Visualizing empires decline

I am observing a surge in the management and organizations literature on the life and survival of corporations. I’m keeping a watchful eye on it and will report when relevant. In the meantime, here’s a visual refresher on the life and survival of empires.

the IKEA catalog at the cutting edge of technology: the bookbook

Information and parody. Well done!

The power of one

Since the 1970s Majuli islander Jadav Payeng has been planting trees in order to save his island. To date he has singlehandedly planted a forest larger than Central Park in New York City.

For the movie buffs, pair this story with the Oscar-winning The man who planted trees (L’homme qui plantait des arbres):

Best way to quit a job

“No hace faltar estudiar economía”

Se ganan cinco y se gasta uno. Eso es economía.

En 2007 dos abuelos de Soria dijeron que cuando no se vive así se acaba mal.

Y así fue.

Orson Welles on there being no dichotomy between work and life

I think that working is part of life, I don’t know how to distinguish between the two…

Work is an expression of life for me.

h/t Brain Pickings.

When is the last time you saw such a CEO?

Nature by numbers

Beauty exudes.

Everything is a remix

Nothing really new under the sun. Creative and innovative are often used to signify items that we forgot or never knew existed.

To wit, the following video that shows on parallel screens the inspiration for many of the scenes in the movie The Matrix.

How I got my song – Leonard Cohen’s Prince Of Asturias Speech

Following his nomination for the Prince of Asturias award.

Poetry comes from a place that no one commands, that no one conquers. So I feel somewhat like a charlatan to accept an award for an activity which I do not command. In other words, if I knew where the good songs came from I would go there more often.