Author Archives: Harry Katz

Crosscut Festival

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Harry Katz

I spent yesterday attending the Crosscut Festival at Seattle University.  I’ve gone to so many conferences through work that I can’t seem to break the habit of taking and writing up notes.  So here they are. The conference was organized … Continue reading →

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Unhitching

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Harry Katz

Yesterday morning we hitched up our much-loved tent trailer for the last time. We drove down to the Fauntleroy Ferry dock, made the short crossing over calm water to Vashon Island, and with mixed feelings delivered the trailer to a … Continue reading →

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Exit West

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Harry Katz

Wow! What a marvelous magical book to close out this tumultuous year! Nadia and Saeed live in an unnamed city in an unnamed country, perhaps in the Middle East, or maybe Afghanistan or Pakistan, or possibly anywhere, that is being … Continue reading →

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The Myth of the Strong Leader

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Harry Katz

We all admire strong leaders, leaders with a commanding presence, leaders who aren’t afraid to make tough decisions, who “tell it like it is” and press forward undaunted in the face of critics and nay-sayers. But are these strong leaders … Continue reading →

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On Dumping Stuff

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Harry Katz

Last weekend we took a load of stuff to the dump. Technically it’s called a municipal waste transfer station. You pull up, back up actually, to the sloping edge of a long deep rectangular trench. The trench is really an … Continue reading →

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Machine, Platform, Crowd

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Harry Katz

Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital FutureBy Andrew McAfee and Erik BrynjolfssonW. W. Norton & Co., New York, 2017 Machine, Platform, Crowd is an update to Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson’s fabulous 2014 book, The Second Machine Age. (My review … Continue reading →

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Mr. O’Byrne

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Harry Katz

I’ve been remembering my high school calculus teacher, Mr. O’Byrne, over the last few days. It started while I was reading a lengthy article about neural networks and how they’re trained using backpropagation and analytic gradients. There’s not that much … Continue reading →

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Thank You for Being Late

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Harry Katz

Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of AccelerationsBy Thomas L. FriedmanFarrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2016 It’s a good thing Tom Friedman is an optimist. Reading his latest book, Thank You for … Continue reading →

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Beethoven’s 9th

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Harry Katz

I can’t remember when, or even if, I’ve ever listened to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 from start to finish.  I’ve certainly never heard it performed live.  Until last night.  We attended a performance of the Ninth by the Seattle Symphony … Continue reading →

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How Will You Measure Your Life?

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Harry Katz

How Will You Measure Your Life? By Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth & Karen Dillon HarperCollins, New York, 2012 Clayton Christensen is best known for his groundbreaking book The Innovator’s Dilemma, probably one of the most important business books ever … Continue reading →

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