Dit boek van Cognetti kan niet anders worden gelezen dan als een vingeroefining, een snelle schets voor zijn grote succes "De Acht Bergen". Mooiste observatie komt uit de passage over zijn liefde voor de lariks: 'Als ik ernaar kijk, denk ik aan die vier eeuwen oude lariksen: één eeuw in het bos en de overigeContinue reading "Vingeroefening"
More realism – and not idealism – is needed
“Vice to which great powers easily succumb in a multipolar world is inattention; in a bipolar world, overreaction; in a unipolar world, overextension.” Isn't that precisely what we have been witnessing? Convincing Foreign Policy piece from Stephen Walt on why thinking as a realist in (geo) politics is the best way to enhance the prospectsContinue reading "More realism – and not idealism – is needed"
“Without Europe, there would be no sovereign countries”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nziEATOj5Yk&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop Part of Snyder's interesting mini YouTube lectures, I recently discovered.
Jongere generatie hecht niet meer aan democratie. Of toch wel?
De nieuwe darling-politicoloog, de ietwat alarmistische Yascha Mounk vindt van niet en maakt zich zorgen. Tom van der Meer (van het onvolprezen blog Stuk Rood Vlees) weerlegt dat onderzoek, breed uitgevent door de NY Times. Het het valt allemaal reuze mee: de democratie is bij de neiuwe Europese generatie in goede handen.
Courage is the only virtue that cannot be faked
I love Nassim Taleb's books: they're thought-provoking, intelligent and pretty original. His themes are important ones: how do complex systems behave, why is being anti-fragile better than being robust? His writing is full with philosophy inspired insights, new views on old matters and funny provocations. His latest subject is no exception: the importance of havingContinue reading "Courage is the only virtue that cannot be faked"
Almost all US states richer than Europe
Surprisingly enough, Europe is lagging all American states economically
The fourth industrial revolution
A practical introduction to the new economy - in which platforms as Uber and Amazon are the new standard. Also a great guide when trying to build a platform... Parker, Van Alstyne and Choudary, Platform Revolution, 352 p Norton & Co 2016
Seriously funny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukJ5dMYx2no Reminiscent of La Vita e Bella, which permitted us to laugh about the horrors of the Holocaust, The Death of Stalin serves up the darkest pages of the Soviet-Union as a great satire: funny, painful, informative, dark - and true. Armando Iannucci - The Death of Stalin, 2018 ****
Causeur on a mission
A man of strong opinions (sometimes wrong, often right), Hitchens was knowledgeable on virtually every topic. He did what activist intellectuals ought to do: entertain and enlighten the reader. These interviews are a great reminder of this work and, quite fittingly, start and end with words from two of his outspoken friends: Stephen Fry andContinue reading "Causeur on a mission"
Refresh your priorities
A better book than the somewhat hysterical title suggests. Positioned as a totally new approach to living a good life, it actually builds on similar books, advocating the need to set clear priorities based on values, choosing relationships above result, valuing doubt over being right and critiquing the ferocity and speed with with (social )mediaContinue reading "Refresh your priorities"
“It is not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxtWMOAHoiI Absolutely stunning images of mountains around the world. Some kind of script would have made it a truly great experience. Mountain, Jennifer Peedom, 2017 ***
Whodunnit?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWJlkHN7rc An ideal film to watch when on a transatlantic flight - especially when you find Agatha Christie books enjoyable (as I did as a young boy). Murder on the Orient Express, Kenneth Branagh, 2017 ***
Europe, look eastwards!
Bruno Maçães, a former Portuguese Europe minister, argues that the Old Continent needs to respond to the New Silk Road as planned by China, called the Belt and Road initiative. This answer should start with taking a pan-continental view on (geo-) politics and consider Europe and Asia to be one continent. Maçães gives three reasonsContinue reading "Europe, look eastwards!"
Niemand weet dat het beter gaat dan ooit
We weten (bijna) niets van de wereld - en vooral niet hoe goed het met haar gaat. Echter, we denken het wel te weten en maken daar beleid op. Rosling stelt 13 vragen over de toestand van de wereld - feitelijke vragen als hoeveel mensen hebben toegang tot elektriciteit of hoeveel meisjes gaan naar school? Keer op keer scoren gokkende chimpansees beter danContinue reading "Niemand weet dat het beter gaat dan ooit"
Grote thema’s klein verpakt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrBEDEmUceM Wat een film - grappig, scherp en mooi. Ja, oorlog is vaak saai en wreed tegelijk, maar wat dacht je van het leven? Foxtrot - Samuel Maoz, 2018 *****
Obama’s last push for diplomacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqigalnC8NM On the eve of Trump launching a missile attack on Syria, I watched "The Final Year" - a Netflix documentary on the efforts of Obama's diplomatic team (Samantha Power, Ben Rhodes, John Kerry) to solve conflict through diplomacy. Featuring Obama's famous red line, now replaced by Trump's "Mission Accomplished" - totally different approaches, sameContinue reading "Obama’s last push for diplomacy"
PEPIJN VAN DIJK 