11th Selected Links

Some links for your weekend perusal:

1. If you've ever wondered what John Maynard Keynes sounded like, here is the only video I've been able to find of him speaking, celebrating the abandonment of the gold standard.

2. A real estate bubble in ancient Rome? There are whisperings and murmurings in Pliny the Younger's letter to Nepos: "You know that the price of land, especially in the suburbs of Rome, has gone up. The cause of this sudden increase in value has been the theme of general discussion." You can read it here. Jump down to Letter 19.

3. Book recommendation: A History Of The Crusades I: The First Crusade And The Foundation Of The Kingdom Of Jerusalem, by Sir Steven Runciman. The book is stunning, and a reminder of the rule that if you want to write well, it doesn't hurt to have a compelling subject. The opening sentence is no exception: "On a February day in the year AD 638 the Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem, riding upon a white camel."

4. 'Slower Productivity and Higher Inequality: Are They Related?', working paper by Jason Furman and Peter Orszag.

5. 'Japanese Maple', Clive James' sad but beautiful farewell poem.

Have a nice weekend,


Joe