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Education Reading

Latest Read: Lessons from the Edge

Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir by Marie Yovanovitch. Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and Russian studies from Princeton University. She studied at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow, and then was awarded a Master of Science degree from the National Defense University’s National War College.

Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir by Marie Yovanovitch

Marie served the State Department as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2004–2005), Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan (2005–2008), Ambassador to Armenia (2008–2011), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (2012–2013), and finally Ambassador to Ukraine (2016–2019). Today Marie is a diplomat in residence at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.

The early chapters introduce Marie’s family in Russia. After resettling in Canada, Marie traces her early life and education. This book is certainly providing a reader with the understanding of the US Diplomatic life. This also includes her early diplomatic assignments in Somalia, Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. At the same time, Marie was confronting bias all along her career. There are stark parallel lines to Fiona Hill’s book There is Nothing For You Here. There are many striking parallel lines between Marie and Fiona.

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Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: The Sports Gene

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein. He is currently an investigative reporter at ProPublica. Previously David was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated.

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein

I recently read Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and found David providing a many good insights. 

The Sports Gene is exploring factors that certainly influence performance of top athletes. David in fact, begins this book by telling a story of a professional female softball team challenging a MLB baseball team to a softball game. As a pitcher approaches the mound, the story indicates the entire softball team already knows no MLB player will be able to hit her pitches. And they are correct. While it certainly impressive, David indicates that training and subconscious cues (visual acuity) is the true reason.

The opening chapters furthermore provide a counter view to Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success. David’s position is that Malcolm has simplified “the 10,000 hour “rule” against athletes who hold gifts to excel in sports via genetics.

Furthermore, David does convey throughout the book that each athlete can only excel in the sport that best matches their genetic makeup. Perhaps the stories that coaches are able to detect when to guide an athlete into a specific sport where their natural talent will ensure success.

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Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: The Talent Code

The Talent Code Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How by Daniel Coyle. Daniel is the author of The Culture Code, a New York Times bestseller. He is also a contributing editor for Outside Magazine.

The Talent Code Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How by Daniel Coyle

Is there a secret formula to gaining talent? Daniel is sharing with readers and probably more specifically parents, coaches, and companies insights to maximize talent.

In fact, the lessons include future MLB players developed in the Caribbean, and even a music academy in upstate New York. Daniel’s story outlines how these key elements can work within your brain. However there is an element that you must have a gift and certainly the grit to achieve new levels of performance.

Myelin, is a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movement and thought. However, this is no miracle cure, take a pill solution. In fact, scientists have are beginning to view myelin as type of ‘holy grail’ and foundation for various types of success.

Daniel also identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance. Daniel relays some the new research on neurology. Added to this is data from geographic locations to more accurately identify three elements that are driving success:

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Design Education Reading

Latest Read: Skin in the Game

Skin in the Game: The Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Nassim is a mathematical statistician, and risk analyst. Today he is a Distinguished Professor of Risk Engineering at New York University.

Skin in the Game

He is a co-editor-in-chief of the academic journal Risk and Decision Analysis since September 2014. Nassim has also been a practitioner of mathematical finance, a hedge fund manager, and a derivatives trader.

His previous book The Black Swan is via The Sunday Times (London) one of the 12 most influential books since World War II. Simply cannot believe it has been 14 years since I read this book. In addition, it would appear that having The Black Swan under your belt helps keep his messaging here accurate.

He has written a five volume set regarding uncertainty called Incerto. In Skin in the Game, Talib mixes a series of ancient fables and maps them to modern subjects. In the age of iPhones and COVID however, these stories seem out of the ordinary in standing up a fable from 2,500 years ago.

However, attempts to apply Wall Street commissions seems like a phish out of water today. As an example, Robert Rubin, the former US Secretary of the Treasury accepted $120 million in compensation from Citibank as the bank was trading at $0.97/share. Rubin’s position was declaring a ‘Black Swan’ event.

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Education Reading

Latest Read: There Is Nothing for You Here

There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century by Fiona Hill. Fiona holds History and Russian degrees from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. At Harvard University, she earned a Masters in Russian and modern history, and a Ph.D. in Russian history.

There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century by Dr. Fiona Hill

Today Fiona is a senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy program at The Brookings Institution.

She served as deputy assistant to the President and senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council from 2017 to 2019. In addition, from 2006 to 2009, Fiona served as the leading national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at The National Intelligence Council.

Fiona is certainly delivering an immensely personal view of her life. If you approach this as an impeachment tell all, look elsewhere. This is a well told story regarding repeated bias Fiona has encountered from childhood to The White House.

This is an invaluable lesson that bias reaches far and wide and the impacts are indeed life changing. However it should not overshadow her role as an expert service our country. Her last service ran into a wall of bias and ignorance. Life in Bishop Auckland, England, her place of birth also mimics many post World War II industrial regions. All were hard hit by economic reforms in the 1980s.

From England to Russia to America

I found a very striking message: the failing economies of the UK and Russia now appear across the US. That is a growing concern indeed.

Her journey from a coal mining town to Harvard University, then to the White House is impressive. Better still is now Fiona shares how she overcame many biases to achieving success. This includes vulnerabilities to the slightest email bias.I am confident this resulted in policy written by less than the best qualified.

Bias begins in school

It is refreshing to learn how Fiona earned top marks in her middle school while taking her country’s standardized testing. This permitted her the luxury of entrance to a top tier school at St. Andrews University. Yet, bias in UK schools is not different from American schools in the lack of female students perusing STEM careers.

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