From a social point of view, it's beneficial that homeownership encourages commitment to a given town or city. But, from an economic point of view, it's good for people to be able to leave places where there's less work and move to places where there's more.

I do think to some extent multitasking is a way of fooling ourselves that we're being exceptionally efficient.

Older people do a better job of managing their impulses, and so they're better able to put off putting off.

Companies often become victims of their own mythologies.

It may be that the very qualities that help people get ahead are the ones that make them ill-suited for managing crises. It's hard to prepare for the worst when you think you're the best.

Companies have long gathered data to break down their customer base into specific segments. Now political parties have become adept at micro-targeting, too, using data on shopping habits, leisure activities, voting histories, charity donations, and so on, in order to pinpoint likely supporters and the type of appeal most likely to win them over.

Capitalism, after all, is no fun when real failure becomes a possibility.