I picked up this book as part of the recommended reading in the first chapter of Richard W. Paul's Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your...moreI picked up this book as part of the recommended reading in the first chapter of Richard W. Paul's Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life. To be honest, I was skeptical that it would hold my interest long enough for me to read it in its entirety. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I enjoy the book immensely but I managed to read it cover to cover in less than a single day. True, the book is uncharacteristically small (a mere 118 pages) but my customary reading proficiency could easily stretch 118 poages over a couple of weeks. Most impressive of all is Robert Heilbroner's ability to clearly articulate a broad understanding of capitalism, the forces that drive it, the influence of politics on it (and vice versa), and the success and failure of the market system as the invisible hand that influences it to extrapolate some very sensible scenarios for the future.
Most notable of all for me is the the possible further insights into Heilbroner's chapter on the market system that could be gained in light of Daniel Kahneman's prospect theory I recently discovered in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow. Something I might endeavor to explore when time permits.
Finally Heilbroner's outline for a participatory economy seems to be a surprising accurate prediction of recent developments in how social media and crowd sourcing/funding have begun to appear on the economic landscape. Although it is still too early to tell these developments seem to indicate that we are starting to explore these avenues as possible alternatives to capitalism. Something he professed would not be viable in this century.(less)
Pretty interesting read. Follett's characters were surprisingly complex. Many of the protagonists felt like they were teetering on the brink of becomi...morePretty interesting read. Follett's characters were surprisingly complex. Many of the protagonists felt like they were teetering on the brink of becoming major antagonists through-out the book. The intricate political maneuvering often pushing characters in directions they themselves were often surprised at.
Follett also seems to describe scenes of rape, animal torture, violence, and breast fondling with particular skill. I almost put down the book a few times to recover from a particularly gruesome passage...(less)
It's been a while since I've read anything in French. Picked up this book as a way to improve my language skills. Not the best of books but worth the...moreIt's been a while since I've read anything in French. Picked up this book as a way to improve my language skills. Not the best of books but worth the read. Nothing like a sad love story to get reacquainted with French literature.(less)
Réjean Ducharme continuously surprises me with the richness of his text. Every sentence in the book is thick with meaning, playfulness and a dark sens...moreRéjean Ducharme continuously surprises me with the richness of his text. Every sentence in the book is thick with meaning, playfulness and a dark sense of humor that I cannot help but enjoy.
The main characters are enigmatic and unpredictable but completely consistent in their rejection of everything that can be considered the norm. They escape being discarded as angry 30 somethings thanks to a few displays of innocence brought forward by their inability to navigate adult situations. Much like L'avalée des avalés this story celebrates the impetuousness of childhood but brings it forward in the shape of a young adult couple living in Montréal during the early 70s.(less)
Atul Gawande does a good job selling the you on the idea of why checklists can be useful in any sort of organization. However, the book was a little d...moreAtul Gawande does a good job selling the you on the idea of why checklists can be useful in any sort of organization. However, the book was a little disappointing from a practical application standpoint. I was hoping for some more detailed insights and steps on creating and managing checklists in general.
Of particular note were the medical examples Gawande used to illustrate his point. I personally found most of them to be quite gruesome. I think anyone with a penchant for detailed descriptions of surgical interventions would find the stories quite enjoyable.(less)
This was a really enjoyable read. I particularly liked the way McRaney prefaced each bias/effect/illusion/fallacy with a simple The Misconception vs....moreThis was a really enjoyable read. I particularly liked the way McRaney prefaced each bias/effect/illusion/fallacy with a simple The Misconception vs. The Truth explanation. The chapters are brief and to the point easily making this an enjoyable reference book to casually return to when needed. (less)
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