Review: 2030 by Albert Brooks
2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America
Basically, this is a great book about what happens to America if we don’t take control of our future.
If you love near future dystopia, or just a darkly humorous tale of a country gone awry, buy this book now. Simply could not put it down, and read it in an afternoon. Both entertaining and thought provoking.
Books has managed to taken every trend shaping America today to its logical conclusion, and the results are great. This includes: massive government debt, absurd security protocol, the San Andreas faultline, race relations, age relations, America’s dependence on China, and even has a bit of White House intrigue. (I would have loved it if he had included hydrocarbon and financial markets too.)
Sure, there’s some cartoonish elements (in the romance and revolutionary stuff), but you don’t really care as you consider the ideas presented (would a network of robot wielding remote doctors and nurse practitioners really work?) and laugh at Brooks’ running commentary.
Review: Adapt by Tim Harford
Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure
In the tradition of others such as Thomas Homer-Dixon, John Kay (who he mentions as an influence), and Nassim Taleb, Tim takes a look at the complex systems that underpin the world today, how they function, and, more importantly, what makes them succeed (and fail). It’s great for anyone thinking about the entrepreneurial lifestyle or resiliency is it relates to the success of individuals, communities, and civilizations.
Given the systems thinking embedded here, this is a book about feedback. In short, Tim says we should capture and leverage the information we get from failure to shape future efforts. This isn’t recovery, this is thriving in an environment and mindset dedicated to maximizing the returns from this loop.
And it’s fundamentally not a self-help book. It’s an examination of the rich history of this approach and the impact it’s had on areas as diverse as finance, warfare (quite cool to see H.R. McMaster given some much needed accolades here), and Broadway.
Though he stumbles in the carbon tax chapter (‘natural’ fuel inflation remains unaddressed), he does a great job simplifying complex phenomena (like the 2008 crisis and the inefficiency of international development) while retaining depth. Not a quick read, but it flows well, is humorous at times (“Chuchillian jowls”), and is well worth the ~260 pages. Lots of great passages to keep around.
Review: Stop Saying You’re Fine
Stop Saying You’re Fine: Discover a More Powerful You
I don’t normally read this kind of thing. Got it a review copy (free, had a three hour drive to kill). Lots of gimmicks, un-cited academic studies, and a gaggle of faceless names with absurd stories -drug addicts, etc. Really weird in it’s focus.
Way outside the realm of normal people – one sticks out in particular – It centers on an alcoholic absent father trying to get back in touch with his daughter… and Robbins’ spends a page and a half outlining how exactly to violate all social norms, gives stalkers hope, and, if you follow her advice, I guarantee you’ll find yourself slapped with a restraining order.
There’s some nuggets in there though. (Those familiar with the OODA get this anyway.) But, the few insights in there were useful enough to notate and share specific passages with people they reminded me of, including myself. Plenty of filler, lots of repetition though.
A Necessary? Evil
Google’s buying 6,000 Nortel patents for $900m, for the greater good.
$68,000
A new study proves that a family of four needs $67,920 a year (pre-tax) to survive in America. And that’s basic: no vacations, no fancy dinners, no wine tastings, no fun-box deliveries from Amazon or Zappos or whatever every couple of months to break up the crushing monotony of work and eventual death. You will, however, spend an average of $12,000 a year on car insurance and payments on your crappy mid-sized sedan, because we don’t have much in the way of public transportation in this country. And you’ll spend another $12,000 a year on child care, because we don’t like to provide socialism in these parts, ha ha.
Don’t forget to pay $9,000 in taxes on that $67,920! Who do you think you are, General Electric?