Thursdays are all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. Wherever possible, free links for premium sites are used. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at how the Giving Pledge fell on hard times.
Quote of the Day
"If Pax Americana meant fostering an enduring American peace, Lax Americana means America getting a piece of the action. The world’s policeman is on the take."
(Carlos Lozada)
Books
- A review of "The Science of Second Chances: A Revolution in Criminal Justice" by Jennifer Doleac. (washingtonmonthly.com)
- Insights from "How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History" by Helen Zoe Veit. (thebulwark.com)
- An excerpt from "True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color–from Azure to Zinc Pink" by Kory Stamper. (longreads.com)
- An excerpt from Bill Gifford’s forthcoming book, "Hotwired: How The Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger." (theatlantic.com)
Business
- Jerry Neumann, "The Red Queen hypothesis is the closest thing entrepreneurship has to a foundational law." (colossus.com)
- A Red Lobster turnaround is a big ask. (bloomberg.com)
- The story of Tetra Pak. (quartr.com)
Unreasonable Hospitality
- Ted Seides talks with Will Guidara author of "Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide." (capitalallocators.com)
- Simon Sinek talks with Will Guidara author of "Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide." (simonsinek.com)
Global
- How the world's 'shadow fleet' is cashing in on the Iran war. (ig.ft.com)
- Corruption is alive and well in Hungary. (ft.com)
- China is all-in on robotics. (theguardian.com)
War
- Ben Buchheim-Jurisson, "Private market civilians cannot be said to be engaging in service." (warontherocks.com)
- How cheap drones have completely transformed the conduct of war. (reuters.com)
- Fighting in the Arctic is no small thing. (nytimes.com)
Longreads
- Gambling has a lot of (negative) knock-on effects. (yourbrainonmoney.substack.com)
- Vaccines have a whole lot of downstream benefits we are ignorant of, or just ignore entirely. (statnews.com)
- Rasmus Rosenberg Larsen, "The aggregation of scientific evidence does not corroborate the idea of psychopathy. If anything, it throws the whole notion into doubt." (aeon.co)
- You've heard a lot of synch music, even if you don't realize it. (nytimes.com)
- How to interview someone interesting. (om.co)
- On the fine art of taking a vacation. (nytimes.com)
Facts Only
Jerry Neumann
The Red Queen hypothesis is a significant concept in entrepreneurship.
A turnaround for Red Lobster is challenging.
Tetra Pak is a well-known brand with a story behind it.
Corruption is prevalent in Hungary.
China is investing heavily in robotics.
Private market civilians do not provide service in war.
Cheap drones have significantly impacted the conduct of war.
Fighting in the Arctic is not insignificant.
Executive Summary
Full Take
Examining this article through an A.R.C. lens, we find a diverse range of perspectives on various global issues, from criminal justice and business strategy to warfare and technology adoption. The collection's diversity invites critical thinking about different aspects of society, but one might question the underlying assumptions that shaped the selection process. For example, does the focus on entrepreneurship and business strategy reflect a prioritization of capitalism over other systems? Are there overlooked perspectives on global affairs, or are they intentionally omitted for ideological reasons? One could also ponder whether the article's format encourages readers to engage more deeply with these topics, fostering an informed dialogue, or if it caters to confirmation biases by offering a curated list of pieces that align with a specific worldview.
Patterns detected: ARC-0015 Diversion (diverse range of topics), ARC-0024 Ambiguity (unclear selection criteria)