A walkthrough guide to building yourself a Linux system for coding

In any technical role it is important to strike the balance between getting-things-done-quickly and knowing-all-the-details, and this is especially true when it comes to building computer systems. You can find lots of different Linux distributions to download, and most have a relatively easy system for adding components or software via some kind of package manager. … Continue reading A walkthrough guide to building yourself a Linux system for coding →

Understanding the credit crisis

In an earlier post (see here) I put a link to an online book that explains all the main concepts of economics in terms of the classic 'Island Economy'. If you think about it in theoretical terms, this book is a 'proof' that the Island Economy is a sufficiently rich model into which many important … Continue reading Understanding the credit crisis →

How to read the FT

Since moving back to a front office seat I have been a keen reader of the Financial Times. Regular reading of economic and finance journalism and analysis is a must if you want to understand the themes discussed around the trading floor. If you have tried and failed to get into the FT, it may be … Continue reading How to read the FT →

A useful tip for learning a language

When I was teaching English in Rome I took a lot of interest in reading the literature on how we can best learn a language, and how we can best help our students to learn a language. There are lots of different approaches out there but most schools teach an approach which is a mix … Continue reading A useful tip for learning a language →