Endless
Is the avoidance of death an end in itself? *A: It seems a worthy goal, but at some point it ceases to be.*Q: An end… Read More »Endless
Edith Grossman on literary translation as narrative transmutation
I’ve been reading her Don Quixote [amazon] for the last 18 months. Rest In Pages. Ralph Manheim, the great translator from the German, compared the… Read More »Edith Grossman on literary translation as narrative transmutation
At the end of all your rushing…
It’s often worth rushing to catch a bus or a wave – to rush for a particular event with a specific, probable payoff an order… Read More »At the end of all your rushing…
Ian Leslie on story as intellectual anaesthetic
Historians have an increasingly strong incentive to tell dramatic stories which gain attention and make ‘impact’. But anyone in the business of reporting on reality… Read More »Ian Leslie on story as intellectual anaesthetic
Dan North on deep productivity: Delivering the team
We were working for a well-known software consultancy at a Big Bank that decided to introduce individual performance metrics, “for appraisal and personal development purposes”…… Read More »Dan North on deep productivity: Delivering the team
James Carse on Finite Games, boundaries and licenses
Just as it is essential for a finite game to have a definitive ending, it must also have a precise beginning. Therefore, we can speak… Read More »James Carse on Finite Games, boundaries and licenses
Lant Pritchett on the limits of information technology; or, The Moore the Merrier?
I think people have been seduced into thinking that the advance in information technology is going to bring more change to the future than I… Read More »Lant Pritchett on the limits of information technology; or, The Moore the Merrier?
Top hats, stotting, and defunding the police: Rob Henderson on Luxury Beliefs
Luxury beliefs are ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class, while often inflicting costs on the lower classes. In 1899, the economist… Read More »Top hats, stotting, and defunding the police: Rob Henderson on Luxury Beliefs
GK Chesterton on HG Wells and the function of an open mind
I have always thought that he [Wells] reacted too swiftly to everything; possibly as a part of the swiftness of his natural genius. I have… Read More »GK Chesterton on HG Wells and the function of an open mind
The Function of Cool
“Cool” impresses us – at least in unguarded moments – because it signals surplus: I thought I was reminded of this via mention of smoking… Read More »The Function of Cool