Feldman's Faves: July 11, 2022

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

I am not going to lie. The nationwide shut down of the Rogers network on Friday was a treat. For the first time in forever (to quote Elsa) I spent a full day away from my phone and my computer. I couldn’t even docket my time….It was nice to live 1980’s style for a day and remember how life was like before…. I of course paid for it on Friday night and Saturday (like the rest of you) but it was totally worth it.

No theme this week – just stuff I had hoped would be interesting….

TRUST By: Hernan Diaz – This book reflects one of the key tenets of my life philosophy, which is that while ideas are great, it is all about execution if you want to be successful (my children are so sick and tired of hearing this from me). Trust has one of the most unique structures of any I have ever read, which makes it really interesting and which gave me really high hopes. On the other hand, the content and the theme (capitalism vs Marxism is old and tired with little new to say plus there are some plot twists that seem highly unoriginal to me (but I wont reveal them here). So I am somewhat conflicted in my recommendation. I will say that it is a really good story and if you are looking to be entertained, then you should read it. If on the other hand you are looking to gain new and thoughtful insight into this tired debate then this book is not for you. The cool part of this book is that it is four books within one. As one reviewer notes and reflects my view, “Trust holds a lot of promise, but it just didn't work for me. Consisting of four parts - a novel, autobiography, memoir, and journal - each successive entry peels back a layer of the story to ultimately reveal the truth behind the original novel. It sounds great as a premise, and reminds me of Susan Choi's outstanding Trust Exercise, but this is much less successful. The first problem is that the faux novel is just plain silly, with bursts of melodrama ("someone mentioned her clavicle") and written in a deliberately stylized manner, drained of emotion, so that no one really cares about the characters or peeling back the layers to the story. Likewise the autobiography. Bevel is never sympathetic so we aren't surprised by (or care about) later revelations. Showing that a wealthy financier isn't all he's cracked up to be is hardly revelatory. This would have been far more interesting if the first sections presented compelling characters and a myth that readers could get behind, only to strip it way later. Instead, we get 200+ pages of dowdy prose leading up to an ending we all knew was coming.” As per my own thesis, the idea is clever but the execution was poor. This book is different, it is entertaining, has lots of promise but in the end just doesn’t deliver. I’m not mad, just disappointed. Here is a good review from the Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/05/17/trust-hernan-diaz-book-review/

FREAKONOMICS RADIO – Does the Crypto Crash Mean the Blockchain Is Over? I know nothing about blockchain, crypto or NFTs and feel really dumb about it. At the time of writing Bitcoin has lost trillions of dollars of value. So is the current crisis like the last dot.com crash when people thought the internet was over or is it part of a cycle that is natural when it comes to the adoption of new technology. Not clear to me at all. If I knew this answer I would be retired on my own private island. This PODCAST discusses this market and the varying perspectives on the future of crypto and its family. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself: No. But now is a good time to sort out the potential from the hype. Whether you’re bullish, bearish, or just confused, we’re here to explain what the blockchain can do for you: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?i=1000567449551

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon