Ships, Supply Chains and Modern Finance
April 30, 2023If someone forwarded this to you, my name is Paul. You can read about who I am here. This Substack grows via word-of-mouth, so please forward to your friends. If you like this writing, you will enjoy my books Master, Minion and Raising a Thief. Subscriptions are a vote of confidence and book and podcast reviews help lead others to my work.
Putin Context
March 25, 2023If someone forwarded this to you, my name is Paul and you can read about me here. I encourage you to read my books Master, Minion and Raising a Thief and become a paid member of this Substack. If you read my books and liked them, please submit an Amazon review. If you don’t like them, I’m curious for your feedback, email me.
A Soldier’s Perspective
February 1, 2023Today I’m sharing a conversation with Lt. General (ret.) Mark Hertling. This is part of my effort to understand the Ukraine war. I’ve been frustrated by some news coverage, like a weekend article from The Wall Street Journal warning “Some Western Backers of Ukraine Worry That Time Might be On Russia’s Side.” These stories lack a rigorous economic and military analytical framework.
When Facing Tribulation
January 11, 2023We all encounter tough challenges along the way. Everyone. The question is how to struggle through them with a degree of grace and poise such that it draws people in rather than repels them and isolates you.
The Storm Ebbs
November 17, 2022An accurate picture of the world balances a longer-term view against the short-term oscillations. The short-term is looking much brighter, for reasons I describe below. The long-term is a pitched but slow-moving battle around whether the current wave of disruptive technology will be used more for good or evil. This battle touches our jobs, politics, communication, finances and international relations.
Putin’s Battle With Modernity
November 17, 2022In the fall of 1991, I landed in St. Petersburg for what would turn out to be a three-year stint living in Russia. As we taxied to the terminal, I looked out the window. A worker was cutting the grass …with a scythe. In Russia, the ancient permeates the day-to-day.
Financial Conflict Plus…
November 17, 2022If you are new to these essays, welcome! My name is Paul. I am a writer and investor. I wrote the book Raising a Thief about being a parent. You may have seen my writing in The Wall Street Journal. For many years I was at Bridgewater Associates, an investment firm. My goal is to share content that shifts your perspective about how the world works, things you won’t learn at school. Feedback: paul@paulpodolsky.com.
Author, Arabist, Son, Spy
November 17, 2022If you are new to these essays, welcome. My name is Paul Podolsky and I am an author (Raising a Thief), investor (former Bridgewater Associates), journalist (Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, others) and Russia and China specialist. You can read more about me in the “about” section.