Lionel Barber

1 month ago | lrb.co.uk | Lionel Barber |Laleh Khalili

When​ I started developing software for the management consulting firms I worked for in the mid-1990s, we still had to connect to the World Wide Web on slow and clunky lines to access our coding work. The laptops we carried weighed at least five kilogrammes and couldn’t be used for actual programming.

Jan 16, 2025 | wired.com | Lionel Barber

The following is adapted from Gambling Man, my new biography of Masayoshi Son. As the Japanese founder and CEO of SoftBank, “Masa”—as he is known to friends and rivals alike—is probably the most powerful mogul of the 21st century who is not a household name. He was born in 1957 and grew up on the western island of Kyushu. Barely 5'5", invariably dressed smart-casual, he lived for several years in California. Though his charm is legendary, he is easily bored.

Jan 15, 2025 | nextbigideaclub.com | Ellen Hendriksen |Lionel Barber |Adam Chandler

Adam Chandler is a journalist. He was formerly a staff writer at The Atlantic and his work has appeared in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, WIRED, and Vox, among many other publications. He is a recurring guest on The History Channel’s The Food That Built America and regularly appears across television and radio, such as on CBS and NPR. American work standards are damaging the well-being of employees, as well as the success of companies.

Nov 7, 2024 | newstatesman.com | Lionel Barber

In the old days it was a lot easier covering US presidential elections. All you had to do was wait for the network TV anchors to call the result, usually around 2am or 3am Eastern Standard Time (7am or 8am in the UK). Dan Rather at CBS was excitable (“It’s tight as a tick, hotter than a Laredo parking lot”). ABC’s Peter Jennings was Canada-dry, never a hair out of place. NBC’s Tom Brokaw personified the Greatest Generation, all Midwest manhood. Each in their own way made compulsive viewing.

Nov 1, 2024 | literaryreview.co.uk | Lionel Barber

If asked to name the most consequential global business figure of the last half-century, few would choose Masayoshi Son. The Japanese billionaire has not invented any transformative technology, like Steve Jobs of Apple or Bill Gates of Microsoft. Nor has he pioneered any new service, like Mark Zuckerberg with Facebook or Jeff Bezos with Amazon.