is more layered in that it offers a straightforward story of its characters but also dives deeper into more philosophical discussions. There are a lot of cultural references as well. What I see as being the major difference when compared to modern American novels is how Barberry writes to a more educated, cultured audience than most writers do in the States. As this book was the bestselling one in France over the last couple of years, we can assume therefore, that it was read by people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Heaven help us if it had only remained in the upper <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">echelons</span> of French society!TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-31080091341057661122009-08-19T22:43:00.007+02:002009-09-03T21:14:39.435+02:00Remix by Laurence Lessig<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SoxkZ9SG7RI/AAAAAAAAA34/y3WNRk7rgU4/s1600-h/remix.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 125px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SoxkZ9SG7RI/AAAAAAAAA34/y3WNRk7rgU4/s320/remix.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371778852656180498" border="0" /></a><br />The subtitle is "making art and commerce thrive in the hybrid economy"<br /><br />I do not want to start off this post by saying something cliche' like any working in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ecommerce</span>, new media, or Internet services should read this book though the temptation is there. Instead I will say that in my own line of work this book has already given me a new way to approach certain arguments and a new way to conceptualize how the Internet and its economic and sociological implications are developing at present time.<br /><br />Remix is a comfortable, insightful and at times funny read. It is written by a Stanford law professor with a very strong background in Internet and commerce. He presents the book with simple language and clear examples which tend to favor a more business or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">political</span> audience than one specialized in law.<br /><br />The central argument of this book is that our copyright laws in the digital economy are outdated and ineffective - ineffective for both consumers of copyrighted content and the suppliers of it. It is a system that penalizes the small actors on stage but also complicates matters for big business who spend endless amounts of money policing those who abuse the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">current</span> laws. There needs to be news ways to tax the revenue generated by the sale of artists' goods.<br /><br />The copyright laws in place were developed in an analog world when sharing a record meant physically giving the copy to someone else thus taking the copy away from yourself. Later on with the advent of cassette, records and photocopy machines, it became possible to make lower quality copies of music or books while keeping the original. However, the situation has changed dramatically with digital technology. The "copy" has a new definition. Now an MP3 file copy is identical to the original. When a copy is made the original is not effected. The Internet and high-speed data networks make the dispersal of these copies simple and fast.<br /><br />One argument that resonated with me is how outdated copyright laws are impeding the development of a new forms of culture and expression. The way users in the digital world paste a collage of photos, sample music or piece together multimedia presentations is something new that needs to be promoted as a new form of cultural expression. Copyright laws which make a DJ ask for permission to use a 10 second sample of someone else<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">'s</span> music slowdown this development. Not only do they restrict the spawning of new culture they also punish these "aggregating artists" as well as other smaller businesses and entrepreneurs lacking the resources to battle the legal bureaucracy of copyright. It is essentially another way the US government is picking winners <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">alla</span></span> GM. Large record labels, for example, benefit at the expense of smaller players. By supporting these traditional, established players we risk missing out on the birth of new, unknown industries which would result from this cultural innovation.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Lessig's</span> book was a bit thin on alternative ways artists could be properly paid for their work. One suggestion was to add a tax onto Internet access. This tax would then be divided among artists based on what percentage of the total volume of file sharing traffic their songs made up. However, the lack of alternatives does not hinder the book in my eyes.<br /><br />What I appreciated most about <span style="font-style: italic;">Remix</span> was how it attempted to address an issue we are facing now in modern society. It is a book for the business community that does not heap praise on past "heroes" but instead provides means to better conceptualize the digital economy and how it is developing before our eyes. It also reminds us of how such an economy is blurring the lines between business and society in a way that has not been seen for a long time.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-41538408522646519762009-08-09T17:33:00.003+02:002009-08-09T17:52:03.696+02:00Herzog by Saul Bellow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Sn7swAqWtsI/AAAAAAAAAwU/ncSvdpxvO_4/s1600-h/herzog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 83px; height: 130px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Sn7swAqWtsI/AAAAAAAAAwU/ncSvdpxvO_4/s320/herzog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367988115427735234" border="0" /></a>"I think I can say, however, that I have been spared the chief ambiguity that afflicts intellectuals, and this is that civilized individuals hate and resent the civilization that makes there lives possible. What they love is an imaginary human situation invented by their own genius and which they believe is the only true and the only human reality." Saul Bellow<br /><br />The above quote was taken from one of the hundreds of letters, never sent, that were written by the protagonist of this novel - Moses Herzog. Herzog's letters are rich with philosophical insight and show the depth with which Bellow was able to write. <br /><br />However, the purpose of this post is to turn to the readers of my blog to ask their own interpretation of <span style="font-style: italic;">Herzog</span>. The book centered on one character the entire time. We are provided access to his writings, conversations and thoughts. Yet, even with such insight I struggled to understand him and therefore could not fully appreciate the book. What was driving him? How enraged was he by the divorce with his wife? How did he view modern society? I am curious for answers to these questions. Fresh insight from others is always appreciated.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-4383106722191113462009-07-18T12:08:00.010+02:002009-07-22T22:51:35.023+02:00Separati in Patria (Seperated within the same Country) by Giovanni Floris<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SmGj4FrBGGI/AAAAAAAAAow/HUbX1RmRJPc/s1600-h/floris1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 81px; height: 130px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SmGj4FrBGGI/AAAAAAAAAow/HUbX1RmRJPc/s320/floris1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359745215538206818" border="0" /></a>Giovanni Floris, a journalist by trade, hosts one of the best weekly programs on Italian television. The format of <a href="http://www.ballaro.rai.it/R2_HPprogramma/0,7353,1067011,00.html">Ballarò</a> is just varied enough not to bore the viewer. The majority of the transmission is centered around five or six guests, made up mostly of politicians but also professors, business leaders, and journalists arguing with each other in typical Italian fashion. It is Floris' role to weave together the questions, responses and debates into something cohesive. He does a fine job. There are interludes in the arguing in the form of 5-10 minute investigative journalism pieces put together from various locations in Italy.<br /><br />Seeing how Floris often has little occasion to state his own opinions, I was curious to read his recently published book on one of the most significant issues affecting Italy, the enormous economic differences between the north and south of the country. The subject is of personal interest to me for several reasons, one being that a large part of my undergraduate thesis was dedicated to the Southern Italy's economic difficulties. And like most things in Italy, it is not an easy matter to unwind due to the economic, sociological and historic factors all at play. The largest failure of Floris' book is that he touches on each of these fields but fails to sufficiently address any of them.<br /><br />The first part of the book looks at the socioeconomic statistical differences between northern and central Italy compared to the South. For starters, removing Southern Italy, the GDP per capita of the country would be higher than Germany, UK, France or Spain. The vast majority of business leaders and politicians at the national level come from the North. Residents in the North read more books than those South and supposedly speak more Italian and less local dialect - though I missed any figures supporting this claim. It appeared to me that his main thesis was built on the belief that the differences between the regions of Italy are strictly economic and less cultural as many people are likely to believe.<br /><br />One example which proved to be most interesting in supporting his central thesis was the favorable benefits five autonomous regions - <span style="font-style: italic;">regione a statuto speciale</span> (Sicilia, Sardegna, Valle d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia) received, i.e. money. While the island regions of Sicilia and Sardegna are part of the south, the remaining three are located in the north. These three regions receive more money from the state than they delve out in taxes. Other northern regions instead are left fitting the bill, receiving or spending much less than what they generate in tax revenues and seeing enormous amounts of capital flow south as well to these smaller, northern regions. It was not clear to me Floris' position on the matter. Certainly their are cultural idiosyncrasies in these special regions, for example the majority of residents in Trentino-Alto Adige speak German as their mother tongue. However, Italy in itself is m<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SmSoeUulhJI/AAAAAAAAAv0/Zxn2wMFf6NI/s1600-h/floris+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 102px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SmSoeUulhJI/AAAAAAAAAv0/Zxn2wMFf6NI/s320/floris+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360594695391380626" border="0" /></a>ade up of very local cultural entities. Is Floris claiming that these regions play up the cultural distinctiveness in order to protect the economic benefits they receive? Though the example was a fascinating one, I missed his message.<br /><br />Another point Floris touches on, though briefly, is that the northern regions are in a geographically favorable position as they are much closer to other, rich, European markets. Though Floris did not mention it, it is important to see how on the other hand many parts of Southern Italy are closer in distance to countries such as Croatia, Tunisia, Albania, and Libya - not exactly enormous consumers of foreign goods and services - than they are to Milan.<br /><br />What was lacking was a discussion on more of the geographic and climatic aspects present that greatly favor the north. If only Floris had seen my thesis paper! The land in the north is much more fertile compared to the south. Anyone who has seen <span style="font-style: italic;">The Passion of Christ</span> (filmed in Matera) or remembers the scenes of a young Al Pacino in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Godfather </span>walking through the arid country side, can recognize it to be a difficult place to grow stuff. Also, it is simply more difficult to work in hot weather.<br /><br />These points are not meant to serve as excuses for southern Italy's inability to improve its condition. All indicators for me see the situation deteriorating. The infrastructure is far below average European levels. Investing in the region is risky (and costly) which makes the decision to put a new factory in Croatia as opposed to Puglia a more sensible decision. This same argument also loosely applies to tourism, an area which should be one of the foundations of the the southern Italian economy. However, without a clearly defined strategy for this industry most parts of the south are left in a dangerous middle position. Unable to compete on cost with other sunny destinations such as Egypt or Turkey and lacking the infrastructure to support a more high class type of tourist, an area with incredible food, beaches and people sees the majority of tourism from other European countries go elsewhere.<br /><br />As the length of this post continues to grow, it becomes apparent the difficulty an author has when writing about such a broad subject. Focus too much on one field and you find yourself in a silo ignoring other equally important factors. Attempt to touch on all of them and leave the reader with more questions than answers as interesting arguments are raised only to be quickly hurried through to get at the long list yet to be addressed. Floris chose the second approach and was not successful in putting together a well-structured and well-argued book.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-39995367046767710322009-07-13T20:02:00.005+02:002009-07-13T21:34:56.807+02:00Couples by John Updike<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Slt3QdMiZLI/AAAAAAAAAoo/8q5xePcyH4c/s1600-h/couples.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 139px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/Slt3QdMiZLI/AAAAAAAAAoo/8q5xePcyH4c/s320/couples.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358007306286163122" border="0" /></a>The characters in <span style="font-style: italic;">Couples</span> sure do drink a lot - cocktails, often gin based. Though gin came from the UK, I consider it to be the red, white and blue of spirits. Even though the main focus of this wonderful novel centered on adultery, I was more intrigued by the role alcohol played in American life from post World War II up until today. <br /><br />I have the impression so much of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dionystic</span> fury during the booming post-war decades was fueled by booze: the 5 pm cocktail on the porch, the late summer <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">neighborhood</span> BBQ kicked off with martinis , or the boat drinks while idling on some vessel in the harbor. The cocktail in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">se</span> represents this period of iconic bliss which is not as <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">prevalent</span> now as it was before. Though the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">consumptions</span> of spirits is certainly something better done without, I do see a small reflection of our society in the splinters of ice floating atop of stub glass. <br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Couples </span>was written in 1968, long before I was even born. Yet, it still brought back memories of my own childhood spent in the late summer months on the East Coast. <br /><br />The story is based on a series of families living in a small community south of Boston. These young, educated couples spend incredible amounts of time <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">entertaining</span> each other with dinner, drinking, and pick-up <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">basketball</span> games that then lead into beers then dinner and more drinking. The stresses of long commutes, grueling travel schedules, or duel working parents, did not seem to be too relevant in these carefree times. Instead, the majority of the characters mental resources were dedicated to plotting their next <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">extramarital</span> affair. The detail and description of these sexual encounters is risque at times, hilarious at others.<br /><br />The setting in the small town above the long beaches of the Atlantic <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">accompanied</span> my own sand filled <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">vacation</span> very nicely.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-33791106049808507162009-07-12T20:54:00.004+02:002009-07-12T21:07:07.668+02:00Cathedral by Raymond Carver<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SloxvF5DcGI/AAAAAAAAAog/D_RoyIdWsH8/s1600-h/cathedral.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 129px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SloxvF5DcGI/AAAAAAAAAog/D_RoyIdWsH8/s320/cathedral.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357649391815716962" border="0" /></a>The stories in <span style="font-style: italic;">Cathedral</span> are longer compared to those in the previous two collections. I am not the first to say it, but after having read through a series of Carver's works, one can see the development he made as a writer. There were many Carver readers who saw signs in <span style="font-style: italic;">Cathedral</span> of something larger than a short story ready to come out if we had not lost this great American writer at such an early age. <br /><br />After having read through several dozen stories, I was eager to settle down with a more substantial piece of literature. John Updike's <span style="font-style: italic;">Couples</span> proved to be exactly the type of novel which I was in need of.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-42136593297835365842009-06-23T19:55:00.004+02:002009-06-23T22:16:41.656+02:00The Partnership - The Making of Goldman Sachs by Charles D. Ellis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhHPBLGj2lhkujb5Q6JWgtLhgm1oJmyHdq9EwJOWM9RKd3npk3fQQ5o6iXCdlQvixGo9198MQy_KxXRHY0gAADk4XWtxqyBl63Hz2YHeIFgBHfe0SfYb1ZQpmJiaaMLOCN3eJK4YjjzDm/s1600-h/GS.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhHPBLGj2lhkujb5Q6JWgtLhgm1oJmyHdq9EwJOWM9RKd3npk3fQQ5o6iXCdlQvixGo9198MQy_KxXRHY0gAADk4XWtxqyBl63Hz2YHeIFgBHfe0SfYb1ZQpmJiaaMLOCN3eJK4YjjzDm/s320/GS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350583683508812370" border="0" /></a>There are two facets of our global economy which have an enormous impact on all levels of society - financial markets and oil. Both of these industries have experienced massive growth over the last half century that their impact has already played a role in shaping modern history. It is therefore important that I feel comfortable with my own understanding of these subjects even though it can be a tough go at times to read such material. There are plenty of other books I would prefer to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">leisurely</span> enjoying on my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">freetime</span>. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Partnership</span> is a book about the history of Goldman Sachs - arguably the most successful investment bank in the market. Its rise from a modest American bank into a global superpower of finance is one of the greatest expressions of US-styled capitalism ever witnessed. It will forever make up a part of business history. Even more, several of its <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CEOs</span> and partners have gone <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">onto</span> important public positions, thus meaning that GS' reach has effects on the political sphere as well.<br /><br />Even in this time of resentment towards investment banks, there are certain positive traits that Goldman Sachs deserves to be commended for. Its belief in meritocracy, team results, and absence of politicking is commendable. There are lessons to be learned for any business manager in areas such as goal setting for employees, recruiting and running effective meetings.<br /><br />To fully appreciate the book does require a certain level of financial understanding. I have a basic understanding of the subject and at times struggled to grasp certain concepts being discussed. This leads to another point: what level of understanding is required before you are justifiably allowed to bash the banking sector? Certainly there are plenty (millions) of people who, after having read a handful of articles on the industry since the crisis came into full swing, feel their insights are worthy of getting them on the short list for the Nobel Prize in economics.<br /><br />I have read several books on the industry, taken a few courses and follow financial papers with regularity and I still do not feel adequate discussing the topic. However, I will make a small observation regarding <span style="font-style: italic;">The Partnership</span>, which was published in 2008 before the crack of Lehman Brothers. Would Ellis have written this book in such a glowing light if he were publishing it in 2009? His praise for the firm rings much more hollow now after seeing how the events in finance have unfolded. Throughout the book he painted a picture of an institution that had made next to no mistakes. The last chapter was written just when first signs of the sub-prime crisis was emerging and he made it look as if Goldman <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sachs</span> had if anything profited from the situation. We now know this not to be true.<br /><br />Goldman Sachs had to convert itself to a holding company so it could gain eligibility to the Federal Reserves emergency lending facilities. Yes, Goldman Sachs has already paid back the US government for lending it received but it did need government assistance to stave off collapse. Adding these points to an additional chapter would have not been enough for this book. It would really require a complete reexamination of the superior, worshiping tone that permeates throughout every page.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Goodbye Germany! For the next few weeks I will be heading to the sunny shores of Italy. In terms of the upcoming summer reads that will be making the journey with me are Bellow"s "Herzog" and Updike's "Couples". I look forward to writing about them when I am back. </span>TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-30593410169184943852009-06-14T16:06:00.006+02:002009-07-13T21:35:22.432+02:00What we Talk About When we Talk about Love by Raymond Carver<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFyF33gK4nFDywkyVonP-pZI2dO8FNLNAsVGJk0v6Yj75NOhHjuvlD3JoFNrEbw4qjkqZ1CcFRNF3FM8zhrxEstu6X-VeyUDlUEs28ZQK1XbJ_iO_A6AyLlFK0UnESUzj2qN1yoF5eoLb/s1600-h/carver3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFyF33gK4nFDywkyVonP-pZI2dO8FNLNAsVGJk0v6Yj75NOhHjuvlD3JoFNrEbw4qjkqZ1CcFRNF3FM8zhrxEstu6X-VeyUDlUEs28ZQK1XbJ_iO_A6AyLlFK0UnESUzj2qN1yoF5eoLb/s320/carver3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347184926078960418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This post is really a continuation of my previous one on Raymond Carver</span><br /><br />I have not read many short stories in my time. After now having completed the second collection by Carver I am beginning to appreciate the skill involved in delivering messages about the characters using very little text. A full length novel has the luxury of being able to develop characters over time, and often still does not succeed. How do you, therefore, accomplish it in seven pages? Perhaps "developing" the character is not even the right term. How do you give glimpses of insight into the characters that allow you to, even momentarily, understand them? I am finding Carver's writing to rely on the logical thinking of his readers. Each sentence has a purpose in his writing and he leaves it up to us to determine their significance based on our own interpretation.<br /><br />There are two stories that stayed with me the most. The first one is titled "Viewfinder". It is about a man with no hands who takes photographs of peoples houses and then sells them to the owners. He visits one house where the owner offers him coffee not necessarily because of his hospitable nature but instead due to a nagging curiosity to see how a man with two hooks for hands would hold the cup.<br /><br />The second has the same title as the book itself. It is essentially a discussion between two couples about love. Their openness to elaborate on the more intimate aspects of their relationships is greatly aided by two bottles of gin. The conversation is good, honest and disturbing.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-65451839837803934482009-06-06T12:13:00.008+02:002009-06-13T13:28:35.852+02:00Will you Please be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SipBxuC-NCI/AAAAAAAAAm0/Qw2IJFDYLqM/s1600-h/carver.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 147px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SipBxuC-NCI/AAAAAAAAAm0/Qw2IJFDYLqM/s320/carver.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344156230258406434" border="0" /></a>I do not exactly recall how I first came across Slavoj Zizek. I believe it was in my search for contemporary philosophers who discuss the events of modern society at a deeper level than journalism is able to do. A few online pieces of his work proved to be rather interesting, especially his fascination in film and the underlying messages it often conveys. So, I was happy to see an<a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/886a1b6e-0ab7-11de-95ed-0000779fd2ac.html"> interview</a> with him in the Financial Times a few months after my initial introduction. The interview jumps from the financial crisis to Marxism and even includes a brief anecdote on the movie, <span style="font-style: italic;">Titanic</span>. However, it was one reference he made to the film, <span style="font-style: italic;">Short Cuts</span> that caught my attention. He claimed it be a Hollywood film which deserves to be called "art" compared to many "fake" European films. This stuck with me namely because I remember as an early teen looking at the VHS case of <span style="font-style: italic;">Short Cuts</span> at my local Blockbuster. It was a blue case with little cut outs of all the different actors in the movie. I never did rent it, most likely opting for <span style="font-style: italic;">True Lies</span> instead.<br /><br />Nearly 15 years after having first seen it dawning the wall of the New Release section at Blockbuster, I finally sat down to watch <span style="font-style: italic;">Short Cuts</span>. It did not disappoint. As an American living abroad now for several years, I am becoming more and more curious about my native country. I find myself constantly in search of those cultural works which best describe the true essence of the U.S. This serves two purposes. The first is that it allows me to have a portfolio of recommendations for those individuals who actually show a curiosity in better understanding the U.S. and its people beyond the stereotypes often conveyed by our own pop culture. I have not come across many interested takers yet but I am ready when it does happen. The second is simply because I relate to these albums, books, or films more now than when I am living in America. I appreciate them more, mainly due to nostalgia. Returning to <span style="font-style: italic;">Short Cuts</span> it depicts the real life of normal people living in the more mundane neighborhoods of Los Angeles and confronts the difficulties they face in their day-to-day lives.<br /><br />The film was based on the short stories of Raymond Carver. The director, Robert Altman, took a<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/TYEBLA%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /> dozen of Carver's stories and weaved them together. The Criterion Collection of this film included a documentary on Carver. Thus my introduction to Carver began here with the first scene being of his widow <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SiuCFr_KD_I/AAAAAAAAAm8/IIUBFJa7ya4/s1600-h/carver2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 92px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DSVrS55rHfI/SiuCFr_KD_I/AAAAAAAAAm8/IIUBFJa7ya4/s320/carver2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344508417023807474" border="0" /></a>reading one of his poems above his gravestone in Port Angeles. I only discovered he was buried there after the fact. However, I only needed to see the evergreens in the background running up to the cliffs edge above a large body of water to know that she was in the Pacific Northwest. Such an interesting string of connections served as the sign to me that the author's works deserved reading.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Will you Please be Quiet, Please? </span>is Carver's first collection of short stories. He lived his entire life on the West Coast and this comes through in the stories. I found myself relating with his words. I have two more collections of his short stories to read and will describe in my future posts those that I enjoyed the most. In the meantime, go and rent <span style="font-style: italic;">Short Cuts</span>. It is certainly no longer in the New Release section of Blockbuster, especially the one on N.E. 8th in Bellevue which closed down two years ago. Actually, the action "go and rent" isn't really valid any more either. It can be substituted with "go to 'Your Favorites' folder on your browser, left click, Search on Netflix 'Short Cuts', left click three times".<br /><br />15 years is a long time.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-38547994165072336172009-05-17T13:12:00.005+02:002009-05-20T22:02:17.386+02:00The Ambassadors by Henry James<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4G3PycKC9xAR0FImuHzBEc-vXgOGAkBpjoyqiUd9u8DbQF4BTYibqv6Nf_Qo2kWnWKXPv2uSkzNx6cRuN-OHyszkggzoXch0Ign7yHmnTLKdzmTDAq-CB-GT3ublZK77XuFS65Eg3USQ/s1600-h/ambass.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4G3PycKC9xAR0FImuHzBEc-vXgOGAkBpjoyqiUd9u8DbQF4BTYibqv6Nf_Qo2kWnWKXPv2uSkzNx6cRuN-OHyszkggzoXch0Ign7yHmnTLKdzmTDAq-CB-GT3ublZK77XuFS65Eg3USQ/s320/ambass.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336749637652808898" border="0" /></a><br />I often found myself calling out to my junior year high school English teacher while reading The Ambassadors. I can only describe this undertaking as a literary journey in its purest form and frankly it was not one I was prepared to make on my own. Ms <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tramontine</span> would have certainly provided the explanations needed to fully appreciate some of the finest uses of the English language I have ever come across.<br /><br />The journey was the same as one would experience in its more traditional definition with moments of frustration and confusion later disregarded after witnessing glimpses of sheer beauty - in this case a result of a series of sentences written with such <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">fluidity</span> that left me smiling and then rereading the prose out loud.<br /><br />I have since read a handful of literary reviews on this work that James claimed to be his best. One theme emerging more than once is how it is a difficult book to break into initially. I concur, succeeding only to do so in the last one hundred pages.<br /><br />The story in itself, is simple in nature especially when comparing it to modern fiction which is constantly being required to push the creative envelope. A young American in the ea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbE25USlfMpQ6KFI4En7LaGyZhZT1smaBM1exDcSYT6Ob21ZTOMPplSbtWL8vbXRPLjYk0o-jnXgpViDC3vD2veQ0KGGw8PtI2YP3I63JX3nPvfH51OTA2ydW99FOpV9a70VOV7uJgoXE/s1600-h/james.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 97px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbE25USlfMpQ6KFI4En7LaGyZhZT1smaBM1exDcSYT6Ob21ZTOMPplSbtWL8vbXRPLjYk0o-jnXgpViDC3vD2veQ0KGGw8PtI2YP3I63JX3nPvfH51OTA2ydW99FOpV9a70VOV7uJgoXE/s320/james.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336759302696537218" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">rly</span> 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> century is having too much fun in Paris. His concerned mother sends her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">fiancée</span> to convince the son to return to the States to take over their successful business. However, upon arrival the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">fiancée</span> is overcome with the beauty and splendor of Paris and its <span style="font-style: italic;">gens</span>. He meets the son and his friends who he finds to be fabulous in all senses. Several different women play vital roles throughout the story yet the book is free of sex and expressions of hedonism. Yet, James' greatest ability is how he enhances the tensions in these relationships using the subtle aspects of human nature often not written about - the longer than usual glance, the words not spoken in that moment.<br /><br />I do want to read this book again as there is bound to be so much more to be gotten from it. If anyone in my vast blog audience would like to join me on this journey please let me know. I cannot offer to be the guide, per se, but perhaps the role of the scout could be a more realistic and suiting one.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-58165635849325810882009-05-01T21:10:00.006+02:002009-05-03T20:49:28.302+02:00Se Questo è un Uomo (If This is a Man) by Primo Levi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Jkoc4snKzHgiA00raTuHkrLzy6AtJuPNY1HNfVKUlJMcR2BOQDe869y8Fq41KavNAHZSQTUfFBzH1MIIPi8Ycw-N4yhTAs3ZphgcDmn5gSYwFmCTLr4NbBoFEVjRpa-LmnRNTZ4KiBSo/s1600-h/levi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Jkoc4snKzHgiA00raTuHkrLzy6AtJuPNY1HNfVKUlJMcR2BOQDe869y8Fq41KavNAHZSQTUfFBzH1MIIPi8Ycw-N4yhTAs3ZphgcDmn5gSYwFmCTLr4NbBoFEVjRpa-LmnRNTZ4KiBSo/s320/levi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330935674191252082" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Primo</span></span> Levi was an Italian Jew who fought against the fascists during the second the World War. He was captured at the age of twenty five and sent to Auschwitz for one year from 1944-1945. Educated as a chemist, he went on to write what is probably the most highly regarded account by an Italian of life in the concentration camps. He went on to become a successful journalist until his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">suicide</span> in 1987, 42 years after having survived Auschwitz. After having read his simple and honest <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">recount</span> it becomes more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">understandable</span> how such an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">experience</span> cannot be forgotten in one lifetime. The memories still haunted him four decades later.<br /><br />My own childhood education gave a fair amount of attention to World War II and in particular to the stories of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Holocaust</span> survivors. However, it had been fifteen years since I had read a personal account of this nature. It is important for all of us to do for the simple reason that it reminds us how fortunate we are.<br /><br />It is my impression that pop culture with its happy endings, perfectly manufactured characters, and material excess often has the reverse effect than that which is intended. I often hear the justification to be how people need something light, easy, and happy that allows them to relax after a stressful day. Therefore, watching your standard formula Hollywood film or flipping through Maxim are accepted means for overcoming the difficulties of the day-to-day grind. But what often is happens is that society is instead presented with a reality that does not exist and worse yet, leaves them desiring something <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">unattainable</span>. You cannot have rock hard abs in just six weeks.<br /><br />A book of this nature, instead, pulls at such a vast range of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">emotions</span>. One cannot read it without feeling a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">reoccurring</span> sadness and anger. Yet, for me, the positive aspects were greater. I understood the true strength of the human spirit - capable of overcoming the unimaginable. I was able to see how true individualism without the help of others does not exist. It was impossible to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">survive</span> a lager without the partnership of at least one other person.<br /><br />On a more superficial level, the winter at its coldest is something I will no longer be able to complain about when I have a warm down coat and a heated house. Winter for those in a concentration camp meant working 12 hour days in wooden shoes, a cotton shirt and a canvas jacket with temperatures at -20 degree.<br /><br />Stories such as this allow us to better content ourselves with what we have instead of subliminally pointing out our physical imperfections or small bank account. Finding this self-contentment is a truly relaxing experience which is more likely to be found in a difficult book than in season four of Desperate Housewives.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-63887746543214426502009-03-31T19:53:00.004+02:002009-04-01T23:14:11.624+02:00Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMyjj5cf-RDZUOQvpit8K5l9iMq6F0czATAKrrXAzAhVF5eezKNQvVuTbY99440frVwx0OqyMEbFQWmOTcUR2OKXUi149U7h4wW2XZkO3sGwFM7D39AX8ZCAO4gYfftcIe0Tsj5TsGv7O/s1600-h/bowling+alone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 82px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMyjj5cf-RDZUOQvpit8K5l9iMq6F0czATAKrrXAzAhVF5eezKNQvVuTbY99440frVwx0OqyMEbFQWmOTcUR2OKXUi149U7h4wW2XZkO3sGwFM7D39AX8ZCAO4gYfftcIe0Tsj5TsGv7O/s320/bowling+alone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319411815828073650" border="0" /></a>After having finished <span style="font-style: italic;">Hope against Hope</span> which spoke of the condition of Russia in 1930's, I decided to swing in the opposite direction with the next book. In this case, <span style="font-style: italic;">Bowling Alone</span> maps the sociological progression of the American community after World War II by examining the external relationships that Americans have with one and another. In 1930's Russia, no clubs, teams, or organizations could exist except one - the State. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the USA, where people are given the full freedom to take part in any community-based organization that exists. And, if one does not exist, we are entitled to create our own. This freedom of social involvement is one of the most crucial aspects of a vibrant democracy. Unfortunately, it has been in consistent decline since the late 1960's. Putnam attempts to seek out why this is the case and what can be done about.<br /><br />The first part of the book introduces an important theme running through America. There are more clubs and organizations now than there ever were in the preceding decades. How then can one say that club memberships are down? What Putnam shows is how the dynamics of membership in these clubs are different. Today, there are all types of clubs imaginable. Organizations like Greenpeace, the NRA, or the Sierra Club have millions of members. However, the vast majority of these members will never actually come together to discuss a new approach to recycling or the caliber of their assault rifle. Instead they will rely on these organizations to act as lobbies mainly for political purposes. It is the other type of clubs that Putnam says are at risk: local Kiwanis, Boy Scouts, and Knights of Columbus.<br /><br />Why have these organizations seen their memberships decline? Putnam plows through piles of data in search for the answer. However, like much in life, there is never just one justification. Instead, he identifies a few key contributors, which come as no surprise. Longer commutes, television viewing, duel income households and a generations shift, e.g. Americans in the 1940s were united by World War II. All of this leads to a reduction in social capital, which along side human and physical capital are crucial components of a successful society.<br /><br />People that interact with others often are happier, more civic and less likely to commit crimes than those who are isolated. The communities in which social interconnectedness is strong, is a better, safer place to live than a less connected society. And, what I found to be most interesting is that encouraging certain aspects of social capital will lead to positive effects in what, at first glance, would seem not related.<br /><br />For example, North Carolina scores 41st in the nation on SAT scores in High school while Connecticut scores 8th. According to Putnam, "by controlling for all the other ways in which the two states differ (wealth and poverty, race, adult education, and so on), for North Carolina to see education outcomes similar to Connecticut's, according to our statistical analysis, residents in the Tar Heel state could do any of the following: increase their turnout in presidential elections by 50%; double their frequency of club meeting attendance, triple the number of non-profits per thousand residents." As he goes on to explain, these factors above have a greater effect on test scores than many traditional, and often costly, education policies such as reducing class room size. Social capital is more difficult to measure but its presence in our lives cannot be ignored when attempting to tackle many of the problems facing our schools, inner cities, or entire states.<br /><br />The question that I kept waiting to be answered is - so what do we do now? It never really was. I have a hard time believing the findings of this book came as a huge surprise back in 2000 when it was written. Has the situation improved since then? Have the I-pod or Facebook done more to worsen the situation? Has September 11th brought us together like World War II did in to previous generations?<br /><br />On an even more philisophocial level, are these devices and trends simply a reflection of our society and the direction in which we want to go? Is it wrong if we find more satisfaction in isolating ourselves from others than in meeting with others? I, personally, believe it is. However, more importantly, my human instincts often act as my guide pushing me towards interaction with others. For me it is the best guide. However, I am not burdened by many of the damaging factors Putnam atributes to the reduction of our social interaction, namely a grueling commute or excessive TV watching. Eliminating these two factors would certainly open a new world up to hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. It seems like a good start could be to put down the remote. Let's start there.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-38034078030317462922009-03-21T14:35:00.003+01:002009-03-24T20:26:54.570+01:00Hope Against Hope by Nadezhda Mandelstam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7NYtpyY4o1_8KGsT4tKMCfExM9U657896JCJ9t_W2CaHDIVT9fPhk9rfLsEbb858MTjDRQ39MTc5rqmnyvPK11f_Nar2nwW8R6sg_gDMGX7Ob5uOWKG2pnPFJJBAbOpT0kiC16RFjdj5/s1600-h/hope.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7NYtpyY4o1_8KGsT4tKMCfExM9U657896JCJ9t_W2CaHDIVT9fPhk9rfLsEbb858MTjDRQ39MTc5rqmnyvPK11f_Nar2nwW8R6sg_gDMGX7Ob5uOWKG2pnPFJJBAbOpT0kiC16RFjdj5/s320/hope.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315634967918505106" border="0" /></a>One of the reasons I decided to write this blog was to become a more critical reader. Now as I read a book, I begin to formulate the arguments that are then discussed on this page. My most recent read proved to be a difficult text on a few different levels and as I type these words I am still unsure how to encapsulate the subject matter. Therefore, I now understand why George Steiner of the New Yorker is quoted as saying, "nothing one can say will either communicate or effect the genius of this book. To pass judgment on it is almost insolence-even judgment that is merely celebration and homage." I was not able to fully grasp the genius of this memoir written about Russia in the 1930's but I can relate in the difficulty of actually passing judgment on the work.<br /><br />A dear friend of mine with a deep knowledge of communism has always told me that Marx's political ideology was never meant for a country like Russia. Certainly the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 led way to a complete transformation of a society at all levels - from economic to cultural. However the tactics used by Stalin to "pacify" society for the betterment of all led to a nation gripped by fear who saw millions of its citizens sent to the forced labor camps to die.<br /><br />Within this period any type of expression deemed disruptive to the state was not tolerated. Those involved risked death. The intellectuals who supplied cultural material to the country did so either in a state-sponsored position or underground. The first approach meant that all poems, books and music were subject to government approval while the latter meant living a transitory life with no security, money, or assistance. Many of these individuals were seen as a nemesis to the state and were arrested and sent to camps.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hope Against Hope</span> could be the best and most humanistic account we have of what life was like during that period for someone who opposed the state. It is the memoir written by the wife of Oris Mandelstam - one of Russia's most famous poets. These two individuals spent their entire marriage on the run mainly due to one poem Mandelstam wrote which included two negative lines about Stalin. A poem! Arrest! What absurdity.<br /><br />Our history of Russia and the will of man are both richer thanks to this book. Having access to this period cannot be taken for granted because so many millions of pages of text, be it poems, biographies or novels, never made it beyond the eyes of the secret police who confiscated and later destroyed them. The fact that this memoir survived is a miracle in its own right.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6674908791069831557.post-1089422368372062012009-02-14T17:36:00.009+01:002011-03-18T12:05:02.701+01:00Ghost Wars by Steve Toll<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHftcZfwCEeP9RPr5K8o4e-9CRPxajJorSewO1SHIf9EboM4lZv4uJlh0lohG7r-7xM0eONI-eIWwwonHJshA2AIwrxmbdl2XNYUW47uHCsiO0ccXZuOTOFNPCgxUF0hlonmiSUZ17OT4T/s1600-h/ghostr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHftcZfwCEeP9RPr5K8o4e-9CRPxajJorSewO1SHIf9EboM4lZv4uJlh0lohG7r-7xM0eONI-eIWwwonHJshA2AIwrxmbdl2XNYUW47uHCsiO0ccXZuOTOFNPCgxUF0hlonmiSUZ17OT4T/s320/ghostr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302693161136868306" border="0" /></a>History is fascinating because of its continuous progression through time. Events that have already taken place will combine themselves with events yet to occur. This combination will create future outcomes that will then be discussed and written about as history. Three major, international events are unfolding before our eyes without any foreseeable end in sight. Their story is yet to be completed, their history not yet ready to be declared. The link which connects Iraq, Afghanistan and the financial crisis is how each are in some form a consequence of how the United States has managed itself and viewed the world after the collapse of the Soviet Union.<br /><br />So much of our past has up until now been condensed into historic episodes - The Great Depression, World War II, Vietnam & 1968, The Cold War. How will the episode we are currently living through be later defined? What overarching conclusions, yet to be drawn, will weave these three events together? These are questions I have been asking myself with greater regularity.<br /><br />I have found it interesting to see Ronald Reagan's name emerging with greater frequency in the international media when discussing the Financial crisis. An icon of fiscal conservatives, his disdain for government involvement in the market has within the last year been called into question like never before. From a military and foreign policy perspective we have seen how those from the Reagan school, i.e. Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, struggled to see the world through a Post-Cold War lens when orchestrating their military strategies in the Middle East. This school had viewed the world up until 1989 in terms of good and evil. As a result, it was easier to mount a military and propaganda-based war against a single, devilish individual than it was to understand and make understood the country of Afghanistan. Once again, September 11, 2001 was carried out by the Al-Qaeda members located at camps in Afghanistan. Iraq had no involvement in it.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Ghost Wars</span> - The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001", will certainly be consulted for years to come as an essential read for those seeking a historic context behind September 11th. The book is laid out in a perfect chronological sequence. It does an excellent job of tying in the numerous individuals who in some way played a significant role in the developments of Afghanistan over the last 30 years. And it does so by adequately introducing the individuals, something that was not accomplished in the book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Paris 1919</span>, for example.<br /><br />To summarize Afghanistan from the US perspective, the CIA was heavily involved in the country as it was battling the Soviets in the early 1980's. Unable to conquer this incredibly difficult country, the USSR withdrew which led to a decline in US interest in the region. From that point up until September 2001, the US did not take a position on the country due to several complicated relationships it had in place with Pakistani and Saudi intelligence as well as one particular warlord in Northern Afghanistan.<br /><br />The U.S. was well aware of Bin Laden's presence in the country. Its failure to capture him can be hailed as a truly bi-partisan effort. Clinton was too often bogged down with his own personal issues and with different poorly timed election campaigns. The eight months Bush was in office prior to September 11th, showed a cabinet wide lack of interest in terrorism and Bin Laden even though the CIA was ringing the alarm bells months before the attacks.<br /><br />However, in the end,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Ghost War</span>s proves that blame cannot be placed on one person. September 11th was a result of a series of mistakes and several instances of bad luck which accumulated over two decades to finally detonate with the attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon. the book also hints that "the system" in place regarding international law on such issues as assassination, had been constructed before the rules of war were turned on their head with the introduction of a new, more deadly form of international terrorism.<br /><br />I fully recommend this book and strongly urge people to read it especially considering the critical juncture we find ourselves at in the start of 2009 with a new president. Obama will be forced to make the decision whether to drastically increase the troop presence, and therefore causalities, or to withdraw from the country all together as the Soviets did thirty years ago. Our current approach is simply not working.TBlazehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02682676885235656490noreply@blogger.com6