Music and the Brain by Aniruddh Patel and the Great Courses

I just finished Music and the Brain a Great Courses series of lectures by Aniruddh Patel. He discusses current research on how music affects the brain. He focuses the effects of music on humans and on  interspecies difference in ability to respond and create music.

A significant portion of the lectures covers how music can be used as therapy to help people who are recovering from a stroke improve the quality of their speech. The rhythms of music can also be used to help Parkinson's patients improve their ability to move. He sites controlled studies used to demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques.

No musical knowledge is required to understand the course. After taking the course, I want to spend more time learning to play the piano and dance to music as both of these activities have demonstrated positive benefits.

 

Rhythm and the Brain -18 minutes

Music and the Mind - 52 minutes

Music and Creative Aging - 82 minutes

Neither Here Nor There - Travels in Europe - Bill Bryson

In Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe, Bill Bryson retraces part of his trip to Europe that he took at a young man in the 1970's. He notes changes and things that remained the same. His digressions are both informative and humorous. He describes being stuck in eternal darkness in Northern Scandinavia waiting for the northern lights. He arrives just after a spectacular display and wills himself to stay until he completes his mission to see the lights.

It is interesting that each city has its own character, some were beautiful others run down and depressing. He marvels at the facility of a youthful girl pick pocket but can't find words in an Italian phrase book to describe his predicament. He is told at the police station in perfect English that there was not an English translator available and he would have to come back the next day.

The book reminds me of Mark Twain's book A Tramp Abroad. Bryson doesn't shy away from offering strong critiques about the problems with various European cities. He also celebrates when cities get it right. For those planning a trip to Europe this book would be a useful guide to help develop an itinerary.

Lichtenstein - Bill Bryson gives it the full treatment in one minute

A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell

In A Renegade History of the United States, Thaddeus Russel looks at US history by examining the impact of the people at the bottom of society.  It's a gritty history, filled with criminals, prostitutes and people who refuse to buy into the American work ethic of sacrificing freedom to earn money. They desire the freedom to choose live for today and work only when they want.

When the US government interviewed African American slaves many years after the civil war, the interviewers were surprised that a significant number of former slaves looked back fondly on the plantation as their physical needs were taken care of and they did not have to work as hard. Another group of former slaves bought into the American dream of hard work and education learning the benefits of delayed gratification. Many leaders in the community worked hard to convert the former slaves to this mindset with mixed results. This occurred again as Martin Luther King Junior admonished he flock to give up idleness and be productive during time leading up to the Civil Rights Movement.

The author examines three ethnic groups who graduated from the out group to the in group. Irish, Jewish and Italian immigrants arrived in the U. S. later than other Europeans. In the northern cities, each of these ethnic groups ended up in the same housing areas as the African Americans. This proximity facilitated cultural exchanges between these groups. This also explains why many of the black-faced minstrel shows were comprised of members from these three ethnic groups. They observed and borrowed dances and singing from the African American Culture.

Jewish composers Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein composed lyrics and songs such as "Old Man River" that captured the African American experience. They were able to do this because they grew up living in the same neighborhoods and absorbing that culture.

During World War II the military units were segregated and the military had to make a decision about which ethnic group fell into the "white group". The Jewish, Irish and Italians were folded into the white group with some distinction being made between the northern and southern Italians. The darker skinned southern Italians were initially discriminated against and compared unfavorably to African Americans. The same thing occurred when the both the Irish and Jewish immigrants arrived. I was surprised to find out that the people who made these distinctions worked at places like Harvard or Stanford.

The roll of Jazz and Rock-n-Roll in the downfall of East Germany was also explained in detail. The government suppression to these forms of music created more demand for freedom.

This is a disturbing work that reveals the unconventional truth behind history including an extended exploration of the similar policies of government control of society supported by FDR, Mussolini, and Hitler.

Summary of Renegade History - 36 minutes

Extended Documentary on a Renegade History - 101 minutes

Lecture on the Renegade History - 126 minutes

Five Levels of Leadership by John C Maxwell

John C. Maxwell's The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential describes the different leadership traits at each level of leadership. He lists the benefits and the drawbacks of each level of leadership. He also includes a quiz to assess which level of leadership you are currently at. At level 5 leaders are working to develop level four leaders to eventually replace them. At level one a worker has been assigned a leadership role largely based on potential. The person who stays in this person is concerned about personal status and the perks of the position.

I've encountered leaders who were more interested in the perks of the office rather than developing people and listening to their employees. I've had others who were great mentors and helped develop the people under them to become leaders and high performing staff. Leader in this sense does not have to me in a supervisor role but in a role where they impart knowledge and skill to others to improve their value and allow those people to become leaders.

It is important to analyze during a job interview or when assessing a person running for office what level they may be at. One of the management books I read pointed out that when the companies annual report had a large photo of their CEO on the cover that was usually a bad sign. The leader was likely more focused on themselves than on helping other people to become leaders.

5 Levels of Leadership - Toolshero

5 Levels of Leadership animated summary - 5 min.

5 Levels of Leadership - summary 13 min. 

5 Levels of Leadership full video - 53 minutes

Just Listen by Mark Goulston

Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone by Mark Goulston provides information on methods to work through difficult conversational land mines. A failure to adequately mirror a person creates a mirror neuron deficit. As an example: A person works very hard on a project and the person receiving the results says, "Thanks."  A more appropriate specific note of appreciation will recognize the specific work the person has done.

Dealing with a difficult situation steps (paraphrasing):  By naming the emotional state the pre-frontal cortex is engaged and can help the brain work through the problem and extract the problem out of the reptilian brain. The key is pausing to analyze before reacting. This reduces regret caused by unthoughtful responses.  I've been using this on a couple of really difficult situations lately and it has helped me come up with a better solution.

1. Oh Crap!
2. Oh Gosh
3. Oh Geez!
4. Okay.

Mark Goulston talks about Just Listen - 62 min. 

The Science of Natural Healing by Mimi Guarneri MD

Professor Mimi Guarneri M.D., FACC gives a series of 24 lectures on evidenced base changes people can make to improve their health. The first twelve lectures focus on nutrition, food, herbs, and supplements. She provides evidence for her statement that food is information that initiates changes in the body. Eliminating foods that initiate inflammation such as simple sugars reduce problems with many systems in the body, arthritis, gum disease, heart function. Eating high fat foods causes the arteries to be less flexible and explains why people do not feel good after a heavy meal.

She refers to the dirty dozen fruits that have higher levels of pesticide from the Environmental Working Group. She recommends purchasing these organically grown if possible.

Her later lectures cover topics such as turning stress into strength, the power of love, and you are your own best medicine. Under you are you own best medicine: self-healing requires and emotional charged situation, ritual, and hope. The caring relationship between the health care provider and the patient is a powerful factor in the patients prognosis. The administration of a placebo can be an effective treatment in the absence of effective medication. 

You can view her first lecture of the course Shifting the Health Care Paradigm at the Great Courses Plus site.

Natural Approaches to Health and Healing - 88 minutes

The Science of Natural Healing - 2 min.

Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski

Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski builds on the Coursera class Learning How to Learn. This highly accessible book is geared for middle schoolers and teenagers. 

The book design facilitates easy comprehension of the specific recommendations on efficient use of study time. This information would also be readily used by college students, adult learners, teachers, and trainers at all levels of education. The recommendation to exercise and take a break after studying for a maximum of 1.5 hours works well for information retention. I liked the photos of the dendrites and neurons making connections while people sleep. 

Turning information into intelligence - 8 min. 

Learning How to Learn - TED talk - 18 minutes

Learning How to Learn - Talks at Google - 68 minutes

Lighten Up - Survival Skills for People Under Pressure C.W. Metcalf and Roma Felible

C.W. Metcalf attempts to do good by taking care of hospice patients but the patients tell Mr. Metcalf that he needs to fix his own life. In Lighten Up: Survival Skills for People Under Pressure by C. W. Metcalf we are given an opportunity to get to know people in difficult situations often near the end of their life and observe how they develop a disciplined sense of joy in life.

Book chapter title by C.W. Metcalf - photo - N. Carlson

He recommends taking care of yourself with tackling our addictions, good nutrition, exercise, constant learning, and a healthy serving of child-like playfulness. Focus on "curiosity, openness, spontaneity, flexibility, creativity ... and joyfulness."

He lists several techniques to pull yourself out of the blues (not clinical depression where you need professional help). Finding number of small activities that bring you joy. Writing joy list with all of the things that bring you joy. It can be referred to when the blues show up uninvited. He doesn't recommend chasing happiness but putting the effort in to activities that stretch and bring joy. You do not have to win but you do have to play.

Many of his recommendations fall into similar ones made in the book Play by Stuart Brown, MD. The goal is not to win but to keep the game going.  When I play with my dog Yukon, he keeps bringing me objects to toss or to play tug of war. He wants to extend play as long as possible.

Mr. Metcalf recommends doing the facial exercises below designed to induce laughter.

C.W. Metcalf - smile muscles - 2 min. 

C.W. Metcalf - Humor, Altruism and Community - 1 min. 

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson describes the conditions that set in motion the migration of African Americans from the deep south to other parts of the country. Three individuals were followed from their birth to the end of their life. Each one struggled to make it to the north or to the west. In some cases, they attained a measure of success, in others they ended up in dystopian urban landscapes (south side of Chicago) with children that engaged in self destructive behaviors.

The Jim Crow south is described in specific detail. It is amazing, in retrospect, the amount of effort that was put into maintaining second class citizenship for African Americans. Trains heading south had to shift African American passengers to specific cars when entering southern towns from the north. The share cropping culture that replaced slavery also left many people trapped in a spiral of debt with no hope of any future. Law enforcement were often allowed to carry out vigilante justice without fear of prosecution.

Finding lodging for African Americans during road trips was very difficult with hotel owners not daring to rent to non-whites for fear of retribution. This less overt but equally problematic discrimination extended outside of the south. The entrance of a black family into a predominantly white neighborhood often resulted in white flight, harassment, or the destruction of the property. The newly arrived southern migrants were often seen as less culturally sophisticated by earlier arriving established northerners.

I read this book as part of a book club. It helped me get better prospective on the history of this migration and how these experiences may affect those that took part in it. The author provides a very granular view of these people's lives as she even drove one of them to their doctors appointments and attended their funerals. 

The Warmth of Other Suns - 4 min. 

Connecting to Her past Isabella Wilkerson - 3 min. 

Talk on the Warmth of Other Suns - 55 min.

Fireworks, Flowers, Forests, and the Minnesota State Fair by N. G. Carlson

The fourth in a series of mirror image photography books is now complete with shots taken from Minnesota during 2018. The book departs slightly from the format of earlier books with the inclusion of wildflower photos with no mirror imaging. Many of these photos reveal the intimate relationship between flowers and their insect pollinators.

The paperback version of Fireworks, Flowers, Forests, and the Minnesota State Fair: Image Reflections from Minnesota is available from Amazon.  There is also a kindle version of Fireworks, Flowers, Forests, and the Minnesota State Fair: Image Reflections from Minnesota that is best viewed from a portrait orientation.

The early section of the book shows the interiors of the Mall of America and Target Center. Photos from the University of Minnesota and Silverwood Park cover early spring through the fall.

Grumpy tree creature - N. Carlson

Fireworks from both St. Anthony Villagefest and the Minnesota State Fair provide interesting photos of alien creatures, animals, and other images that will spark the imagination.

The video below uses some of the wildflower images from this the book.

Tom Petty - Wildflowers  3 minutes and 13 seconds

Play by Stuart Brown MD

I just finished reading Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown, MD the founder for the National Institute of Play.  His observation confirm the need for humans and animals to play. He provides pictures of a polar bear and a sled dog playing together at the same time for several days while the polar bear waits for proper ice flow conditions.

He notes that play is essential for children for brain development. In adults a play deficit results in a darkened mood and a reduced ability to feel pleasure. Play appears to improve brain function and optimism. Play is best when there is movement. Incorporating play and movement in the treatment of depression has had positive results.

He differentiates play where both people work to keep an activity going to activity initiated by a person who is a player. That person engages others in play for their own interest and not for the mutual benefit others. As an example he relays the pickup football game that he played in Chicago while growing up. The kids made up the rules and changed them to compensate for some players with limited abilities. A friend of mine who was a good ping pong player would play me left handed to make it a competitive match.  He recommends self organized play by children over strictly organized play by adults.

He encourages adults to allow some rough and tumble play between students within some broad boundaries. Students need to learn the limits of play and friendly teasing through interaction with others and not through severe restriction on behaviors. Rough and tumble play is characterized by laughter

At the end of the book he concludes: "Play is the purest expression of love. When enough people raise play to the status it deserves in or lives, we will find the world a better place."

What is play - Stuart Brown MD - 8 min.

The Neuroscience of Play - 72 minutes

Play is more than fun - 15 minutes

Why You Love Music: From Mozart to Metallica by John Powell

John Powell the physicist and part time musician wrote Why You Love Music: From Mozart to Metallica--The Emotional Power of Beautiful Sounds as a follow up to his book How Music Works: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond. He wanted the general reader to get a basic understanding of both the physics and the psychological effects of music.

With delightful British wit he aptly explains why we like chords and specific note progressions. His dive into the psychological literature offers up some studies showing how types of music influence the purchase of either French or German wine with French music driving French wine sales.  Music can even influence the perceived taste of wine. In one study a wine was both judged the worst and the best wine with order and background music the only variables.

He also noted the ability of music to cause the production of various neurotransmitters, serotonin, and dopamine. Music can be an important therapy in pain management. By stringing songs in a particular order and at the appropriate volume it can also assist people with getting to sleep.  With my MP3 player I can string together a series of songs and the player will automatically turn off when the set is done. This has helped me sleep when I am awaken during the middle of the night and need to get back to sleep.

Musical instruments as old as 40,000 years old made from the bone of a vulture can still play familiar tunes. He suggests that music was important in parental bonding with children as the parent will sing to their baby to help them control their emotions.

40,000 year old instrument plays a familiar tune

How music works - 4 minutes

Why we love music - 6 min. 

The physics behind the psychology of music - 6 min. 

The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain by Barbara Strauch

Barbara Strauch's The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind describes the properties of a middle aged brain that make it different than a person in their 20's. The mature brain is not able to focus on one topic, which causes many to fail to retrieve an item in another room because we forgot what we were looking for. The older brain also has difficulty remembering names often necessitating a mental trip through the alphabet or a search for a middle vowel sound that will release the name from the tip of the tongue.

The diffuse method of thinking allows the mature brain to increase creativity with many more experience with the potential for novel links. This wealth of experience and connections allows the grown up brain to be "... smarter,   calmer, wiser, and happier..." than the earlier version of ourselves.

The author points to research indicating that the mature brain is still capable of producing new neurons and new connections. Aerobic exercise in lab animals and humans stimulates the production of new cells in the dentate gyrus (Wikipedia) an area in the brain's hippocampus crucial for creating new memories. 

The evidence for diet impacting the dentate gyrus is less well supportive. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory chemicals in blueberries and other dark fruits, colored vegetables and beans may promote brain health. The mildly toxic effects of resveratrol in red wine and other fruits may stimulate the production of brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) which is important in stimulating brain repair. The unanswered questions remain can we ingest enough of these chemicals in our diet to have any effect and what is the optimum dose?

Factors that adversely impact brain health include: obesity, elevated blood glucose levels (type 2 diabetes), high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Individuals who have a more varied and positive social network do better than individuals who are or choose to be isolated. The author suggests that navigating a social network is a complex task for the brain and keeps it fit.

These recommendations cross over into the Blue Zones research and its association to longevity. In some cases items that improved brain health did not improve longevity but did improve the quality of the life lived.

The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain - 17 min. 

Middle Aged Brains are Awesome - 5 min. 

Optimizing brain health - 8 min. 

The Blue Zones of Happiness by Dan Buettner

In Dan Buettner's latest book, The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From the World's Happiest People, he examines the commonalities in areas of the world where people live longer and attempts to apply that knowledge to improving existing communities. I recently attended Dan Buettner's talk at Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota.  He is an engaging and informative speaker who resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota and works for the National Geographic Society.

Dan Buettner introduced by Regent David McMillan

In the book it was interesting that Dan Buettner also referred to the same 50/10/40  Happiness rule that Henry Cloud noted in his book The Law of Happiness.

• Genetics: 50%
• Circumstances: 10%
• Areas under control: 40%

If we focus less on circumstances (bummer I did not win the lottery again) and focus more on developing friendships, taking care of our bodies. and engaging in activities with a sense of purpose we will be happier irrespective of our circumstances or genetics. 

Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way - Image Think (click on image to enlarge)

Creating Blue Zone communities can have a significant impact on reducing medical costs and improving economic vitality. The Blue Zones project for Albert Lea, Minnesota revitalized the downtown by making it more pedestrian friendly and reduced community medical costs as noted in the Albert Lea case study summary.  His collaboration with Public Health experts at the U of M along with other experts in community planning allows for an integrated approach to creating environments where it is easier to make a choice that will improve health and happiness. 

Slide from Dan Buettner's Blue Zones talk 

The appendix of the book compiles the public policy and personal practice suggestions for a happy life from the experts that Dan Buettner consulted in the book. I most appreciated the 24 joint personal practice recommendations from Sonja Lyubomirsky and Kristin Layous. These are just four with minor editing.

• Try to make someone else happier
• Share personal positive experiences with a partner
• Regularly go out in nature
• Write about intensely positive experiences

At the Blue Zone website there are additional Blue Zone Articles on diet, health, happiness and longevity.  You can also take the Blue zone true vitality test.

The Blue Zones of Happiness - 27 min.

The Blue Zones of Happiness - 48 minutes

Lessons from the world's happiest people - 21 minutes

The Science of Trust by John M. Gottman Ph. D.

The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples by John M. Gottman Ph. D. provides meticulous descriptions of dysfunctional and functional relationships. This audio book would be a brutal but effective pre-test for couples considering marriage and could also be used to pull a marriage out of path headed towards dissolution. Trust in a marriage is making sure the other person puts the partner first above other people and other obligations. This is facilitated by each person attuning to the other partner.

He and a team of researchers observed marriages for twenty years watching the marriages succeed or dissolve without intervening. During that time they observed that people seeking marriage counseling were doing even worse than those who were not.  This made them even more cautious about offering advice.

They looked at successful recovery after a disagreement or a failure to be attentive to a partner. Successful repair worked best when the expressions of negative emotions were muted, There was humor, People who had successful recovery focused less on I and more on we.

It is very difficult for couples to resolve issues when one of them is flooding. This occurs when one person is very emotional with sweating and elevated blood pressure. An effective strategy involves taking a 20 minute break to let stress chemicals clear out of the bloodstream. This works best if neither party ruminates during the break.  After the break the issue is addressed again but this time with cooler heads.

Interesting marital tests: As part of a fun activity couples construct a tower made only out of sheets of paper. If the couples did this with a sense of humor and enjoyed it as a fun activity this was predictive of a successful marriage.  If they argued and bickered about how to construct the tower this predicted relationship or marriage failure.

A portion of the book was devoted to the the  separate mathematical functions associated with two parents and a child.  The researchers also discovered two low level resting states on the positive and the negative side of the relationship. It is very easy for a couple to get stuck in a negative loop and be unable to get out of it because of their heightened emotional state.

Further information on the neuroscience of trust at work is available from Six Seconds the emotional intelligence network.

The science of trust and betrayal - 7 min

How to build trust - 5 min. 

The science of Love - John M. Gottman - 28 min. 

As You Wish by Cary Elwes

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes details the activity behind the scenes surrounding his participation in the movie production of the Princess Bride. He details the struggles of William Goldman and Rob Reiner to get the picture made. It appears to a be a twisted Hollywood game of Red Light Green light. Both Cary and Wallace Shawn were unnecessarily worried about being dumped from the picture.

To maximize the enjoyment of this book, I recommend reading the Princess Bride by William Goldman and watching the movie prior to reading or listening to the audio version of this book.  The audio book adds to the enjoyment with contributions from several of the cast members. Cary also does a spot on impersonation of Rob Reiner among other cast members

The cast and the crew were universally grateful to be part of the picture. Andre the Giant in particular thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In this case a good script, a great cast, an excellent director, and a good studio produced a timeless picture for all generations. A movie that studio executives had no clue how to market when it originally came out. Thanks to VHS and DVD the show found a second life. 

Cary Elwes - As You Wish - 39 minutes

The Princess Bride reunion - 30 minutes

Remembering Andre the Giant - 4 minutes

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition of S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure as relayed by William Goldman offers an additional back story to the movie based on the book directed by Rob Reiner. William Goldman is a masterful storyteller having written several Hollywood screenplays including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men.

The illustrations add a nice touch to the text. This addition also includes some of William Goldman's thoughts on the movie adaptation to the book. The book also has a brief additional story about Buttercup's baby.

I appreciated the addition of the back stories for Inigo and Fizzig. Some parts of the book were changed for the movie. The Pit of Despair in the movie was originally the zoo of death in the novel. and some of the lines were lifted from other parts of the text and given to another character. This is an excellent book to read to the whole family.

Film vs. book - 15 min. 

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson describes his late 1990's journey through parts of the Appalachian Trail with his somewhat trusty but less physically fit sidekick Katz. He doesn't sugar coat the experience as he deals with the elements, the insects, the people, and the psychological effects of consecutive days spent in the wilderness.

We follow his preparation for the trip and the concerns he has for his personal safety. He meets a colorful cast of characters on the trail, discusses the history of the trail, and critiques the current trail management. It was interesting to find out that each state and region manages their part of the trail differently.

Bill occasionally drops out of the trail to get provisions and clean up. The towns and places to stay are carefully described. As it turns out I spent some time close to the trail in Vermont within a few years of his journey.  I also found the mountains in Vermont to be very agreeable along with occasional trips to Bob Newhart's Vermont Inn and the Von Tramp family home.

A movie loosely based on the book starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, and Emma Thompson was released in 2015 to mixed reviews.

A walk in the woods - Retracing Bryson's steps - 18 min.

An AT hikder reviews the Movie a Walk in the Woods -7 min. 

The Law of Happiness by Dr. Henry Cloud

Law of Happiness, The: How Spiritual Wisdom and Modern Science Can Change Your Life by Dr. Henry Cloud (Dec 27 2011) - According to Dr. Cloud our happiness is roughly divided into three broad categories with different weights attached to them based on the best available research.

• Genetic set point (50%)
• Circumstances (10%) - this condition is temporary (The new car smell wears off)
• Practices (40% - Activities under people's full control

People and society focus on chasing the 10%. These are the "if only's."  If only I get this article published, I get this new house, I get this raise, or I win the lottery will I be happy. These changes will temporarily move the needle up a maximum of 10% before dropping back to the natural resting state.  

The thirteen principals of happiness captured by Robert Wainner at Coach 4 Leadership deal with the 40% of practices that are under our control.

I'm going to condense them into smaller number.

1. Pursue your purpose and set meaningful goals allowing time for focused attention to achieve a state of flow while being fully present. 
2. Be grateful and count your blessings without comparing to others.
3. Fully engage in relationships while being selective about who you allow in your life.
4. Give within your means with joy and purpose. Forgive to free yourself from the burden of unforgiveness.
5. Guard what you think and talk about as this will shape your future.
6. Develop a faith with a solid foundation tested by circumstances.

 

Math of Happiness - 8 minutes

Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book, Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life uses the wisdom of Hammurabi's code and Roman Law to analyze problems with people profiting while transferring the risk of loss to others.

His advice, trust no one who offers advice but is not exposed to the negative consequence. People who build bridges or repair helicopters need to sleep under the bridge or fly in the helicopters. Rulers of countries used to fight in battle and put their life on the line. This affected their calculation about going to war. 

He advocates the silver rule: Do not do onto others what you would not want them to do to you. Beware of the advice of people who are reviewed by their peers and not by their customers. Restaurants survive and die based on their ability to satisfy their customers. Pundits and writers play to their peers and are insulated from the negative side effects of their advice.

He also points to the Lindy Effect.  If something has survived a long time it is likely that it will continue to last. By this reasoning advice on longevity from a person who has lived more than a hundred years will carry more weight than the advice from a controlled study that does not take into account the multiple variables of real life. He points to the large number of peer reviewed studies showing a significant effect that were later found to be erroneous when tested years later.

The Lindy Effect should not be confused with the Thanksgiving Turkey Effect. Do not assume that current conditions will continue indefinitely. A turkey before Thanksgiving thinks the farmer is a great person. Circumstances change and the turkey is no longer around to modify the assessment of the farmer.

His discussion about the power of a minority view to disproportionately effect the behaviors of others in society is interesting and thought provoking.  The rare condition of severe peanut allergy has caused schools and air lines to modify their access to peanuts and peanut butter.

This book is his current capstone to Black Swan, Fooled by Randomness, and Antifragile. He frequently refers to these books in the text and having a familiarity with these text will help in understanding his points.

Animated book review of Skin in the Game - 3 min.

Skin in the Game explained - 3 min. 

Ron Paul interviews Nassim Taleb about Skin in the Game - 32 min. 

The World of George Orwell by Professor Michael Shelden

Professor Michael Sheldon offers a series of lectures for the The Modern Scholar: World of George Orwell.  The lecturer provides information about George Orwell's life experiences and how they shaped his writing. One of his earlier books, Down and Out in Paris and London, was based on his own personal experiences fitting in with the street people of both cities.

His experience in the Spanish civil war as part of the socialist alliance in Homage to Catalonia gave him insight into the control that Joseph Stalin had over factions of the socialist groups. Stalin determined that the socialist forces that Orwell fought with were not sufficiently loyal to Moscow and spread rumors about the group that caused other socialist military groups to attack them. George and his wife escaped Spain and eventually returned to London.

George worked for the British Ministry for Information which helped him develop a similar organization for his book 1984.

He finished his book Animal Farm near the end of World War II. Several publishers sympathetic to the Soviet Union attempted to block the book from being published as they recognized the harsh critique of Stalinist Russia underlying the satire in the book.

George Orwell a life in pictures - 88 min.

20 Orwell Quotes - 3 min. 

Fail Fail Again Fail Better by Pema Chodron

Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknown by Pema Chodron is based on the text of a lecture and the subsequent interview digging deeper into the topic of failure. Fear of failure causes us to pull back from stretching and growing.

At our 50th Anniversary Minnesota 4-H Ambassador Reunion one of the 4-H leaders Brenda Shafer described 4-H as a safe place to fail and fail again. By taking risks and failing we can grow and get better. One of the mottos of 4-H is to make the best better this occurs because we risk failure. 

Pema talks about not letting external circumstances control levels of happiness. Events initially viewed either positively or negatively often may later be seen to be to be the exact opposite as circumstances change  She encourages us to be comfortable with ambiguity and to not force judgment.

She notes that out of a painful and vulnerable experience of failure ugly things such as addiction, violence, self destructive behavior can emerge. In others, courage, compassion and kindness are brought out. We can use these painful spaces as an area of self assessment and change.

Fail Again - 1 min.

Ugly Things - 1 min.