You can't fuel real economic growth with indiscriminate credit. You can only fuel it with well-allocated, long-term investment. James Surowiecki allocatecrediteconomic Change image and share on social
Technological innovation has dramatically lowered the cost of computing, making it possible for large numbers of consumers to own powerful new technologies at reasonably low prices. James Surowiecki computeconsumercost Change image and share on social
The essence of procrastination lies in not doing what you think you should be doing, a mental contortion that surely accounts for the great psychic toll the habit takes on people. This is the perplexing thing about procrastination: although it seems to involve avoiding unpleasant tasks, indulging in it generally doesn't make people happy. James Surowiecki accountavoidcontortion share on social
Sometimes you have to destroy your business in order to save it. James Surowiecki businessdestroyorder Change image and share on social
Although oil is a commodity, it's still not a commodity like coffee, which, thank God, we will have with us always. At some point the oil will run out. James Surowiecki coffeecommoditygod Change image and share on social
Standards wars involve lots of variables, and understanding them often seems more an art than a science. They generally involve just two big players, and end in a winner-take-all situation. James Surowiecki artbigend Change image and share on social
The desire for reinvention seems to arise most often when companies hear the siren call of synergy and start to expand beyond their core businesses. James Surowiecki arisebusinesscall Change image and share on social
On the simplest level, telecommuting makes it harder for people to have the kinds of informal interactions that are crucial to the way knowledge moves through an organization. The role that hallway chat plays in driving new ideas has become a cliche of business writing, but that doesn't make it less true. James Surowiecki businesschatcliche share on social
Movies' mistrust of capitalism is almost as old as the medium itself. James Surowiecki capitalismmediummistrust Change image and share on social
Unlike most government programs, Social Security and, in part, Medicare are funded by payroll taxes dedicated specifically to them. Some of the tax revenue pays for current benefits; anything that's left over goes into trust funds for the future. The programs were designed this way for political reasons. James Surowiecki benefitcurrentdedicate share on social