Articles by Malcolm Gladwell

If you’ve read any of Malcolm Gladwell’s books such as The Tipping Point and Outliers, you probably find it interesting to hear Mr. Gladwell’s narratives. His analyses and summaries of salient research and techniques from disparate disciplines are presented in very readable language to explain solutions to common problems, such as reasons for societal trends in educational scores, crime, or poverty.  Check out his articles from the New Yorker here.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles — worth it?

I was discussing with a colleague that I want to purchase an electric car, otherwise known as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). In terms of reducing the cost of operating the vehicle, PHEVs rule: the electricity used is like getting gas for less than a dollar. With respect to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it’s not as clear. After discussing how in the US, electric vehicles would still get most of the energy from coal, I read some more to get a bigger perspective. To really benefit from reduced greenhouse gas emissions, we’d need to have a low carbon energy infrastructure via renewable energies (e.g., via solar, wind, hydro technologies). To see a more detailed analysis, see this site. Or see my slide deck that has their charts.

I’m looking forward to keeping up with news about PHEV technologies, especially a vehicle with a solar panel sunroof.

The World Is Flat

I just bought "The World Is Flat," by Thomas Friedman. I’m listening to it at work, which quite pleasantly drowns out the blather of my co-workers. This book (on 15 CDs) is about 21st-century globalization, which, as a soon-to-be IT/business analyst working for a multinational corporation, is a salient topic.

“The end of all education should surely be service to others” : Cesar Chavez

Biography

 

Wikipedia entry