Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

I have just finished reading Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson. The book, and the two books that followed, have been in the shops for a number of years.

If you have already devoured Stephenson's Baroque Cycle you will know more about the characters and plots than me.

I came to the book on a recommendation from a friend and follower blogger.

Quicksilver is well written and very entertaining. It is about many things but if one had to tweet its subject it would be, 'the making of the modern world'.

Stephenson covers the creation of central banks, the establishment of national currencies, the development of Whig political philosophy, the making of nation-states, the revolution in science and the political upheavals of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution.

He plays with history, so take care not to believe all of it, but with a cast that includes Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Pepys, D'Artagnan and John Locke we see why the rivalries and tensions between European nations exploded in 1914 and re-ignited in 1939.

The book is over 900 pages and so are the other two in the cycle. If you are going to read it make sure you clear your diary.

Twitter goes from strength to strength

Twitter has been used by the demonstrators in Iran to organise protests.

I, and others, first found out about Michael Jackson's death on Twitter.

And today I spotted a tweet from Krishnan Guru-Murthy about a piece on C4 News on the Mumbai terrorist attacks that made me turn the television on.

Twitter is still evolving. Quite how it will make money is still open to question.

I began using it to post a link to my blogs.

Now I tend to comment on events that interest me and engage in conversation with other tweeters.

Others like to use it as a public diary.

However you use it, Twitter is becoming a key communication tool.

BBC Radio 4 Today programme's viral ad

Stories that caught my eye this weekend

The Guardian - Gordon Brown: I could walk away from this tomorrow

Mail on Sunday - Brown 'plans to quit before next election to avoid humiliating defeat'

Washington Post - Media stayed silent on kidnapping

New York Times - Twitter on the Barricades: Six Lessons Learned

ComRes - latest poll for the Independent on Sunday

Twitter on election night

Last Sunday night I sat at my computer and posted 'tweets' on my Twitter feed while watching the European election results come in.

I wasn't alone. As well as posting comments, I sent messages to a blogger who writes for the Telegraph, a PR social media guru, a public affairs specialist and political activists.

As well as chatting and commenting on the reports coming from the BBC, together we were developing our views about the results.

Twitter may, in time, be seen as a passing fad but for now it is becoming increasingly important.

It will certainly add another dimension to general election night.

Markets may not be the answer to everything...

There is a fascinating, guest, post by Anton Howes, leader of the Social Liberalist party, on Liberal Vision.

In Of Markets and Morals, Anton discusses the recent Reith Lectures by Michael Sandel on the limits of markets.

The piece explores where markets work best and where they appear not to.

A week is a very long time in politics

In the last few weeks a lot has been happening in British politics.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Everyone agrees that Peter Mandelson has become a key figure in the Brown Cabinet. Some say he is, de facto, the deputy PM. It seems clear that he is now driving large chunks of policy and setting strategic direction
• Mandelson will be essential to the general election campaign - again a given
• The latest date for a general election is June 2010. If Brown waits until next year, he is more likely to go in May as this is when some local elections will be held
• Mandelson tells us Brown will continue to be challenged, most likely in October
• Brown could call the election in October 2009 or March or April 2010
• Labour now has a campaign narrative: Tories will cut, we will invest
• The closer we get to the general election the harder it will be to develop new policies because, whoever wins, it will mean a new government
• The Tories also have a narrative: Labour can't manage public finances
• And the Lib Dems seem to be saying, we told you so
• Expect an interesting party conference season