I often think... of the Rue du Doctor Gustave Rioblanc

A look back and wistful memories of a childhood in post-war southern Europe. The street in the author's home town, Rue du Docteur Gustave Rioblanc, no longer exists today. The unique attitude to life and the peaceful coexistence of all its wonderful inhabitants disappeared 50 years ago in the course of political and social events, which increasingly put pressure on the tolerance, respect for diversity and love of humanity that was actually practised. The protagonists of this little book were scattered to the four winds. Like the narrator, they dream - if they have not already died - of their sunken island. They see the violence and hatred between people of different religions and origins in many places today and yet carry the certainty in their hearts that things can be different. In addition to the wistful memories, the hope remains that somewhere in the world there is a similar island or that it will rise again.

Born in 1949, he grew up in France and graduated from an elite French university for industrial engineers. After moving to Germany, he studied economics, sociology, political science, philosophy and ethics. In the field of philosophy, he was strongly influenced by the philosophy and teachings of Zarathustra, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Rabelais, Michel de Montaigne, Baruch de Spinoza, Thomas Aquinas, Ibn Khaldun, Niccolo Machiavelli, René Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, Gottfried W. Leibniz, Auguste Comte, Arthur. Schopenhauer, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Karl Marx, Henri Bergson, Karl Popper, Karl Jaspers, Erich Fromm. In the field of economics, he was strongly influenced by the post-Keynesians and behavioural economists. He is highly critical of the teachings of Milton Friedman, the Chicago Boys, the Frederick School and Friedrich A. Hayek. His professional career initially took him to an international organisation, where he worked for five years as a project controller for large water projects, mainly in Africa, where he was able to get to know many countries and their leaders. He then worked for many years for a European organisation and several international consultancies. He sees himself as a critic of current globalisation and has been heavily involved in water management issues since 1974. This experience has enabled him to develop a deep understanding of geopolitical challenges and to assess current political developments, particularly in the context of economic interdependencies. Since his retirement, he has lived a secluded life in Bonn and works as a writer. In his publications, he focuses primarily on the pressing social, economic and political problems of our time and on water management. To date, numerous publications have appeared on the topics of politics and geopolitics, society and the economy. Other key topics include health, identity, racism, the environment, migration, water management, Africa, demographic development and alternative economic systems such as the anti-fragility economy. He has also published several short stories and fairy tales.