ThinkTWENTY20

At a Glance - Different Views
Jonathan Andrews, CPA

Here is a quick snapshot of a number of interesting books. If you would like us toreview one of them, please let us know at info@thinktwenty20.com

More - a History of the The World Economy from the Iron Age to the InformationAge by Philip Coggan. Published by The Economist Books (March 24 2020) comprising369 pages.

Audiobook version 15 hours and 29 minutes, also available as a Kindle eBook.

“… successful states have always benefited from a thriving private sector and the private sector has alwaysbenefited from the infrastructure provided by the state. The debate is where to draw the line; how to divide responsibilities between private and public sectors and how much of overall income should be claimed by thegovernment.”

A very interesting and well-written book on how the world economy developed to this day.

Future Babble - Why Expert Predictions Fail - and Why We Believe Them Anyway by Dan Gardiner. Published by Emblem Editions (Sep 27, 2011) comprising 320 pages, also available as a Kindle eBook.

“There are no crystal balls, and no style of thinking, no technique, no model will ever eliminate uncertainty.The future will forever be shrouded in darkness. Only if we accept and embrace this fundamental fact can wehope to be prepared for the inevitable surprises that lie ahead.”

It is unlikely that the reader will ever want to place too much dependence on experts again. Invention: A Life byJames Dyson. Published by Simon & Schuster (September 7, 2021)

comprising 352 pages. Audiobook version 11 hours and 33 minutes, narrated by the author, also available as a Kindle eBook.

“Invention is so very important today because young people are passionate about saving the planet, improving the environment, and finding cures for life-threatening diseases. I believe that these problems can be solved bythe diligent application of research and development.

An autobiography that provides tremendous insight into the activities and experiences, good and bad, of this trulyglobal and inventive entrepreneur - an extraordinary life.

Unsettled - What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters by Steven

E. Koonin. Published by BenBella Books (April 7, 2021) comprising 320 pages. Audiobook version 7 hours and 14minutes, also available as a Kindle eBook.

“The earth has warmed during the past century, partly because of natural phenomena and partly in response togrowing human influences. These human influences (most importantly the accumulation of CO2 from burning fossil fuels) exert a physically small effect on the complex climate system. Unfortunately, our limited observations and understanding are insufficient to usefully quantify either how the climate will respond tohuman influences or how it varies naturally.”

Maybe climate change is not quite so straightforward as many would be led to believe. The author’s insight is truly unsettling.

American Values by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Published by Harper (May 15 2018) comprising 448 pages. Audiobookversion 15 hours and 43 minutes, also available as a Kindle eBook.

“The current hostile takeover of American government by the same energy, chemical, pharmaceutical, and military-industrial cartels that flourished in fascist Europe in the 1930s has been hastened by the weakeningof the labor movement and sold to the public by artfully packaging the fascist ideology of unfettered corporatedominion beneath a moral and patriotic gloss.”

This publication reveals personal and memorable insights into the background of those values declared and followedby the author’s uncle - John F. Kennedy, father - Robert F. Kennedy, and by the author himself.

Noise - A Flaw in Human Judgement by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass R. Sunstein. Published byLittle, Brown Spark (May 18, 2021) comprising 464 pages. Audiobook version 13 hours 28 minutes, also available asa Kindle ebook.

“Some judgements are biased; they are systematically off-target. Other judgements are noisy, as people who are expected to agree end up at very different points around the target. Many organizations, unfortunately, are afflicted by both bias and noise.”

The authors provide a follow-up to Daniel Kahneman’ ground-breaking “Thinking, Fast and Slow” in which they reveal how flawed judgment can be.

Thinking in Systems - A Primer by Donella H. Meadows. Published by Chelsea Green Publishing (Dec 3, 2008),comprising 240 pages. Audiobook version 6 hours and 26 minutes, also available as a Kindle eBook.

“The behavior of a system cannot be known just by knowing the elements of which the system is made.”“Purposes are deduced from behavior, not from rhetoric or stated goals.”

By encouraging increased awareness as a result of systems-based thinking, the author alerts readers to those factors thatare connected, previously thought to be unconnected.

The Truth about Covid-19 - Exposing The Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Ronnie Cummins and Foreword by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Published by Chelsea Green Publishing (April 29, 2021), printed in Canada, comprising 224 pages. Audiobook version 7 hours and 55 minutes,also available as a Kindle eBook.

“With mounting evidence and increasing certainty, a growing number of independent scientists,investigators, and lawyers have begun to deconstruct and critique the “official story” on the origins, nature,dangers, prevention, and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

A new, detailed perspective in a growing sea of information and misinformation - for the reader to decide.

The Data Detective by Tim Harford. Published by Riverhead Books (February 2, 2021) comprising 334 pages.Audiobook version 10 hours and 24 minutes, also available as a Kindle eBook.

“Of course, we shouldn't be credulous—but the antidote to credulity isn’t to believe nothing, but to have theconfidence to assess information with curiosity and a healthy skepticism.”

 A thoughtful reminder on how to react to statistics, before inevitable biases take over.

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