Monday, April 6, 2026

King Dollar: The Past and Future of the World’s Dominant Currency

Paul Blustein
online access from JSTOR Books
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An award-winning economic journalist on why the US dollar is positioned to maintain global primacy—and what that means for America and the world

“Magisterial.”—Edward Chancellor, Reuters


Prophecies that the dollar will lose its status as the world’s dominant currency have echoed for decades—and are increasing in volume. Cryptocurrency enthusiasts claim that Bitcoin or other blockchain-based monetary units will replace the dollar. Foreign policy hawks warn that China’s renminbi poses a lethal threat to the greenback. And sound money zealots predict that mounting US debt and inflation will surely erode the dollar’s value to the point of irrelevancy.

Contra the doomsayers, Paul Blustein shows that the dollar’s standing atop the world’s currency pyramid is impregnable, barring catastrophic policy missteps by the US government. Recounting how the United States has wielded the dollar to impose devastating sanctions against adversaries, Blustein explains that although targets such as Russia have found ways to limit the damage, Washington’s financial weaponry will retain potency long into the future. His message, however, is that America must not be complacent about the dollar; the great power that its supremacy confers comes with commensurate responsibility.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

邁向共善:諾貝爾經濟學獎得主永續建言,如何實現人類最大多數的幸福!(Économie du bien commun)

讓.梯若爾 (Jean Tirole)
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諾貝爾經濟學獎得主讓.梯若爾
在市場與政府雙重失靈,
個體利益與群眾集體福祉難以調和的時代,
深思謹言:我們為什麼應該讀經濟學?

自2008年金融危機爆發後,經濟學家受到信賴的程度似乎逐步降低。經濟學家察覺到大眾對經濟學的理解與信任都每況愈下,而這更是直接連結到國家政策上。所得分配不均、資源不平等種種問題,如今在每個國家都愈演愈烈。

人們在憤怒和沮喪的時候,更容易放棄當前的政府,也不再採信專家的言論。他們轉而尋求天翻地覆的改變,而這正是杜撰童話故事與錯誤政策民粹主義者所能提供的。於是,人們試圖緊抓住可以帶來希望的東西。

諾貝爾經濟學獎得主讓.梯若爾認為,政府端不出真正有長久正面影響的經濟政策,正是因為人們不理解經濟學。他認為:「有這樣的經濟政策,都是我們自找的,因為一般大眾欠缺對經濟學的理解,使得政治人物要做出好的政策抉擇,變成一件需要莫大政治勇氣的事。」

當市場邏輯滲透一切,政府監管卻步步受限,個人與群體、效率與公平之間的矛盾愈發尖銳。面對氣候變遷、財富集中、數位平台壟斷等當代難題,我們需要怎樣的制度來重新分配風險與責任?

梯若爾在本書中,以制度設計、行為經濟學與賽局理論為基礎,深入探討自由市場的極限與公共干預的必要,並提出在自由與監管之間求取平衡的新思路。

這不僅是一本關於經濟學的書,更是一堂如何重建公共利益、設計永續社會的公開課。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)


Monday, March 30, 2026

Everything is a Prototype: The Secret to Bold Ideas, Bigger Bets, and Creative Breakthroughs

Brendan Kearns
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Ever wondered why some people seem to thrive on the unknown while others struggle? Unlock the secret to innovation with "Everything is a Prototype." This guide dismantles the fear of failure, redefining it as a stepping stone to success in any field. It reveals how historical misunderstandings about making mistakes have stifled creativity and offers a new perspective: deliberate error-making as a pathway to genius.

The book provides insights and tools for embracing experimentation, leading to breakthroughs in any field, making it a must-have for those seeking personal and professional growth. Its approachable content ensures that readers at all levels can grasp the transformative concepts within.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

The Prototyping 創新演煉 exhibition, which integrates innovative technology and art, aligns closely with the City University of Hong Kong’s strategic direction of encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration. The exhibition connects CityUHK experts from diverse disciplines and local artists, showcasing 23 technological inventions presented through artistic mediums.

The exhibition features four immersive scenarios: Garden, Kitchen, Living Room and Bedroom. It presents prototypes of future living shaped by innovation. These thoughtfully designed settings invite the community to experience firsthand how technological developments are transforming our urban lifestyles through rich immersive experiences and unique innovative exhibits. READ MORE

Prototyping 創新演煉 Exhibition
Date: 29 January 2026 to 26 April 2026 (Closed on Mondays)
Time: 10am to 7pm
Venue: Indra and Harry Banga Gallery, City University of Hong Kong
Admission: Free of charge BOOK A VISIT

深時遠見 : 時間感如何影響決策, 人類如何擺脫短期主義的危局 (The Long View)

理查‧費雪 (Richard Fisher)
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全球共同危局 ╳ 人類時間觀 ╳ 認知心理學
BBC資深記者──理查‧費雪──深思熟慮之作

金字塔、巨石陣、大教堂耗時數百年才能完成,古人為何會開始明知此生看不到成果的計畫?快轉至數千年後的人類世,現在的人們又是用什麼時間跨度的眼光做出決策?

但人類並非一直都是這樣的,我們如何走到今天?不同的時代、民族、文化、語言的人如何看待時間,又如何規劃未來?

BBC未來頻道資深記者理查‧費雪在書中詳細闡述短期思維如何主導西方社會,為什麼這可能對未來帶來災難,並探討了歷史性的以及現實世界中具有長遠眼光的例子。
費雪除了從心理學、認知科學、社會學、人類學、甚至語言學,探討我們對短期思維的時間偏差外,還提供了一些方法,包括納入透視思維,即以未來存在的心態來看待生活,擁抱長深時遠見之美。

這本書將解答一切失敗之謎

這是一本「立體」書,精確而美妙的建築出時間的立方體,折射歷史軌跡的縱深。作者既帶我們重新審度歷史,構造新的「時間跨度」的概念,並對照現世、反思目前眾多未解的困局。當你讀到數千年前的人類如何想像未來,繼而做出無涯而偉大的計畫,除了感嘆其對於未知旅途想像的廣大與宏深,也更襯映出近代社會對於短期的爆發性成效如此短淺的迷戀,恰是這種對於等待的缺乏耐心,讓我們失去創造精妙宏圖的一瞬之機。書中對於我們耳熟能詳的代際正義、永續發展亦多有著墨,但並未淪於教條式的強調複誦,作者讓「成為一個好的祖先」變成誘人而新鮮的宣傳標語,如你關心公平正義,或希望一切紛雜能歸於平靜理性,那麼這本書將能帶領你用另一種節奏前進。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

Monday, March 23, 2026

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting

Lisa Genova
online access from EBSCOhost Ebook Collection
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A fascinating exploration of the intricacies of how we remember, why we forget, and what we can do to protect our memories, from the Harvard-trained neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice.

“Using her expertise as a neuroscientist and her gifts as a storyteller, Lisa Genova explains the nuances of human memory”—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, author of How the Mind Works


Have you ever felt a crushing wave of panic when you can't for the life of you remember the name of that actor in the movie you saw last week, or you walk into a room only to forget why you went there in the first place? If you're over forty, you're probably not laughing. You might even be worried that these lapses in memory could be an early sign of Alzheimer's or dementia. In reality, for the vast majority of us, these examples of forgetting are completely normal. Why? Because while memory is amazing, it is far from perfect. Our brains aren't designed to remember every name we hear, plan we make, or day we experience. Just because your memory sometimes fails doesn't mean it's broken or succumbing to disease. Forgetting is actually part of being human.

In Remember, neuroscientist and acclaimed novelist Lisa Genova delves into how memories are made and how we retrieve them. You'll learn whether forgotten memories are temporarily inaccessible or erased forever and why some memories are built to exist for only a few seconds (like a passcode) while others can last a lifetime (your wedding day). You'll come to appreciate the clear distinction between normal forgetting (where you parked your car) and forgetting due to Alzheimer's (that you own a car). And you'll see how memory is profoundly impacted by meaning, emotion, sleep, stress, and context. Once you understand the language of memory and how it functions, its incredible strengths and maddening weaknesses, its natural vulnerabilities and potential superpowers, you can both vastly improve your ability to remember and feel less rattled when you inevitably forget. You can set educated expectations for your memory, and in doing so, create a better relationship with it. You don't have to fear it anymore. And that can be life-changing.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

香港知埞

陳傑
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用屬於自己的眼界去觀看這城市,就如每天都在重新發現的旅途上。

走過雀仔橋,憶起上一代平民飲茶撚雀的熱鬧時光;
跑到南涌,只為尋找一顆檸檬的出生地;
爬上磅巷野餐,從容地爭取樓梯的生存權利⋯⋯
漫步在香港,撿拾散落在不同街角的昔日故事,拼貼出那種延續至今的細致優雅。

「這是我所觀看的香港,跟你看到的不會完全一樣,城市因而生動。」
- 延續上一本著作《知埞——在他方想望這城》的主題,這次放眼香港,透過我城散策帶出背後的文化與歷史故事
- 領大家欣賞、珍惜這個地方美好的人事物,加強在地連結

推薦好評

//真係好靚的城市,需要知埞的人,分享他的視點,謝謝陳傑送給我們這本書。//Sampson Wong 城市研究者
//在他筆下,有太多美好的「相遇」;從一個石澳巴士站,可窺見過去港式建築的優雅;在大宅倒下的太子臺,再遇上經過百年歲月洗禮的台階;在時代之風吹散蒲公英噴泉之前,好好重遊一次曾經建構市容的水池。//呂嘉俊 字字研究所創辦人
//透過陳傑的視角,本書輯錄了多個令人怦然心動的香港小故事,帶領讀者去探索一些鮮為人知的建築、秘地、人情,以及一些已消失的風景。//羅雅寧 中西區關注組召集人

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)