[jp-konig/economics-finance] - Monetary
economics, but touches on all sorts of things in finance and econ. Great even
with a limited knowledge base in these fields.
Scott is a Theoretical Computer Scientist, focusing on quantum
information. I’ve been sporadically reading this blog since I was a student
interested in the field. Though a little advanced for me now.
[martin-fowler/software] - An absolute legend of
software engineering, goes through loads of concepts in some great blog posts. I
found this blog by looking for info on
microservices.
[zero-to-one/2014/thiel/startups] -
Succint overview of what it takes to launch a succesful IT business.
Meanders into futurism towards the end, and speculation about the kind of
personality it takes to run a business. 3/5.
[bad blood:…/2018/carreyrou/startups] - Story, written like a novel, of
Theranos, and how far bullshit could take you in Silicon Valley at it’s height.
Really interesting, even if a little sensationalist. 4/5.
[billionaire raj:…/2018/crabtree/current-affairs] -
Overview of India’s new gilded age, marked by new levels of inequality and
cronyism. Very easy and thought provoking read. For me it raised all sort of
questions about how economic progress is measured, and what meaningful metrics
of progress are. 4/5.
[utopia for realists/bregman/2017/new-thinking] -
Short and insightful book about some interesting ideas that might be necessary.
Think of no border controls, and universal basic income. 3/5.
[down and out in paris & london/orwell/1933/biography] -
Semi-biographical book about Orwell’s experience amongst the working
classes of two great cities, whilst he was struggling to establish himself
as a writer. Reads a bit like a travelogue, which is imho a bit distasteful,
but very compassionate and real, and best of all short. 3/5.
[this changes everything/klein/2013/environment] -
This book shook me, I have spent years like everyone else quietly accepting
climate disaster as inevitable. Klein pointed out to me that this idea is
both dangerous and wrong. Full of genuine insight, even if it is a little dated
now rendering some of the analysis wrong, or too optimistic. 5/5.
Films [name/director/year]
[one cut of the dead/ueda/2017] -
Not usually one to watch zombie films, but really hilarious and original
take on a classic genre, begins with a 37 single take, with minor details
turning out to be the basis of hilarious scenes well into the film. 4/5.
[vice/mckay/2018] -
Biopic of someone I personally knew very little about, Dick Cheney, VP during
the Bush administration. Interesting, and from the same guy who did the Big
Short. Though provoking but almost certainly simplifying, it was pretty
entertaining though. 3/5.
[us/peel/2019] -
After ‘Get Out’ last year I was really looking forward to this film, but it turned
out to be fairly mediocre - from being a genuine foreboding horror to a standard
thriller towards the end. Obviously films are allowed to have some license over the
strange cinematic logic that they follow, but the plot holes in this felt like they
went too far without really serving any purpose other than to make it look like a
bad film. 2/5.
[goodefellas/scorsesee/1990] -
I’d heard of references to this film for ages, so went to see it at the Prince Charles
when they were doing a screening. I can definitely see why its a lot manly men’s favourite
film, Wolf of Wallstreet vibes - which also makes sense as it’s the same director.
It was OK, nothing special, quite funny at times though. 3/5.
[eigth grade/burnham/2018] -
From Bo Burnham, managed to capture being a yound teenager with all it’s anxiety
with incredible accuracy. The score was really good, and the whole thing was
handled with a great deal of empathy. Fantastic, 5/5.
[avengers: endgame/russo/2019] -
Pretty much as expected, way too long, and too many characters to really understand what
was going on without a degree in Marvel or something. 2/5.