The Undoing Project, the love story between two friends. White Fragility, how to spot racism. Homo Deus, humanity’s next frontiers. Shoe Dog, the story of Nike. How to Change Your Mind, altered states of consciousness.
The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis
I’ve been a big fan of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s work, after reading Thinking Fast and Slow. This book is refreshing as it explores their friendship and collaboration.
Michael Lewis begins the story with Kahneman’s childhood - an intelligent Jewish boy and his family hid and flee from the Nazis. Never staying in one European town for too long, living under precarious situations. Kahneman learnt to stay in the background as much as possible. This gave him ample opportunities to observe those around him. Kahneman sought to understand the motivations behind people’s decisions. This led him to Hebrew University where the two would eventually meet.
Collaboration is not only more creative, it is more fun. [We] were better together than on our own. [..] it was extremely pleasant not trying to work everything out yourself. - Daniel Kahneman
Tversky was Israeli-born and whose childhood was relatively carefree. As a mathematical psychologist, he prefer quantifying the human condition. Tversky was charming, optimistic, full of energy and confidence. In contrast, his eventual partner in crime was anxious, full of self-doubt and. Tversky and Kahneman were unlike in many ways, yet they complimented each other so well.
My colleagues, they study artificial intelligence; me, I study natural stupidity. - Amos Tversky
Upon reading this book, I was envious of how these soulmates found each other. At the heart of it, this book was a love story between two friends who lifted each other up. They could spar intellectually, never too attached to one’s position. They destroy and reconstructed their theories about human behaviour in a creative manner. As their careers progress, they move away from Israel. The distance starts to put a strain on their relationship. In typical fashion, Americans overvalued Tversky’s confidence and devalued Kahneman’s contributions. This deepened the rift in their conflict. Their relationship deteriorates and they find themselves unable to collaborate with one another. When Tversky finds that he is ill, they rekindle their friendship. Tversky passes away, and Kahneman wins the Nobel Prize for their work together. Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously.
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism. DiAngelo, the author, is a white ally who has dedicated her career to diversity and inclusion. She shares countless stories of the shit people say and do around her. Some of the people in these stories are unaware of their own behaviour.
Colourblindness or “I just don’t see colour” downplays the lived experiences of people of colour. To accept there is a problem, we must acknowledge the role that race plays in our lives. Some folk believe that racism has been “solved”. The USA elected a black president, that slavery and lynching is illegal! The system of oppression that white folks still benefit from, is still alive and well.
Younger generations are not more any less racist. We keep re-inventing new ways to express our biases. From “Law and Order” to “All Lives Matter”, we’re also reinventing new ways of oppression. Racism has gotten thickly subtle. Even well intentioned people can perpetuate racism and reinforce stereotypes. Allies are not infallible. White fragility kicks in when people’s problematic behaviour is call-out. There might be anger, denial, guilt, avoidance, or tears. It’s easier to feel good about one’s wokeness than to change one’s behaviour. It is hard to blame the human psyche from protecting itself/ego. Still, it is worthwhile to get away from the moral and ethical attachments we have to being “good” and “bad” DiAngelo encourages white folks to examine their privilege, and hold space for others.
It is hard to imagine any book on race be free from criticism. The book can seem angry and confrontational at times. It’s vulnerable and hard work calling out people’s bullshit. I worry that the book seeks to shame its readers. Instead, I hope folks come closer together to work through these deep societal issues. Amy Landon, the narrator sounds like a robot.
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
A brief history of tomorrow. Harari draws on his learnings from the past, and projects where we’re going from where we are today. Given that humankind has largely eradicated some of its largest threats (famine, certain diseases), we set sight into the future. Homo Deus explores humankind’s next largest challenges - immortality, happiness, and giving ourselves superpowers. The book is a bit dystopian in nature, as it predicts the downfall of humanism, as it gives rise to dataism. Dataism postulates that information flow is the supreme value, and that any intervention to limit the flow of data is a violation of fundamental rights. We are already living in an age and world where algorithms rule over our lives. Transhumans might one day keep current-day humans as pets. Beyond the futuristic predictions, I found the book repeats many of the themes found in the author’s last book (Sapiens).
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Phil Knight loved running track. While studying for his MBA, he had a hypothesis that he could sell high-end, low-cost running Onitsuka shoes from Japan. After his graduation, he packed up his bags to travel the world - along the way, he makes a stop in Japan. He convinces Tiger, the manufacturer to send him a small shipment of shoes. Knight’s father was a lawyer whose main goal in life was to amass respect. Phil Knight was way more interested in pursuing his dreams of being an entrepreneur. His mother convinces his father to lend him $50. This was the beginning of Blue Ribbon Sports.
I’d tell men and women in their midtwenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. - Phil Knight
Knight’s coach was Bill Bowerman, who was a legend of his own. Bowerman was also obsessed with shoes. He knew that high quality - low weight, durable, supportive shoes could make all the difference in a runner’s time. Knight convinces Bowerman to become his business partner. Knight takes a controlling 51/49 stake.
Nike’s story can be summarized by an escalating series of borrowing money, and re-investing it all back into growth. Along the way, there were rivals that wanted a monopoly on distribution. Learning to do business cross-culturally was crucial in this story of globalization. Bankers being generally risk-adverse and unhelpful. A ragtag crew that were corporate misfits determined to help Nike succeed. Nike hits a tipping point, where Tiger became the bottleneck for growth. Nike starts their own product lines, forging Nike’s destiny as a manufacturer.
The story ends with Nike’s IPO, which happened to be on the same day as megacorp - Apple Inc. Knight defends the working conditions conditions of the factories that manufactures Nike’s goods. He cites that Nike always left the places better than before they arrived. In the backdrop of Knight’s career, he mentions the two boys he neglected growing up. He references Nike as his third child. At the end of the book, he grieves his son, Matthew who died early in a diving accident. Interestingly enough, he has a daughter that he does not mention at all in the book.
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
Life changing and mystical are the words used by people to describe psychedelics. Psychedelics have facilitated the spiritual exploration of various cultures throughout human history. It’s one of the ways we can alter our consciousness. It grants the experience of watching one’s ego and identity melt away. Many feel the weight of their mortality, and face their greatest fears. This book intertwines the history of psychedelics with the author’s psychonautic experience.
LSD was discovered out of chance from the laboratory of Albert Hofmann. Hofmann’s experience was the first, and only untainted account of being on a LSD trip. Much of the language used to describe psychedelic trips is heavily influenced by authors like Aldoux Huxley. Timothy Leary was a prominent psychedelic researcher. His unconventional research methods invited heavy criticism from allies and critics alike. He became a prominent face of counterculture and rebellion.
To make sense of a psychedelic trip, one must have experienced it themselves. The human experience is hard to quantify, but especially so when that experience is “out of this world”. Psychedelics has the potential to provide therapeutic relief for many many mental disorders. Psychedelics deactivate the brain’s default mode network. This grants the opportunity to see things from a different perspective. This brief change can have long lasting effects. Addicts find themselves rehabilitated. The anxious can find calm. Dissolving the ego challenges the brain to break free from its regular patterns. Our brains are efficient problem solving machines. Psychedelics force our brains to reach for more creative answers.