About

Welcome to Davos Newbies

This is a website written by Lance Knobel. I describe some of my career below, but the reason this site is called Davos Newbies is that I was responsible for the programme of the Davos meeting in January 2000. This site started about a month before the 2000 meeting but has changed considerably since those early days.

What is Davos?

Davos is both a town in Switzerland and the shorthand description for the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, which has now taken place in Davos for 30 years. The Annual Meeting has been described by The Economist as “the summit of summits in the business world”. I think Davos is also a state of mind.

Who is Lance Knobel?

I went to every Davos from 1992 to 2002. I edited the magazine of the Forum, World Link, until November 2000. Finally, I was responsible for the programme of the Davos Annual Meeting at its Millennium summit in 2000. In 2001-02 I was an advisor to Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit. I returned to my native US in 2005 to help create Q Network Inc, a global network of thought leaders. I then worked with John Kao at Kao & Company. I now work as an independent strategy advisor and writer. My professional site is at www.lknobel.com.

Who is this site is for?

Now that I’m no longer directly involved with Davos, I use the word Davos in a metaphorical sense: the site will be a center for ideas and discussions about the wide range of concerns that are manifested in Davos and beyond.

5 thoughts on “About

  1. John J Spilker

    Hi Lance,

    Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. In particular, I really liked the essay you did on the New Media about a year ago.

    I saw that you are reading Nixon Agonistes. That book has been on my readling list since I graduated in history some 30 years ago. I finally got around to ordering it today.

    Hope you write a review of the book.

    Thanks for all your good work,

    John

    Reply
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  3. FG

    Would you be willing to share your economic naturalist puzzles you play with your child (as cited in August 12, 2007 NYT)?
    Thanks!
    FG

    Reply
  4. Lance Knobel

    If you get Frank’s book there are scores of “economic naturalist” puzzles. When I was reading the book I shared two or three of them each night with my son. He liked, for example, why do drive-in ATMs have Braille lettering, and why does it cost more to rent a tuxedo for a night than a car for a day.

    Reply
  5. Christopher Maule

    I find that the Richard Scarry books, What People Do All Day, are a good economics primer for children (and adults). The books illustrate industries and everyday activities that provide examples of economic concepts. It is probably a mistake that economics is not introduced earlier into the school curriculum, since the concepts have application at all ages.

    Reply

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