We Think

We-think: The Power of Mass Creativity by Charles Leadbeater is a fascinating and thought-provoking book on the pros and cons of growing communities on the web. I liked it.

Useful links:
www.wethinkthebook.net
www.charlesleadbeater.net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiP79vYsfbo

Money For Nothing

Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions by Edward Ugel shows how difficult it can be to cope with windfall wealth. A personal memoir of greed and hope.

Useful link:
www.edwardugel.com

Our salespeople were lottery winners — we just never bought tickets. Selling to the winners was like selling to myself.
- Edward Ugel

How true!

Carbon Calculators

I found Carolyn Fry's article Carbon Calculators @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/feb/19/carbon.web interesting. As she rightly put it, if enough people begin cutting their carbon footprint now, the CO2 saving will soon stack up, whichever you calculate it. Thanks Carolyn for the excellent info.

Useful links:
www.carbonfootprint.com
http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk
www.resurgence.org
www.climatecare.org
www.carbonneutral.com
www.chooseclimate.org
www.transportdirect.info
www.electricityinfo.org
http://coinet.org.uk

Gao Xingjian's Reflections

An artist must walk his own path, and if there are rules, they should only be rules that he himself has created.
- Gao Xingjian

How true!

Gao Xingjian at the Alisan Fine Arts gallery
http://iht.com/slideshows/2008/05/06/arts/06Seno-Slide.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/11/arts/seno.php

Green Living

Have a look that the U.S. Department of Energy's PDF guide, which is surprisingly helpful and chockful of suggestions for green living.
http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Plant_Trees_to_Cool_Your_Home_and_the_Planet

I should have started planting trees twenty-five years ago.

Flame Queen Opal

One of the most famous opal in the world, dubbed the Flame Queen, weighing 263.18-cts will be auctioned by Bonhams & Butterfields on June 22, 2008, at the auction house’s San Francisco and Los Angeles locations.

Useful link:
www.bonhams.com

The unusual color pattern in this opal is one of the best, really.

Diamond Handbag

Created by Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka, the platinum bag valued at £1m has been set with more than 2,000 diamonds + its diamond shoulder strap can be detached and worn as a necklace or a bracelet, while the 8-carat pear-shaped diamond centrepiece surrounded by a cluster of eighty-one smaller diamonds can be taken off and worn as a brooch.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7443742.stm

London Jewellery Week, sponsored by Coutts, runs from 11-15 June, 2008.

Useful links:
www.ginzatanaka.co.jp
www.londonjewelleryweek.co.uk

Fans of designer couteur will love it.

On Persuasion

(via Amazon) The book Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges by Antonin Scalia + Bryan A. Garner was great. Here is what they have to say:

- Know your audience
- Lead with your strongest argument
- Communicate clearly and concisely
- Close powerfully and say explicitly what you want your audience to do
- Banish jargon
- Hone your public speaking skills
- Dress appropriately
- When you're not on your feet, you're on stage
- Look judges in the eye
- Don't chew your fingernails

Though the ideas are for developing briefs and arguments to persuade judges, I think the 10 rules listed above apply to any business situations.