Description: A review of Mihir Desai's book The Wisdom of Finance, and why actuaries specifically should read this book.

Description: A retelling of the exploits of the little-known Batman villain, The Actuary, with lessons in professionalism and the limitations of predictive models.

Description: After research involving auto insurance is retracted due to fraud, I revisit my own book review and unskeptical quoting of that now-debunked research. A lesson in ASOP 23, on Data Quality, ensues, as it seems data in the research was falsified. There is also a lesson in ASOP 56, Modeling, which includes aspects of relying on outside experts for model input. At the end of it all, the value of our actuarial professional standards, in light of other professions seemingly having no standards (or no serious repercussions for breaching said standards), shines through. Also, be skeptical of 'one simple trick' approaches to transform the insurance industry.

Description: A long-running Japanese TV show asks the question -- "What is a Professional?". In reviewing a handful of recent profiles - Okonomiyaki chef, a bus driver, Granny Mochi, and a fish broker - we find out various aspects of what makes a professional. These can apply to actuarial work as well as any field of endeavor