The style of this book was a little more conversational than I would normally choose. It would sometimes felt like I was reading a diary entry, which is a little lighter than I’d prefer. It was nice for a change to read an easy-reading page turner though. I found the back and forth of the legal proceeding pretty boring but I guess it provided good insight into the painstaking log-rolling process of law making in a Western Democracy and how this can be contrasted to the swift but autocratic process in Russia.
For me, the most pertinent insight from the book was the insular, parochial and vindictive nature of Putin’s Russia. This leadership style and it’s influence on global geopolitics is important given Putin raced to another landslide leadership victory in Russia this past weekend. Putin didn’t even bother campaigning for the position.. While the problems with Western political systems are numerous and severe, the acclaim that US President Trump offers to Putin and his autocratic leadership style is quite astounding. The world can tentatively look forward to another few years of divisive global geopolitics with Trump and Putin at the forefront.
While initially unimpressed by the depth of the book, Browder’s shift from a global hedge fund leader to human rights activist as well as the committed care that he shows for the lives of those effected by Russia’s human’s rights abuses is noteworthy.
Sound Money 