Episode Details

Welcome to Book Club and Episode 2763 of the Italian Wine Podcast with Richard Hough. In this episode, Richard is in conversation with Alec Ross, author of “The Italian Dream”.

Highlights of the conversation include:

• Alec’s Italian origins
• The concept of the American Dream
• Alec’s role as advisor to Barack Obama
• The Role of AI in the wine sector
• The challenges facing Italy including the brain day, the absence of meritocracy and a short-term mentality
• Wine regions and styles
• Consumer trends

The NOLO startup Alec mentioned during the conversation is Liquid Ventures (https://liquidventurestudio.com/en/) and the gin brand he mentioned is Engine Gin (https://www.engine.land/en/). Skiwasser (literally "ski water") is a popular non-alcoholic Alpine beverage typically made by mixing raspberry syrup, lemon juice and water

“The Italian Dream” by Alex Ross is published by Feltrinelli and is available to order at: https://www.feltrinellieditore.it/opera/the-italian-dream/.

The Book Review by Richard Hough:

Bold and provocative (in the current political climate, American commentary on the internal affairs of another country is not always welcome), Alec Ross’ “The Italian Dream” addresses some of the deep-seated problems that afflict Italy, foremost among them low economic growth and the so-called fuga di cervelli (brain drain), with 100,000 Italians—many holding advanced degrees—leaving annually for better opportunities abroad. With a wealth of experience on both sides of the Atlantic, Alec Ross is well placed to address these issues. The question is, is anyone listening, and is change ever possible in Italy?

About today’s guest:

Alec Ross is one of the world's foremost experts on innovation, technology policy, and the geopolitics of the digital economy, best known as the New York Times bestselling author of “The Industries of the Future”. He served as Senior Advisor for Innovation to the U.S. Secretary of State. Today he is Board Partner at Amplo, a global venture capital firm, Distinguished Professor at the University of Bologna Business School, and board director of companies spanning technology, cybersecurity, finance, and human capital.

Connect:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossalec/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alecjross/  

More interviews hosted by Richard Hough:

https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/episodes_category/italian-wine-book/

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