Felix Salmon

I heard an extended interview with the author and decided to read the book and wasn't dissappointed. Overall, he sees many reasons to be optimistic about what the New Not Normal post-pandemic world will eventually look like and I found his arguments interesting, even if I did not agree with all of them. Some of the business and economics arguments were a bit above me but I enjoyed his discussion of risk in investing for various generations and it made alot more sense than most things I have read. It certainly pegged me in my generation. He covers a wide range of topics and there is much to think about. It was also very well-written and engaging.… (meer)

Felix Salmon is an interesting figure; he's practically an embodiment of a certain sort of globalist noblesse oblige, in that he's absurdly privleged, knows it, compensates for it as much as he can, and still has blind spots bigger than the sun.

That said, he also knows a lot, and is quick to intuitions that may or may not be correct, but that make one carefully evaluate one's own priors should one's conclusions diverge from his.

So I get a lot out of listening to him on the Slate Money podcast, sometimes, and I got some stuff out of listening to this. To the point, there aren't too many people making the counter-intuitive case that the pandemic might be a net-positive long term, right at this time[1]. If that sort of optimism sounds appealing, then this might be what you are looking for.
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[1] I'm sure in a decade, books making that case retrospectively will number in the hundreds.… (meer)