The Guest Lecture by Martin Riker - 4 stars

[Joy D]

The Guest Lecture by Martin Riker - 4* - My Review

This is a short book of ideas, intended to provide a bit of optimism in today’s world of worries. We spend the entire book in the head of a female professor who has just been denied tenure and must give a speech the next day. As she tries to sleep next to her husband and young daughter, her mind jumps from one topic to the next. Feeling unprepared for her talk, she decides to rehearse using an ancient mnemonic device of going from room to room in her house to organize the topics of her speech. To her initial surprise, she is accompanied in her thoughts by John Maynard Keynes, whose economic paper on Pragmatic Optimism is the primary subject of her lecture.

I am sure insomniacs will relate to her difficulty staying focused on her speech in her mental rehearsal. Her mind wanders to the problems in her life, what has gone wrong in the past, and her concerns about the future. All this takes place after the 2016 US Presidential election, which has added fuel to her fears. Her mind jumps to all manner of wide-ranging topics. I think the author’s employment of Keynes is helpful in bridging the gap between her personal concerns and the larger concerns of society.

This book will not be for everyone. It is definitely not for anyone looking for action. It is creative and covers ground not often found in fiction. Do not be put off by the idea of “economics” as a topic. It does not go into great detail about economics. You do not need to know much about Keynes’s theories – general familiarity will suffice. If you, like me, enjoy academic topics, unusual framing devices, and dry humor, give this one a go. As a bonus, it does feel rather optimistic in tone, which I found a nice change of pace.