touches on the author's experience visiting Gaza and those she met there, but much more of the focus seemed to be on the political history does give a touches on the author's experience visiting Gaza and those she met there, but much more of the focus seemed to be on the political history does give a good account of precarious life there, precarious, subject to collective punishment ordinary people trying to live leaders on both sides are castigated...more
has the making a great expose, of the loose-ruled world of finance through the lens of Wirecard
just felt it never quiet took off - lots or characters has the making a great expose, of the loose-ruled world of finance through the lens of Wirecard
just felt it never quiet took off - lots or characters and repeated narratives for me, never sure if we were really progressing beyond the innovative fraudster idea introduced from the start...more
exposes the modern day pushing of dangerous prescription painkillers, where all caution or scruples seem to be discardextraordinary investigative work
exposes the modern day pushing of dangerous prescription painkillers, where all caution or scruples seem to be discarded in pursuit of profit, leaving a trail of social destruction and suffering
also detail previous generation of the family, some of the roots of blurring the lines between medical science and advertising, and absolute focus on preserving family legacy...more
just couldn't finish it interesting proposal as far as I grasped it - that of secular 'faith' and the freedom and meaning that comes from acceptance ofjust couldn't finish it interesting proposal as far as I grasped it - that of secular 'faith' and the freedom and meaning that comes from acceptance of a finite lifespan
felt overly repetitive and definitive for me - this is how it is rather than the author's perspective
detailed and thought provoking overview of our human, social and legal relationship with three psycho-active plant-based chemicals opium, caffeine, anddetailed and thought provoking overview of our human, social and legal relationship with three psycho-active plant-based chemicals opium, caffeine, and mescaline mixes big picture social norms, legal status, capitalistic drives with authors personal experiences...more
somewhat diplomatic account from a seasoned political mover interesting individual, and seems comfortable dealing with her early life, but later politisomewhat diplomatic account from a seasoned political mover interesting individual, and seems comfortable dealing with her early life, but later political career seems highly self-censored, as would expect of someone with continuing political aspirations...more
interesting perspective - backed up with so many examples from countries around the world - of how neo-liberal free-market advocates have taken advantinteresting perspective - backed up with so many examples from countries around the world - of how neo-liberal free-market advocates have taken advantage of and on occasion fomented crises in order to soften population and ease the way to implement the tool kit of privatisation and removal of regulation, often if disastrous consequences. Shows how many previously public held goods are bought cheap and exploited
the tie between these tactics and the torture / interrogation techniques seemed a bit of a stretch for me...more
well laid out exploration of the failures of pure market economics and evaluation of alternate approach based on ensuring essential elements for humanwell laid out exploration of the failures of pure market economics and evaluation of alternate approach based on ensuring essential elements for human rights and life are ensured for entire population while ensuring the we live within our means on the planet
how do we sustain the health of planet/biosphere and human civilisation in parallel
plenty of research and context presented for the ideas...more
insightful opinion from farmer seeking balance between traditional, lower impact farming and large scale factory farming viewed through his family andinsightful opinion from farmer seeking balance between traditional, lower impact farming and large scale factory farming viewed through his family and local history and some experiences abroad acknowledges that his approach is not for all farms is withering in criticism of economic model that ignores externalities of modern intensive farming in environmental degradation and rural social destruction in drive for cheap food heart felt plea for a more mindful approach to how we produce food...more
broader and more in depth than I had expected deals well with the challenges and costs of a system that is designed to capture and retain our attentionbroader and more in depth than I had expected deals well with the challenges and costs of a system that is designed to capture and retain our attention for commercial purposes, but also looks at wider philosophy of life and value and how it has been co-opted by capitalism's focus on productivity and growth to the detriment of our lives and relationships...more
fascinating overview of how a group of scientists, with political and industrial ties, appears to have deliberately sown confusion and doubt in favourfascinating overview of how a group of scientists, with political and industrial ties, appears to have deliberately sown confusion and doubt in favour of vested interests and contrary to scientific consensus, interesting to see same names and same techniques being used across such a variety of topics many seemed wedded to free market economics to an extreme degree and fearful of oversight and regulation, seeing it as stepping stone towards communism usuallyworking to protect powerful industry from exposure to the costs of the negative impacts they were having on customers, humanity and the planet, of...more
two essays based on Professor Beard's lectures on experience of women in public life and in advancement to leadership positions, linked with classicaltwo essays based on Professor Beard's lectures on experience of women in public life and in advancement to leadership positions, linked with classical historical context and Greek and Roman mythology that informs much of our world
first essay explores women's voices, how they are silenced and ignored, or when they do speak they are harassed and abused because of their gender
second essay on power structures, the tradition they are built on and their innate skewing. how women who do succeed often have to assume or emphasise traditionally male characteristics "You cannot easily fit women into a structure that is already coded as male; you have to change the structure. That means thinking about power differently."
Author intersperses these with some of her personal experiences...more
account of garda Maurice McCabe and his decades long struggle to highlight and address perceived failures, laziness, corruption in gardai after years oaccount of garda Maurice McCabe and his decades long struggle to highlight and address perceived failures, laziness, corruption in gardai after years of working through internal channels without real progress he goes public, working with TDs and public committees
horrendous to realise the degree to which those in command sought to ignore, belittle and scapegoat him
how the force and hierarchy closed ranks and tried to sweep issues under the carpet and attack him and his reputation
realise it is just one side of the story, but seems to have been so comprehensive and endemic
fascinating view of right wing grass-roots in America, mostly pre-rise of Trump although his emergence as candidate with appeal for Tea Party aligned fascinating view of right wing grass-roots in America, mostly pre-rise of Trump although his emergence as candidate with appeal for Tea Party aligned electorate does feature
Sociological view as author meets with Louisiana locals and attempts to breach the empathy wall between conservative and liberal
uses the 'keyhole issue' of environmental protection and pollution many of the conservatives lives are impacted, outdoors, hunters, remembering days when air and water were clean rationalising with the jobs industry brings and the promise of prosperity justifying in some cases through religion and the approach of end of days
there is a good solid analytical and data-based foundation, but strength of book is in the personal interactions and stories...more
young man, with a rough upbringing, done good saw some comments that this 'explained Donald Trump's election' and the state of lower class Appalachian young man, with a rough upbringing, done good saw some comments that this 'explained Donald Trump's election' and the state of lower class Appalachian white communities ('hillbillies' to quote author), but did not achieve this for me focus was much more on the personal than the general, although he did seem to be trying to extrapolate and theorise I felt the detail of his youth gave an interesting perspective although, as a read, it got repetitive could have had more on life as marine, deployment to Iraq, college life and legal career despite the harsh light shone on his early life, he does seem to romanticise the community he came from, behaviours presented as evidence of their fierce loyality and toughness came across to me as often fearful and insular can't help feeling the author could write a more interesting book with a few more years perspective
As millions migrated north to factory jobs, the communities that sprouted up around those factories were vibrant but fragile: When the factories shut their doors, the people left behind were trapped in towns and cities that could no longer support such large populations with high-quality work. Those who could—generally the well educated, wealthy, or well connected—left, leaving behind communities of poor people. These remaining folks were the "truly disadvantaged"—unable to find good jobs on their own and surrounded by communities that offered little in the way of connections or social support.
We choose not to work when we should be looking for jobs. Sometimes we'll get a job, but it won't last. We'll get fired for tardiness, or for stealing merchandise and selling it on eBay, or for having a customer complain about the smell of alcohol on our breath, or for taking five thirty-minute restroom breaks per shift. We talk about the value of hard work but tell ourselves that the reason we're not working is some perceived unfairness: Obama shut down the coal mines, or all the jobs went to the Chinese. These are the lies we tell ourselves to solve the cognitive dissonance—the broken connection between the world we see and the values we preach.
Psychologists call it "learned helplessness" when a person believes, as I did during my youth, that the choices I made had no effect on the outcomes in my life. From Middletown's world of small expectations to the constant chaos of our home, life had taught me that I had no control
whenever people ask me what I'd most like to change about the white working class, I say, "The feeling that our choices don't matter."
Barack Obama strikes at the heart of our deepest insecurities. He is a good father while many of us aren't. He wears suits to his job while we wear overalls, if we're lucky enough to have a job at all. His wife tells us that we shouldn't be feeding our children certain foods, and we hate her for it—not because we think she's wrong but because we know she's right
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