Feldman's Faves: September 13, 2021 (Dan's Faves)

Good morning BL5 – Well, the NFL is back and I (for one) am very happy (I realize that not everyone shares my enthusiasm) – the Jays 22-7 win over the Orioles yesterday was their tribute to the NFL….. As a sports fan, this time of year is one of my favourites with new seasons starting and on the horizon. For film fans the TIFF is in full force (albeit majorly scaled back – no FAN ZONE this year, but at least it is happening) For those of you with kids in school it’s so good to get the first week under our belt and (fingers crossed) this will be a much better year for them than the crap they all went through over the previous 18 months.

This week our friend Dan Gormley is providing a book recommendation. The following comes from him:

Resurrection by: Leo Tolstoy - I have just completed Leo Tolstoy’s “ Resurrection“. It was written in 1899 and reflects the theme that preoccupied Tolstoy at that time and until his death in 1910 : the quest to live a moral life within an unjust society. The main character is a wealthy Russian landowner who , while serving as a juror in a criminal trial, recognizes one of the accused to be a woman from the lower ranks of society whom he seduced , impregnated and abandoned 10 years earlier, thereby setting her on a path to poverty and prostitution. Through a series of judicial errors the woman is wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to hard labour in Siberia. The landowner, out of guilt for his actions of a decade earlier, resolves to help the woman in every way he can. His visits to her in prison and attempts to overturn her conviction take him and the reader on a tour through Russia’s high society, bureaucracy and penal system. He comes to the realization that the cynicism and selfishness of Russia’s elites are the ultimate source of the miseries afflicting its peasantry and that in order to no longer be complicit in their crimes he must give away his lands and wealth.

It’s all a tad too idealistic and high- minded for the post - modern sensibility, to be sure, but the moral transformation of the main character is for the most part surprisingly convincing. And the portraits drawn of “ liberal” members of the nobility who periodically bemoan (at all the right times and in all the right social circles, of course) the gross injustices of the “system” but at the same time carefully avoid doing anything which could undermine their own wealth and privilege have more than just a little contemporary resonance. I found the book to be a moving reminder of two truths: that merely saying all the right things is meaningless, and that to truly do good one must free oneself from fear of loss, whether it be loss of power, loss of reputation, or loss of wealth.

Masters of Scale Rapid Response: How Harley-Davidson set a foundation for the long term with CEO Jochen Zeitz - I had never been on a motorcycle before – but trying it once made me understand why people love them so much. I probably won’t do it again but it was certainly a rush. This PODCAST is an interview with Harley Davidson’s new CEO, Jochen Zeitz, and describes what he is doing to bring Harley to a new generation of riders and manage through the difficult times of the Covid pandemic. Here is a summary from the PODCAST itself “Even an 118-year-old company needs an entrepreneurial jolt. When Jochen Zeitz took over as CEO of motorcycle maker Harley Davidson in early 2020, he moved quickly to restructure the business – even in the midst of the pandemic's highest uncertainty. That defiance paid off, settling investors and refocusing the company. He's trimmed the product line, set up equity grants for employees including factory workers, and doubled-down on Harley’s brand power. Challenges persist, including ongoing supply chain delays, but Zeitz has his eyes on the road ahead. As a longtime motorcycle rider and a longtime champion of sustainability, he is setting out to square those two passions – and lead the company through an expansive second century”: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/masters-of-scale-with-reid-hoffman/id1227971746?i=1000530381226

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

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

Jon