Twilight of the Elites; America After Meritocracy. Christopher Hayes, 2012 The thesis of the merit system is that those who do things better than others deserve to rise to the top, that is, they merit the top positions, in any endeavor. This idea is beyond the American Dream, which is the belief in upward social mobility through hard work. There is a sense in this idea that those at
The Persistence of Caste; The Khairlanji Murders & India’s Hidden Appartheid. Anand Teltumbde, Zed Books, 2010 Reviewed by Graham Mulligan The introduction section of this short book (192 pages) is important. It is a condensed history of Caste in India. The word ‘caste’ is from Latin castus, and in Portugese means ‘pure’ or ‘chaste’. The early Portugese explorers thought it was like ‘race’ or lineage (blood based). They were wrong;
Who’s Your City? The critical role of place in the world economy Richard Florida, Random House, 2008 Reviewed by Graham Mulligan In an increasingly urbanized world there are clusters where economic and other advantages occur. Florida has noticed this phenomenon and seeks to analyze how and why it occurs. The book has three big themes: Place and Happiness (location and well-being); the Three Stages of Life (that affect where we