A thorough review of the Challenger disaster, what led up to it and the aftermath. I didn’t know the fate of the crew until I read this book and I lisA thorough review of the Challenger disaster, what led up to it and the aftermath. I didn’t know the fate of the crew until I read this book and I listened to a radio documentary about it just a few weeks ago.
I remember seeing the accident on tv, I was just seven years old so it burned itself onto my mind. ...more
It’s not just about the workers in the clothes factories: the clothes we wear can poison us. They are dyed with poisonous chemicals under little contrIt’s not just about the workers in the clothes factories: the clothes we wear can poison us. They are dyed with poisonous chemicals under little control and these chemicals keep leaching off and onto us. Most people aren’t overly sensitive, but the ones that are can suffer tremendously, as shown in this book.
The author tests a lot of clothes and most of these tests come back within the limits. However, the limits are often arbitrarily set. Most important: no one ever tests for combinations of harmful chemicals. This is a problem that crops all over the place, also with food additives. Any new chemical, be it a dye or a food additive, is considered harmless until proven otherwise and no one ever considers the problem of compounding effects due to many poisons working together. ...more
This is the second book I read on the topic of sand. This one is more extensive and explains all the fundamental ways we need it. We have it in the fiThis is the second book I read on the topic of sand. This one is more extensive and explains all the fundamental ways we need it. We have it in the fiber optic glass cables for the internet, in our computers and gadgets, windows, glass bottles, for our road fundaments and our buildings. It’s everywhere and completely essential to our way of life.
Sand is not just sand. Desert sand isn’t very useful because the sand is too rounded to hold up well. Saudi Arabia imports sand from Australia!
Sand is finite, of varying quality and increasingly difficult to get at. Environmental destruction is real, particularly on ocean floors.
The book is well written, entertaining and shocking and well worth reading. Highly recommended! ...more
This was a good, fairly politically impartial account of economics in the United States. It’s a few weeks since I finished it, and what I remember besThis was a good, fairly politically impartial account of economics in the United States. It’s a few weeks since I finished it, and what I remember best is the author’s own encounter with health insurance. Most people in the States, even with insurance, are little more than a serious illness away from bankruptcy. The system is inefficient and expensive in addition. However, it keeps a lot of people busy, so the lobbyists defend it rigorously. I will probably read it again. ...more
This book is an in depth authorized biography of Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook. From a fledgling startup at Harvard to a billion dollar company thaThis book is an in depth authorized biography of Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook. From a fledgling startup at Harvard to a billion dollar company that destroys democracies and elections and spreads hate speech. Fascinating and frightening in equal measure, definitely recommended! ...more
This is an extremely important book on the materials we can’t do without. They aren’t ones most of us think daily about, but they are essential.
Sand This is an extremely important book on the materials we can’t do without. They aren’t ones most of us think daily about, but they are essential.
Sand - for cement, buildings and roads. Sand is also used for making glass. Sand is not just sand. Iron - for a ton of things: building, cars, vessels, rockets Copper - for the green transition and electricity. Salt - a necessary ingredient Oil - for transportation, food production, clothes, and various materials Lithium - for the batteries in our gadgets and cars, also essential for the next energy transition
The problem with these materials is that extracting them is extremely damaging to the environment. Hard decisions will have to be made, such as deep sea mining. Or using too much water or blowing up sacred sites.
We do not live in a service economy. We live in a world where we exploit natural resources and this will not change. I wanted to start the book again when I was done....more
“There is an inverse relationship between how useful your job is to society and what you get paid for it.”
It’s not 100% true, there are some exceptio“There is an inverse relationship between how useful your job is to society and what you get paid for it.”
It’s not 100% true, there are some exceptions such as specialist doctors, but mostly it’s correct.
There are also a lot of jobs that the employees themselves consider bullshit these days. Jobs that don’t really bring value to anyone. I quit a job like that last year. A very fancy job, global, well paid. It didn’t help as it turned out that my main task was gathering information already in the system and copy-pasting it into power point.
There has been an inflation in higher education and many jobs have been created for this workforce pool. I will refrain from getting nasty, but it’s hard. I could give you examples of at least a dozen job titles where I work now, that bring zero value to the company and the world. But someone thinks we have to have them. It’s mind boggling! ...more
I knew this book was released in 2011, but had not read it. Probably because I thought knew two things ABB’s former CEO: 1) One of his asbestos acquisiI knew this book was released in 2011, but had not read it. Probably because I thought knew two things ABB’s former CEO: 1) One of his asbestos acquisitions in the 90’s nearly bankrupted the company in 2002, my second year working there, and 2) He had a “golden parachute” retirement package of extreme proportions.
Why would I want to read the book? So I left it. I picked it up because it was recommended by the new service manager for the business area I work in. I have no regrets, I was floored.
It is a fascinating industrial history document. It explains how Percy fused Asea, the Swedish company that he was CEO for, with the Swiss BBC. They also bought several Norwegian companies, such as EB and NEBB. The poor CEO for NEBB was unreachable for a four week vacation at the end of the 1980’s - when he came back the company had changed hands three times. There are still drawings of NEBB generators in the archive of the office I work at.
Percy’s CEO days in the 80’s and 90’s were wild. Some of the stories are spectacular- such as riding helicopter between the summer cottages of Finnish ministers one Midsummer weekend, when Stromberg park was going to be acquired to the ABB family.
Percy also covers the two points I knew about him. His retirement fund came up five years after he had left the CEO position, blown up for the media by a spiteful member of the board. It was a compensation for lack of stock options and he paid most of it back.
The company, Combustion Engines, in the United States was known for having employees get compensation for asbestos. This was fine, until a judge in Mississippi decided that everyone should be compensated, whether suffering any ill effects or not. This sent many companies under, and ABB barely survived the cost.
At the end of the book, Percy gives some advice on leadership and how to run companies. It’s very interesting, as much of his legacy remains strong.
This was a fascinating read on industrial history, personal leadership and company development. I couldn’t find a translation from Swedish, which is a pity. ...more
An important book, but it deals mostly with the commercial side of garbage than the environmental aspects. The author grew up in the business himself An important book, but it deals mostly with the commercial side of garbage than the environmental aspects. The author grew up in the business himself and this is his way of processing that. Interesting in its way, but not quite what I was expecting. ...more
A history of batteries and the people who developed them. From the first experiments on frogs to the development of lithium ion batteries and the prolA history of batteries and the people who developed them. From the first experiments on frogs to the development of lithium ion batteries and the proliferation of electric vehicles. I didn’t know that the EV’e had so many false starts. ...more
This is a shocking expose of how badly BP used to be run. I hope it’s “used to”, but I honestly struggle to believe that they have changed that much aThis is a shocking expose of how badly BP used to be run. I hope it’s “used to”, but I honestly struggle to believe that they have changed that much after being run so badly for so long. The company systematically down prioritized maintenance and safety, despite hazard reporting and whistle blowing. This culminated in the Deep Water Horizon blowout disaster, but this is only covered in a couple of chapters. This is a perfect handbook in how not to run a business. ...more
It’s more like three stars, but because the topic is so urgent and relevant, it gets an extra. We have all heard of AI and seen the movies and maybe sIt’s more like three stars, but because the topic is so urgent and relevant, it gets an extra. We have all heard of AI and seen the movies and maybe some even think it’s a matter of consciousness. It’s not. The real issue is that AI will, within the next few years, do a lot of jobs better than humans. We have basically taught programs to program themselves - that is, to learn and adapt.
It will change everything. We have already seen AI art and pictures that look real and we only know it’s not because well, satanism isn’t taught in kindergartens, for example. It will become even more difficult to distinguish fact from fiction and disinformation will flourish as bad actors try to get their points across. Even worse, they can by DNA synthesizers and together with AI create new deadly viruses. This is not science fiction anymore.
Although I have not really engaged with AI, I have chatGPT on my phone and I have tweaked my LinkedIn messages with AI, occasionally. Like all technology, it can be used for good or ill. In Norway 60% of teachers have caught students cheating with AI, turning in assignment that they haven’t written.
The authors want regulation and containment. So do I, but I don’t see how, even after reading this. The train has left the station, the ship has sailed, Pandora’s box has been opened.
You should be scared. AI isn’t coming with esoteric questions of consciousness. AI is coming to lie to you and to take your job and to rob your accounts. You should read this book.
Note: chatGPT did NOT write this review because it doesn’t apparently review new books. Yes, of course I tried, just to see what would come out of it.
When I finished the book, my immediate thought was, “I want to read it again”. And take notes. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I loved “the psychologWhen I finished the book, my immediate thought was, “I want to read it again”. And take notes. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I loved “the psychology of money”. This book is more “the psychology of people” - that is what never changes. We will still be driven by envy and greed in 50 or 100 or 500 years. How the world will change in 50, 10 or even 5 years we can’t really know. We cannot foresee the next pandemic, war or black swan even that will turn the world topsy-turvy. Even in the late 1990’s after I had bought my first Nokia I didn’t expect to be surfing on a phone 10 years later. I didn’t really think I would even as late as 2006.
Also, chance plays a much larger role trying anyone would like to admit. Where would we be now if Al Gore had won the election in 2000? What would the world be like if we didn’t all have to suffer the scars of 9/11 (just think airport security), an attack that could have failed or turned out differently.
The author says that the best strategy is to be both a pessimist and an optimist. Don’t fall down one way or the other. Save like a pessimist, invest like an optimist and keep the horizon long. After “the psychology of money”, I jacked up my savings. I did it again now. It’s a combination of both high interest bank account savings and stock funds. The latter is long term - I save more every month and I don’t touch it. Every decade there will be a disaster that badly affects the stock market. I’ve had two hits and watched my stock funds dip and then recover and continue to increase after a few weeks or months. Making money fast is much more difficult. Don’t take up as much debt as you think you can handle either. (I have none for now, but this is not a given.)
The world will change in unexpected ways. Human nature stays the same. Read the book, I promise you will learn something good. ...more
My last book of the year and the best nonfiction read of the year. This reads a thriller in many ways: the giant food companies, with their goals of sMy last book of the year and the best nonfiction read of the year. This reads a thriller in many ways: the giant food companies, with their goals of share holder value, putting things in our food to make us eat more. Actually, most of it is not food, it’s edible industrial waste. It’s not easy to distinguish one broccoli from another, but if you can get a child addicted to a certain flavor barcode with various additives, then you have a customer for life.
The author is absolutely not moralizing. You can eat what you want - the problem is that we do not know what we are eating. The food industry has no interest in telling us and it is incredibly poorly regulated. In Europe, 2000 additives are allowed, in the United States it’s more than 10000 and more coming every year with no control whatsoever.
Take bread for example - you cannot get “real” bread without additives in a supermarket. “Additive” or UPF (ultra processed food) being defined as having ingredients you don’t normally find in a kitchen. I naively thought that since I live in Norway and the bread is fresh, surely it’s without additives. Well. I was wrong! There are emulsifiers galore.
This is basically all that the author recommends - read the ingredient list. I thought I was eating okay, I like to cook. However, I am not good with sauce. This is often dried and I often eat mashed potatoes from a bag. Frozen pizza about once a week. It’s not really food. It’s calorie dense and soft, to encourage over eating. Fake aromas that indicate certain nutrients that we might be missing are as also causing us to over-consume.
The food industry loves to blame the obesity epidemic on lack of exercise. There is a clear correlation between UPF and obesity. Every independent study shows this. The only ones that do not are sponsored by the food industry.
I don’t think that I can reduce my UPF intake to zero. However, I will make an effort to avoid the easy options. I am privileged enough to be able to afford it. I will learn to cook sauce from scratch.
Read the book. It’s incredibly well researched - it has to be, so that the author won’t get sued. It’s also personal because the author uses examples from his own life and has also participated in documented studies on the topic.
This book was written quite long ago, but it is still relevant. I did not know that the United States were so big on coal. I only know that Germany anThis book was written quite long ago, but it is still relevant. I did not know that the United States were so big on coal. I only know that Germany and Poland are still going strong with it. We get lessons in coal mining, environmental destruction, health problems and union busting. And the ones who have gotten very rich from the mining. The United States is owned and run by its oligarchs, unfortunately. Highly recommended! ...more
If you want the insight into most crypto being just a Ponzi scheme, look no further. The book explains crypto, it’s clever marketing and how most of iIf you want the insight into most crypto being just a Ponzi scheme, look no further. The book explains crypto, it’s clever marketing and how most of it ultimately failed. I still remember from the pandemic years how people would waste small fortunes on crypto art. Of course they are worthless now. If nothing else, that showed that zero interest rates leads to too much risk being taken in the market. ...more
This is a super fun, entertaining book about serious topics. You really don’t expect to be laughing when reading about near future space age, but thisThis is a super fun, entertaining book about serious topics. You really don’t expect to be laughing when reading about near future space age, but this author is incredibly witty and it fits!
I read and enjoyed “prisoners of geography” that brought valuable insights. I wasn’t expecting this book to be about space! It was very well timed though, since India successfully landed an unmanned craft on the South Pole of the moon this week.
First we get an introduction to how man got to the moon and the importance of this in relation to the Cold War. Then there is a discussion of now. Many countries are dependent on satellites for communication and intelligence and just one well placed detonation of an atom bomb could knock most of it out. Also, the moon will harbor valuable minerals that the super powers want to get at, and it will very likely be first come, first serve. The moon could have water, that could lay the foundation of a base from which humanity could explore our solar systems. We can already see the jostling for positioning and it is likely the Chinese will be on the moon within the next decade or two.
Space, the moon, our solar system will become even more important than it already is. What happens up there will also influence what goes on on earth. Read the book, it’s fun and you will learn something along the way! ...more
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