How the World Really Works. The science behind how we got here and where we are going. Vaclav Smil. 2022. ISBN 9780593297070.

This could be one of the top books of the year for me. Perhaps it’s my increasing age in conjunction with cynicism but I was ready for this book. The author is recognized as top 100 global Thinker. In some way a Rennaissance man, Vaclav brings a realistic view to the what is going on today. I always distrust politicians and public figures who preach a simplistic view of how we can “fix’ the world’s problems. (Perhaps that is due to the public regularly electing some of the truly stupid to public office. ) All countries, like Canada are deeply inter related internally and with other countries in politics, supply chains, resources and the lists go on. To improve the situation means that one must be realistic about ‘how the world works’. As an engineer I have been suspicious of politicians and think tanks pushing such things as a zero-carbon economy in 10-20 years. The author does a realistic analysis of this and shows that if we require cement, steel, ammonia (for fertilizer/food production) and electricity to build this future – that requires huge energy investments – well beyond what the alternatives to fossil fuels can and will provide for many years. A simple analysis of the energy required to “push” a jet passenger plane through the air shows that only fossil fuels provide the power to weight ration needed.

The author does not say do not address global warning, on the contrary he says we must. But he points out just how long this is going to take. (Decades and decades or more), if the World even really addresses it.

He asks are we willing to deny the African nations the chance to develop their economies like China has done? If so, they will need huge amounts of energy (fossil fuels) which will release emissions (CO2) into the atmosphere.

India and China still process and burn huge amounts of coal and will continue to do so as well as buying Russian oil regardless of world opinions.

Do the Western and EU nations wish to restrict their own “consumption” in order to reduce emissions? (They are already well ahead of the developing world in this).

He posits several changes to codes etc. that will assist us in reducing some energy consumption (Ie triple paned windows for all buildings, reducing food waste, more nuclear energy, producing and supporting local).

All in all, a very insightful book that brings rational thought to these arguments.

Red Roulette. An insider’s story of wealth, power, corruption, and vengeance in today’s China. Desmond Shum. 2021. ISBN 9781982156176.  This is a telling book. Much of what we have seen China do to its own people, Hong Kong and recently expats falls into place.  The regime exists to protect the well-being of those in power, their relatives and no one else.  The author believed in their system, followed all the “hidden” rules, grew wealth but ultimately lost everything, and his own wife’s life to the regime. Your eyes will be opened to what really goes on in China and how things get done. It is a very readable book that would make any business person think long and hard about doing business in China.  One can only think that Hong Kong is in for an inexorable take over in all things to benefit the mainland regime.  I would also support ensuing that China does not grab Taiwan in some way.  Canada and the US can no longer pussy foot around this.

Value(s). Building a better world for all. Mark Carney. 2021. 978-1-5417-6871-0. I have been impressed with Carney’s career ((from Ft Smith, NWT to Governor of Bank of England and now his Un posting wrto Climate Change. The book is thorough, deeply researched and timely.  His chapters on Climate change and Covid are worthwhile reading for all of us.  His explanations on how we got here to present and different definitions of value are prescient.  It should be required reading for all politicians and bureaucrats. He is a straight shooter and you can see how he could guide Canada through the financial crisis and the UK to be prepared for Brexit. He is a thinker and a planner.  He would be a stellar PM for Canada but I doubt he would take on the job.  The book is engaging, and not trivial.

The Broken Circle. A memoir of escaping Afghanistan. Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller. 2019. ISBN 139781503903784.  The author was a small child when part of her wealthy family left Kabul for Delhi. She stayed behind with her brothers, two sisters and her father. She lived through the Russian invasion and war. She and her siblings fled Kabul with a guide and travelled ( walked, trekked) for two years to get through to Pakistan (over the Hindu Kush)  where they were reunited with their father.  Passportless they travelled to Bangladesh, Nepal and eventually India running the gauntlet of border patrols and security services. Eventually, they reunited with the whole family in New Delhi.  From there they would travel to America.  The story is told simply through the eyes of a child, but it is a dramatic portrayal of the life of refugees and the grinding poverty of the hill tribes in Afghanistan.  Well worth the read.

Here We Are. American Dreams, American Nightmares. AArti Namdev ShaShahani. 2019. ISBN 9781250204752.  An Indian family finds it way eventually to America.  They start to build a better life following the American dream getting green cards and working to citizenship. Through a serious of misadventure and  poor legal advice the father gets on the wrong side of immigration and lives in a perpetual state of fear of deportation. His daughter  (a NYTimes journalist) details the trials and tribulations of the many years  and what they went through. Its also a story being played out throughout  America still.  Very human story that will bring the people involved to the fore.

Iran: Make Love Not War. Mary Jane Walker. 2019 ISBN 978047349160.  A concise and breezy trip through modern Iran.  The author is quite the adventure hound in the nothing ventured , nothing gained style.  She traveled mostly alone and met many helpful Iranians along the way. She has an eye for art and architecture and seems able to talk to pretty well anyone.  Her colour photos are worth the book. After reading this travelogue you will come away with a sense as to what the average Iranian thinks. As well, she finds that the locals are quite unlike and detached from the Muslim leaders, leaders who appear paranoid at being overthrown like they did to the Shah.  Locals are just folks getting by and apart from fearing for their future, you would feel quite at home with them.  This is also a short history lessons on Persia and Persian kings. The descriptions of the cities and architecture is also well done.  Your heart goes out to the mismanagement of water and top level corruption which imposes hardship on the locals.

The New Confessions of an Economic Hitman. John Perkins.  2016. ISBN 9781626566750.  If you don’t read about the international crooks you will not recognize them at home.  The author worked many years as an EHM. He was trained to go into third world or struggling countries to inflate growth projections from large infrastructure projects  ( Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Panama etc). These projects would then be funded by the World Bank and others and the country would be loaded up with debt.  . The money lent would go to US firms to do the work (of course some $  would find its way into select in country pockets).  The US engineering/construction company owners would pocket huge profits.

The projects would under deliver and the country would not be able to pay even the interest on these huge loans.  The US would pressure the govts to take on more debt, vote certain ways at the UN , buy more US products and so on.. The peoples’ lives would get worse not better. ( shades of the banana king and 1MDB )  If the govts did not play ball with US plans, regime change, assassination etc. would happen (Chile, Honduras, Ecuador, Panama.  Wrap a large disinformation campaign about this all.   You could not make this stuff up.  The author points out now that the same tricks are going on in US states with big projects and perhaps even in Canada.

A potent read, albeit the author is not concise enough for me. The story speaks very loud about the dangers of these large US companies, the military industrial complex and US policy.  Evidently China is following the same US playbook.

Finite and Infinite Games. A vision of life as play and possibility. James P. Carse. 2012. ISBN 9780029059807.   A seminal book on the subject, (Game theory)  which has became quite topical in the technology world with speakers such as Simon Sinek.  This is a deceptively thin book that will warrant several rereads to tease out the ideas Carse puts forward.  I would very often find myself lost in the ideas and then the author would hit me with a particularly resonating section. This would be sufficient to push me into the next few sections.  I found the first few sections challenging and then it caught in the dialectal discussion. Like the Phenomena of Man by DeCardin, this can be a mind changing book, full of life lessons.

Gabriel Allon Series . Daniel Silva.  Eighteen books so far in this series about Gabriel Allon, spy and art restorer.  Silva is very thorough in his research and thus paints a much more involved picture of the spy game than others you may have read. Allon is an Israeli spy, based on Europe and eventually in Israel as he climbs the ranks of their secret service.  Close ties to the Middle Eastern, European, English and American spy ranks allow the stories to flow across the globe as Allon pursues those who would do damage to Israel.  The research allows a different point of view to come through, which is often lacking in other Western writings.  Russia ends up as the ultimate enemy as Putin politics of aggression become evident.  But Allon has enemies in many camps through these books.  The writing is crisp, has a good pace, excellent character development and is often very hard to put down. Each book is great for a four plus hour plane ride.

Damned Nations. Greed, guns, armies & aid. Samantha Nutt. MD.  2011. ISBN 9780771051470. One of the most concise and clear writing I have read on the sheet lunacy of many aid programs in the world.  The author has worked in most of the war torn places you can think of.  Of course we expected the celebrity programs to be a waste, but the author details the wasteful business of large aid groups, and how much of the funding is not dispersed . She also points out how having the military associated with aid only brings about even more waste, bureaucracy, disconnect with the locals and increase the risk to NGOs. You clearly find out the disconnect between what First world governments say they want to do and what the countries really need.  She holds out hope for those organizations which are there for the long term and work at the grassroots to improve the citizens lot.  This is another voice explaining the benefits of educating girls and the impact on village life. You will be aghast at the rapaciousness of many of African leaders as well as the dangers posed by child soldiers who become detached from reality.  I guarantee you will not want to put this book down.  Canada does not come out that well in this boo, from our govt to our large investment funds ( Teachers and Union funds)  who invest in large arms dealers.

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