Are The Discworld Books Overrated?

Terry Pratchett is one of the most famous British writers and his Discworld series has been read by millions. He has been praised by many as one of the funniest writers and master of the fantasy genre. His books have been hailed as literary classics and it has even been said that Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Might Be The Highest Form of Literature on the Planet. So naturally hearing such praise (and being a fan of Douglas Adams and fantasy), I gave it a go. While I found them enjoyable, I wasn’t blown away. They were good but nothing great. So, I thought maybe I was missing something and wasn’t appreciating him fully (Pratchett hardly has critics so the problem must … Continue reading “Are The Discworld Books Overrated?”

March 24, 2017BooksBad, Books, Characters, Disappointing, Discworld, Ending, Opinion, Overrated, Plot, Pratchett, Review, Terry Pratchett, Women Leave a comment

What Went Wrong With The Gentlemen Bastard Series?

When The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch was released in 2006 it was a massive hit. Not only did it become a bestseller, but it is also considered something of a modern classic. It won high praise and Lynch was counted among the most promising writers in the fantasy field, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss and Joe Abercrombie. This was an amazing achievement for a first novel, so expectations were high for the rest of the series. Did we have a new classic before us? Yet, the follow-up books were something of a disappointment. Instead of soaring high, the rest of the series went downhill. Complaints began to pile up about … Continue reading “What Went Wrong With The Gentlemen Bastard Series?”

March 15, 2017EconomicsBook Review, Books, Gentlemen Bastard, Gentlemen Bastards, Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, Review, Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Republic of Thieves Leave a comment

Atlas Shrugged Is A Ridiculous Book

Atlas Shrugged is a hugely popular book among American conservatives and libertarians who see it as a symbol of resistance to government tyranny. This is surprisingly because it is a horrendous book containing cardboard characters, over necessarily long speeches, absurd plot lines and at least 500 pages more than it needs. The greatest and most obvious flaw with the book is how terrible the characters are. They are all one dimensional cartoons that are either perfect in every way or horrible in every way. If a character agrees with Rand’s ideology, then they are smart, beautiful, strong, noble and rich. If a character disagrees with her ideology, Rand makes them fat, ugly, stupid, lazy and hysterical (most of the villains … Continue reading “Atlas Shrugged Is A Ridiculous Book”

March 14, 2014BooksAtlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Books, Criticism, Flaws, Greed, John Galt, Libertarian, Politics, Selfish, Terrible Leave a comment

Was The Irish Famine Genocide?

Some people claim that the Great Famine was an act of genocide committed by the British Empire against the Irish people. This theory is most popular among Irish-Americans (who strangely enough are more nationalist than people from Ireland) and on the internet, though it has little if any credence in Ireland. It has been booted out of conspiracy theory land after one of the most respected Irish historians; Tim Pat Coogan supported the allegation in his new book, The Famine Plot. The Great Famine (or Great Hunger as it is also known) was the most cataclysmic event in Irish history. Sparked by the failure of the potato crop (due to blight) it led to roughly one million deaths and roughly … Continue reading “Was The Irish Famine Genocide?”

March 5, 2013PoliticsBooks, Britain, Famine, Genocide, Great Famine, History, Ireland, Irish Famine, Irish History, Irish Politics, Politics, The Famine Plot, Tim Pat Coogan Leave a comment

Predictably Irrational Chapters 9 & 10 – The Effect Of Expectation & The Power Of Price

In Chapter 9 and 10 (I combined them as they’re quite similar) of “Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely, the concept of how are expectations affect our decision making is discussed. We are not rational actors making choices in a vacuum but rather we are deeply affected by our expectations. If we expect a movie to be good, then it often is. This placebo effect is always to be found with prices. If we pay more for something, we value it more and get more from it. This creates serious problems for those who claim that market distortions will be corrected by market forces pushing a return to equilibrium. Ariely conducted an experiment involving free beer (I knew that would get … Continue reading “Predictably Irrational Chapters 9 & 10 – The Effect Of Expectation & The Power Of Price”

January 18, 2013EconomicsBehavioural Economics, Books, Economic Theory, Economics, Economy, Free Market, Libertarian, Predictably Irrational Leave a comment

Predictably Irrational Chapter 3 – The Cost Of Zero Cost

To a neo-classical economist zero is just another price. To the average consumer it brings the magical connotations of free. We are always trying to get something for nothing so if something is free then consumers impulsively take the option. Ariely shows how this impulse comes with hidden costs that debunk the myth of rational consumers. Whether it’s from eating too much free food or accumulating worthless free pens, clickers etc, people are always trying to get a free lunch. As usual (this is what is so great about the book) Ariely did an experiment to find the answer (neo-classical economists take note). He set up a stall with offering (one per customer) two piles of chocolates, the first being … Continue reading “Predictably Irrational Chapter 3 – The Cost Of Zero Cost”

January 14, 2013EconomicsBehavioural Economics, Books, Economics, Free, Predictably Irrational, Review, Zero Cost Leave a comment