6 days agoI’m not really into Sci-fiCan’t remember why, but I decided I should try to read some sci-fi — or I guess they’re calling it “speculative fiction” now. In my youth I read some, and liked it. But haven’t read any in years. So, based on the fawning reviews, I thought I’d read The Three-Body…Three Body Problem5 min read
Jul 4On Effective AltruismI don’t categorically reject effective altruism and I appreciate the added rigor and reflection it has brought to philanthropy and international development. That said, Kate Mann really captures a lot of my unease with EA and I recommend reading her. …Effective Altruism3 min read
May 12Care, ethics, and policyThe personal is political Firstly, the pandemic was a public health crisis. But the pandemic generated many secondary crises and illuminated underlying tensions and contradictions in our society. And the care crisis was a big one. The pandemic tore a hole in society’s care infrastructure. Child care evaporated. Home care…Care8 min read
Mar 30Can COVID spark a care revolution?This essay was originally published in “What do we do after the pandemic? Ideas for beneficial systems change” by the Wicked Problems Collaborative in 2021. Editing by Chris Oestereich and Jonathan Cohn. What if we started with care? What if we built a world that honored care work as a…Covid 197 min read
Jan 30Grieving a world that never existedDisappointment doesn’t really capture how I feel. I came to this realization reading Leila Billing’s blog on grief in the workplace. Her piece is about the personal losses and grief that pervade workplaces during the pandemic and how these are a factor in staff morale, organizational operation, and an important…Brexit3 min read
Jan 2End of your life book clubI’ll start by saying it’s a good read and I enjoyed it. Which is actually saying a lot about a book that is about a mother’s death and also about their personal book club. Neither sound easy or fun. But Will Schwalbe does make it readable and engaging, not heavy. …Book Review6 min read
Jul 20, 2021A few observations on SapiensProbably, the world doesn’t need my opinions on Sapiens. But here they are anyway — more for me than for you. Sapiens is a little like a secret cult. Sometimes you see people reading it and you know. I had friends mention it to me many times, “Have you read…Sapiens4 min read
Apr 19, 2021The gossipI’ve been thinking about gossip recently. The thing that got me thinking was a coffee with a friend. In the last year, most of my meetings and many of my social interactions have been virtual. But I met my friend in person — socially distant, outside — for coffee. We…Gossip4 min read
Feb 24, 2021Cult of the Dead CowI’m just going to be honest with you. I haven’t read your book. There are a few exceptions. In that case, I did read your book and I loved it! Such a good read! And I learned a lot! The truth is I’m kind of a slow reader and have…Cult Of The Dead Cow7 min read
Feb 4, 2021Conservatives used to love cancel-cultureThey called it shame. — Been thinking about cancel-culture and shame recently. There have been good and interesting discussions about cancel-culture, but I think it’s simpler than people are making it out. American culture has a complicated history/relationship with shame. “The Scarlet Letter” was required reading for 11th graders for years. That book, embodies the…Cancel Culture4 min read
