Strategy Boffins

Idea Almanac

Daily update on new ideas and books so that you can grow each day

August 11, 2023

Idea Almanac

The China Challenge: How China Is Using Its Economic Power to Challenge the West

“China is weaponizing its economy to confront the world. It is using its economic power to coerce companies and governments to bend to its will. This is a new era of economic warfare, and we need to wake up to the threat.” – Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

Beijing Rules is a book by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian that examines China’s economic rise and how the Chinese Communist Party has leveraged its dominant role in the global economy to coerce companies and governments around the world to align with its political preferences.

August 10, 2023

Idea Almanac

Billionaires’ Row: The New Gilded Age

“Billionaires’ Row is a monument to excess, a symbol of the staggering wealth inequality that exists in our world today.” – Katherine Clarke

Billionaires’ Row is a book by Katherine Clarke that tells the story of the development of Billionaires’ Row, a stretch of 57th Street in Manhattan that is home to some of the most expensive and exclusive real estate in the world. It tells the story of a phenomenon that is unique to our time: the rise of the supertall skyscraper. These buildings are symbols of the growing gap between the rich and the poor, and they raise important questions about the future of cities and the sustainability of our economy.

August 8, 2023

Idea Almanac

Unscripted: The Culture of Harassment and Abuse at E! Entertainment

“E! Entertainment is a company built on the backs of women, but it is also a company that has repeatedly failed to protect those women from sexual harassment and abuse.” – Yashar Ali

In Unscripted, Yashar Ali exposes the culture of sexual harassment and abuse at E! Entertainment, one of Hollywood’s most powerful companies. Ali tells the stories of multiple women who were harassed and abused by E! executives, and he reveals the company’s efforts to cover up these incidents.

Here are some other key takeaways from the book:

  • The #MeToo movement has exposed the culture of sexual harassment in Hollywood.
  • We need to hold companies accountable for their actions and create a culture where women are safe from sexual harassment and abuse

August 6, 2023

Idea Almanac

Five Times Faster: The Urgent Agenda for Climate Action

“We need to act five times faster to avoid dangerous climate change. This is a daunting challenge, but it is one that we must meet. We have the technology, the resources, and the know-how to do it. What we need is the political will.” – Simon Sharpe

Here are some key takeaways from the book Five Times Faster :

  • We need to act five times faster to avoid dangerous climate change.
  • We need to invest in new technologies to decarbonize our economy.
  • We need to change our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprint.
  • We need to work together to solve climate change.
  • Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution.

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August 5, 2023

Idea Almanac

Easy Money: The Rise and Fall of Cryptocurrency

In Easy Money, Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman investigate the rise of cryptocurrency and the fraudulent schemes that have proliferated in its wake. They tell the stories of average people who have lost their life savings in cryptocurrency scams, and they expose the greed and corruption of the cryptocurrency industry.

“Cryptocurrency is the perfect scam for the 21st century. It’s a get-rich-quick scheme that promises easy money with no risk. But the reality is that cryptocurrency is a casino, and most people are going to lose.” – Ben McKenzie

Key Takeaways

  • Cryptocurrency is a risky investment that is not backed by any government or central bank.
  • The cryptocurrency market is highly volatile and prone to manipulation.
  • There have been many fraudulent schemes in the cryptocurrency industry, including pump-and-dump schemes, exit scams, and Ponzi schemes.
  • Cryptocurrency is not a good store of value or a reliable currency.
  • The environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining is significant.
  • Cryptocurrency poses a risk to the global financial system.

August 3, 2023

Idea Almanac

The Rise of Facial Recognition Technology and the Threat to Our Privacy

In Your Face Belongs to Us, Kashmir Hill exposes the dark side of facial recognition technology. She tells the story of Clearview AI, a secretive startup that has amassed a massive database of facial images scraped from the internet.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the book:

  • Facial recognition technology is becoming increasingly powerful and pervasive.
  • Clearview AI has amassed a massive database of facial images scraped from the internet.
  • Clearview AI’s technology can identify anyone in a matter of seconds.
  • Clearview AI’s technology has been used by law enforcement, businesses, and even individuals to track people’s movements and activities.
  • Clearview AI poses a serious threat to our privacy and our democracy.

“Clearview AI is the future of facial recognition, and it’s a future that we should be very afraid of.” – Kashmir Hill

August 2, 2023

Idea Almanac

The Congolese Cobalt Mine: A Human Rights and Environmental Disaster

Cobalt Red is a searing exposé of the human rights abuses and environmental devastation caused by cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The book, by Siddharth Kara, documents the use of child labor, forced labor, and dangerous working conditions in cobalt mines, as well as the pollution of rivers and streams with cobalt waste.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the book:

  • Cobalt mining in the DRC is a major human rights and environmental catastrophe.
  • Children as young as 7 years old work in cobalt mines, often under dangerous conditions.
  • Cobalt mining is linked to the use of forced labor and child labor.
  • Cobalt mining pollutes rivers and streams, poisoning the environment and the people who live nearby.
  • The demand for cobalt in our electronics is fueling the exploitation of Congolese miners.

August 1, 2023

Idea Almanac

How big things get done

In his book How Big Things Get Done, world-leading megaproject expert Bent Flyvbjerg reveals the surprising factors that determine the fate of every project, from home renovations to space exploration.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the book:

  • Understand your odds: Don’t underestimate the risks and challenges of your project.
  • Plan slow, act fast: Take the time to understand your project thoroughly before you start executing.
  • Find your Lego: Break down your project into small, manageable steps.
  • Be a team maker: Build a strong team with a shared vision for the project.
  • Master the unknown unknowns: Be prepared for the unexpected.

July 15, 2023

Idea Almanac

Similarity between Bank of England and East India Company

“It was a strategy pursued not only by the bank of England but also the East India Company and the South Sea Company. In the case of the bank, the building view created an external view that, in the words of Clare Walcot, conveyed a polite public image appropriate for a city street, and the self identity of a corporate institution”

–Virtuous Bankers: A Day in the Life of the Eighteenth-Century Bank of England

June 25, 2023

Idea Almanac

Lindbergh

On May 21, 1927, at 10:24 P.M., the Spirit of St. Louis landed—having flown 3,614 miles from New York, nonstop, in thirty-three hours, thirty minutes, and thirty seconds. And in that instant, everything changed—for both the pilot and the planet.

Lindbergh’s arrival in Paris became the defining moment of his life, that event on which all his future actions hinged—as though they were but a predestined series of equal but opposite reactions, fraught with irony.

– Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg

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