What inspired me to write the novel, The Tortoise Shell Code, and its non-fiction corollary, Universal Co-opetition?…

- Guest Post by V Frank Asaro

When my son, Dean, was in high school thirty years or so ago he shared an assignment with me that involved a very thought provoking concept.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ It related to the question of how people can compete for something, yet at the same time help each other– seemingly against self-interest. But sometimes one will gain the thing they competed for – and reach success – often to the exclusion of the other.  For example, students often cooperatively study together for the final exam, yet compete against one another to be the best on the bell curve.

That set me to thinking about whether there is something – a paradigm fundamental to nature – that enables such melding of cooperation and competition to happen. Perhaps, for example, this paradigm could lead to avoidance of polarization in politics? I thought.

I read and studied and finally came to the conclusion that this fusion of cooperation and competition is in nature itself, and is even a fundamental law of the universe.  It is in music, chemistry, economics, political science, business, snowflakes, everything!

I hired a handful of university graduate students, independently from one another, and gave them assignments to research various fields of thought – such as philosophy, physics, etc. – to find either support for, or invalidation of, my theory.  After a summer of research and course correction meetings, to a person they came back and enthusiastically said, “Validated. “

So during the decade of the 1980’s I wrote up a monstrous treatise on my coined word: co-opetition.  I did this in scraps, usually in the middle of the night, primarily to get into a zone away from the crowding thoughts of whatever trial I was in at the time.  This was how I eventually could get back to sleep.  The finished manuscript I titled Synthesis Between Order and Chaos, and I sent it around to publishers and circulated it among many others.  Generally, they were intrigued, but in those days they wouldn’t invest in my book unless I went on a speaking tour and commercialized the idea.  I was no Carl Sagan, nor did I have the time from my busy law practice to become so engaged.

The word co-opetition, obviously a contraction of “cooperation” and “competition,” has since been used by others– usually in the field of business theory, but I frankly don’t know where they got it, or whether someone also independently came up with it. It all has the same meaning, however:  a synthesis of the behaviors of cooperating and competing.

But in my view, I expanded the co-opetition idea to apply universally.  Order, I likened to cooperation.  Chaos, I likened to competition. My conclusion: to achieve the highest level of success in any system, a melding of cooperation and competition – in varying proportions – is necessary.  If we recognize that both behaviors to some extent are necessary to any equation for success, we are better able to achieve that success, or to resolve whatever problem may be under consideration.

A very brief example from my books, among many is that: Capitalism has built into it a healthy element of cooperation, i.e. ethics, fair dealing, trust. Such is necessary in order for the competition of free enterprise to work with optimum effectiveness. That was part of Adam Smith’s invisible hand.

In 1989, I sent an outline of the manuscript to best-selling author Spencer Johnson M.D. (Who Moved My Cheese, One Minute Manager), who six months later, called from Hawaii and wrote me a letter, dated February, 9 1990, telling me that I must write and publish the book. Thus, I wrote Universal Co-opetition.  Later, I figured that the best way to get the concepts across was to novelize the theory – a la the genre of Huxley, Orwell, Rand, and Burdick et al.  So I put a story together, calling on what I know – the law and the courts and maritime issues. The Tortoise Shell Code came to life – a saga of high seas crime, ship sinking, romance, courtroom drama, fisticuffs, prison break outs, revolution, sea-going gun battles, all with the spice of co-opetition theory interwoven though the plot.

And that is the inspiration.

Feature and Follow #31: Preferred reading format?

RULES

• To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
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Author Interview ~ NS Wikarski

Tell us a bit about your family.

The less said the better.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

My tenacity. I don’t know the meaning of the word “quit.”

What is your least favorite quality about yourself?

My tenacity. This late in life, I ought to know the meaning of the word “quit.”

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

I would have to say earning my doctorate from one of the toughest graduate schools in the world. There were so many obstacles thrown in my path by the people in my life that it was a miracle that I got into the program at all. Then, I was even more surprised to find out that I had the intellectual talent to graduate with honors. I guess you never know what you can do until you try.

What is your favorite color?

That depends on the day, the season, and my mood. I’m partial to fire engine red, electric blue, and fuschia (though not at the same time).

What is your favorite food?

Any ethnic cuisine. Indian and Middle Eastern in particular. I’m a vegan.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

Any place near a large body of moving water.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

Thankfully, it hasn’t.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Honestly, I don’t know. I was always good at it. Maybe I fell into writing simply because I was too lazy to cultivate a talent that would have required hard work to master.

When and why did you begin writing?

Since I majored in English literature, I’ve been writing all through my school years and graduate school. My doctoral dissertation was my first book. As to why I continued to write, I suppose it was out of habit.

How long have you been writing?

In the back of my mind, I’d always intended to write a novel at some point in my life. When I reached the age of 40 without having gotten around to writing that novel, I finally decided to knuckle down and get it done. I’ve been writing, off and on, since then. Nineteen years.

When did you first know you could be a writer?

I think it was all the positive feedback from my teachers during my school years. I learned early on that I might be pretty good at this sort of thing.

What Are The Best Way To Teach Kids About Business And Finances?

- Guest Post by EW Taylor

Money is one of the major things that empower both young and old people to make decisions that affect their lives. One can only be able to live a comfortable adult life if they are able to keep a large percentage of the money they earn or if they can stretch their dollar on the things they purchase. All this requires early education and motivation to save and invest. Day to day spending and the decisions made on savings and investment will play a major role in determining a child’s financial future and quality of life as an adult. The good news is that any child can be taught the basics of managing money and personal finance.

Start As Early As Possible

Introduce your child to the different concepts that relate to money as soon as he or she can count. Children learn as they grow through observing and repeating what they see, so you should take an active role in making sure they have knowledge and information on money, business, savings, and investment. Make sure that your personal values about saving money, making it grow and wise spending are clearly communicated. By helping them to identify the differences between what they may want, need, or wish for, they will be better prepared to make wise spending decisions in future.

Teach the Importance of Setting Financial Goals

In almost all areas of life, people rarely make major achievements without having set them as goals first. Personal finance and investment is no different. Being able to determine financial goals is the foundation upon which a kid can build an understanding of the value of money and savings. Almost any item or toy that your child asks you to buy can be used as the object of a lesson in goal-setting. This will help a child to learn to be responsible for their financial decisions.

Demonstrate the Importance of Saving Money

Whenever possible, find ways to show your kids the importance of saving more money than they spend, and the advantages of having a healthy nest egg. You can also demonstrate and explain how the interest on savings can be an extra stream of income. You could do this by paying interest on the money they save in a piggy bank; have your children participate in calculating the interest to demonstrate how quickly money can accumulate through compound interest. As they continue to save, they will realize that the quickest way to obtain a good credit rating is through regular and successful savings. To encourage kids to save, you may even choose to match what they manage to save on their own.

Encourage Your Child to Open a Savings Account

The key to future success in savings is beginning the habit early and being familiar with savings institutions. For this reason, one of the most important steps you can take is to take kids to a bank or credit union to open their own accounts. Remember that you want your kids to have knowledge of all aspects of personal finance, so do not refuse if they ask to withdraw some savings to make a purchase, as they may be discouraged from saving if they cannot benefit from their money. It will also provide a valuable lesson in how savings can help them achieve their goals.

Link Allowances to Savings and Spending Decisions

When giving your kids an allowance, make sure that the cash is in denominations that encourage them to save. For example, if your child’s allowance is $5, break it down into 1-dollar bills so that you may encourage them to set aside at least a dollar in savings. A saving of $5 every week at 6% compound interest calculated quarterly will come to a total of about $266 after one year and a whopping $3,527 in ten years!

Encourage Kids to Keep Records of Savings and Spending

Keeping accurate records of money that is invested, spent, or saved is one of the most important skills in money management that everyone – young or old – must learn. Make the process of keeping records simple for your kids by using 12 small envelopes, with one for each month and a different, larger one for the entire year. Ensure that you establish a system for each child. Kids can then keep track of their finances by placing receipts in the appropriate envelopes after each purchase they make. They may also place notes about what they do with their money in the envelopes.

Let Kids Learn From Their Own Decisions

When young people are given the freedom to make their own choices when it comes to spending their money, they learn from both the good or poor decisions and are wiser for it. You may then discuss the consequences of their decisions, identifying the pros and cons before they spend on another purchase. This will motivate children to use common sense when deciding what to buy. They will learn to carry out adequate research before they make any major purchases, be able to wait for the right time to buy and avoid spending on impulse. An effective way to reinforce these traits is to give the child a choice of several things they could purchase with their money, and helping them decide on the pros and cons of each.

Teach Kids to Evaluate Ads and Offers

Some of the poorest financial and spending decisions are due to unrealistic promises in flashy and captivating TV or radio ads and glossy brochures. Teaching your kids to identify whether a product really performs as advertised or whether the sale price is the only cost will make them wiser in making purchasing and investment decisions in future. They will also better identify alternative offerings that offer more value or do more for a lower price. One of the most important lessons they will learn is that if a product or service sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Learning to process information and read the fine print will enable kids take on greater responsibility in ensuring their own financial well-being.