Category Archives: Blog

At war

  Since the horrendous attacks in my beloved Paris I’ve been increasing my reading on ISIS, the attacks, jihadism and the Middle-East. Here’s a selection: A Vox article on the gap between true narratives and true facts. “America has not changed Iraq or Syria, but the wars there have indeed changed America” – a long-read ContinueContinue reading “At war”

Superforecasting – Philip Tetlock (2015)

Most important take-away: don’t take ‘experts’ too seriously, especially not the famous ones. They are very prone to looking at the world through the lens of a so-called hedgehog: there is only one truth and reality has to adapt to it. Tetlock has even demonstrated an inversed correlation between fame and accuracy. The more famousContinueContinue reading “Superforecasting – Philip Tetlock (2015)”

Oorlog en Kermis – Olaf Koens (2015)

A set of stories about the surreal world Russians, Ukrainians and other former Soviet peoples live in. A world wherein everything and everyone is suspect, where the abnormal is normal and vodka is consumed like water.  Although every story is different – from the adventures of Pussy Riot to the incarceration of Greenpeace employees, fromContinueContinue reading “Oorlog en Kermis – Olaf Koens (2015)”

How to say farewell to your mother?

Touching. Brutally honest. A story about dying. About the, painful, relationship between mother and son – full of secrets and, as the story unfolds, more and more outpourings. Van Dis has an audacious way of bidding his mother farewell. Called a novel, I assume it is for almost one hundred percent autobiographical. It for sureContinueContinue reading “How to say farewell to your mother?”

Magie in al je communicatie – Bas Mouton (2015)

A self-help book that promises magic in all our communication by getting rid of the well known tricks (where to put your hands, how to capture the audience with your eyes etc), and have the guts to show yourself and convey a genuine message. Bas Mouton has formulated 9 rules, ranging from “give compliments toContinueContinue reading “Magie in al je communicatie – Bas Mouton (2015)”

Will Angus Deaton’s thinking now become mainstream?

This week Angus Deaton won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on development, welfare and poverty. Although he is optimistic about the world as a whole becoming a better place he very much criticizes the West’s attempts to alleviate poverty in developing countries. He even insists that ‘we’ are currently making things worse.ContinueContinue reading “Will Angus Deaton’s thinking now become mainstream?”

The Tyranny of Experts – William Easterly (2014)

This book wants to provoke, to stir debate and eventually change our thinking on how to help the poor. Its great subtitle, Economist, Dictators and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor, is just the start. Easterly main message is that the real cause of poverty is the unchecked power of the state against poor peopleContinueContinue reading “The Tyranny of Experts – William Easterly (2014)”

Putinism, Russia and it’s Future with the West – Walter Laqueur (2015)

As one of the most important actors on the geopolitical chess board I’m dying to better understand Putin and his Russia: Should he be feared and contained or, as some pundits argue, is he in fact our natural ally? The ‘preeminent’ historian Laqueur has a deep understanding of Russian history and its complexity as heContinueContinue reading “Putinism, Russia and it’s Future with the West – Walter Laqueur (2015)”

The Utopia of Rules – David Graeber (2015)

The premise of this book is that we live a deeply bureaucratic society – if we do not notice it, it is largely because bureaucratic practices and requirements have become so all-pervasive that we can barely see them, or worse, cannot imagine doing things any other way. Although this might seem a little exaggerated, IContinueContinue reading “The Utopia of Rules – David Graeber (2015)”

The migration dilemma

In times of great emotion taking some distance can generate new perspectives. For sure, in dealing with the huge immigration crisis in Europe rational analysis is of great help in finding workable answers. This is an interesting, factual look at arguably the biggest challenge we’ve been facing for a while on the Old Continent. TheContinueContinue reading “The migration dilemma”

Liberalism, The Life of an Idea – Edmund Fawcett (2014)

This is what one could call a tour de force: a biography of liberalism from 1830 until now. As far as I know, the first of its kind. And its a great joy to read – at least for those interested in the history of ideas. Fawcett (a former journalist) is clearly knowledgeable, has doneContinueContinue reading “Liberalism, The Life of an Idea – Edmund Fawcett (2014)”

The Magic Mountain – Thomas Mann (1924)

The all-time classic that most people advise me to read, when advising an all-time classic. I like the style, the characters and the beautiful sentences, but it is a slow-read. Would I after all be a victim of the modern age, with its emphasis on snippets of information and short attention span? Am only halfContinueContinue reading “The Magic Mountain – Thomas Mann (1924)”

Simple Rules – D. Sull and K. Eisenhardt (2015)

Simplification is not necessarily a form of stupidity – it can be a form of intelligence. Even of brilliance. Simple rules are, simply put, rules of thumb. And simple rules are applicable to almost every area. They do three things very well: Confer flexibility to pursue new opportunities while maintaining some consistency Can produce betterContinueContinue reading “Simple Rules – D. Sull and K. Eisenhardt (2015)”