Smart Reads January 11, 2013

January 11, 2013 1:57 pm by Amie Tsang

Barack Obama’s nomination of Jack Lew to be the next US Treasury secretary was met with mixed reactions. While Erskine Bowles called Mr Lew “terrific”, one senior Republican vowed to block him, saying, “Jack Lew must never be secretary of the Treasury.”
Carol Lee thinks that Obama’s second-term team is more personally in tune with the president — “Band of Brothers” rather than “Team of Rivals”.
Joe Biden has had an antagonistic relationship with the National Rifle Association — the Washington Post has pulled together a history of their interaction.
Japan’s prime minister has unveiled a Y10.3tn stimulus package, but it may not do much to address Japan’s longer-term problem of persistently low growth.
Anne Applebaum has given some thought to how much influence emotion holds over economics and how much fiscal policy depends on the mood of the nation.
If you’re wondering what it would be like to be Jack Lew and adorn the US currency with your signature, your chance is here.
Zadie Smith has been meditating on joy and pleasure: “we do not have so many reliable sources of pleasure in this life as to turn our nose up at one that is so readily available, especially here in America.”

The World