Ran across this book review in the Economist this week. "Red Plenty" is an interesting economic survey inside the Soviet Union. One might ask me why I would want to read about the Soviet economy post collapse?? The author posed an interesting thought. It is difficult to understand things clearly when you are inside the model. If the economic model is all you know then all your thoughts and attempts to solutions become framed by your situation.
It is going to be interesting to read this book and see how thousands of people thrashed about trying to resolve economic issues inside of this static framework. Is our workplace often such a closed economic system? Do you have a Nikita Khrushchev in the corner office?
This reminds me of a story about Stalin and the building of the Kremlin. When I visited Red Square the gentlemen showing me around mentioned that Stalin had several architects work on the plans for the main building. Two architects presented their different plans to Stalin at the same time. One building design was on one side of the desk and another building design was on the other side. Stalin said to go build it. Everyone was afraid to tell him it was two different buildings. So if you look at the building today, they built one building with one elevation on the left and another elevation on the right.
I will give you a full report when I am finished. As a side note - I found very few copies of this book in United States.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Different Time
Those who know me well know I enjoy reading Ernest Hemingway. I am going through a reread cycle on his books and decided to start with "A Moveable Feast". Why did I pick this first? I believe to really understand Hemingway you have to read this book. It is a collection of short stories about his time in Paris during the 1920's. The stories introduce different people that he spent time with during this part of his life. It can be off color at times so don't read it if you are easily offended.
I think the overarching thing I like about reading during this period of time is how slow everything was. Life was simple yet fulfilling. In our time it seems like we are constantly trying to cram everything into every second or we don't feel like we are fulfilled - not Hemingway in the 1920's.
The stories focus on the life of Ernest and his first wife Hadley. They live a simple life in one of the poor quarters of Paris. They actually lived on top of a saw mill. Ernest's days consist of rising, walking to a cafe through the city, writing through the morning, taking a relaxed lunch and then spending an early evening with friends in the cafe's. There is a lot of drinking, but, it is Ernest Hemingway.
The people in this book influenced Hemingway's young life and the experiences produced his first book "The Sun Also Rises" (which I am reading now). "The Sun Also Rises" captures this generation known as the lost generation. Hemingway spent a lot of time in the mountains in the winter and in Spain in the summer. The trips to Spain are highlighted in "The Sun Also Rises". The trips in the mountains are used in "Farewell to Arms" which is a love story set in the Italian Front where Hemingway served as an ambulance driver.
The best story in "A Moveable Feast" is the story about F. Scott Fitzgerald (Great Gatsby). Scott was a piece of work and was adversely affected by alcohol. Hemingway writes of a trip the two of them made from Lyon to Paris bringing Scott's Renault back. The Renault had been left in Lyon because his wife (later certified insane) didn't like the top so she had it sawed off. The rains started so Scott and his wife left the vehicle in Lyon and took the train to Paris. Hemingway and Scott went back down to retrieve it. The adventure back up to Paris is classic and gives great insight to the tragic personal phobias Scott had.
If you enjoy and easy read and have an interest in Paris during the 20's - read this book.
I think the overarching thing I like about reading during this period of time is how slow everything was. Life was simple yet fulfilling. In our time it seems like we are constantly trying to cram everything into every second or we don't feel like we are fulfilled - not Hemingway in the 1920's.
The stories focus on the life of Ernest and his first wife Hadley. They live a simple life in one of the poor quarters of Paris. They actually lived on top of a saw mill. Ernest's days consist of rising, walking to a cafe through the city, writing through the morning, taking a relaxed lunch and then spending an early evening with friends in the cafe's. There is a lot of drinking, but, it is Ernest Hemingway.
The people in this book influenced Hemingway's young life and the experiences produced his first book "The Sun Also Rises" (which I am reading now). "The Sun Also Rises" captures this generation known as the lost generation. Hemingway spent a lot of time in the mountains in the winter and in Spain in the summer. The trips to Spain are highlighted in "The Sun Also Rises". The trips in the mountains are used in "Farewell to Arms" which is a love story set in the Italian Front where Hemingway served as an ambulance driver.
The best story in "A Moveable Feast" is the story about F. Scott Fitzgerald (Great Gatsby). Scott was a piece of work and was adversely affected by alcohol. Hemingway writes of a trip the two of them made from Lyon to Paris bringing Scott's Renault back. The Renault had been left in Lyon because his wife (later certified insane) didn't like the top so she had it sawed off. The rains started so Scott and his wife left the vehicle in Lyon and took the train to Paris. Hemingway and Scott went back down to retrieve it. The adventure back up to Paris is classic and gives great insight to the tragic personal phobias Scott had.
If you enjoy and easy read and have an interest in Paris during the 20's - read this book.
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