Peter Levin’s Rethinking Markets

Maligne Lake
Academic Identity

I am assistant professor of Sociology at Barnard College. My book (and my dissertation research) is a comparative study of technology and futures trading, an ethnography of open outcry and electronic traders. My current research is on how art specialists price cultural commodities, particularly how categories and commensuration work in the secondary/resale fine arts market. I teach courses in economic sociology, organizations, and gender.

Professional Identity

I occasionally consult, focusing on organizational change, the future of technology and financial markets, and environmental markets. I do strategic assessments of markets, technology and organizational design, with qualitative and quantitative components. If you are interested, please email me.

Personal Identity

I grew up outside Chicago, and went to school(s) at Wesleyan University, USC, and Northwestern University. I currently live in New York, with a partner who is a marketing manager for an educational nonprofit. I love movies, like to cook, and I can do a mean lindy swing out. I am INTP.

December 7, 2008

The skill of gymnastics. The kill of karate. Master of…gymkata!

Filed under: Ramble — Peter @ 11:09 pm

When they make akaratedemia, I’m looking forward to fending off a bunch of eastern Europeans with a thousand paper cuts and my katana of knowledge.


(just so lucky that pommel horse was installed a few years back…)

Comments (4)

4 Responses to “The skill of gymnastics. The kill of karate. Master of…gymkata!”

  1. dk.au Says:
    December 7th, 2008 at 11:50 pm

    But what will you use for sound effects??

  2. Peter Says:
    December 8th, 2008 at 8:08 am

    Fists of fury, scissors of erudition!

  3. Jenn Lena Says:
    December 8th, 2008 at 8:59 am

    I’ve never understood why scythe-wielding mobs of peasants stand in an orderly circle, and send in fighters one-by-one. Does Sociology have an answer for me, sensae?

  4. Peter Says:
    December 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am

    An excellent question, Dr. Lena. I’m very concerned in particular about this guy:

    It seems to me that he should at the very least be poking Kurt Thomas with that pointy weapon of his. Instead he just kind of bobs it up and down, waiting for Kurt to finish his floor routine.

    This is, pure and simple, a failure of imagination. On the other hand, I suspect that the mood of the crowd was actually equal parts visceral bloodthirsty anger and highbrow entertainment. I mean, they must have been at least a little pleased that the pommel horse they installed was getting some good use.

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Documents, Links, and Hijinks

CV, Resume, or what I do in a nutshell

CV - academic (.pdf)
Resume - Professional (.pdf)

Volunteer or give, it will make you feel better


DonorsChoose.org. This is where my partner works. It is an educational nonprofit devoted to obtaining resources for underfunded public schools.
VolunteerMatch. VM is a first stop for volunteering. You can plug in your interests, your zip code, and it will return things to do for a week, a week, or a lifetime.
Idealist.org. More than a place to volunteer, Idealist is probably the number one place my students go for career work. It is a kind of warehouse for nonprofit jobs, internships, volunteering, and the like.
Kaboom! Kaboom builds playgrounds in areas where they are needed and supported by the community. You can participate in a one-day build (though the interface kinda stinks), and they could use your money as well.
Partners in Health. This organization is just making the world better and healthier by attending to HIV and tuberculosis patients in the most impoverished places in the world. More here.

This site is hand-woven, and heavily borrows from the wonderful blueprint framwork. Rock on, grids!

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