Category: Books 2015

Superforecasting – Philip Tetlock (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

Superforecasting – Philip Tetlock (2015)

sfMost 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 famous the forecaster, the worse his predictions. Continue reading “Superforecasting – Philip Tetlock (2015)”

Magie in al je communicatie – Bas Mouton (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

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 to a critical audience” to “show why this message is important to you”. From these we learn that the single most important element of effective and powerful communication is the call to action – what do I want the other to change in his or her behavior? And don’t shy away from exciting resistance; this means the message has value.
Furthermore, Continue reading “Magie in al je communicatie – Bas Mouton (2015)”

The Tyranny of Experts – William Easterly (2014)
Books 2015, What I read

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 people without rights. He doesn’t see a battle between free market and state intervention, but one between authoritarianism and free development.

His basic conclusion is that we may never compromise on equality of rights. It comes before anything else; including poverty reduction programs, propagated by the World Bank and the likes of Gates and Blair. It is at those institutions and wealthy individuals that Easterly (himself a former World Bank economist) addresses his critique. Continue reading “The Tyranny of Experts – William Easterly (2014)”

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

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 he demonstrates throughout his book, in which he paints the mood of the country with the help of writers, philosophers, scientist and philosophers.

Laqueur’s conclusion on Putin is clear: Continue reading “Putinism, Russia and it’s Future with the West – Walter Laqueur (2015)”

The Utopia of Rules – David Graeber (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

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, I share his critique of our seemingly ever-growing propensity to tackle our problems with rules and regulations.

So, it was with great expectations that I picked up this book, only to be Continue reading “The Utopia of Rules – David Graeber (2015)”

Liberalism, The Life of an Idea – Edmund Fawcett (2014)
Books 2015

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 done his research and tells the story of liberalism from a wide set of viewpoints.
He sees four lines of thinking that have shaped practical liberalism; 1) the acknowledgement of unavoidable ethical and material conflicts in society 2) mistrust of power 3) belief in human progress 4) respect for others, summarized as: conflicts, resistance to power, progress and respect. Continue reading “Liberalism, The Life of an Idea – Edmund Fawcett (2014)”

Simple Rules – D. Sull and K. Eisenhardt (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

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 better decisions
  • Allow members of a community to synchronize their activities with one another on the fly. Think bee colonies.

It is also my experience that one needs, in order to be effective, to bring back a strategy, or any message for that matter, to a coherent set of core rules or principles.
According to the authors these kinds of rules have four traits that make then attractive: They are limited to a handful and tailored to the person or organization using them. Furthermore they apply to a well-defined activity or decision (to prevent platitudes as ‘do your best’) and lastly, they provide clear guidance while conferring the latitude to exercise direction.

And that is what makes them powerful weapons Continue reading “Simple Rules – D. Sull and K. Eisenhardt (2015)”

Reis naar het continent – Mathieu Segers (2013)
Books 2015, What I read

Reis naar het continent – Mathieu Segers (2013)

This is a very well researched account of the creation of Europe, from World War II to the present day, with quite some technical details. Nevertheless, Segers never loses his general thread. He starts with stressing that the unification of Europe was a strongly held wish from the United States (“building Europe”) and that there was only one real combination driving this process forward: the axis France-Germany.

Those two countries, however, had different motives: the French wanted to keep Germany in check, with the horrors of both World Wars still fresh in mind, and saw at the same time a huge opportunity to profit from Germany’s strong economy. The Germans wanted Continue reading “Reis naar het continent – Mathieu Segers (2013)”

Superpower – Ian Bremmer (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

Superpower – Ian Bremmer (2015)

bremmerAs the US presidential election approaches, books on candidates, geopolitical issues and the hard choices would-be presidents will see themselves confronted with, will hit the bookstores in big numbers. My guess is that this one will probably stand out for clarity, as the author isn’t afraid to balance all his arguments – as normally seen in essays. After G-Zero this is Bremmer’s second book I read, and again he shows great ability in describing the complex world in a easy-to-read and intelligent way.

Continue reading “Superpower – Ian Bremmer (2015)”

Mountains of the mind – Robert Macfarlane (2003)
Books 2015, What I read

Mountains of the mind – Robert Macfarlane (2003)

This book has put my passion for mountain climbing into words.
A must read for hikers, explorers and nature lovers alike; providing essential context to books as Touching The Void and Into Thin Air. In a very eloquent manner – tying literature, geology and climbing history together – Macfarlane explores why we take enormous risks just to climb a heap of rocks, ice and snow. His journey takes us all the way back to Pangea to understand why George Mallory’s love for the Everest (exceeding even that for his wife) led to his death on its slopes.

Continue reading “Mountains of the mind – Robert Macfarlane (2003)”

Baltische Zielen – Jan Brokken (2010)
Books 2015, Favourites, What I read

Baltische Zielen – Jan Brokken (2010)

Beautiful, often emotional, stories describing the fascinating and cruel history of the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, wedged between Europe and Russia. Brokken makes us witnesses of the lives of both normal and famous people dealing with fear, humiliation and murder as their countries are constant object of foreign occupation: be it Polish, German of Russian. Continue reading “Baltische Zielen – Jan Brokken (2010)”

Soumission – Michel Houellebecq (2015)
Books 2015, Favourites, What I read

Soumission – Michel Houellebecq (2015)

One of the most intriguing notions Houellebecq puts forward in his latest novel is not that the populist right is a stable force in the political landscape, nor that in 2022 a Muslim party wins a large share of votes. No, it’s the reaction to this outcome that surprises. When it becomes clear that the first round of the 2022 French presidential elections is won by the Muslim party, followed by the Front National (by then still led by Marine Le Pen) the two traditional centrist parties, the PS and the UMP, choose – in a coordinated effort to prevent the Front National from winning the election – to partner up with the Muslim leader Mohammed Ben Abbes. Continue reading “Soumission – Michel Houellebecq (2015)”

Exodus – Paul Collier (2014)
Books 2015, What I read

Exodus – Paul Collier (2014)

Famous economist Paul Collier’s latest book focuses on the effects of migration; on both the immigrant as the people who welcome them. He manages to stay away from the moral high ground, that so often characterizes publications on this matter. His conclusions are surprising and have the potential to reframe the complex debate around migration. Of course, that would need other stakeholders (aid workers, politicians etc) to take the first exit from the moral high way as well. A good start would be to read this book, as Collier makes a strong ,empirical, point that moderate immigration is the best; for all parties involved.

Continue reading “Exodus – Paul Collier (2014)”

Heretic. Why Islam must change to join the modern world – Ayaan Hirsi Ali (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

Heretic. Why Islam must change to join the modern world – Ayaan Hirsi Ali (2015)

Right in the beginning of her book Hirsi Ali admits thats she was wrong to state, as she did in her last book, that Islam can’t be reformed. The Arab Spring is the reason of her striking U-turn and has fueled Ayaan’s hope that reform is possible.
The central thesis of ‘Heretic’ is that the fundamental problem standing in the way of real reform is the notion that the majority of peaceful and decent Muslims are not willing to acknowledge that the theological ground for intolerance and violence is to be found in their own religious texts. Let alone, criticizing them.

Continue reading “Heretic. Why Islam must change to join the modern world – Ayaan Hirsi Ali (2015)”

Reasons to stay alive – Matt Haig (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

Reasons to stay alive – Matt Haig (2015)

Highly recommended by Stephen Fry (a reason in itself to purchase it) this book shows Haig is a writer of great talent. With a mix of humor and sensitivity he takes us to the deepest abyss of his life: his years of depression. His descriptions are of great intensity (not being able to get up for days, wanting to commit suicide, or – more accurate – wanting not to have been born at all). We, those who never had the illness, will never really grasp the overwhelming, all-consuming nature of ‘the black dog’. Continue reading “Reasons to stay alive – Matt Haig (2015)”

Dit kan niet waar zijn – Joris Luyendijk (2015)
Books 2015, What I read

Dit kan niet waar zijn – Joris Luyendijk (2015)

Set up as an anthropological study, Luyendijk spent  a year and a half in the London City interviewing around 200 bankers, so-called quants, recruiters and everyone willing to participate in his experiment -published as a blog on The Guardian website. His mission was to get answers to questions as ‘What Happened?’ and ‘Have adequate measures been put in place to avoid another crisis?’. The answer to the first question is; difficult to say, but one thing is certain: a fatal combination of too much risk taking, spurred by the wrong incentives was at the core of the melt down. Answering the second one is easier: no. And there’s much to be scared about. Continue reading “Dit kan niet waar zijn – Joris Luyendijk (2015)”

The Meaning of Hitler/ Anmerkungen zu Hitler – Sebastian Haffner (1978)
Books 2015, What I read

The Meaning of Hitler/ Anmerkungen zu Hitler – Sebastian Haffner (1978)

This little gem was first published in 1978 and dissects the Führer’s life in 7 thematic chapters, with simple titles as Life, Successes, Treason etc. Simple maybe, but it’s quite a special approach To start with, Sebastian Haffner (pseudonym for Raimund Pretzel) only needs 300 pages to describe the complex person of Hitler – which he does in an eloquent and convincing way. The ‘innovation’ that Haffner brought into the debate about Hitler was that the key to understanding Hitler’s political behaviour lies in the fact that he saw himself as the personification of the German Empire. Continue reading “The Meaning of Hitler/ Anmerkungen zu Hitler – Sebastian Haffner (1978)”

The Islamist Phoenix – Loretta Napoleoni (2014)
Books 2015, What I read

The Islamist Phoenix – Loretta Napoleoni (2014)

Tells the stunning success story of IS in Iraq and Syria and explains the drivers behind the creation of a  Caliphate that, under the leadership of Al-Baghdadi, invites all Sunni Muslims to join the new Holy Land. IS has made maximum use of the total chaos in the region, the fitna (civil war) within the Islamic community between Sunni’s and Shi’ites and has surprised the divided, indecisive, ill-prepared West with its brutal message that appeals to so many. IS’ goal is nothing less than a new ethnic-religious nation (Napoleoni makes the comparison with the early years of the creation of Israel). Continue reading “The Islamist Phoenix – Loretta Napoleoni (2014)”