LegalPolitics

SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner.

As with the first book, Freakonomics, I was fascinated by the economic mechanisms and quirky independent research that challenges our assumptions and that should be considered when making public policy. Remember the connection between the legalisation of abortion and the decline of crime in the 1990s?

Wildly entertaining, this book gives us great insight into the economic human psyche, but also gives us pause to wonder whether there is any altruistic fibre in the human body. Is it all (economic) self-interest?
Should this book be seen as mere entertainment? No. Particular in these times, alternative analyses and solutions should be part of the public debate. Yet, I doubt that any drugs online without prescription politician or bureaucrat has these books on their shelves as regular reference books. By putting the spotlight on all this research, the authors highlight that every measure in public administration must be thought through thoroughly. The problem is though that that thinking could be neverending. At some point a decision should be made. The main point is that public policy should take (more) into account the human psyche, group and other social dynamics and incentives.

Therefore, I highly recommend this book. And I will reread it too, just to keep me sharp.

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Dambisa Moyo

The past few years have seen a number of popular books on the necessity and/or follies of development aid, and to Africa in particular. Think Jeffrey Sachs and Paul Collier. In the ongoing discussion about the effects and effectiveness of development aid, this book should take a prominent place. This book is quite straightforward. Aid has been ineffective and even detrimental to development in Africa. And this coming from a young African and female economist. She was a hit in 2009 when her book came out and it seems to me that we are on the verge of fundamental changes, or at least I hope, because I am convinced that convential development aid has proven to be the wrong way.

I suspect that from all these books and arguments, pro and against, that a formula could be found which could calculate the right proportions and targets of development aid, foreign direct investement, capital market financing and governance polies. To some degree, a particular developing country needs a differential diagnosis, reminiscent of Dr. Gregory House, MD (yes, the tv-show!) Every country has unique features and is at a unique place on the development scale.

Read this book, and get buying prescription drugs online a head start in the discussion.?

Book Review: Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business by Erik Qualman

This book I highly recommend for anyone trying to figure out what to do with Twitter, Facebook and whatever social media is out there (after you realize that blogging is actually yesterday’s news).

It is an eye-opening and comforting book. After ‘The Audacity to Win’ I can see all the potential of social media for the new venture I am involved online pharmacy without a prescription in, and which is coming to you soon. Clearly, I don’t know the half of the power of social media. The book should be comforting even to people my age who may feel that they already are too old for this kind of thing. Social media is for everything and everybody. They can be an instrument for outreach for any cause you may support, your business, or non-profit organization. Right now, I use things like Twitter to keep up with the news, vent, and throw some opinions out there. But venting is the main thing.

I do think that social media are best used for the dissemination of ideas. Anyone trying to do so should always rethink anything they are thinking of posting. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and the like are already notorious for ruining butting and actual careers, and personal lifes. If you are building your professional reputation these media outlets can be great. When used for personal reasons, like keeping in contact with friends, don’t be sharing too much information….

Book Review: The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory by David Plouffe

I always follow US presidential elections closely, but the most recent one was special, as it was for many people. The grassroots movement of the Obama campaign, for which the Howard Dean campaign of 2004 Buy Cialis Online Without Prescription was a dress rehearsal was basically made possible by social media. The book by the Obama campaign manager, David Plouffe, is all you need to read to understand how the campaign was run and how the election developed.

If I had to summarize the picture that I got of the Obama campaign from this book it would sound like this: Big, big emphasis on grassroots organization; the use of social media and the Internet at large; and a clear and consistent game plan, consistently applied. In that sense, there is a lot in this book for campaigns around the world, adjusted for local election laws and political culture. Much can be said about the tremendous amounts of money that are involved in US elections, but money can also make good things possible. In the Netherlands, more money for campaigns would be welcome, because Dutch elections have this air of amateurism, and are generally not attractive. Elections are not exciting, and candidates are sometimes ashamed to go out on the street to campaign. Probably because they are received by the public with contempt…

In short, highly enjoyable and enlightening, and highly recommended for what it’s worth.

A must read for those interested in politics around the world, but especially for those fascinated by the Kennedy’s. At the same time, however, this book reveals not very much about how Ted Kennedy became the Lion of the Senate. As he himself claims in the book, no children of Joseph P. Kennedy were taught to tout their own horn, so he doesn’t in the book either. That is too bad, because I think much can be learned about his work methods and his ability to be a solid liberal and reach effectively across the aisle at the same time. Perhaps a biography will buy prescription drugs without a prescription reveal more. One of the Kennedy motto’s has been in the back of my mind for a while now: To whom much is given, much is required…. perhaps time to live up to that ourselves soon.

Hard to figure out though how. For instance, how can this blog, or a new (online) institute like Vitoria Instituut in which I will be involved can contribute. From my personal perspective, how can my expertise in international law contribute to the improvement of people? I am doing well, although I may not have job security as a career long civil servant may have, nice house, family etc. How can I get myself off the couch and help other people not so well off, when I have doubts about my abilities as a possible local politician or when any political ambitions I may have are on a national stage where my expertise may be of some use? Should we leave it to the Ted Kennedy’s of this world, and be content with teaching and writing? This is my dilemma at the moment.