The Things That I Do

A compartmentalized life

A friend once commented that my life “seems very compartmentalized.” It is a fairly accurate picture, in that I am involved in several different areas of activity. I call these my “boxes,” and move readily between different ones over the course of a day. These are all activities which engage and involve me, and if there is a common thread, it is that they are things I am committed to and care passionately about. The other common factor is that they are all sources of fun and enjoyment; I like doing them.

Box 1 is the Adam Smith Institute, the free market think of which I am President.
Box 2 contains Philosophy and Logic on which I publish popular books.
Box 3 is Cambridge, where I am a Visiting Fellow, involved in college activities.
Box 4 sees me writing and publishing children’s science fiction.
Box 5 is my “Rocket Boy” box where I pursue my interest in spaceflight.
Box 6 sees me involved in Economics, with articles, books & lectures.
Box 7 involves my communication role in writing, speeches & media slots.
Box 8 is for my hobbies and interests, to which I’m always adding new things.

There are other activities, including multi-player on-line computer games, which I occasionally enjoy. I lead a fairly crowded social life, and enjoy dining out with friends. I particularly like dining in college, where the gowns and the setting give it a sense of occasion. I travel, and have travelled, quite extensively in the average year.

I spend a fair proportion of each day at my computer, doing things in my various boxes, as well as social networking. I use Apple-Mac products, and try to keep up with new technologies. I am immensely grateful that my educational background made me literate in science as well as arts, and enables me to follow scientific and technological progress with some enthusiasm.

Finally, if I am asked to choose a single word that fits me, I suggest “optimistic.”

Some selected writings

Book me on the next flight to the stars
Britain and the world in the next fifty years
Britain in 1979
Contingency
How to survive in the age of the free-lunch economy
Privatization
Sweeping away our liberties
The Anglo Saxon model of capitalism
The Invisible Hand
The virtue of wealth