How The Dollar Became Fiat: An Oversimplified History

Fifty years ago today, one of the most momentous events of the 20th century unfolded. But unlike the well-known events frequently told in schools - fall of Berlin wall, Deng Xiaoping opening China, NASA moon landing, the pill, Hiroshima, the Great Depression, Bolshevik revolution, Ferdinand assassination, Wright brothers flight etc - what happened on 15th [...]

Prisoners of Geography: An Indispensable Primer on Geopolitics [book notes]

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics, Tim Marshall, 2015 (Amazon US;Amazon Australia) Snapshot Explores the geographical dimension in geopolitics, putting key historical events into context. While geopolitics can quickly become complex, there are certainly recurring themes: access to water transport routes, natural resources etc. Familiarity [...]

Quarterly reading list [2020 Q2]

Commentary on every book I read in the quarter, covering: why I chose to read it, some insights and quotes, and review. Not intended to be a summary.   Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker (2017) It's a truism to say sleep is important - along with nutrition, stress management, and exercise. Yet I still found [...]