More Learnings from Richard Powers: Playground Richard Powers’ Playground explores what it means to be human through interwoven life stories, unexpected connections, and rich scientific and philosophical themes. One storyline follows the mayor of Makatea, a small Pacific island. Didier faces a pivotal decision. Should he allow foreign investors to use the island for a […]
Hard Choices, Agency, and the Opportunity for Growth Read More »
I recently read The Overstory by Richard Powers. I feel I am a bit late to the party. Several friends had recommended this Pulitzer Prize winning novel to me over the last few years. The Overstory takes us into a world where the lives of trees and humans are profoundly interconnected. The novel tells the stories
The Overstory: Wisdom about Interdependence & Humility in Decision Making Read More »
Travelling in the Big Yellow Taxi: From Jo Biden to Hedonic Adaptation When he made his historic announcement not to seek re-election for US president in 2024, Joe Biden referenced Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, of course, was one of the authors of the American Constitution. History tells us that in 1787, he was asked what kind
Cherish or Perish: The Paradox of How We Value Things Read More »
I recently finished reading (or rather, listening on Audible to) Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22”. It had been on my list of classics to read for a long time. In addition to being a great satire on organisational dysfunction and the perversity of war, it also contains some really interesting pointers about Decision Making. Catch-22 of course became
Avoiding decisions? How not to Vegetate in a Catch-22 Read More »
I cannot believe that Rubik’s Cube is turning 50! I still remember receiving my first cube as a child in West Germany. Initially, we had just one cube in the house, but my sister and I kept fighting over it. To preserve family peace, our parents decided it was better to have two cubes. As
Strategic Decision Making: Rubik’s Cube Proves Instructive 50 Years On Read More »
“If you could see your whole life from the start to finish, would you change things?” I recently watched Arrival again, and this is the question Louise Banks (Amy Adams), the main protagonist of the movie, asks of her (about to be) lover Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner). We infer that Louise chose NOT to change
If you could see your whole life from the start to finish, would you change things? Read More »
Last week I went to see “Everything Everywhere All at Once” again. We screened it at Cardiff Buddhist Centre as part of the film night cycle that I co-organise there. My friend Andy Smith gave a fantastic introductory talk (entitled “Multiple Lives and the Karmic Momentum of Choice”) to set the scene. I liked the
