Journal 146 — SoftBank, The Federalist Society, ancient DNA, what makes platforms work, and covert operations under George H.W Bush
President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush at the 1984 Republican National Convention.
This week — a profile of SoftBank, The Federalist Society, ancient DNA, and what makes platforms work.
If you only read one thing — The London Review of Books on covert operations under George H.W Bush is worth the time.
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The Vice President’s Men | The London Review of Books | Politics
A look at the small off-the-record team under George H.W. Bush’s command when he was Vice President, formed in response to concerns around an ineffectual national security approach under Ronald Reagan.
The most powerful person in Silicon Valley | Fast Company | Business
A profile of Masayoshi Son, Chairman of SoftBank, and his Vision Fund, a major Silicon Valley power broker with big stakes in numerous household name startups.
Conquerors of the Courts | The Washington Post | Politics
This piece examines The Federalist Society, an organisation that it suggests is having a far reaching impact on the American justice system, from the Supreme Court down.
Why Some Platforms Thrive and Others Don’t | Harvard Business Review | Business
An analysis of the factors that make marketplace businesses work, and what makes them fail, comparing leading examples such as AirBnB, Uber, Alibaba, and Didi.
Is Ancient DNA Research Revealing New Truths — or Falling Into Old Traps? | The New York Times | History
A piece covering the hornets nest stirred up in scientific and archaeological communities by a paper using DNA analysis to suggest large scale revisions to the story of human migration and habitation over the ages.
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