Intermezzo – Sally Rooney
Another stunning novel from Sally Rooney. I beautiful, considered study of grief, family and modern relationships. Yet again the dialogue is so fresh and portrayed in a remarkably authentic way. The depth she gives the two male lead characters is engrossing. A brilliant read which makes one think and feel in ways you hadn’t expected. What more can you ask for?
The City and Its Uncertain Walls – Haruki Murakami
I’m sure for some people Murakami books are a frustrating read. Not everything makes immediate sense, and there isn’t always the kind of resolution Western readers are trained to expect. But for others, including me, they open up windows to our souls that we’ve previously had firmly closed, curtains drawn.
The magic, symbolism, attention to details and curious storylines are all classic Murakami. Yet despite the familiarity of the themes, I found this to be a particularly powerful rendition. The conclusion had me gasping, and I have been left pondering all its possible meanings for some time. Completely wonderful.
The Unaccountability Machine – Dan Davies
Lots of great insights in this book and yet, I felt it a little meandering. Perhaps because I had studied quite a bit of Cybernetics at university, I didn’t need quite so much of the book to unpack the details.
The core ideas introduced are useful: accountability sinks for when a policy and not a person takes the blame, and how they are probably inevitable as organisations become more complex. The move to Friedman’s shareholder value above all else distorting corporate behaviour. How accounting and economics lead to false certainty on what is really happening in an organisation or economy. The many weaknesses in economic modelling. The negative impacts of private equity. How central banks failed to even account for the information which would have foreshadowed the financial crisis. Lots of intellectual stimulation but few proposals on how to address the challenges these insights raise. Solutions are hard it would seem, especially for an economist challenging the influence of… economists!
Jason Kitcat 