Philosophical financier

THERE is more to bankers than chasing sales and piling up bonuses. Take James B Miles, by day banking executive with Santander and in spare time a published author of philosophy books.

Mr Miles's latest book, The Free Will Delusion, is triumphantly billed by its publisher as a "popular science book that will challenge and astonish you".

The author declares: "Belief in free will means never having to acknowledge your own great good fortune, or recognise the far greater misfortune of others. It is the conceit of freedom of the will that today ensures so many at the bottom are denied any chance of social and economic advancement."

Don't expect to see it flying off the shelves in the City of London.

Footie logic

WE were amused to overhear the general election logic espoused by an esteemed colleague this week.

Ruminating on the political horse trading likely to take place in the event of hung parliament after May 7, the Partick Thistle supporter said he was coming round to the idea of a Labour-SNP coalition.

His rationale was not based on political alignment, but the prospect of a team in red and yellow turning out at Westminster. Not quite sure where the black is going to come from, though.

Novel idea

RECEIVED wisdom has it that public relations folk should never become part of the story.

But Graham Lironi, co-founder of Glasgow-based Liquorice Media, looks like being a happy exception to the rule.

Former business journalist Lironi will launch his latest novel on the opening night of the Aye Write! literary festival in Glasgow tomorrow night.

Oh Marina Girl, a thriller based around the "claustrophobic editor of a newspaper's letters page", is the third offering from the author, who has been dubbed the "bad boy of Scottish fiction" and natural heir to Irvine Welsh.

With Lironi always having struck The Bottom Line as a quiet, unassuming chap, it goes to show you can never judge a book by its cover.

School of thought

HARVARD Business School professor Robert S Kaplan is hosting a webinar titled "Why your business needs a language strategy" on April 21.

Given the corporate mumbo jumbo uttered by some in the business world on these shores, we'd humbly suggest that plain English would be a good starting point for any such strategy.

Relegation fight

SPARE a thought for private equity boss Andrew Lapping, the man who co-founded investment firm The Hamilton Portfolio with Scottish entrepreneur John Boyle.

Mr Lapping is spearheading attempts to revive his beloved Carlisle United, who are involved in a desperate fight to retain their place in the senior football league south of the Border.

"Six months ago I came forward with a group of guys with a plan to restructure [the club], and provide a succession plan," said Mr Lapping, who is based in the north of England.

"We're in danger of going out the Football League."