I am here to give you back your future. Human flourishing in the coming post-liberal West. The hour is late, and Moloch is within the gates. Foundationalism. Reality-focused writings, often on history and politics.
Episodes
Jan 16, 2020
Jan 16, 2020
26 min
Peerless NeverTrumper Jonah Goldberg instructs us how to view the world. (The written version of this review was first published May 2, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Jan 14, 2020
Jan 14, 2020
25 min
Of Men of Destiny, and of the protean Alcibiades, man of glory and contradiction, and of what his life says to us today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Jan 10, 2020
Jan 10, 2020
26 min
I am skeptical of the art of predicting the future based on the past, but Peter Turchin offers a compelling theory in this 2016 book—including predicting that 2020 will be a very bad year. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Jan 8, 2020
Jan 8, 2020
15 min
Thoughts on a misleading and mendacious book that has been used to propagandize generations of schoolchildren. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Jan 6, 2020
Jan 6, 2020
27 min
This book explains a great deal this is otherwise opaque, and shows why the propaganda we are fed about value, GDP and the like, is propaganda, that blinds us to the reality of our economy. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Jan 3, 2020
Jan 3, 2020
37 min
Václav Havel's famous essay, born of a specific time and place, resonates decades later in our own proto-totalitarian society. What should be done? Havel tells us. (The written version of this review was first published May 18, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Dec 26, 2019
Dec 26, 2019
25 min
I thought this book was be good; I was wrong. Free market fundamentalism is bad, to be sure, but what Karl Polanyi offers isn't better, and his analysis is dated. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Dec 20, 2019
Dec 20, 2019
20 min
John Carreyrou's Bad Blood is unbelievably good. No recap of the book, though: rather thoughts on every on at Theranos behaving badly, including, especially, the lawyers. And my take on why Elizabeth Holmes was able to do what she did. Also why autonomous cars are BS. (The written version of this review was first published September 25, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Dec 17, 2019
Dec 17, 2019
19 min
An examination of a fascinating work on the settlement of Polynesia, with a focus on human accomplishment. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Dec 16, 2019
Dec 16, 2019
15 min
On how conservatives hobble themselves with preemptive apologies that have been conditioned into them by the Left. (The written version of this review was first published September 19, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, can be found here.)