Episodes
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
Back when Christians heeded the command to proselytize, tools for conversion were many and varied. The gospel harmony analyzed in this book was one such, and it offers insights into both their culture, and our culture. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism (Ross Douthat)
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
In which I excoriate Pope Francis as stupid and Pope Benedict as weak, and call for a wholesale purge within the Roman Catholic Church. (The written version of this review was first published March 30, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Saturday Jun 27, 2020
The Moral Basis of a Backward Society (Edward C. Banfield)
Saturday Jun 27, 2020
Saturday Jun 27, 2020
The grossly defective character of a 1950s Italian village is of more relevance to twenty-first-century America than we might like to believe. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Monday Jun 22, 2020
The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter (David Sax)
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Of things analog, from vinyl to film to books, and their importance. Good, but somewhat obtuse about the corrosive class implications of a return to analog. (The written version of this review was first published March 28, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
Infantry Platoon And Squad ATP 3-21.8 (United States Army)
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
As violence looms, it is worthwhile to understand what violence means. (The written version of this review was first published March 27, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Monday Jun 15, 2020
Monday Jun 15, 2020
Of the German hyperinflation of 1923, something much better understood now than it was then—but still an event with important lessons for our society today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Monday Jun 08, 2020
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (Jordan B. Peterson)
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Jordan Peterson has been taken off the board, apparently permanently, by himself or by his enemies, but that does not change the essential value of his work. (The written version of this review was first published March 23, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Thoughts on whether the Enlightenment was necessary for the material progress we enjoy today (though perhaps not tomorrow). (The written version of this review was first published March 14, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Thursday May 28, 2020
Against Masks
Thursday May 28, 2020
Thursday May 28, 2020
An analysis, meant to be a complete evaluation of why we, as a society, should not generally wear face masks in response to the Wuhan Plague. (The written version of this analysis, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Wednesday May 27, 2020
How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life (Seneca & James S. Romm)
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Wednesday May 27, 2020
Relevant in these days of incoherent hysteria about (exaggerated chances of) death, a famous Roman philosopher's reflections on death, collected by an outstanding modern classicist. (The written version of this review was first published March 13, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)