A blog for the things I read, see and hear
Tech Bros : The extraordinary story of Atlassian (2026) by John Stensholt and Perry Williams describes the rise of Atlassian. Atlassian was created by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar and is behind the Jira issue tracking system and the Confluence, … Continue reading →
You Can Just Do Things: How High-Agency People Get What They Want Out of Life (2026) by Cate Hall is a self-help book embracing the idea that we have more agency in our lives than most people believe. Hall is … Continue reading →
The Outsiders (1983) is a film adaptation of SE Hinton’s 1967 book. It was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The films ensemble cast featured Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise and Emilio Estevez. The film’s plot … Continue reading →
Japanese Destroyer Captain: Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway – The Great Naval Battles As Seen Through Japanese Eyes (1961) by Tameichi Hara is an account of Hara’s service for the Japanese Navy in World War Two and his service in the … Continue reading →
I Fought You from the Skies (1966) by Willi Heilmann is an account of flying Focke-Wulfs from the second half of 1944 until the end of the war. Heilmann was an ace with 34 claimed kills. The book starts with … Continue reading →
The Sheep Detectives (2026) is a charming cosy mystery film. It was directed by Kyle Balda and stars Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson and others. The film is based on the book Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. The premise … Continue reading →
A Little History of Economics (2017) by Niall Kishtainy is a very good short overview of economic history. Kishtainy is a fellow at the London School of Economics. The book has short chapters on many of the issues and thinkers … Continue reading →
Kakistocracy : Why Populism Ends in Disaster (2026) by Richard Hanania is an interesting look at the rise of populism. Kakistocracy is a Greek word for rule by the worst. Hanania is a writer who has a law degree from … Continue reading →
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection (2025) by John Green is an account of Tuberculosis and the impact it has had on humanity. Almost everyone who reads this book will know it is by John … Continue reading →
Review of the last time I read it is here.