If you would like to get an enjoyable introduction to banking and markets, you could do worse than Terry Pratchett’s Making Money.
He does have a habit of spotting trends and writing books about them. Of course, this is fantasy and has nothing to do with the real world, or what happens when people discover that their bank is broke.
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12 comments
How appropriate, especially when a fat cat generates the run on the bank, I hope Pratchett is able to do the next Moist von Lipwig book Raising Taxes.. how appropriate for a recession!
Hah! I was just reading about “Making Money”! I’m thinking about treating myself and buying it. Been a while since I got a book (they are so expensive now!)
I was sad to learn over a year ago that Terry had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He gave a speech to raise awareness and funds for research earlier this year. 🙂 He was his usual self. 😉 😀
Terry Pratchett’s Alzheimer’s Speech in Full
A few years ago, I had every book he’d written (to that point of course), but had to sell over a thousand books because I no longer had anywhere to put them, and no money for storage etc. 🙂 One day… I have them again. 🙂
It’s also sad that his publisher, Harper Collins, is owned by News Corp. *sigh* I wonder what Terry thinks of that? (Assuming he knows and knows about News Corp!)
I have all of the Discworld books except Eric, which I read and didn’t like, so I dumped. I re-read them based on what’s going on, i.e. Jingo when they were conning us into Iraq, Monstorous Regiment when Hillary Clinton ran for the nomination. Lots of insight in a twisted way that appeals to me.
I certainly hope that he can finish the tax book. It took a boy wizard to knock him off his spot at the tip of the best sellers, but he stayed strong through a long run.
I do find it curious Bryan, that you and I have such a similar *sense of humor* and views on events of *today*. We were born and raised a world apart, but we seem to share similar experiences during our early adulthood to middle age. Perhaps it’s our experiences, and I believe, our understanding of *people* and *how things really work*(tm) that makes us take refuge in strong satire and sense of irony (some of course would simply call us very cynical!) LOL I’d possibly agree but for the fact that we have been proven correct far more often than not! 😉 Of course, most of the ones dismissing our views as mere cynicism probably firmly believe in the tooth fairy and Easter bunny! LOL
Not that I do, or ever have, given a damn about what others think of me. 😉 Unless they are firmly in the small group of people who’s opinions have been proven legitimate and valid and honest over time. 🙂 It’s a small group. LOL
Anyway… an observation, FWIW! 😀
It’s working in intel and finding out what’s really going on, and then listening to the way our “leaders” present their version of the “facts”. You either stay with your own moral compass or become a tool for the government.
The world is operating on the assumption that polling and focus groups can’t tell you what people are thinking. If you really listen to people, you learn that they will almost always say what they think other people want to hear, rather than what they think. The secret ballot makes polling and focus groups a fool’s errand.
The key to success politically is to convince people that you are right, and they should think what you think. Liberals don’t seem to perceive this truism. They seem reluctant to lead. They keep seeking consensus where there is none.
My favorite candidate is Al Franken who is running for the US Senate in the state of Minnesota. It’s time we had a professional comedian in the Senate, the amateurs just can’t cut it. His opponent, the incumbent Norm Coleman, is a clown, but not of a humorous mold.
People tell me all the time I’m cynical and a pessimist. My response is that I’m just a realist. In my lifetime the safe bet has always been: they will screw it up.
Yeah, I like Al Franken also. 🙂 I’ve been watching him for some years now. He’s always held his line and core beliefs. That more than anything in my book makes him honest, or at the least, reasonably honest. 😉 LOL He’s also intelligent and understanding. A rare package these days. I’m almost amazed he’s still alive to be honest. *sigh*
People tell me all the time I’m cynical and a pessimist. My response is that I’m just a realist. In my lifetime the safe bet has always been: they will screw it up.
Hah! 😀 Oh yeah! Same here. 😉 LOL And don’t *people* HATE when you say “I’m a realist”, especially when face-to-face and you say it completely deadpan. LOL People are so easily offended… 😉 At least, the ones who know somewhere in that honest part of themselves that they are full of it certainly are! You can easily tell the worst ones. They will try very hard to convince or cajole you into believing their view. You and I know that if the facts were present, we would believe. The foolish *true believers* don’t (and perhaps, can’t) understand that simple truth, whilst the crooks know it and will do whatever they can to take your mind off looking at, or for, the *facts*. The current US Government is firmly in that camp.
For us, realism = truth and honesty. For most people, fantasy is so much easier, until reality bites them hard, as it inevitably does. Then they scream the loudest, whilst we just look at them and *shrug* and smile (which I love doing as it infuriates them even more!) 😉 😀 My Grandfather taught me how to deal with the Schoolyard bullies (and bullies generally) as a child. First, he taught me how to defend myself and how to deal with fear, then he taught me to ridicule and laugh loudly at them. This infuriates them and they rush in where an intelligent, calm person would take time to consider and evaluate. Then I’d beat the crap out of them, as I was prepared and able and they were no longer. Anger can give speed and strength, but is self-defeating against someone trained to take advantage of the blindness it also causes. It was one of the reasons the Military decided to train me in SpecOps. 🙂 Part of the training was to spot the leader in a group. Every group has a natural *leader*, even if sometimes none of them is aware of it. It’s stood me in good stead throughout my life. Works wonders in certain meetings for example! 😉 LOL Though, these days, I no longer have to *physically* beat people up, even thought I’d sometimes love to! I learned a lot about using body language and NLP. It’s an awesome power when one can emasculate a man with just the right look and attitude, and sometimes a few simple, quiet, words. 🙂
Life, eh… Who’d have one? 😉 LOL
I don’t go around looking for trouble, but I won’t expend any effort to avoid it if it comes looking for me.
One of the things that seems to really annoy people it that I don’t want to convince them of anything. I tell them I know what I know, and stake my opinion on what I know, not what I “believe”. After years of knowing things that other people didn’t, I don’t want to get into debates over stupid issues. As long as what they are doing doesn’t affect me or mine, I don’t care. If they ask I’ll tell what I think, but I’m not going to hold seminars on my reasons.
Most the people in the US have never lived in a foreign country. Taking a trip is not living there. Flying in, staying in a hotel, eating at restaurants, is not living in a country.
When you have to deal with the local merchants and officials; when you have to comply with local regulations; when you have to pay local taxes and fees; that’s living in a country. If you want to know about another country, try to get a telephone installed or get a plumbing problem fixed.
As a result of this isolation, the people in the US have a very limited view of the world. Asians have the ability to drive Americans around the bend, because most Americans don’t understand that they will do anything to avoid a conflict. If they tell you your dry cleaning will be ready tomorrow, they mean next week, because they know you want to hear tomorrow.
For whatever reason, Americans take it personally that people who don’t agree with them exist.
focus groups, especially. i got roped into one of those one time.
it’s a lot more work, and you have to be able to think on your feet, to actually listen to people, ask them to clarify if you don’t understand, and them synthesize it all, but that’s really the only way.
polls are just soooo much fun — look at all the wonderful numbers i can generate! every once in a while, you get someone who does a reasonably good job of designing questions, but mostly the people who come up with the question for polls don’t realize how often someone hears — and answers — a different question from what the pollster thinks they’re asking.
Too true! LOL
Yes, Prime Minister did a sketch decades ago on the power of the poll’s! I found it on YouTube (of course). I think it addresses the issue well and is as valid today as in the 80’s (or any time really). 🙂 As with Discworld, much about the realities of today can be learned by watching “Yes Minister” and “Yes, Prime Minister”. 😉 😀
Yes, Prime Minister – A clear conscience
Enjoy! 😉
Drat! Sorry… I meat be *sleep typing*! 😉 LOL I posted the wrong one (though it’s still a good one). 😉
Opinion Polls: Getting the results you want
To make up for my error… Here’s another, from the original “Yes Minister” series. 😉 It’s a brilliant show of political double-speak. LOL
Yes Minister – Government policy policy
Again… Enjoy! 😀
“I meat”? *sigh* That’s what I get for typing in a hurry thinking about making dinner! LOL Try… ‘I must”! 😉
I take polls all the time because DSL requires I keep a landline phone and those are disappearing in this area. I run into badly worded questions, and questions that lack the correct answer among the choices all the time.
To get an accurate understanding of what people are really thinking you need something like the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory which is designed to identify “issues” that people have. [It was used in New York to get rid of whackos trying to get police jobs.]
I still think the Republicans have regressed to Black Adder. You should note that Peston referred to a “Baldrick cunning plan” when discussing his solution for the crisis.