Publication Date and Cover Release of Win Win Win!

"Win Win Win" the novel by Lans Bovenberg, Manon Blanke and myself, will be published the 8th of January! The cover has now been released, you can see it below! 

"Win Win Win" tells the story of Miriam, an ambitious student who, on the verge of resisting her mother and independently deciding her future, is invited last-minute to a prestigious contest. She decides to join with two other students. She never expected them to become such a stumbling block. The team opts to attack the contest by re-thinking economics from a relationship angle. But as soon as the contest starts Miriam must learn in practice in what way money and relationships should truly combine. If not, her team falls apart and she loses the opportunity to follow her dream.

In this book you will discover:

• What radically different attitudes towards life, communication and collaboration can look like
• A mirror on our way of dealing with others that is not always comfortable, but inspiring and ultimately very rewarding
• A source of deep conversations that help people

Giving this book signals your appreciation, trust and confidence. Discussing this book together is a method for identifying obstacles to trusting collaboration and overcoming them together. You want to build trust, and this book will help you make that a reality.

If you like an original gift that can really help a person, this is your book.

Click here to pre-order today via the website of the publisher, Amsterdam University Press: 
https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789463723268/win-win-win

Nice Mercatornet interview on "Freedom in Quarantine"

 Mercatornet was so kind to interview me about "Freedom in Quarantine", of which the paperback came out recently. 

I think the interview captures the core of the book quite well. Happy reading!

If you'd like to get a copy of the book, this website shows were you can find it.

" Freedom in Quarantine" has been launched and is available!

The 4th of July saw the online launch of "Freedom in Quarantine". This is a short summary of what happened.

In case you are interested in the booklet, it is available as e-book in these places. The print version will appear in October.

Freedom in Times of Quarantine. Free webinar!

Are you up for some quiet reflection after the so-many-th corona update? Discover powerful insights about freedom and how these are useful for you, also now!

Sign up here for the English webinar, Saturday April 4th 14:00 Amsterdam time: bit.ly/freedomquarantine A replay will be available for those who sign up.

Sign up here for the webinar in Dutch, Thursday April 2nd 19:30 Amsterdam time: bit.ly/quaravrijheid A replay will be available for those who sign up.

Is the future uncertain at times? Do you have big dreams, but is the road towards them not always clear? Do study or work not always easily combine with personal relationships? Discover that big thinkers have been tackling these questions for ages, and that they have very useful insights. Convert wisdom from the past into power for the future.

In the Spanish-speaking world the philosopher Leonardo Polo is regarded as an expert in the field of philosophical anthropology, which contains the philosophical study of freedom. His “lo radical y la libertad” (roots and freedom) is an impressive summary in 60 pages of the main points in the European though tradition on freedom. His work will open new horizons for you.

In “freedom in times of quarantine”, Daniel Bernardus will make the most important points of “lo radical y la libertad” accessible to you. He will explain the main questions posed, the answers given, and their internal coherence. In this way you’ll get an inspiring overview of the most important insights on freedom in European thought.

In “freedom in times of quarantine” you’ll discover:
- Why in modern times production and creative freedom are so highly valued and why that goes together with uncertainty. 
- Why the modern ideal of freedom has entered a postmodern crisis. 
- Why the classical view of freedom can give more serenity, but where it is lacking.
- What insights Christian thinkers have to offer about personal freedom.
- How we can combine the strong points of the different streams of thought.
- What that means for daily life, also in times of quarantine!

“Freedom in times of quarantine” is a free webinar that will help you get deeper insight into what freedom is and what that means for you. You can join live and ask questions or view it back later. If you like thinking about important questions in an accessible way, you will enjoy this webinar.

Sign up for “Freedom in times of quarantine” today and bring the wisdom of ages to your daily life!

Sign up here for the English webinar, Saturday April 4th 14:00 Amsterdam time: bit.ly/freedomquarantine A replay will be available for those who sign up.

Sign up here for the webinar in Dutch, Thursday April 2nd 19:30 Amsterdam time: bit.ly/quaravrijheid A replay will be available for those who sign up.

The Bank of Good Intentions

Recently Marcel Canoy gave a lecture at Amsterdam University College on his book "The Bank of Good Intentions". I made this lecture into a podcast in three parts.

You can download them here: part 1, part 2, part 3.

Relax, Relate, Reflect goes next level

On my Dutch blog www.daanvanschalkwijk.nl I have been using the slogan 'Relax, Relate, Reflect' for a while now. It expresses the core of how I would like people to use my popular writings.

Now, I am taking this slogan to the next level with a monthly mailing list aimed at helping people have good conversations with friends, family, and colleagues about big questions in their lives. You can sign up here. Here's a short intro. 

Sign up here for great conversation starters!

Do people really behave the way classical economics expects them to?
I explore this theme in a story on Claudio, an economics student, who dresses up as Sinterklaas and tries to play game theory pranks on his cousins, risking a family disaster. 

Sign up now and get “DidI ever tell you about the time I played game theory pranks on my cousins?” For free!

(*) I'm starting to use my first names Daniel Bernardus as a writing name more accessible to international audiences than the 'interesting' Dutch sounds...

Mercatornet Article on Loneliness

Recently, I've been working with students at Amsterdam University College on mental health issues. It's a big problem in our western societies. Loneliness is one aspect of it, on which I wrote this op-ed piece at Mercatornet some time ago. Apologies for only posting it here now. The fact that it rose in most-read rankings, underlines the seriousness of the issue.