The author has been described by News Ltd as an "iconoclast", "Svengali", a pollie's "economist muse", and "pungently accurate". Fairfax says he is a "Renaissance man" and "one of Australia’s most respected analysts." Stephen Koukoulas concludes that he is "85% right", and "would make a great Opposition leader." Terry McCrann claims the author thinks "‘nuance’ is a trendy village in the south of France", but can be "scintillating" when he thinks "clearly". The ACTU reckons he’s "an enigma wrapped in a Bloomberg terminal, wrapped in some apparently well-honed abs."

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Hard to believe, but China's Premier likes Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments

According to the FT:

"Even though he does not have voters to worry about, Wen Jiabao, China’s premier, has seen the political advantages of reading impressive-sounding books. In an interview with CNN, he said he frequently read books on Chinese and foreign history because “history is like a mirror”. He also professed admiration for the Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith and the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, even if he didn’t always agree with what they wrote."
at 3:19 PM