@fu@millefeuilles.cloud I don't think there is anything wrong with having roots in a place, but I, my wife, my siblings and cousins, work colleagues and the majority of people, but not all, left home for education and work, and made their lives in a new place or places. I do have friends who have lived in this area all their lives,, but not the majority. In these terms I am an Anywhere, generally mixing with Anywheres. The problem is that most politicians and decision makers are also Anywheress - so can they really represent of speak for the 60% who can have different priorities?
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Retired scientist, I read a lot, fiction and non-fiction, on a wide range of subjects, though science, politics, philosophy, law, science fiction and historical detective stories are favourites.
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John quoted The road to somewhere by David Goodhart
"Greater economic and cultural openness in the West has not benefited all of our citizens. …
Despite recent increases in geographical mobility about 60% of British people still live within 20 miles of where they lived when they were fourteen.
— The road to somewhere by David Goodhart (5%)
Originally mistakenly posted as a comment, but I find it interesting, and disconcerting that this applies to a minority of the people I know well.
John commented on The road to somewhere by David Goodhart
"Greater economic and cultural openness in the West has not benefited all of our citizens. …
Despite recent increases in geographical mobility about 60% of British people still live within 20 miles of where they lived when they were fourteen.
John quoted The road to somewhere by David Goodhart
"Greater economic and cultural openness in the West has not benefited all of our citizens. …
and in any case it is not possible to imagine a world without at least a large minority of people with core Somewhere values -half the population will always be in the bottom half of the income and ability spectrums.
— The road to somewhere by David Goodhart (8%)
John commented on Orbital by Samantha Harvey
A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments …
It is interesting to compare Orbital with Chris Hadfield's An astronaut's guide to life on Earth
John quoted Orbital by Samantha Harvey
A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments …
For the first time ever you’ve been overtaken, say ground crews. You’re yesterday’s news, they joke, and Pietro jokes back that better yesterday’s news than tomorrow’s, if they know what he means. If you’re an astronaut you’d rather not ever be news.
— Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Page 10)
Until the problems with the Boeing Starliner Calypso, when astronaunts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams unexpectedly extended their stay on the International Space Station, the crew changeovers happened largely unreported by the mainstream media.
John commented on Twelve years a slave by Solomon Northup (Penguin cClassics)
"A harrowing memoir about one of the darkest periods in American historyBorn a free man …
Towards the start of the narrative Solomon is living with his wife Anne in the village of Fort Edward, in Old Fort House, This had been been occupied by General John Burgoyne, who was possibly a friend of my ancestor William Webster
John started reading Orbital by Samantha Harvey
A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments …
Reading this for our book group. I would not have discovered it otherwise, but glad I did
John finished reading Dodger by Terry Pratchett
Dodger by Terry Pratchett
Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett's Dodger, a Printz Honor Book, combines high comedy with deep wisdom in a …
John quoted Desperate Undertaking by Lindsey Davis (Flavia Albia, #10)
However, he had an interesting job. He could be proud of this, because he had invented it himself. Like all the best jobs, it was one that had never existed before he came along, and really it did not need doing.
— Desperate Undertaking by Lindsey Davis (Flavia Albia, #10) (77%)
Although the book is set in ancient Rome, there are still jobs (or posts) to which this is relevant, reminding me a little of Parkinson's Law
John reviewed THE GODS OF MANAGEMENT by Charles Brian Handy
Memorable way to categorise organisations.
4 stars
The book uses four Greek gods to describe different styles of management culture. Zeus represents the club culture, revolving around one central leader, flexible and dynamic, or wilful and arbitrary - depending on that leader. Apollo embodies the role culture, organised, structured and stable, or hidebound, slow and expensive - depending on whether it evolves. Athena symbolises the task culture, focussed around achieving some goal, great if the goal is well understood and desired by the whole organisation, but at risk of fracturing under disagreements. Dionysus designates the existential culture, almost a non-culture in which a group of individuals share some resources because it is convenient for them, but not necessarily a common goal - they can become an Apollo culture if the management of the shared resources becomes non-trivial.
The book covers the evolution, advantages and disadvantages of these four types, though it does not relate them to political …
The book uses four Greek gods to describe different styles of management culture. Zeus represents the club culture, revolving around one central leader, flexible and dynamic, or wilful and arbitrary - depending on that leader. Apollo embodies the role culture, organised, structured and stable, or hidebound, slow and expensive - depending on whether it evolves. Athena symbolises the task culture, focussed around achieving some goal, great if the goal is well understood and desired by the whole organisation, but at risk of fracturing under disagreements. Dionysus designates the existential culture, almost a non-culture in which a group of individuals share some resources because it is convenient for them, but not necessarily a common goal - they can become an Apollo culture if the management of the shared resources becomes non-trivial.
The book covers the evolution, advantages and disadvantages of these four types, though it does not relate them to political systems.
John reviewed HUMANKIND by Rutger Bregman
The majority of people are kind, decent and good
4 stars
The book provides many examples of how most people are naturally well intentioned. It is interesting to read in the context of Game Theory, specifically the iterated prisoners dilemma, where co-operation is overall the most successful strategy, and Corruptible - which discusses how those who are not co-operative can yield excessive power.
John rated In Your Defence: 4 stars
John rated MURDER IN THE PARISH a gripping crime mystery full of twists: 3 stars
MURDER IN THE PARISH a gripping crime mystery full of twists by Faith Martin (Hillary Green, #20)
John quoted How to Lose a Country by Ece Temelkuran
When I see Mark Zuckerburg, with his T-shirts and jeans and trainers, I always think of Umberto Eco saying fascism doesn't always show up in uniform. Now we know it can also show up in casual wear.
— How to Lose a Country by Ece Temelkuran (65%)
Ece Temelkuran, April 2018, giving a keynote speech at Republica in Berlin