Thursdays are all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at the modern miracle of semiconductor manufacturing.
Quote of the Day
"Buffett set up Berkshire to withstand any imaginable financial stress and minimize stress for himself."
(Frederik Gieschen)
Books
- An excerpt from "Wealth, Cost and Price in American Higher Education: A Brief History" by Bruce A. Kimball and Sarah M. Iler. (insidehighered.com)
- A Q&A with Jess Grose author of "Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood." (annehelen.substack.com)
Russia
- How Putin misjudged the war in Ukraine. (nytimes.com)
- Russia's mobilization was characterized by poor training an inadequate gear. (wsj.com)
- How Ukraine essentially backed up its government in the cloud. (latimes.com)
- This David Letterman interview with President Zelenskyy is worth the time. (netflix.com)
Media
- Bob Iger had been undermining Bob Chapek for a long time before taking over at Disney ($DIS). (wsj.com)
- Christ Licht has a big job in turning CNN around. (nytimes.com)
- 'Nepotism babies' dominated the entertainment business in 2022. (vulture.com)
Mental health
- Questions are being raised about just how effective online therapy can be. (wsj.com)
- Today's celebrities are putting their mental health center stage. (newyorker.com)
Health care
- Just because a hospital got a discount on a drug doesn't mean they will pass those savings along. (wsj.com)
- At this high profile hospital, money, and fame, matter when it comes to getting ER care. (nytimes.com)
Longreads
- How TikTok became a political football in U.S-China relations. (nytimes.com)
- The shocking story of child labor in the Hyundai-Kia supply chain in the U.S. (reuters.com)
- The industry-backed Alliance to End Plastic Waste hasn't done all that much. (bloomberg.com)
- Collecting books is easy, getting rid of them is hard. (washingtonpost.com)
- Was the Civil War inevitable? (nytimes.com)
