A professor of literature explains why he loves books; The Unexpected Professor: An Oxford Life in Books

A professor of literature explains why he loves books

Mar 15th 2014 | From the print edition

The Unexpected Professor: An Oxford Life in Books. By John Carey. Faber & Faber; 361 pages; $23.81 and £18.99. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

IN HIS blog, which is largely dedicated to the keeping of bees, John Carey, for 30 years a professor of English literature at Oxford, states that he writes to “stimulate and involve the general reader”. This autobiography, written with sympathy, a light touch and a sardonic sense of humour, amply fulfils that aim. It suggests that this well-known book reviewer and author retains strong opinions and a love of controversy—writers who thought his reviews hurtful once formed an anti-Carey club—but also portrays a sensitive man dedicated to academic study and to reading. He admits that “courage matters more than understanding poetry” but, having read almost everything there is to read, he is unapologetic about trying to convey just what an enjoyable activity reading is. Read more of this post

Karl Ove Knausgaard: Northern light; One of Europe’s most remarkable literary talents explains the autobiography that made his name

Karl Ove Knausgaard: Northern light; One of Europe’s most remarkable literary talents explains the autobiography that made his name

Mar 15th 2014 | OSTERLEN, SWEDEN | From the print edition

THE man standing on the platform at Ystad station, in southern Sweden, looks more like a grunge rocker than a literary superstar: long hair, beard, scuffed boots, glowing cigarette, hat pulled down against the bitter cold. His white van is so grimy that it is almost black. The stereo blasts out at full volume. There is a fearsome-looking dog cage in the back. Read more of this post

Entrepreneurship: The art of the struggle; A new book about startups should be required reading for business-builders everywhere

Entrepreneurship: The art of the struggle; A new book about startups should be required reading for business-builders everywhere

Mar 15th 2014 | From the print edition

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers. By Ben Horowitz. Harper Business; 289 pages; $29.99. Buy from Amazon.com,Amazon.co.uk

THESE are halcyon days in Silicon Valley and other hives of entrepreneurship around the world. Barely a week goes by without some newly minted billionaire hitting the headlines and some bizarrely named young company getting an eye-wateringly high valuation from financiers. But for every starry success there will be a multitude of failures, and it is easy to forget that the job of an entrepreneur is often nasty, brutish and in danger of being cut short by impatient investors, rebellious co-founders and other hazards. Read more of this post

How To Make Stress Your Friend: This Incredible TED Talk Shows How Changing Your Perception Of Stress Could Save Your Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU

This Incredible TED Talk Shows How Changing Your Perception Of Stress Could Save Your Life

RICHARD FELONI STRATEGY  MAR. 14, 2014, 10:38 PM

When Kelly McGonigal first told her audience that a belief in the harmful effects of stress — and not stress itself — was a serious health risk, many people laughed. Read more of this post

The Beautifully Simple Method Archimedes Used To Find The First Digits Of Pi

The Beautifully Simple Method Archimedes Used To Find The First Digits Of Pi

ANDY KIERSZ FINANCE  MAR. 14, 2014, 10:47 PM

Happy Pi Day! It’s March 14, or 3/14, matching the first three digits of π.

π is one of the fundamental constants of mathematics: the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.  Read more of this post