FAO Quotables

"But being right, even morally right, isn't everything. It is also important to be competent, to be consistent, and to be knowledgeable. It's important for your soldiers and diplomats to speak the language of the people you want to influence. It's important to understand the ethnic and tribal divisions of the place you hope to assist."
-Anne Applebaum

Monday, September 28, 2015

What I Read last Week: Language Learning, Cobblers, South Sudan and Academics Fear of Actually Being Read

An unlikely story about a sector that sorely needs reform.
I've got mad respect for cobblers, much like the disappearing shoeshine stand, they are a dying breed. If you invest in nice dress shoes, a good cobbler is a godsend.  I've had several shoes resoled through the years and I personally preferred them in their repaired state to when I first bought them.  
Everyday Life in a Fragile State
Eye opening read on life in South Sudan.  
Citations are not enough: Academic promotion panels must take into account a scholar’s presence in popular media.
I like the disruption suggestion of making academic literature more relevant...and more widely read.
On Learning & Losing Language: A Reading List
Six fascinating articles on learning languages.