33voices interviews Angus Deaton, author of The Great Escape.
The Great Escape
In early July, a good friend finally secured a six month American Visa for his younger brother to visit from the Middle East. To both, this was more like an escape – from a place where opportunity was lacking and life was bleak to a place where anything is possible.
The first few weeks seemed surreal, he traveled the coast line of California, got a glimpse of what it was like to build a thriving business, and during the Fourth of July Holiday, understood by Americans fight for their freedom. As the half point of his visit neared, my friend had asked if I would join them for dinner to discuss the possibility of the younger brother joining the business and potentially transitioning to San Diego on a full-time basis.
On the surface, the idea was a no brainer, but unfortunately his fear of change was much greater than the opportunity. For those few hours, I got to witness first hand what its like to be trapped in dogma, and that mindset is perhaps the most difficult to change.
In his book, The Great Escape, distinguished Princeton professor, Angus Deaton, gives us all a compelling reason to be hopeful.