For various reasons – related to the dog, the weather, and unreasonable demands being made by colleagues – I’m in a grumpy mood today. What a good thing I’m reading Alastair Darling’s [amazon_link id=”B005JZD3YQ” target=”_blank” ]Back From the Brink[/amazon_link], his account of being Gordon Brown’s Chancellor of the Exchequer through the first phase of the financial crisis. Talk about unreasonable demands of the job! It certainly helps restore one’s perspective. The book starts:

“I don’t believe in panicking before it’s absolutely necessary but I came close to considering it on the morning of 7 October 2008.”

I wonder how the various European presidents, premiers and finance ministers are feeling right now? You know, thinking about the brink they are all peering over the edge of this week, I’m feeling a much greater sense of equanimity about my own challenges.

[amazon_image id=”B005JZD3YQ” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Back from the Brink: 1000 Days at Number 11[/amazon_image]