Martin McGrath
Welcome to my website. I intend to use this space to hold forth on things like politics, books, technology, films and anything else that interests or irritates me.
You can also use this site to see examples of some of the work I've done as journalist, writer and designer. I'm available for freelance work and my rates are competitive and negotiable for good causes.
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Category Archives: Friday Words of Wisdom
FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: THE NEW FEW BY FERDINAND MOUNT
The blurb in the back of The New Few (or a Very British Oligarchy) by Ferdinand Mount (Simon & Schuster, 2012) rather modestly describes the author as a former columnist for The Spectator, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Times, editor of … Continue reading
Posted in Friday Words of Wisdom
Tagged books, economics, friday wisdom, Politics
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: THE UPSIDE OF IRRATIONALITY BY DAN ARIELY
Dan Ariely is probably the best known voice in the popularization of behavioural economics. Behavioural economics represents the most significant challenge to the ideas of classical economic theorists built around notions of more-or-less perfectly rational individuals who calculate and diligently … Continue reading
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Tagged economics, friday wisdom, Politics, review
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: WHAT MONEY CAN’T BUY BY MICHAEL J SANDEL
Michael J Sandel opens What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2012) with a list (3-5) of some novel items that can be bought: In California prisoners can pay $82 a night for better, … Continue reading
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Tagged books, economics, friday wisdom, philosophy, Politics, review, reviews
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: THE TRIADS OF IRELAND BY KUNO MEYER
The Triads of Ireland by Kuno Meyer (1906, available from Project Gutenberg) is a collection of a specifically Irish form of poetry popular amongst Irish bards that probably date from the Ninth Century[i]. They are, as the name suggests, based … Continue reading
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Tagged books, friday wisdom, history, Ireland, poetry
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: BEYOND OUTRAGE BY ROBERT REICH
Robert Reich has been banging on about the risks to advanced economies of increasing levels of inequality for longer than most. The Work of Nations (published in 1991 and the book that got him headhunted by Bill Clinton’s campaign and, … Continue reading
Posted in Blog reviews, Blogging, Friday Words of Wisdom
Tagged books, economics, friday wisdom, Politics
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: END THIS DEPRESSION NOW! BY PAUL KRUGMAN
I am slightly worried, given the brightly coloured cover of this book and the snappy title (screaming exclamation mark and all), that Paul Krugman’s End This Depression Now! (Melrose Road Partners, 2012) is going to end up in the hands … Continue reading
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Tagged books, economics, friday wisdom, Politics
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: THE LONELY VOICE: A STUDY OF THE SHORT STORY BY FRANK O’CONNOR
I first read some of Frank O’Connor’s short stories (and translated Irish poetry) when I was at school and they made an impression because when I picked up a second hand collection recently, some of the stories came back to … Continue reading
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Tagged books, friday wisdom, review, reviews, Writing
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: DEFENDING POLITICS BY MATTHEW FLINDERS
Writing in defence of politics and, indeed, politicians is always a potentially risky pastime. The overwhelming public perception of politics is so cynically negative that anyone who speaks out in favour of those who take on public office is immediately … Continue reading
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Tagged academic, books, friday wisdom, parliament, Politics, reviews
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: A COUNTRY IS NOT A COMPANY BY PAUL KRUGMAN

A Country is Not a Company by Paul Krugman, (Harvard Business School Classics, 2009) is a brief essay that highlights the fallacy behind the notion that success in business automatically provides individuals with the insight necessary contribute advice towards the … Continue reading
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Tagged books, economics, friday wisdom, Politics
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FRIDAY’S WORDS OF WISDOM: CHRIS DEAN ON HOPE
Something different this week, because, some days, it feels like I’m living through a terrible remake of the 1980s directed by Uwe Boll… The Redskins are a celebration of hope and pride. Amidst all the dross of the music scene, … Continue reading