Slipstring Drive

'Animal spirits' is a term that describes the instincts and emotions driving human behaviour in economic settings. In recent years, this concept has been discussed in relation to the emerging field of narrative economics. When unscheduled events hit the stock market, from corporate scandals and technological breakthroughs to recessions and pandemics, relationships driving returns change in unforeseeable ways. To deal with uncertainty, investors engage in narratives which simplify the complexity of real-time, non-routine change. This book assesses the novelty-narrative hypothesis for the U.S. stock market by conducting a comprehensive investigation of unscheduled events using big data textual analysis of financial news. This important contribution to the field of narrative economics finds that major macro events and associated narratives spill over into the churning stream of corporate novelty and sub-narratives, spawning different forms of unforeseeable stock market instability.

Robert O'Brien loves cars. Growing up in Dublin, they provided a welcome refuge from the human interaction he found so difficult. His father's M3 became his alterego - powerful, admired, confident-and Robert began a quest to become a worthy owner. He completed a university degree, took courses to conquer his stammer and tried to come to terms with his sexuality. But still he remained more comfortable in the fantasy worlds of video games, television and the closet. Inspired to pursue an acting career, he moved from Ireland to Vancouver in search of sci-fi stardom, liberation and himself. After years of struggle and therapy, he is now proud of the man he is and no longer believes he needs to be fixed.