Review: Double Entry: How the Merchants of Venice Shaped the Modern World

Double Entry: How the Merchants of Venice Shaped the Modern World by Jane Gleeson-White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is very interesting. While reading it becomes clear why bookkeeping today is what it is. I liked to see historical information about it and some outstanding people who influenced the way people administer business.
Despite the main idea of the book, this quote shows us that nothing has been changed for centuires:

"Money, wrote Alberti in the 1430s, ‘is the root of all things’: ’with money one can have a town house or a villa; and all the trades and craftsmen will toil like servants for the man who has money. He who has none goes without everything, and money is required for every purpose.’"

View all my reviews

Comments

Mastering The Multitasking

There is usually two distinct perspectives on multi-tasking: 1. Multitasking is counterproductive. We get distracted by multiple tasks that all get our way and fight for our scarce attention, time and resources. This leads to a common fallacy that if you do multiple activities “at a time” you are not doing good work in any of those. 2. Multitasking is a way of getting many things done in a short period of time or in a long run. Indeed it can be either a disaster or a great helper depending on how it is used and practiced. Most recent research shows that we don’t do multiple tasks purely in parallel or simultaneously. That means we don’t purely multi-task, but switch between tasks and execute them one at a time, but by spending very small timeframes on each task. A good example from the history is a story about Julius Caesar capabilities in that area. Plutarch writes, “Caesar disciplined himself so far as to be able to dictate letters from on horseback, and to give directi...

Construction issues resolution in Sydney - part 17

It's been a while since the last post In January 2016 the owner lodged an application to NCAT against owners corporation to fix three major defects: - waterproofing of large windows in the living room and bedroom which led to windows full replacement - bathroom drain fix - planterbox fix The owners corporation didn't come to mediation and tribunal ordered to fix all defects within 2 months (the deadline was 8th July 2016). The owners corporation as usual didn't rush to comply with the order regarding two items: bathroom and planterbox. The windows works started end of April 2016. At the same time owners corporation decided to check whether it's a warranty and original builder should fix the issues. That was also related to the fact that the variation was submitted by the current contractor who started fixing the defect. So the owners corporation stopped all works in the middle and went off for a month to "make decision". The decision was mad...

Seafood Chowder with Bacon and Corn

This delicious soup is a good idea for dinner or lunch in cold weather. Also it's a good way to convince children to eat fish by disguising it with other seafood that they prefer more. A while ago I cooked a chowder using the following recipe http://notwithoutsalt.com/chanterelle-chowder-with-bacon-and-corn/ , however I couldn't find raw chanterelle mushrooms here in Sydney and therefore used normal mushrooms instead. It was also very tasty, but I thought to cook seafood this way as well. So I had to modify the original recipe to adapt for seafood instead of mushrooms. Here's how it looks. Seafood Chowder with Bacon and Corn Serves 4 for two days or 7-8 people one off Ingredients: 250 grams diced bacon 1 onion, diced 1/2 large bulb fennel, diced 4 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tablespoon miso paste 4 cups prawn or fish stock 2 cups cubed yellow potatoes (3 medium/large) 1 can corn kernels 1 1/2 cup pure cream mixed raw seafood about 700-900 grams (I us...

Travels etc.

Search This Blog