peHUB First Read

* Malcom Gladwell argues that the successful entrepreneur "is anything but a risk-taker. He is a predator, and predators seek to incur the least risk possible while hunting.” (sub req, but you can get a free trial) * CalPERS this week will release another raft of documents about placement agents, and the general partners who love them. * Sean Park: "The way the institutional marketplace for private equity (including venture capital) is structured is all about raising capital and only incidently about investing that capital." * Morning Call: U.S. futures up on China import data, London hits 16-month high, European shares keep climbing, the Nikkei gains 1.1% despite a 12% loss for Japan Airlines and both Hong Kong and China shares rise. * A script for The Big Lebowski, as it would have been written by Shakespeare * Wall Street "frat" Kappa Beta Phi names its newest members (and throws dinner rolls at them) * Ben Holmes of Index Ventures believes that VCs might finally be seeing a light at the end of their mobile black hole... * ... but The Deal sees a continuing black hole for VC investments into online music startups * Michael Eisenberg of Benchmark Capital asks I-bankers not to ruin the current IPO window