Nature vs. nurture in global success?

In grad school, I read dozens of books and articles on the causes of the industrial revolution and economic success. Most focused on structural factors such as low taxes, open trade, etc. But some, such as Max Weber or Lawrence Harrison, have focused on culture (typically Protestant culture) as the primary driver of the economic success of nations.

Here's a recent variant of the "culture" argument, focusing on "middle class values" of hard work and thrift, separated from any particular Protestant ethos.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/the_global_poverty_gap.html

Here's another discussion of the same book.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/11/miracle_of_plenty.html

Divorce for "any cause"

We occasionally have to deal with this topic in personnel decisions at JBU, so I've been looking for a way to understand these questions. The explanation in this article that Jesus was decrying the then-accepted practice of "any cause" divorce, and not necessarily divorce for any cause, was helpful in confirming what had always seemed to me the appropriate grounds for divorce as adultery, emotional and physical neglect, and abandonment and abuse.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/20.26.html

Wellness programs at JBU?

I've seen lots of these examples at other institutions, and I've continued to wonder why institutions such as JBU haven't moved in this direction. I'm sure there are reasons, but they don't come readily to mind.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_45/b4057083.htm

In search of your inner executive?

I'm never sure how much stock to put into such predictive analyses, but here's another such effort to gauge in advance someone's management ability (noted in Business Week).

To help decide who is management material, companies often administer personality tests. But Jordan Peterson, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, says a cognitive test he helped develop is a better predictor. Peterson and research colleagues from Harvard University, the University of Hawaii, and Montreal's McGill University have adapted to a business setting tests normally used by neuropsychologists to assess damage to the prefrontal cortex, the brain's "executive." The result is a 90-minute computerized exam they sell through their company, ExamCorp, for $100 to $350 per employee. The test, which gauges memory, plus decision-making speed and other skills, was given to 800 managers. And the results of a study of 80 of those professionals, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in August, show that managers who get top performance ratings at work typically do well on the exam. Peterson asserts that the exam can outpredict the traditional corporate tests, many of which "are 50 years old."

Science Education Myths?

These authors contend that the U.S. has been improving in Science education, is clearly up at the top of the international rankings, and is producing more Science grads than we can employ. That's all very much in opposition to the received wisdom.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2007/sb20071025_827398.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_best+of+bw

Beauty is universal?

Most of our truisms about beauty prove to be wrong. It ain't just in the eye of the beholder, it ain't just skin deep, and so on.

http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/group/langloislab/NewFormat/maxims.html

Why do higher education cost increases outpace CPI?

Interesting blog post by an economist and even more interesting responses.

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/10/why-do-college-.html

Some of the arguments are:

1) Other people are paying, so real costs are hidden (government loans, parents, merit scholarships, etc.).
2) Baby boom increases competition (which means we're all in trouble in the coming baby bust).
3) Baumol's cost disease (fancy way of saying that service sectors don't see productivity gains, so their inflation rates are always higher than CPI - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumol).
4) The cartelization of accreditation agencies.
5) People are getting richer.
6) ROI on education has increased dramatically.

And here's a version focused more of public institutions and why this author finds most of the arguments uncompelling.

http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2007/11/02/callan

Religion as an antidote to poverty?

If you want to raise up a child out of poverty, what's the best cure? Apparently, send them to church.

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w13369

How to get into an Ivy?

Another of the "behind the curtain" pieces.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_43/b4055063.htm

Going green won't make you rich?

Contrary to the "natural capitalism" arguments that are all the rage nowadays, it looks likes the real world applications of "green" thinking haven't been quite as successful or smooth. It's like the problem with hybrid cars. Either you pay the premium to buy the Prius that "looks" green and everyone knows it (i.e. you're buying a fashion statement) or you ignore the hybrids. So too with most businesses buying RECs (renewable energy credits) that make them look good but have no real impact in reducing carbon emissions or a few businesses are paying the premium to do some "real" carbon-reducing projects at a significant financial cost. The in between "hybrid" strategy isn't happening, and that's where the real gains are to be made.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_44/b4056001.htm

At least in the U.S. . . . Going further afield, we see that man-made coal fires in Chinese mines alone are causing 2-3% of the entire world's CO2 emissions, the equivalent of all of the cars in the U.S. Spend some money to bring a few of those under control, and you'll do more to deal with real CO2 emissions than all of our current efforts in the U.S.!

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/~prakash/coalfires/co2_emission.html

http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN025914.pdf

No more haggling over car prices?

I've been wondering when the efficiency of the internet would end haggling over car prices. Looks like that day is finally arriving. What's next, no haggling over home prices?

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_44/b4056070.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_autos

The future of the Anglosphere?

Another insightful piece from Hitchens.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_4_anglosphere.html

Conservatism at middle age?

Solid book review of the problems of modern American conservatism. The piece most praised is by my father's good friend Daniel Mahoney.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/books/review/Rauch-t.html?_r=1&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

Indoctrination via secondary accreditation?

I've seen similar concerns about how education accreditation discusses "dispositions," and the APA handles various Christian views, but social work accreditation agencies and schools appear to be the most problematic on this score.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/conservatives_need_not_apply.html

The coming health care compromise?

50+ years ago, the U.S. decided on a "employer-based" health care compromise instead of a government-funded one. For a variety of reasons, that system appears to be breaking down. The Democrats appear by and large to be pushing for the government funded version as the replacement option, while the Republicans appear by and large to be pushing for individuals to supervise their own health care insurance (as they do with other forms of insurance). One increasingly likely compromise is for the government to mandate (and provide tax credits to fund) base-line insurance provided by a series of regional exchanges of private providers and then to allow individuals to "buy-up" from there. That's not my personal preference, but I'm betting that that's where we eventually end up some 5-10 years from now.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/a_market_makeover_for_health_i.html

The effect of private schools?

Another study looking at the effect of private schools vs. public schools. This one is less positive about that effect, arguing that Catholic "holy order" schools are the only ones with significant benefit once all other factors are taken into consideration. The most interesting point for me is that parental involvement seems to be key. There's more parental involvement in private schools, hence better scores. Get more parents involved in public settings, and scores equal out.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_on_re_us/public_private_schools

The Mars-Venus Myth?

So much for the idea that men and women communicate differently? I always found that particular metaphor helpful, but I guess I'm going to have to give up that way of viewing things. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article2587988.ece

Mission accomplished in Iraq?

The basic argument is that the key issues have all been decided to the good (unity, democracy, solvency, etc.). The remaining concerns are pretty much local and/or criminal. The author may be correct about the present circumstances, but what's currently in place appears much more precarious than the author implies.

http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=9804

Influence of family on longevity?

Fascinating study on the effects of family on longevity. A short version is that sons cause women to live shorter lives, but having grandmothers around helps everyone live longer.

http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=FAEB4508-E7F2-99DF-329AA2F69CCB6D5C

The rising influence of the home-school movement

JBU's been involved with the home-school movement for a very long time, but it appears to caught the attention of the national media of late.

http://chronicle.com/subscribe/login?url=/weekly/v54/i07/07a00102.htm

Political inclinations of faculty

Interesting Harvard study showing some increasing trends toward moderates, especially in community colleges, but still almost no conservatives at elite liberal arts and research institutions, particularly in the humanities and social sciences.

http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/10/2007100801n.htm

Here's a report on a follow-up conference from the American Enterprise Institute.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/11/14/aei

The purpose of the appendix?

Just an interesting answer to an age-old question.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/05/appendix.purpose.ap/index.html

Hitchens on sacrifice in Iraq

This one moved me to tears.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/11/hitchens200711?printable=true&currentPage=all

How effective is school choice?

As I write from Arizona, the land of school choice with a charter or private school on every corner, I was interested to read this piece (largely ambivalent about school choice) and the blog responses (largely supportive of school choice).

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/more-evidence-on-the-lack-of-impact-of-school-choice/#more-1938

A looming scandal at Oral Roberts University

The central figure, Tim Brooker, was a frequent applicant for positions at JBU. Fascinating story.

http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/10/2007100303n.htm

http://chronicle.com/news/article/3247/professors-lawsuit-against-oral-roberts-u-gets-more-salacious?at

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/17/oru.leave/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/23/roberts.resignation/index.html

On Presidents & Provosts

Interesting take on how Presidents and Provosts interact from someone who served in both roles simultaneously - http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2007/10/02/herbst.