Prahalad, NDaye, Ahamed

Since my last post I've read an issue of The New Scientist, an issue of The New Yorker, an issue of The Economist and an issue of OK Magazine, along with three issues of Eclectic Reading.

I also read US-Mexico Military Relations, by G. Turbinville, Marie NDaye's Trois femmes puissantes, and C.K. Prahalad's New Era of Innovation. I saw Prahalad's book was actually just about how the market is now saturating so much that industry has to retool to suit a much finickier marketplace. NDaye's novel didn't capture me until the third part, about Khady Demba, and what the cover said about it was true: it captures in great detail and veracity every sensation of an impoverished woman whose life and health deteriorates quickly during a period of lawlessness in her country. I learned something of history in Turbinville's monograph. In any event, I'm onto Lords of Finance, by Liaquat Ahamed, about the central bankers in the 30's, and it is very interesting.

C.K. Prahalad, Berlin

I've read two books by C.K. Prahalad. The first is interesting, Fortune at the Base of the Pyramid, about the economic potential of the poorest people. It certainly stands commercial ideas on their heads. The second was just an application of cooperative instead of competitive strategy, Future of Competition. Here I mostly noticed Prahalad's predilection for creating acronyms at the drop of a hat. I also read Willets' The Pinch, a fairly obvious book about the problem of baby-boomers mortgaging the future of their children with their government-funded entitlements. I had thought of that a long time ago, I imagine others had too. I read Isaiah Berlin's essays on Vico and Herder, ahead of reading Vico himself. I just started Vico's essay on knowledge.

Mags

Since my last post I've read an issue of The Star, The Examiner, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, two issues of OK Magazine, and three issues of Eclectic Reading. Thought I'd write it down before I forgot.

Berlin

I read Berlin's First and Last, which were his first and last pieces of writing. This was intellectually interesting, and the last piece, written for a Chinese audience unused to Western philosophy, was also interesting for a summary of his thought. I also read the Reith lectures, published under the titleCrooked Timber of Humanity, which was also a repetition of some earlier lectures. I also read Freedom and its Betrayal and The Proper Study of Mankind, another collection of lectures.

Berlin, Mazzieri, Muller

Since my last post, I've read three issues of Eclectic Reading, an issue of The New Yorker, an issue of The Economist, an issue of OK Magazine, and an issue of The New Scientist.

I've also read Discours sur la tombe de l'idiot by Julie Mazzieri. The novel is a cut above murder mystery, and is written in a spare yet complete style. I also read The Passport by the Nobel winner Herta Muller. That was written so sparely I had to concentrate a lot to read it through. I liked it. I also am reading Isaiah Berlin, and I've read several of his lectures. The most interesting of these was the one about Tolstoy's philosophy of history, The fox and the Hedgehog. Finally, I understand that Greek metaphor. Also I am going to read Joseph de Maistre next, since he influenced Tolstoy so much, in tandem with Rousseau. I also read Two Concepts of Liberty, of which I quote:"One belief, more than any other, is responsible for the slaughter of individuals on the alters of the great historical ideas...This is the belief that somewhere, in the past, or in the future, in divine revelation or in the mind of an individual thinker, in the pronouncements of history or science, or in the simple heart of an uncorrupted good man, there is a final solution." p. 52. Now ain't that the truth? I had come to understand this, but he has put it far more pithily. I also read Magus of the North.

Greenberg, Vassanji, Pullinger

Since my last post I've read four issues of The Economist.

I also am reading this year's literary prize winners, including Mistress of Nothing, by Kate Pullinger. It was a light read, and incorrect in some particulars, but I enjoyed it despite my nerdiness. I also read the great travelogue A Place Within, by by M.G. Sassanji, an ethnic Indian going to the country of his grandparents for the first time. He captured intimately the feeling of being in a foreign country. I also read the strident Manufacturing Depression, by Gary Greenberg, a sufferer's tour of the fallacies and inadequacies of treatments and models.