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dr.Pep
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Copyright © 2023 Pepijn van der Laan.
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The lack quality control on generic drugs opened the door to fraud and deceit, endangering health and lives of the world’s poor

The lack quality control on generic drugs opened the door to fraud and deceit, endangering health and lives of the world’s poor

Katherine Eban – Bottle of lies

Impressive and concerning whistleblower story illustrating the subtleties in developing and producing effective generic drugs.

Since the invention of the micro processor, chip production has become of imminent strategic importance for both the USA and other geopolitical power blocks

Since the invention of the micro processor, chip production has become of imminent strategic importance for both the USA and other geopolitical power blocks

Chris Miller – Chip war

Nice historical overview, very topical in an era where technology significantly affects the Ukraine war and the power play between the USA and China around Taiwan.

Aging populations and the breakdown of global trade make that very bad things are going to happen all over the world, but less so in the USA

Aging populations and the breakdown of global trade make that very bad things are going to happen all over the world, but less so in the USA

Peter Zeihan – The end of the world is just the beginning

Highly entertaining read with a lot of black humor, but incomplete in its analysis (e.g. of risk of internal conflicts in the USA and likelihood of collaboration between states in Europe).

To learn how to make an open source software project a commercial success, study business models in the media industry

To learn how to make an open source software project a commercial success, study business models in the media industry

Nadia Eghbal – Working in Public

From an economical perspective, open source software is no different from other content that is published online.

Governments of developing countries should: 1. stimulate household farming 2. push through land reform, and 3. protect their budding manufacturing industry – in that order

Governments of developing countries should: 1. stimulate household farming 2. push through land reform, and 3. protect their budding manufacturing industry – in that order

Joe Studwell – How Asia Works

Interesting historical perspective on economic development with renewed relevance in a post free-trade world.

The US postal service is a success story of the benefits of public funding

The US postal service is a success story of the benefits of public funding

Winifred Gallagher – How the post office created America

In theory a fascinating topic, but in practice a boring read; as I should have expected because the Post leveraged rather than drove innovation.

Traders trying to make a killing in an ever more sophisticated market economy are driven to ever smarter deals and lower moral standards

Traders trying to make a killing in an ever more sophisticated market economy are driven to ever smarter deals and lower moral standards

Javier Blas and Jack Farchy – The world for sale

Well documented account of how instrumental commodity markets have been in global politics.

Today’s dominant ideology is the acceptance of ‘how the world really is’ and that any attempt to change that will lead to ruin

Today’s dominant ideology is the acceptance of ‘how the world really is’ and that any attempt to change that will lead to ruin

Slavoj Zizek – Like a thief in broad daylight

Mix of interesting Marxist perspectives on contemporary politics and confusing rants about old movies.

To make the fashion industry sustainable (from both environmental and social perspective) consumers need to care and get engaged

To make the fashion industry sustainable (from both environmental and social perspective) consumers need to care and get engaged

Maxine Bedat – Unraveled

Maxine Bedat does for fashion what the Michael Pollen did for food, but with a much more solid program behind it.

China’s debt-fueled economic growth cannot continue in the same way

China’s debt-fueled economic growth cannot continue in the same way

Dinny McMahon – China’s great wall of debt

October 2021: Apparently, the financial troubles of Evergrande are the first cracks in the wall.

July 2019: Interesting perspective on China’s impressive rise over the past years, providing more context to the recent trade war with the US and contrasting the view of Kai-Fu Lee.

Apparently, the success factors that made Jack Ma are his command of the English language, his showmanship

Apparently, the success factors that made Jack Ma are his command of the English language, his showmanship

Duncan Clark – Alibaba

After a reasonably insightful chapter describing Alibaba’s strategy, the book slides into an enumeration of facts that illustrate the way in which China’s government steers private enterprise.

A bunch of anarchists and misfits was able to defy the most powerful nations of the world for a surprisingly long time

A bunch of anarchists and misfits was able to defy the most powerful nations of the world for a surprisingly long time

Colin Woodart – The republic of pirates

Captivating narrative which juicy details on naval warfare practices and life on board.

Poverty is not just characterized by lack of money, but also by unpredictability of cash flow and risk exposure

Poverty is not just characterized by lack of money, but also by unpredictability of cash flow and risk exposure

Daryl Collins – Portfolios of the poor

Thorough application of small data that provides valuable insight in how people live on less than 2$ a day – and what that implies for microfinance.

Over the past decades, most economists have been forced to flex their opinion on the efficient market hypothesis

Over the past decades, most economists have been forced to flex their opinion on the efficient market hypothesis

Justin Fox – The myth of the rational market

The book resists the temptation to get lost in juicy stories, but focuses on the evolution of ideas.

Don’t estimate probabilities, but ask: ‘What is really going on here?’

Don’t estimate probabilities, but ask: ‘What is really going on here?’

John Kay and Mervin King – Radical Uncertainty

Economists should stay away from pseudo-philosophical assertions, in particular when these hinge on misinterpretation of Bayesian methods, use flawed logic, and do not lead to realistic recommendations.

Because we fundamentally believe resources can and will be redistributed, we will fall into the trap of always trying to make the overall pie as big as possible

Because we fundamentally believe resources can and will be redistributed, we will fall into the trap of always trying to make the overall pie as big as possible

Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo – Good economics for hard times

Smart agent-based modelling perspective on global challenges around poverty and sustainability.

Without massive and violent disruption of the established order, there will be no meaningful redistribution of wealth

Without massive and violent disruption of the established order, there will be no meaningful redistribution of wealth

The great leveler – Walter Scheidel

Next to revolution (in the spirit of Marx), the book claims there are just three other forces strong enough to achieve leveling: mass warfare, epidemics, and system collapse (the last of which is arguably overlaps with the others).

Increasing inequality and lack of immigration are the two big crises facing the US

Increasing inequality and lack of immigration are the two big crises facing the US

Jared Diamond – Upheaval

the set-up in which interesting historical facts serve to make a political argument makes the author prone to the narrative fallacy.

The rise of hard discounters has made grocers and CPG companies adjust their strategies

The rise of hard discounters has made grocers and CPG companies adjust their strategies

Jan-Benedict Steenkamp and Laurens Sloot – Retail disruptors

Generally solid overview of retail business economics using hard discounter in grocery as case examples, but the authors could not risist the urge to make overly general assertions.

Economically speaking, AI makes prediction a commodity – and nothing more

Economically speaking, AI makes prediction a commodity – and nothing more

Ajay Argawal, Joshua Gans, Avi Goldfarb – Prediction machines

The authors see AI as just a new option for the division of labor which, although it can have rather dramatic consequences, does not support apocalyptic GAI fearmongering.

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Copyright © 2023 Pepijn van der Laan.
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