And Life Went On…

‘And Life Went On…’ is a compilation of 60 articles which originally appeared between August 2020 and October 2021 in three Munster regional newspapers. The dominant story of the period was the Covid pandemic but, apart from some inevitable references, the book deals not with Covid but with the other major stories of that time. Those stories ranged through Irish current affairs, world affairs, Brexit, US politics, economics, business, investing, sport, climate change, nuclear power and mental health.

Much of the content remains current in 2023. The book sets out a comprehensive picture of Brexit, from the legal framework to its economic impact, a full outline of how the US electoral college works, a framework to apply to climate change (for example, what do the Paris accords mean?), thoughts on the proposed dying-with-dignity bill, and much more.

On a lighter note, the book includes several pieces on sport, suggests some good books, and even ponders the thoughts of Matthew McConaughey! And somewhere between the light and not-so-light, there are pieces on why Bitcoin should be avoided, why Tesla may be over-valued, failings at Davy Stockbrokers and the Central Bank, the Irish courts, and why we seem to have a plethora of professors these days.

Taken together, the 60 pieces are informative and thought-provoking. Reviewing the book, Brian O’Kane, author and editor, commented that “… the articles are clear and concise and explain often complicated and misunderstood topics very well … the collection could be titled ‘Ireland Explained’ or ‘Today’s World Explained’…“. The book should therefore have a wide appeal, from those generally interested in the topics mentioned above to students looking for a one-stop source on many of the important issues of today.