Archive for November 2009
Pigou and Other Wordly Philosophers
The Wall Street Journal carried an article by John Cassidy on the economist Arthur Cecil Pigou this weekend. I enjoyed it, since I had not heard of Pigou, and I appreciate reading ideas I do not agree with, or initially agree with. Read the rest of this entry »
Safety Net
The New York Times reports on the dramatic increase in food stamp usage throughout the country. For now, let me simply note that this article signals bad things for the state of the economy, regardless of any stock market rises.
Where Have All the Wise Men Gone?
Peggy Noonan, in her op-ed this week, raises the question: “Who are the wise men and women now? Who are the Robert Lovetts, Chip Bohlens and Robert Strausses who can came [sic] in to help a president in trouble right his ship?” And she observes, “America seems short of wise men, or short on those who are universally agreed to be wise.” Read the rest of this entry »
Will on Christmas Giving
George Will’s review of Scroogenomics. This is why I send his wish list to Santa each year, and it usually includes some gift card requests.
Four for Thursday: Articles I’ve Read and You Should Too
If you get too stuffed this weekend to watch football, below are four great reads. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving, everyone.
A Defense of Wall Street, by John Tamny.
Four Basic Elements of Stock Value, by Andrew Beattie. Nice summary with simple, easy-to-understand explanations.
Mayflower’s Pilgrim Capitalists, by Steven Malanga. First time I seen anything about William Bradford’s decision to align farms and work with families.
Old School Social Network, by Katherine Rosman. In an age dedicated to building and ‘leveraging’ ever-expanding personal networks, we should remember that sometimes the best networks are, and remain, small. A person in a network is only useful, in a business sense, if he or she will act on your behalf. Will contact #456 on LinkedIn or #1016 on Facebook act on your behalf?
Abe Pollin Revitalized Chinatown
Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center and former owner of the Washington Capitals, died yesterday. Listening to local talk radio today, many people in the community are mourning his loss. (And, Michael Wilbon has an excellent remembrance of Pollin in today’s Washington Post.) Surprising, to me, their reflections did not focus on him as a person; the average fan did not know Abe Pollin as some ‘know’ Jerry Jones, for example. Rather, almost all the commentators I heard reflected on his contributions to the health of the city. Read the rest of this entry »
Not So Super and Not Very Freaky: Review of Superfreakonomics
At the checkout at Borders bookstore last week, I eagerly paid for my copy of Superfreakonomics, the follow up book by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner to their 2004 smash hit, Freakonomics. I dashed through the explanatory note, enjoying their typical irreverence and humor. Read the rest of this entry »
Philosopher of Management
While most management gurus trowel out sludge worth more in paper weight than in business insight, one man – often referred to as a guru – has claimed my respect and admiration, as he has those of many leaders, managers and businesspeople worldwide. Peter Drucker died four years ago, and his writings seem just as relevant today as when he wrote them. Read the rest of this entry »
FT Interview with Jim Rogers
The Financial Times interviews famed investor Jim Rogers today. I read his book Adventure Capitalist several years ago, which recounts his travels across six continents in a custom-made yellow Mercedes convertible. He told the story in a compelling way and I enjoyed the book greatly. He’s also been uncannily correct about the market for the last 40 years.
