Monday 3 November 2008

Economics with the Truth


One of a number of ideas/projects/must do's to emerge from the Howies Do Festival... I chatted with Tom F about doing a book of Aesops fable style stories and cartoons. If you dont know Toms work do check out his book & blog "this one time at brandcamp" - an example above which came out of a conversation he and I had at Howies (about how someone from an 'eco resort' client once really said that to their agency).

I think there might be something in this fables idea. The current world situation is so bizarre, the economy so perverse in incentivising wrong headed behaviour it feels like quite a good theme to bring to life in stories. Plus it might be more fun than writing a serious business book. The story from Dave at Howies which i blogged about last month is quite a good example of the sort of thing. Another I was musing about last week was the story of how 100 hedge funds bet on VW's share price falling - it didnt - and it might now bring down what's left of the western economy. Which to my mind is "MY KINGDOM ON A HORSE" or "a cautionary tale about how monarchs shouldnt be allowed to bet". Do chip in if you think it's a good or bad idea or if you have ideas or examples to share. Or a name for the project.

Lots happening in my world, unfortunately to the detriment of blogging but these things go in cycles :J

2 comments:

John Grant said...

notes to self

A few more ideas

- the duesenberry effect whereby every class group in the world wants what the next higher group wants
I see this as a human pyramid visually
- the lifeboat syndrome - with 6 b people in the water and a few hundred million in the boat: the question being would we actually be better without the boat

Linda Margaret said...

I'm hopeful that the downfall in the economy will lead us to re-evaluate our time and how we "spend" it. More time with family, less with cash. And I've never considered myself a conservative.