McMafia - Misha Glenny
Okay, the title is godawful and idiotic- BUT it was written by a BBC reporter for a Euro audience, where the name is maybe a little better. This book tells the tale of international crime syndicates in the the wake of globalization in the post-cold war era. These twin events and a few other unfortunate coincidences and unforeseen policy consequences lead to an enormous boom in organized crime, particularly in post-conflict regions. (El Salvador is cited as the first post-conflict semi-organized crime nation). The book was fascinating: traffic in women, caviar and cigarettes in Eastern Europe by post-Soviet gangs, outfitted with Soviet-era weaponry who exported their brand of crime around the world. Chechen gangs who license the terms "chechen" to unaffiliated gangs, just because it makes them more frightening to rivals. The massive influx of non-assimilating secular Russians into Israel corrupting that society and justice system. Nigerian "419" scams that siphon millions from duped Westerners in the name of anti-colonial payback. Colombian cartels expanding their markets to the EU that outsource manufacturing to the Bolivian and Peruvian peasants to the south and work closely with South African gangs to smuggle cocaine into Spain, only to launder their profits its Emirati and Russian banks. Chinese pirates who make imitation Mercedes, and Japanese Yakuza who operate with impunity, serving as a de facto justice system in Japan, where they legally rent offices and advertise.
The book takes a decidedly European bent, written as it is for that audience. The helplessness of police is quite frightening, with all the changes in technology and new routes opened by "free trade." The author also squarely places blame in part on Western desire for cheap tax-free liquor and smokes, not to mention prostitutes and cocaine. At the same time, the behavior of the criminals is rationalized by anti-colonial and anti-western sentiment, which is fanned by criminal leaders who play the robin hood role. Corrupt leaders particularly play to these sentiments, meanwhile selling off their nation's assets and pocketing the profits as cheaply as their colonial forebearers.
Authentic Happiness- Martin Seligman
Slightly disappointing, and not a whole lot of new ideas in here, though a great introduction I suppose to the world of positive psychology. Seligman is right on with his facts and figures, as one would expect a former APA president to be, and does have some great demonstrative anecdotes, explanations and applications for the research on happiness. However, I finished feeling as if I got a little more of him than I really needed, and he was a fairly narcissistic guy for such a "feel-good" field of positive psychology.
Okay, the title is godawful and idiotic- BUT it was written by a BBC reporter for a Euro audience, where the name is maybe a little better. This book tells the tale of international crime syndicates in the the wake of globalization in the post-cold war era. These twin events and a few other unfortunate coincidences and unforeseen policy consequences lead to an enormous boom in organized crime, particularly in post-conflict regions. (El Salvador is cited as the first post-conflict semi-organized crime nation). The book was fascinating: traffic in women, caviar and cigarettes in Eastern Europe by post-Soviet gangs, outfitted with Soviet-era weaponry who exported their brand of crime around the world. Chechen gangs who license the terms "chechen" to unaffiliated gangs, just because it makes them more frightening to rivals. The massive influx of non-assimilating secular Russians into Israel corrupting that society and justice system. Nigerian "419" scams that siphon millions from duped Westerners in the name of anti-colonial payback. Colombian cartels expanding their markets to the EU that outsource manufacturing to the Bolivian and Peruvian peasants to the south and work closely with South African gangs to smuggle cocaine into Spain, only to launder their profits its Emirati and Russian banks. Chinese pirates who make imitation Mercedes, and Japanese Yakuza who operate with impunity, serving as a de facto justice system in Japan, where they legally rent offices and advertise.
The book takes a decidedly European bent, written as it is for that audience. The helplessness of police is quite frightening, with all the changes in technology and new routes opened by "free trade." The author also squarely places blame in part on Western desire for cheap tax-free liquor and smokes, not to mention prostitutes and cocaine. At the same time, the behavior of the criminals is rationalized by anti-colonial and anti-western sentiment, which is fanned by criminal leaders who play the robin hood role. Corrupt leaders particularly play to these sentiments, meanwhile selling off their nation's assets and pocketing the profits as cheaply as their colonial forebearers.
Authentic Happiness- Martin Seligman
Slightly disappointing, and not a whole lot of new ideas in here, though a great introduction I suppose to the world of positive psychology. Seligman is right on with his facts and figures, as one would expect a former APA president to be, and does have some great demonstrative anecdotes, explanations and applications for the research on happiness. However, I finished feeling as if I got a little more of him than I really needed, and he was a fairly narcissistic guy for such a "feel-good" field of positive psychology.
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