Simple Thinking

Introduction

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.”

Ernst F. Schumacher

I was recently in Seattle for work and on my day off I visited the commercial Mecca of coffee: Starbuck's original store next to Pike Place Market. I arrived mid-afternoon and the queue was huge, spilling out of the door and at least two blocks long. Outside was an old guy picking on a banjo. The smell of the freshly roasted coffee mixed with the other smells of the market was intoxicating. As the queue moved forward and as I got closer to the store, I began to feel a growing sense of anxiety. You see, I'm not a coffee connoisseur; I love coffee ...