Thoughts
Occasional essays. Published when there is something worth saying, not on a schedule.
The Switch We Never Chose
On the light we keep on from sundown to sleep, and the second lightbulb we hold in our hands
Read the essayEarlier essays
9
-
11 min readSkin in the Game
On the two percent a manager puts into his own fund, and who actually pays it
-
19 min readDecline to Self-Identify
On the questionnaire that invents the person it counts, and the one box on it that cannot
-
18 min readTenure Without Persons
On what actually becomes permanent inside an institution, and the accession number that answers a polemic
-
11 min readNothing to Photograph
On why firms automate the step they should have deleted, and the committee that makes it inevitable
-
17 min readThe Org Chart Travels
On what actually crosses a border when an idea is exported, and why the argument stays home
-
12 min readAsk Who the Party Secretary Is
On dealing with an adversary that files its intentions publicly, and the diligence question nobody wants to ask first
-
10 min readSea Room
On the difference between knowing where you are and having somewhere to go
-
9 min readThe Unsmiling Class
On the finance headshot, and the face it has agreed to wear
-
6 min readGuérir Quelquefois
On the word “cure,” and the men who sell it