Weekend readings - 7 Jan'22 : Edition 73
A compilation of few interesting, multi-disciplinary links from the internet
“Happiness is a very evolving thing, I think, like all the great questions. When you’re a little kid, you go to your mom and ask, ‘What happens when we die? Is there a Santa Claus? Is there a God? Should I be happy? Who should I marry?’ Those kinds of things. There are no glib answers because no answers apply to everybody. These kinds of questions ultimately do have answers, but they have personal answers. The answer that works for me is going to be nonsense to you, and vice versa. Whatever happiness means to me, it means something different to you…. Today, I believe happiness is really a default state. Happiness is there when you remove the sense of something missing in your life.” —Naval Ravikant (“The Almanack of Naval Ravikant”)
Section 1 - Investing & Personal Finance
Ray Dalio has been on the rough end of social media trollers given the performance of his hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates in CY21. But in an interview with William Green (Author of Richer, Wiser, Happier), he explains how to position ourselves to survive and thrive in changing world order.
In this long conversation on The Investor’s podcast, Dalio touches upon debt monetization, wealth inequalities and the rise of China as part of global economic structure. He also covers many details about the new book - Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, which I look forward to read in 2022
Section 2 - Economic Trends & Themes
Japan is offering companies a 40% tax rebate to raise wages. But most companies aren’t, in part because raises just aren’t part of the Japanese business culture.
That businesses would resist increasing wages even when essentially paid to do so shows just how intractable the problem is. Years of weak growth and moribund inflation rates have left companies little room to raise prices. Without steady, moderate increases in inflation, corporations’ profits — and their workers’ wages — have languished
I have covered it many times in previous editions about why Japan investing has languished over the years and central banks haven’t really learnt from it. (See here and here)
[h/t and a bonus read] Morgan Housel - Does not compute
Section 3 - Personality study & Development
Welcome to the first Friday of the new year. It’s 2022 and if you’re like me, it still feels like 2019 was last year. Nevertheless, to infuse some positivity amid another round of weekend curfews and lockdown, here are two articles I enjoyed reading in the first week of the new year
Vishal Khandelwal - My advice for 2022
Darius Foroux - Uptrend vs Downtrend: Why Everything is Directional
Section 4 - Business History & management
Three years after Elizabeth Holmes was charged with 11 counts of fraud in Theranos, the verdict is finally in. After 7 days and over 50 hours of deliberation, the 12 members of the jury found Holmes guilty on four counts. They were hung on an additional three. How did they reach these conclusions? And what happens next? What will affect Elizabeth’s sentencing? what will the ripple effects be for Silicon Valley? Listen to this podcast to get details which includes conversation with one of the jury members.
[Bonus Listen] In case, you want to track the whole drama and have time on hand, listen to the podcast series - Bad Blood. I included as part of my top 15 podcasts in 2021 here.
Section 5 - Reading & Entertainment
I hated the movie - Atrangi Re (minus Danush performance) during year-end break. One can admire the audacity but translation was bit of a mess. However, the most talked about point in media was the depiction about mental health. Writer Himanshu Sharma (Tanu weds Manu series, Raanjhanaa) provides explanation for the reasons of incorporating mental illness the way it was.
[Bonus read] Alok Dhanwa Poem, inspiration behind the story.
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Check out our Portfolios on the Smallcase platform and Moneycontrol. Our 2021 review and 2022 preview on markets and investment strategy presentation here.
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[Now reading - Book 1 of 2022] : Rule of the Robots by Martin Ford
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That's it for me. Have a great weekend ahead!
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