Category Archives: Books
Good Economics for Hard Times
Good Economics for Hard Times By Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo Hachette Book Group, New York, 2019 Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their research into alleviating global poverty. In Good Economics … Continue reading
Together
You can die of loneliness. It’s not just poetic sentiment, it’s a medical fact. Research shows that lack of social connection is just as hazardous to life expectancy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Humans are social beings. We are … Continue reading
The Storm Before the Calm
I can’t decide whether George Friedman is a genius or a crackpot. Friedman has made a career of geopolitical forecasting. He’s founded a couple of consulting companies that specialize in the field. He’s the author of several bestselling books including … Continue reading
The Optimist’s Telescope
Bina Venkataraman thinks we need to get way better at thinking ahead. The decisions we make today will impact ourselves and our planet for generations to come. Her book, The Optimist’s Telescope, is about why we make reckless decisions and how we can develop the foresight to make better ones. Continue reading
Doughnut Economics
How do we shift our economy from a focus on never-ending GDP growth to living within the “Doughnut?” Continue reading
20/20 Foresight
What better way to start 2020 than a book called 20/20 Foresight? There’s an old Danish proverb that says, “It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” Difficult for sure, but we do it all the time anyway. … Continue reading
Range
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World By David Epstein Riverhead Books, New York, 2019 I didn’t finish Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World for the same reason I don’t eat chicken wings: too much effort for … Continue reading
High Output Management
High Output Management is one of the most disappointing books I’ve ever read, and in some places it flat out pissed me off. The focus is always on output. Everyone and every team produces output. A manager’s job is … Continue reading
More From Less
More From Less is a book about dematerialization Demawhat? No, it’s not some sort of Star Trek transporter technology. Dematerialization is the phenomenon of producing the same goods from less material and energy. It’s real, it’s important, and Andrew McAfee … Continue reading
Growth
People used to think growth was a good thing. Politicians, economists and business leaders brag about healthy or robust growth in jobs, GDP, and profits. But that’s changing. These days, growth is often described as excessive, uncontrollable, and unsustainable. In … Continue reading
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