Tim Harford
Tim Harford’s long-running column in the Financial Times, “The Undercover Economist,” reveals the economic ideas behind everyday experiences. His first book, The Undercover Economist, was published in 30 languages and sold…
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“If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss…”
Those words – from Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” – were based on charismatic nineteenth century doctor, Leander Starr Jameson. In Britain, Jameson was worshipped as a plucky hero: a bastion of courage and mental fortitude. Ironically, he was also responsible for the Jameson Raid, a South African coup that was an unmitigated disaster.
Kipling’s champion might have spearheaded a fiasco – but could the poem “If” hold clues for triumph in another arena?
The Host
