What life deals you, the only way is to make the best of it. Where the mountains and seas are, make good use of what they give you. Where the soil is fertile, plant the right fruits and reap rich rewards. A skillful ruler can become the king of men if he/she knew how to turn a situation to his/her advantage. Learn to trade with friends across borders yet keep enemies at bay along the same borders. One's survival can be determined by deliberate actions, natural endowments or just pure luck.
The above summarizes what I learnt from a recent read, "Prisoners of Geography". Although this book was published in 2015, from the introductory paragraph, it already foretold future events happening now. It certainly captivated my attention and maybe it was destined to be this way. The beginning touched on the thoughts of Putin and his insecurity arising from Russia's western plains, adjoining Ukraine. This as we now know, has become reality in a battle that does not look like ending soon. For the rest of the book, it delved into ten different maps and presented the facts on the ground and what historical events led to certain formations of human tribe, split along geographical constraints. It predicated the fortunes of each nation and explained why some would always find it hard to prosper eg Brazil. These insights allow us to better appreciate leadership considerations and their stubborn insistence on issues others might find repressive eg China's "ownership" over Tibet. Accordingly, one could even simulate future flashpoints through scenario modelling.
This is a fascinating book that I highly recommend. It's full of interesting information bits and written with just enough weight on each continent/region. At around 130 pages, one could swig a glass of whisky on a cool Saturday afternoon and be taken on a knowledge quest around the world.
Tip: Aberlour Abunadh Batch 67, apricot cherry, ginger ale spice encased by heavy sherry oak
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