Checking In On Books
I haven't checked in on a couple of the books I have been reading. So here's some thoughts to check-in with.
First, the book, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Stephen Pinker. I never knew there was so much about linguistics and psychology! I never realized how certain words can be used in certain ways an not in others based on things like subject and object and direction of action. We don't learn those things in school. We learn them by simply learning the language when we are young. That's how we can know when a word is right or wrong without knowing why- or even thinking about it. Pinker does some amazing things- many of which went right over my head, but I got the gist of it. Our language tells us a great deal about who we are. Not a surprising insight, but one I have never explored before.
Then there's former chairman of the Federal Bank Alan Greenspan's memoir, The Age of Turbulence. There are many things that most of us never think about, even when we hear of interest rates, inflation, recession, etc. Greenspan has spent his entire career thinking about those things and he takes the time to talk about it in this book. What is most interesting is to look back at some of the events of the past 50 years and see how economics and economic policy impacted them. From a brief view of Richard Nixon, through a very positive portrait of Gerald Ford and on into the current administration, we see the world from a fiscal conservative's point of view.
I have to admit that I was surprised by many of his insights. His balanced positions, his own personal reflections, his insider's point of view would catch me off-guard and give me "Aha!" moments. It is easy to forget the "good old days" when ideological positions were not part of party platforms and when people could talk across party lines. While that may have been the exception in American history and politics rather than the rule, it was nice while it lasted.
First, the book, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Stephen Pinker. I never knew there was so much about linguistics and psychology! I never realized how certain words can be used in certain ways an not in others based on things like subject and object and direction of action. We don't learn those things in school. We learn them by simply learning the language when we are young. That's how we can know when a word is right or wrong without knowing why- or even thinking about it. Pinker does some amazing things- many of which went right over my head, but I got the gist of it. Our language tells us a great deal about who we are. Not a surprising insight, but one I have never explored before.
Then there's former chairman of the Federal Bank Alan Greenspan's memoir, The Age of Turbulence. There are many things that most of us never think about, even when we hear of interest rates, inflation, recession, etc. Greenspan has spent his entire career thinking about those things and he takes the time to talk about it in this book. What is most interesting is to look back at some of the events of the past 50 years and see how economics and economic policy impacted them. From a brief view of Richard Nixon, through a very positive portrait of Gerald Ford and on into the current administration, we see the world from a fiscal conservative's point of view.
I have to admit that I was surprised by many of his insights. His balanced positions, his own personal reflections, his insider's point of view would catch me off-guard and give me "Aha!" moments. It is easy to forget the "good old days" when ideological positions were not part of party platforms and when people could talk across party lines. While that may have been the exception in American history and politics rather than the rule, it was nice while it lasted.
In any case, with Mr. Greenspan we were, I feel, very fortunate to have had someone of his caliber and integrity doing what he did for so long as Fed chair. It is a very worthwhile read.
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