Tom's Tip: A Geography of Time by Robert V. Levine

Does everybody in the world share the same perception of time? In A Geography of Time, psychologist Robert Levine puts time to the test by sending teams of researchers all over the world to measure everything from the average walking speed to the time it takes to buy a stamp at the post office. Levine scatters his findings among engaging accounts of his own encounters with the various perceptions of time in different cultures.

As is his wont, Tom passes along various interesting tidbits from his reading. A Geography of Time has such intriguing concepts that I now want to read this when he's finished. I never would have thought that time could be examined in relation to human culture in so many different ways.

As it is, it has already had an effect on our own household. We now talk about things being "event based" or "clock based" in our own lives. And it makes a difference in how I think of my own schedule.

Tom's Tip: Pontiff-icating on the Free-Market System

Tom listened to the Freakonomics podcast episode about Pope Francis's critique of the free-market system in “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), his first apostolic exhortation.

Most papal documents tend to be pored over primarily by the Catholic faithful, but this one has opened the door for a larger secular question: what is the role of markets in causing — or alleviating — human suffering?
To answer this question, Stephen Dubner turns to Jeffrey Sachs, who is a longtime advocate for both the market system and the poor. We also hear from Notre Dame economics professor Joseph Kaboski, a devout Catholic and president of CREDO, the Catholic Research Economists Discussion Organization.

Tom found it interesting, thought provoking, and he recommends it.