Books

BOOKS:Flash Boys – A Wall Street Revolt

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt is a non-fiction book by the American writer Michael Lewis published by W. W. Norton & Company on March 31, 2014. The book focuses on the rise of high-frequency trading (HFT) in the US equity market. Lewis states that “The market is rigged” by HFT traders who front run orders placed by investors. The book remained on the first place of The New York Times Best Seller list for four consecutive weeks. The book centers on several people, including Sergey Aleynikov, a one-time programmer for Goldman Sachs, and Bradley Katsuyama, the founder of IEX, the Investors’ Exchange. Flash Boys starts out describing the new construction of Spread Networks’ secretive 827-mile cable running through mountains and under rivers from Chicago to New Jersey that would reduce the journey of data from 17 to 13 milliseconds. The speed of data becomes a major theme in the book; the faster the data travels, the better the price of the trade. Lewis claims access to this fiber optic cable, as well as other technologies, presents an opportunity for the market to be controlled even more by the big Wall Street banks. To counter this disadvantage to investors, Katsuyama bands together a team that sets out to develop a new exchange, called IEX, to make the playing field for trading fairer. The book takes a look at how electronic trading replaced the trading floor of screaming brokers, slamming telephones and hysteria-inducing ticker tape, and how that change impacted the market. The book concludes by observing that there is now a conventional (microwave) link between Chicago and New Jersey, which follows an even straighter route than the Spread Networks’ 827-mile cable (as microwaves always follow a direct path, whereas cables, by their very nature, must, at least occasionally, detour around […]

Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain

By Elaine Fox $34.99 Random House This is a fascinating, informative and uplifting popular science book exploring optimism and pessimism. The author looks at why some of us are innately optimistic or pessimistic (including notorious extremes such as Michael J Fox), how emotions such as fear, anxiety and pleasure play out in our brains, and – most excitingly – how each of us can ultimately develop a more positive outlook. This is pop science at its most accessible, and while Elaine’s overall message is positive, she’s careful to debunk many of the myths of ‘instant happiness’ or ‘positive psychology’. Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence or Jonah Lehrer’s How We Decide. So there’s an element of e.g. Barbara Ehrenreich’s Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled the World, Oliver Burkeman’s Help! how to become slightly happier and get a bit more done

Out of the Box follows the misadventures of Reg Spiers

Despite the introduction by Lynn Davis one of the UK’s greatest athletes I was sure it was all a joke, No way could all those incredible adventures of Reg Spiers be true. Boy, was I wrong. This is an exceptional book, brilliantly written, wonderfully entertaining and one that will live in the memory for a long, long time. Julie and Marcus McSorley have managed to capture and distill the essence of the Aussie spirit that flows through the veins of Reg Spiers. Here we meet a man with a heart as big as the Australian outback with a rebellious streak that the outlaw Ned Kelly would admire. In fact, I would go as far to say that at some point in the afterlife would they share several tinnies of Castlemaine XXXX with arms around each other’s shoulders – and catch up on old times. At 22 years of age, he had himself shipped back to Perth, Australia from London in a box for his daughter’s birthday. A journey that cost him nothing and took 63 hours Do yourself a mighty favour and lose yourself in this tale. Cheer for the villain, support the underdog and imagine you are walking side by side with Reg Spiers as part of his inner circle. It will do your spirit good. Out of the Box follows the misadventures of Reg Spiers, an unforgettable character who never gives up, and never learns either. The craziest part is, Reg isn’t a character. He’s a real live person! Reg doesn’t always make the right decisions. He often puts his friends and loved ones in danger; but his charisma, charm, and indomitable spirit make it impossible not to root for him. This book spans decades of the man’s life, taking place in Australia, England, India, Sri Lanka, and […]

Businesses not adapting to climate change

Companies are failing to develop the resilience they will need to cope with climate change, say two business experts from The University of Queensland. Dr Martina Linnenluecke and Professor Andrew Griffiths of UQ Business School have spent 10 years working with businesses to develop climate change strategies. “Companies should be planning now to safeguard their long-term future,” Dr Linnenluecke said. “Climate change is upon us but the business community has not yet fully considered the implications. “Some firms are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but there has been little discussion of how to cope with the physical impact of climate change. “Temperatures are gradually rising, but even more concerning is the increase in extreme weather.” Storms, floods and other climate events were likely to be more damaging for businesses than higher temperatures, and few areas would escape the effects. “Even where businesses sustain no direct damage, they are likely to be affected by power cuts or damage to infrastructure,” Dr Linnenluecke said. “With companies increasingly reliant on high-tech systems, any outages can result in large-scale disruption.” Dr Linnenluecke and Professor Griffiths’ book, The Climate Resilient Organization, argues that businesses have two courses of action: reducing greenhouse gas emissions to try to prevent further climate change, and adapting to change. “We say companies need to do both,” she said. “Unless we make attempts to avert climate change, it could become so severe that we will be unable to adapt at all. However, even with the most stringent efforts, we cannot fully avoid the impact. “We will have to learn to adapt to gradual changes, such as the rise in temperatures, and also build the resilience required to be able to recover quickly from extreme weather incidents.” Dr Linnenluecke said companies also should look at how they could take advantage of any opportunities associated […]

Extreme Economics

“Babbage’s book is aimed at teachers and educators, but any parent or student would benefit from reading it. . . . The spend-for-today mentality has to stop. Schools and society have to address the problem, and Dr. Babbage has concrete ideas, exercises and plans that will help. “—Don McNay, founder of the McNay Settlement Group, October 20, 2009, Times-Tribune. What Financial future awaits the current generation of children and teenagers in the United States? Our children and teenagers did not cause the financial problems that confront the nation and impacts their families, but they will pay part of the price for these financial problems. What should children and teenagers know about personal finance? How can sound financial principles and money management be taught to these students? Extreme Economics identifies, through current research, what children and teenagers need to know about managing funds. It shows educators how to design instructional activities that enable students to learn about money management in fascinating and meaningful ways. Extreme Economics is not filled with complicated or confusing charts, graphs, and terminology. It is readable and immediately applicable. As education continues to advance, the school curriculum might consist of reading, writing, math, and economics and finance. This book is an important step to ensuring a solid base in this emerging area. About the Author Keen J. Babbage has twenty-five years of experience as a teacher and administrator in middle school, high school, college, and graduate school. He is the author of author of numerous books including 911: The School Administrator’s Guide to Crisis Management (1996), Extreme Teaching (2002), Results-Driven Teaching: Teach So Well That Every Student Learns(2006) and What Only Teachers Know About Education (2008).

Holly Green -Poetry

Holly Green July 8 2014 …so I read the book slowly, Knowing as I turn pages Things are left in the past. Knowing when I reach a new chapter That the subject and content may change. I try to read between the lines, I try to re-write certain parts, But what has been is evident. What is ahead is a mystery. Skimming over the unthinkable, I proof read my life. Progressing day by day, Knowing what I had, Knowing what I have And awaiting what is yet to come..

Ben & Jerry’s – A bumpy road for social mission pioneers

By Brad Edmondson Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s was one of the first companies to promote corporate citisenship and sustainability. But the journey has not been easy, as a new book explains. US ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s was established in the late 1970s. Over the next decade, it developed an ambitious three-part mission: making the world’s best ice cream; supporting progressive causes; and sharing the company’s success with all stakeholders: employees, suppliers, distributors and customers. Founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, friends since childhood, set up the company, managed it as it grew and then eventually, reluctantly, sold it to Unilever in 2000. In extracts from his new book Ice Cream Social: the struggle for the soul of Ben & Jerry’s, Brad Edmondson outlines how Ben and Jerry’s was an early adopter of progressive company social and environmental policies, and why. From the start, it was important for Ben & Jerry’s that working conditions for employees improved as financial conditions improved. Surveys taken in 1997 and 1998 showed that employees saw the social mission as a critical part of the company’s success. Every employee was awarded both company stock and stock options in 1998, too. As far as linked prosperity goes, Ben & Jerry’s was walking the talk. In 1997, the board’s social mission committee asked every department head to set social mission goals for the following year. They were ready to take things to a new level. Co-founder Ben Cohen and other board members wanted to integrate the social mission horizontally by adding it to policies in every department, from manufacturing to human resources, operations, waste disposal, franchise operations, philanthropy and finance. They also wanted to integrate the mission vertically by adding social metrics at every stage of the supply chain. This sometimes meant re-engineering […]

Books:The Rosie Project

–Graeme Simsion – $A29.99 – $NZ 37 – Text Publishing Don Tillman, a professor of genetics, has a difficult time interacting with people generally and women specifically. He hasn’t even made it to a second date. Early on he explains it is because some women are late, which he hates, or that they don’t really understand the pragmatic and obvious things in life. For instance, at the end of one date, the woman suggests she’d like apricot ice cream. Don insists that because all ice cream tastes essentially the same, owing to the chilling of the tastes buds, particularly fruit flavoured ones. He suggests a taste test to prove his point. “But by the time the serving person had prepared them, and I turned to ask Elizabeth to close her eyes for the experiment, she had gone.” Don decides that he wants to get married, though, and the best way to do this is to create a questionnaire and The Wife Project becomes his main focus. The reader knows that Don is autistic, on some level. He has a difficult time understanding and connecting to other individuals and recognising the importance of social rituals. He wants a woman who is punctual, doesn’t smoke, is logical. Like him. Enter Rosie Jarman who is a barmaid, late, drinks, smokes, and is on a quest to find out who her father is. Don becomes intrigued by The Father Project, as he dubs it, and then by Rosie herself. The hardest part of the book was understanding how Don connects with Rosie. We’re told that he does and I found Rosie fun as a reader, but it was difficult to find consistency with Don “all ice creams are the same why are you leaving upset?” with Don “I don’t care that you violate every principle that I […]

Feeding frenzy – The new politics of food

By Paul McMahon Profile Books Agriculture seldom makes headlines and when it does, it struggles to sustain its high profile. It is easy to forget that all development is founded on agriculture and the success of nations depends on food security: as Paul McMahon writes in Feeding frenzy, there would have been no pyramids without full granaries. Yet despite clear signs that global food production and distribution is teetering on the edge of crisis, attention is directed to other priorities. McMahon sets the scene with a review of the history of the global food system and the underlying causes of the recent turmoil in food markets. Much of this will be familiar ground for New Agriculturist readers but worth reading for the lively if astringent analysis. He concludes that the world could feed 8 billion or more without awaiting silver bullets from genetic modification and miracle seeds. It’s just that: “So far we have spectacularly failed to construct a just global food system – this is why one in eight people go hungry while one in five is overweight.” McMahon has travelled widely and authored major reports on sustainable food systems for the FAO. He is also an advisor to The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit. He believes that sub-Saharan Africa is Ground Zero for many of the food production challenges discussed in this book but goes on to write, “Sub-Saharan Africa has enormous potential to increase production with more than 750 million hectares of suitable land that could be brought into production and the potential to triple yields.” The author is convinced that the answer lies in two major themes: “The first is the need to help small farmers in poor countries produce more food. The second theme is the importance of switching to agro-ecological farming systems that […]

The Lexus and the Olive Tree

By Thomas L Friedman $22.99 Harper Collins As the Foreign Affairs columnist for The New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman has travelled to the four corners of the globe, interviewing people from all walks of contemporary life – Brazilian peasants in the Amazon rain forest, new entrepreneurs in Indonesia, Islamic students in Teheran, and the financial wizards on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley. Now Friedman has drawn on his years on the road to produce an engrossing and original look at the new international system that, more than anything else, is shaping world affairs today: globalisation. His argument can be summarised quite simply. Globalisation is not just a phenomenon and not just a passing trend. It is the international system that replaced the Cold War system. Globalisation is the integration of capital, technology, and information across national borders, in a way that is creating a single global market and, to some degree, a global village. You cannot understand the morning news or know where to invest your money or think about where the world is going unless you understand this new system, which is influencing the domestic policies and international relations of virtually every country in the world today. And once you do understand the world as Friedman explains it, you’ll never look at it quite the same way again. With vivid stories and a set of original terms and concepts, Friedman shows us how to see this new system. He dramatises the conflict of “the Lexus and the olive tree” – the tension between the globalisation system and ancient forces of culture, geography, tradition, and community. He also details the powerful backlash that globalisation produces among those who feel brutalised by it, and he spells out what we all need to do to keep this system in balance. […]

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