8 januari 2020

In this book Lionel Shriver tells the story how the Mandible family deals with the decay of the USA and the dollar, and the loss of the family fortune. As such she describes how the family deals with “the notion of a lost everything, a permanent, irreversible decline – it’s alien to this country’s psyche”.(p. 291) Under the circumstances “the last thing to go is ego.” (p. 322)

The author is especially successful in describing the psychological (in)capacity of the different members of the family to adapt to the new realities. Some have theorized about decay but are nevertheless incapable of applying theory to reality. Others adjust their behavior (e.g.. stealing) and morality as smoothly as downloading a new version of a software. The loss of value of the dollar is a reason to overthink the old fashioned values of hard work and saving for later. Overall it seems a world in which following the rules and compassion are not really rewarded.

An interesting Psychological exercise…

1 januari 2020

Dear reader,

Hereby i wish you all the best for 2020.

You might notice that I’m updating this website with a lower frequency and maybe you have the impression that my insights are not as sharp as they used to be.

Do not worry about this.

I have started writing my next book and it requires my (nearĺy) full attention.

Best Regards !