Category Archives: Zeitgeist

Tracking the prevailing values of our time and how organisations shape up

How social media support social value

On the Valoro blog, I’ve reviewed Who Cares Wins, a book by David Jones on the growing relevance of social value to business.  The book’s key strength is its analysis of the role social media are playing in helping the … Continue reading

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China’s disrespect for the law undermines its businesses

The FT reports on Huawei’s difficulties breaking into the US market.  Over the past decade, the Chinese firm has risen to become the world’s number two supplier of network equipment with growth in most major markets outside America.  But America’s … Continue reading

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The consolations of manual work

Book review: The Case for Working with Your Hands, by Matthew Crawford There’s an old joke about a banker whose plumber charged him £250 for a two-minute job to fix a leaking tap.  “I don’t earn that kind of money … Continue reading

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The value of books

There are some revealing quotes from the publishing industry in this Guardian piece on Amazon’s struggle with publishers over the pricing of ebooks. Amazon is appealing to customers to “vote with their purchases” against publishers who insist on an agency … Continue reading

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Book review: Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut’s 1985 novel Galápagos is a Darwinian satire on the mess humankind causes for itself as a result of having evolved big brains. Set in the late 20th Century, it charts the breakdown of society and the near extinction … Continue reading

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