Comments on: When Tyler Cowen speaks, is he really reading?

By: Liam (Bring Back Punster Paxton)

Liam (Bring Back Punster Paxton) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:03:56 +0000

Mr Smith, having gone to Washington, used the same trick.

By: gilmae

gilmae — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:58:15 +0000

It was Cato the Younger trying to prevent Caesar from standing for Consul in absentia; and I seem to remember it was only until the close of the session rather than three days. Pity there weren’t more of him at the time.

By: FDB

FDB — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:27:21 +0000

Yeah, I was pretty sure I didn’t have the right orator, but being drunk I thought comedic licence would stretch that far. On reflection I fear mine may be revoked.

By: skepticlawyer

skepticlawyer — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:44:17 +0000

That was Cato the Elder – as in ‘Carthago delenda est’. He ended every speech in the senate with it, even if it was a tax bill or something.

When I saw Tyler Cowen speak in May, I can vouch for the fact that he’s an extraordinarily impressive speaker. He does use notes, but very discreetly, and only occasionally looks at them. He achieves much of the effect by speaking relatively slowly, allowing time to gather his thoughts.

By: FDB

FDB — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:27:07 +0000

Jacques – maybe, but that’s cos every time he was stuck for a line it was “Carthage must this” and “that must burn”. ;)

By: Jacques Chester

Jacques Chester — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:20:56 +0000

He might be using a mnemonic method. Roman senators could speak at great length using those systems. The most popular is the locus method, from which we get the pattern of “in the first place, in the second place” etc.

I think Cato the Younger or Cicero once delivered a 3-day long speech without pause, interruption or mistake using this approach.

By: Nicholas Gruen

Nicholas Gruen — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:42:00 +0000

He's OK. Quite well known because he runs a prominent American econoblog. I was just taken with the speaking style. Not with his importance.

By: wilful

wilful — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:01:38 +0000

Sorry nicholas, if you could possibly have spent a sentence saying who this person is and what he does? Googling tells me he’s an American economist. Is he famous? any good?