Why Read?

The 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature, Peru's Mario Vargas Llosa gives a great answer. Read it in English or Spanish, or watch it in Spanish. Money quote: “Reading is a protest against the insufficiencies of life. When we look in fiction for what is missing in life, we are saying, with no need to say it or even to know it, that life as it is does not satisfy our thirst for the absolute – the foundation of the human condition – and should be better.”

Annoying Book Reviewer Cliches

An oldie but goodie piece of advice from The Examiner's Michelle Kerns. Her advice is a compelling tour de force that describes with nuanced insights those cliches that makes us all hate book reviewers. The article passes the R&R test: readable and riveting!

FiveBooks

This post is a sort of follow up to the previous one. Just like with BigThink, the idea behind FiveBooks is to have experts/specialists talk about (you know it!) books that for whatever reason they think are relevant and worth reading. All the different recommendations are neatly organized in two broad categories, "sections" and "regions" that include nine and ten subjects, respectively. The beauty of FiveBooks is its unique capacity to bring together past and present, using timely book recommendations to shed light on current affairs. Although most of FiveBooks’ content is fairly wonkish, it aims to please a wide range of tastes (“From Einstein to Keynes, Iraq to the Andes, Communism to Empire”).

Books for Free!

Some time ago, former U.S. senator Ted Stevens described Internet as, "a series of tubes." Mr. Stevens' definition illustrates the generational gap between those that see Internet as a static machine and those that see it as a dynamic and open-ended platform. Significantly, for us run-of-the-mill-consumers, Internet is an unlimited source of free stuff. Take for example YalePressWiki, a Wikipedia-style website that offers free scholarly books to everyone willing to experiment the tubes. The site is a platform to read, comment, write summaries, and share links with scores of strangers. It is also a clear sign that the "series of tubes" continue to evolve, leaving behind archaic characterizations.

Deirdre McCloskey on Good Writing

Bad writing is a democratic problem in that it affects both the uneducated person and the over-educated one. The latter, In particular, over-educated fellows such as Ivory Tower members, who* have a hard time explaining their research in clear prose. Undoubtedly, failing to describe or defend ideas just because they are buried under poor writing is a disservice to humanity. Praise thy Web because She gives us Deirdre McCloskey, who has taken upon herself to teach some basic writing rules to theoretical minds and liberate humanity from illegible words. Her 15 rules of economic writing are a gift that every human being interested in clear prose should read. If you do not want to help yourself by spending 30 minutes on these rules, you can read a one-page summary. If you, however, want to go the whole nine yards you can read Professor McCloskey’s book, “Economical Writing.”

* See rule # 15.

History of Economic Thought Quiz

The economic science available in textbooks can be pretty dull. In the last fifty years, math has become a core component of modern economics, turning centuries-old concepts into mere excuses for mathematical formulas and models. In fact, a popular t-shirt's message among modern economists reads, "economists like to do it with models." However, economics can be fun and interesting if placed in the context of human stories and real-life experiences. Indeed, economist John Maynard Keynes once said, "Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist." Two great books that present economic ideas by narrating the lives of famous defunct economists are "The Worldly Philosophers" and "The Making of Modern Economics." However, you can read about prominent economists' lives for free on-line. Just ask Google or Wikipedia. Moreover, after you read everything you want to know about Adam Smith, John M. Keynes or Joseph Schumpeter, you can test your freely-obtained knowledge with this quick quiz.

Political Weather

A fantastic aspect of our modern times is that everyone can be an informed political forecaster. The insider knowledge that in the past was obtained within a tight-knit network of informants in high-ranking government offices and organizations is now readily available on Internet. For example, you can now access the (U.S.) tax-funded Institute for National Strategic Studies’ annual Global Strategic Assessment. You can also freely read Eurasia Group’s Top Ten Risks of 2009. Nonetheless, before you put your money where your mouth is, make sure you read this article by Philip Tetlock, who is the author of the excellent Expert Political Judgment.

How not to write

William Safire has made a huge favor to all of us willing to improve our writing skills. His book "How Not to Write: Misrules of Grammar" is an extremely valuable guide to good writing. In less than 160 pages, Safire tackles usual grammatical mistakes with wit and erudition. Read it and contribute to a better (written) world. If you can't afford the book's $4 cost (used in Amazon), you should borrow it from your closest library.