2. Must Reads

Must Reads

“When turmoil rules, go in.” — Lao Tzu

There is so much to read, so much to know, so many sources to follow. And the volume of news and information just keeps growing exponentially. How to keep up? Even more, how to rediscover the serendipity of learning something new and interesting for its own sake?

Here, for your enjoyment and interest, are the articles Temin and Company considers “must reads.” They are primarily on the topics of reputation and crisis management, the media, leadership and strategy, perception and psychology, self-presentation, science, girls and women, organizational behavior and other articles of interest.

They are listed below with the most recent articles first, and to the side, by category.

We hope you enjoy them and would appreciate your comments. And whenever you have any favorite articles for us to add, please let us know so that we might include them for other readers to enjoy.

There is so much to read, so much to know, so many sources to follow. And the volume of news and information just keeps growing exponentially. How to keep up? Even more, how to rediscover the serendipity of learning something new and interesting for its own sake?

Here, for your enjoyment and interest, are the articles Temin and Company considers “must reads.” They are primarily on the topics of reputation and crisis management, the media, leadership and strategy, perception and psychology, self-presentation, science, girls and women, organizational behavior and other articles of interest.

They are listed below with the most recent articles first, and to the side, by category.

We hope you enjoy them and would appreciate your comments. And whenever you have any favorite articles for us to add, please let us know so that we might include them for other readers to enjoy.

Windows 10 Signifies Microsoft’s Shift in Strategy

Nick Wingfield, The New York Times, July 19, 2015

Next week, when Microsoft releases Windows 10, the latest version of the company’s operating system, the software will offer a mix of the familiar and new to the people who run earlier versions of it on more than 1.5 billion computers and other devices. There will be a virtual assistant in the software that keeps track of users’ schedules, and Microsoft will regularly trickle out updates with new features to its users over the Internet. And the Start menu, a fixture of Windows for decades, will make a formal reappearance. But one of the biggest changes is the price. Microsoft will not charge customers to upgrade Windows on computers, a shift that shows how power dynamics in the tech industry have changed. […read more]

Is There Such a Thing as an Intelligent Optimist?

Jason Gots, Big Think, July 19, 2015

It’s well-established (and completely obvious) that optimism is a bit delusional, especially if you don’t believe in some form of Heaven or live in a hermetically sealed Utopian community where life has been carefully engineered to maximize human happiness and minimize (or hide) pain. After all, the best you can say about life is that some really cool things can potentially happen. No matter how you slice it, life contains a great deal of suffering, in the form of loss, aging, sickness, and death. With all that in mind, this article’s author opines on how anyone can be an optimist unless they’re a complete idiot. […read more]

A Not-So-Transparent Attempt to Cap Drug Prices

Robert A. Ingram, The Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2015

At the dawn of the 20th century, life expectancy in the United States was 47 years. Today, it’s 79. Two decades ago, a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C was a death sentence. The mortality rate from AIDS has since dropped 85%, to fewer than 7,000 deaths a year from 44,000. Hepatitis C cure rates have reached 90%. These stunning improvements are the result of medical and scientific advances. If they continue, we could someday solve the riddle of such scourges as Alzheimer’s and cancer. Why, then, are some people so willing to jeopardize if not halt this progress? It’s a question that those who seek to vilify pharmaceutical companies need to answer. […read more]

One of Google’s self-driving cars has been involved in its first accident with an injury

Rob Price, Business Insider, July 17, 2015

People have been injured in a crash involving one of Google’s self-driving cars for the first time, project head Chris Urmson wrote in a post on Medium on Thursday. One of the California tech company’s vehicles was rear-ended at an intersection, causing minor whiplash for the three passengers inside. Like every other accident Google’s cars have been involved in, this was the fault of the other driver. […read more]

Chase Includes News Feed as Draw to Revamped Site

Robert Barba, Bank Technology News, July 17, 2015

JPMorgan Chase is poised to launch a new home page for Chase Bank this weekend — and the design is decidedly not bank-like. While customers can still use it to sign in and manage their accounts, it is set to offer a surprising twist: news stories. […read more]

Philip Zimbardo Thinks We All Can Be Evil

Jon Ronson, The New York Times Magazine, July 16, 2015

An interview with Phil Zimbardo who conducted a psychological experiment at Stanford in 1971 that became the basis for the film “The Stanford Experiment” states that it conveys to the general public what this kind of experiment is like and explains that “[e]vil situations make most people evil” not all. […read more]

Uber Injects More Politics Into Its App With a Feature Mocking New York City Mayor de Blasio

Eric Newcomer and Julie Verhage, BloombergBusiness, July 16, 2015

Along with hailing a car, Uber riders in New York City can now summon a vision of a dystopian future where a car takes 25 minutes to show up. The new “feature” appears as a button labeled “DE BLASIO” at the bottom of the screen, along with ones for black cars and food delivery. The option, named after Mayor Bill de Blasio, doesn’t bring a car to your door. Instead, it offers such ominous messages as “NO CARS-SEE WHY” and “SEE WHAT HAPPENS.” […read more]

Here’s Why No One Cares Anymore That Your Profit Beat Estimates

Michael P. Regan, BloombergBusiness, July 15, 2015

The corporate-earnings reporting season reveals which companies would feel at home in Garrison’ Keillor’s Lake Wobegon, an idyllic small town where “all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average,” because their results are always above the average of analysts’ estimates. […read more]