Pi-Consulting

An American-led “puritan work ethic” is supposed to underlie the North Atlantic societies’ attitudes to work. Work is good. Time-outs are for slackers and wasters. “You must be very busy” are words we reserve for people we esteem and admire. (more…)

The history of medicine can be reduced to six bullet points:

• 2000 BC: “Here, eat this root”
• 1000 AD: “That root is heathen. Say this prayer”.
• 1850 AD: “That prayer is superstition. Drink this potion”.
• 1950 AD: “That potion is snake oil. Swallow this pill”.
• 1980 AD: “That pill is ineffective. Take this antibiotic”.
• 2000 AD: “Uh, that antibiotic doesn’t work any more. Here, eat this root”. (more…)

Citizens of the USA still profess to believing in The American Dream, that anybody can rise to the top through his or her own efforts, if they are prepared to gamble on the hand life has dealt them. The British, by contrast, seem to harbour curious attitudes to both risk and reward. They also cling to some strange ideas about how the two interconnect. (more…)