Linked
A book on links everywhere. Both theoretical and practical. Everything’s connected. Very useful in my internet-oriented career.
The Life of Brian
Religion made fun of. Everything should be able to be put in perspective by humour. Everything.
The Shawshank Redemption
Stephen King’s great story. Great actors. A plot twist nobody ever expected. The book I wish I wrote. What imagination!
Brealey & Myers: The Principles of Corporate Finance
The principles of what? Yep, Corporate Finance. The book I learned to hate and love during my study of International Business at the University of Maastricht. It must have taken me a year to actually understand the very basics they tried to explain to me. But after a while it completely rearranged my way of business thinking. Net present value: "A dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow". And it’s all about free cash flow, not profits. Brealey and Myers present their dry financial theory with humor. Which always scores points with me.
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Dire Straits
Sometimes depressing, sometimes slow, but Dire Straits’ always play very rich and moving music. And I really don’t care if people consider their music to be the sound for old people. I like them. The rough, bear finger guitar play of Mark Knopfler (compensating the lack of singing talent) is unique. The lyrics have humor ("Two man say they’re Jesus. One of them must be wrong!" Industrial Disease).
New Zealand
Breathtaking. The most beautiful and relaxed country I ever visited. It was my gift to myself after graduating from university to travel through New Zealand for 2 months. One of the best decisions of my life. You can stand on top of a glacier at one moment and chill on a subtropical beach 2 hours later. Too bad there’s actually no country in the world that is further away from the Netherlands than New Zealand..
Star Wars
"The Emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation". Not really my style of management, but, hey, it seemed to work for him! The Death Star was finished JIT! Apart from all the laser beams, space ships and funny Forces, what really stuck with me was the ingenious story of political intrigue. Brilliant marketing move to start with Episode 4.
Foucault's Pendulum
Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco. Yep, I read it, all of it. And survived it. And loved it. History will never be the same for me. Everything’s connected. Maybe. But not always as we expect it to be. Look for the obvious connections, instead of dedicating your life to the not-so-obvious. And for God’s sakes, relax. That’s what this book is about. See where Dan Brown got his inspiration for The DaVinci Code.
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