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Author Archives: Harry Katz
The Hobby Lobby Decision
In its June 30, 2014 decision in the case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time in US legal history that a closely held for-profit corporation is entitled to a religious exemption from following a US … Continue reading
Posted in Law and justice, Politics
Tagged contraception, Hobby Lobby, Obamacare, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
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Riley v. California (with a Primer on Reading Supreme Court Decisions)
In this post I’m going to take a break from book reviews and look at the recent Supreme Court decision in the Riley v. California case. (In future posts, I may deal with other cases.) Riley v. California is a … Continue reading
Posted in Law and justice, Politics
Tagged privacy, Riley, SCOTUS, search and seizure, Supreme Court
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Book Review: Love and Math
Love and MathBy Edward FrenkelBasic Books, New York, NY, 2013 You’ve probably seen those late night TV ads for Zumba or P90X or a dozen other fitness programs. Ever notice how everyone in those ads already looks slim, sculpted & … Continue reading
Book Review: The Ideas That Conquered the World
The Ideas That Conquered the World By Michael Mandelbaum PublicAffairs, New York, NY, 2002 The Ideas That Conquered the World was published with some fanfare in 2002, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I can’t remember how … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Economics, History, Politics
Tagged book review, democracy, free markets, michael mandelbaum, nonfiction
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Book Review: The Second Machine Age
The Second Machine Age By Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2014 The steam engine was the iconic invention and the driving force behind the first machine age. It transformed the world by enabling … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Computers and Internet
Tagged Economics, internet, Moore's Law, Second Machine Age, technology
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Glasses online
A couple of weeks ago I bought eyeglasses online for the first time. Maybe I’m late to the party, but it had been a few years since I last needed new glasses – my prescription hardly ever changes – and … Continue reading
Posted in Computers and Internet, Health and wellness
Tagged glasses, online commerce
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Book Review: David and Goliath
Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, David and Goliath, is really a collection of stories, variations on the theme of lopsided conflicts, of the weak prevailing against the strong. Apparent strength can mask great weakness, and there are often diminishing returns, even … Continue reading
Book Review: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth
Remember Chris Hadfield? Sure you do. He’s the Canadian astronaut who sang Space Oddity from the International Space Station, from a tin can far above the world. Back on Earth and now retired, he’s written a book; An Astronaut’s Guide … Continue reading
Posted in Books
Tagged astronaut, book review, Chris Hadfield, NASA, nonfiction, space
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Book Review: The Checklist Manifesto
The Checklist ManifestoBy Atul GawandePicador, New York, 2009 I didn’t finish reading this book. It wasn’t worth it. Don’t get me wrong; checklists are extremely useful. They’re great for capturing, organizing and sharing knowledge and best practices. They help us … Continue reading
Book Review: The End of Big
The End of BigBy Nicco MeleSt. Martin’s Press, New York, 2013 The only reason I didn’t throw this book against a wall is because I read it on my Kindle. The main idea in The End of Big: How the … Continue reading
