For Soccer Fans Only

As a long-time soccer fan, I especially enjoyed reading Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski's book Soccernomics, an economic analysis of the world's most popular game. They really go into detail and  analyze everything from coaches to players to World Cups to most anything else that has to do with soccer. If you're a true soccer fan, you need to get this book.

You will learn a few secrets of the transfer market:

• A new manager wastes money on transfers; don't let him.
• Stars of recent World Cups or European championships are overvalued; ignore them.
• Certain nationalities are overvalued.
• Sell any player when another club offers more than he is worth.
• Replace your best players even before you sell them.
• Gentlemen prefer blonds (this is a good one ;-))
• including six more secrets that you'll find in the book...

You will also find out...

Cool It! - A Guide To Global Warming

I've just recently read a book that has been a bit of an eye-opener to me: Cool It by Bjorn Lomborg. If you're interested in or worried about global warming, this is a must-read. If you're skeptical about global warming, you need to read it. It is the most balanced account of what is actually happening and what we can/should do about the earth's problems that I have read so far.

Topics include the well-publicized decline of the polar bear population (true?) and the question of how global the warming process really is. Lomborg goes straight to the facts and shows the truth about melting glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, flooding, water shortages and more. Do we need to fear a new ice age in Europe? He answers this and other questions as well.

Here are a few quotes from the book, so you can get a feel for the content...

When You Were Born Matters....

Why are some people more successful than others? What's the recipe for becoming what some people may call a genius? Are they born or made? If you're willing to believe Malcolm Gladwell, it's a little bit of both -- but not in the way you're probably imagining it. In his bestselling book Outliers. The Story of Success, he makes it clear that success isn't handed to you at birth -- but it can have something to do with the day you were born...

If you look in the dictionary, you'll find the following definition for the term Gladwell chose as his title:

outlier  |ˈaʊtlʌɪə|
noun
1. a person or thing situated away or detached from the main body or system
2. a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample

Early on in the book, the English-Canadian journalist makes it clear that successful people don't come out of nowhere:

People don't rise from nothing. We do owe something to parentage and patronage. The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. It makes a difference where and when we grew up. The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievement in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It's not enough to ask what successful people are like, in other words. It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't. (p. 19)

In his first chapter, entitled "The Matthew Effect", Gladwell tries to make his point by using the example of Canadian ice hockey.

Just Say "I Don't"

You've heard it before.

"If you just believe in it and tell yourself that it will happen, it will eventually happen."

And if you're faced with temptations, it's easiest to resist if you immediately tell yourself that you can't and shouldn't do that. Right? When it comes to self-help through self-talk, things might actually be a bit more complicated than that.

Contrary to self-help lore, there's little evidence that positive self-talk works like magic. Telling yourself you're beautiful, a confident public speaker or a future billionaire won't make you any of those things; if anything, it's liable to have the reverse effect. The true impact of self-talk is more subtle.

This is from a column by Oliver Burkeman of The Guardian, who believes his short article will change your life ;-) For example, according to him it's better to phrase something as a question if you need to motivate yourself for a challenging task. "I will talk to my boss about that promotion" might sound better in your head, but "Will I talk to my boss about that promotion?" will lead to more intrinsic motivation to actually go and have that tough conversation, because it reminds you of all the reasons you have to ask for said promotion.

Stop Wearing Those "Ray-Bans"

Why do we dress the way we do?

If you're willing to believe Dan Ariely, it has a lot to do with how we want other people to perceive us. In his recent book The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, he writes the following: "Although our current sartorial class system is not as rigid as it was in the past, the desire to signal success and individuality is as strong today as ever." (p. 121) Interestingly enough, we don't just try to signal those things to other people -- we tend to self-signal as well. Ariely gives the example of helping a beggar on the streets. Instead of just walking by or giving him some change, you decide to buy him a sandwich. You now interpret this good deed as proof for your amazing character and believe more intensely in your own benevolence, even though this sole act does not define who you are.

So what happens when we deliberately choose to wear fake products, like the "Rolex" watch you bought for 10 Euros at that Italian beach last summer? We're obviously signaling success and wealth to ourselves and those around us, but does it make us more dishonest people if what we wear is a fake rather than the real deal? Ariely and his friends wanted to find out and decided to conduct an experiment using Chloé designer sunglasses (you can read all about it in the book). The results of the experiment...

Phonebloks - The Future of Smartphones?

We live in a throw-away-world. When your TV stops working you toss it out and get a new one. When your shoes are a few years old, you decide to buy a new pair (even though the old ones are still working just fine). When your smartphone's battery doesn't last as long anymore as it used to, you throw it away and get the latest version. Right?

Well, maybe you won't have to do that anymore in the future. At least if Dave Hakkens gets his way. On his website phonebloks.com, Hakkens presents a new way of thinking about -- and buying smartphones. Instead of throwing yours away when you're not satisfied with its features anymore, you simply upgrade: a new camera, more storage, a longer lasting battery... How will it work? I'll let Dave explain it to you. Go to the website and check out the video he's posted there. Will his idea ever become reality? We don't know and it's way too early to make any predictions about it. But I like it when someone comes up with a concept that would not only make smartphone consumers happy, but also make our world a less "trashier" place. Good stuff, Dave.

Links of the Week XIX

More links for your start into the new week :-)

German:
Man kann nie früh genug anfangen für die Profi-Karriere zu üben.
Wir haben leider Ihr Auto geschmolzen.

English:
Jon Stewart is back (and so are the sounds he makes)...
And you thought you know how to ride a bike ;-)