Meet Noreena. She is the owner of web page www.noreena.com. Noreena is not a pop singer who
has dropped her last name or taken on a catchy artistic pseudonym. No, she is a
bona fide British economist who back in 2001 published a book with the ominous
title, The Silent Takeover: Global
Capitalism and the Death of Democracy. Her Wikipedia entry mentions that according
to the UK media she “combines striking beauty with a formidable mind.” So we
should be hardly surprised that Noreena has, at this point, achieved near
celebrity status - and appeared on numerous chat shows.
Noreena’s first book invited obvious comparisons to
Naomi – Klein, not Campbell. Now, however, Noreena has a very different monograph
out, Eyes Wide Open: How to Make Smart
Decisions in a Confusing World. This is a self-help book which breaks down
effective decision making into several distinct “Steps” (capitalized). Following
these Steps is said to lead to better decisions in our capacity as parents,
patients, investors, etc. My sense is that Noreena invites readers to overthink
everything. She does make a nod to research indicating that some emotional response
is essential to sound judgment, her heart is obviously not in it.
Noreena is understandably keen to promote her new work
in an overcrowded marketplace. So she has hit all sorts of media outlets and
the corporate lecturing circuit (including but – I assume – not limited to TED)
with gusto. Meanwhile, I keep wondering about one thing. How can one so smoothly
shift from exposing the evil at the heart of the global capitalist Matrix to the
bland promise of “self-empowerment” – or becoming more self-controlled, upbeat,
and fitter cogs in the same capitalist machine? Could it merely be the wisdom
of middle age? I dearly wish I knew the answer – and then perhaps I wouldn’t be
so snarky.
