In a wonderful book, Gavin Menzies wrote 1421 published by Bantam Books, London, 2002. Mr. Menzies was a navy man whose hobby is reading historical maps, As there is great joy in seeing how the maps change as nature moves the shoreline as well as people understand the landscape and fill in the details. In the book, Mr. Menzies outlines 4 Admirals who went out into the unknown world and discovered the world. The four generals were Hong Bao, Zhou Man, Zhou Wen, and Yang Qing and they went on large groups of ships with thousands of people of immense tasks from labour to astronomer to map the world and discovered the currents of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as longitude and latitude. The maps made by Chinese in 1421 would stand the test of time hundreds of years in the future. The ships also moved crops and help make the world more liveable. At the end of the journey, the Chinese were more knowledgeable about the world and its mineral wealth, except the country turned inwards. The great plans had stretched the budgets of China as well as accidents which affected the confidence of the Emperor. The new Emperor turned the country inwards for hundreds of years.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, 70 years later the Europeans had advanced so they could leave Europe with Chinese maps, or they knew where to go. Had China taken the next step to claim the lands, established colonies the world would be a different place. Knowledge by itself, while it is a great thing to have and is it very useful to have the goal; however in business the ability to use the knowledge and profit from it allows for dividends to be paid. How well a company implements or uses the great amount of knowledge it collects is something you want to know? How does the companies whose shares you own profit from the vast knowledge they collect? Is it seamless?

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions