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While the less memory gifted among us might find the coterie of individuals engaged in conversation throughout the book confusing, the Book of the Courtier does well as a handbook of sorts for aspiring gentlemen. It goes beyond the Ps and Qs, it’s a way of life and a method of being. It espouses Sprezzatura, […]
May 24, 2012
Humans are useless at assessing probabilities. But against the odds, Dylan Evanshas tracked down the handful of people who rate as geniuses on the intelligence scale he calls risk quotient. Most people probably haven’t heard of risk intelligence. What is it? It is the ability to estimate probabilities accurately, it’s about having the right amount […]
April 3, 2012
So I’ve been on a fairly long hiatus. What was it? Two weeks three? That’s because I’ve been shifting to a new apartment within eclectic suburb Prahran. Then of course, there’s the inevitable discussion on whether furniture would fit the new wood floorings of the unit. Like a well made suit, stylish furnishings nourish the […]
February 27, 2012
The rich are spending more on luxury goods these days. According to the research service MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, the luxury category has posted 10 consecutive months of sales increases compared with the year earlier. In July, the luxury segment had an 11.6 percent increase, the biggest monthly gain in more than a year. Luxury good […]
February 26, 2012
I’m not knocking the aesthetics- the white headphones with iconic “b” logo are about fanciest looking pieces of technology since the eponymous iPod; but for a Monsieur, Dre Monster Beats tend to make one look more like a hipster than a gentlemen. Thank God for Parrot Zik Headphones by Philippe Starck. The matt black with […]
February 20, 2012
“Like a Boss” – It’s been a running internet meme but I’ve never quite found any of the mentions appropriate until I saw this: Monarch Playing Cards. I don’t have definitive information to make this determination but based on looks alone, I’m very willing to call it- these are the finest playing cards ever made. […]
February 19, 2012
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way […]
January 5, 2012
Not many people think of shantytowns, illegal street vendors, and unlicensed roadside hawkers as major economic players. But according to journalist Robert Neuwirth, that’s exactly what they’ve become. In his new book, Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy, Neuwirth points out that small, illegal, off-the-books businesses collectively account for trillions of […]
December 22, 2011
The Argument Against Income Inequality Imagine four families sharing a large, jointly owned backyard area. The families would like to install a swing set, slide, etc. for their children to share. The set costs $1,200, and they need to figure out how to pay for it. One of the households is fairly well off and […]
December 21, 2011
How could James Franco possibly be simultaneously reading for a Yale Ph.D and filming a multimillion-dollar motion picture? How could he possibly have time to write anything when he’s also teaching a class at NYU and starring so many films? I’ve wondered the same thing myself. But on that trip to Detroit, I learned a […]
The Monsieur 
October 4, 2012
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