Amit's Blog

German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg is credited with inventing the printing press around 1436, although he was far from the first to automate the book-printing process. Woodblock printing in China dates back to the 9th century and Korean bookmakers were printing with moveable metal type a century before Gutenberg. But most historians believe Gutenberg’s adaptation, which employed a screw-type wine press to squeeze down evenly on the inked metal type, was the key to unlocking the modern age. With the newfound ability to inexpensively mass-produce books on every imaginable topic, revolutionary ideas and priceless ancient knowledge were placed in the hands of every literate European, whose numbers doubled every century. How was printing done before the invention of the printing press? Before the printing press became widespread across Europe, books were produced as manuscripts. These were hand-written books, mostly produced by scribes, monks and other church officials, and were valuable p

China’s ambitions, China’s constraints, and how the world deals with it will determine the future of the world. China’s rise has been incredible. However, recent developments suggest that China is increasingly feeling hemmed in by Western powers. It continues to stake claim on Taiwan and has several disputes both in The South China Sea and with India along the long border. The world has been concerned about where this is going. However, there are recent developments that suggest that much of this may never actually happen. There are several reasons. China’s spectacular growth has moderated heavily during the last decade and is now showing signs of considerable slowdown. It now looks increasingly unlikely that it will ever catch up with the United States. On the contrary, the heavily indebted country may now be entering a long period of slow growth facing the headwinds from the distortions introduced during the breakneck growth phase. The demographic cliff that China is facing adds