If you prefer to listen rather than read, this blog is available as a podcast here. Or if you want to listen to just this post:
- The Exponential Age: How Accelerating Technology Is Transforming Business, Politics, and Society by: Azeem Azhar
- Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by: Leonard Sax
- The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos by: Sohrab Ahmari
- The China Dream: Great Power Thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post-American Era by: Liu Mingfu
- Canceling Comedians While the World Burns: A Critique of the Contemporary Left by: Ben Burgis
- The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe by: Elizabeth L. Eisenstein
- Paper Heroes by: Steven Heumann
- Critical Mass (Expeditionary Force, #10) by: Craig Alanson
- Brushfire (Expeditionary Force, #11) by: Craig Alanson
Our house went under contract in mid-May. As I mentioned in previous posts, it was a devil of a time getting it ready, but once we listed it everything else went off without a hitch. We had an offer within four days, and then all the subsequent inspections, along with the appraisal and financing went off smoothly as well. Unfortunately the same could not be said for finding a new house. Which is not to say that things have been disastrous, merely that we are still looking. The rise in interest rates have slowed down the buying frenzy, so there’s actually a reasonable amount of inventory which has been nice. But looking at this inventory has been time consuming. By my count we’ve seen 50 houses so far, and I’m hoping that we’re getting close, but as of the end of May we had not made an offer on anything.
Unsurprisingly there is something along the lines of a project triangle present in the whole affair. The project triangle can be summed up as “Good, fast, cheap. Choose two.” Only in the case of houses it’s: “Big, close, affordable. Choose two.” I’ll keep you posted. I’m sure you’re on the edge of your seats.
I- Eschatological Reviews
The Exponential Age: How Accelerating Technology Is Transforming Business, Politics, and Society
By: Azeem Azhar
Published: 2021
352 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
The subtitle of the book pretty much covers it, though in the UK it has a different title: Exponential: How Accelerating Technology Is Leaving Us Behind and What to Do About It
Which is probably even closer.
What’s the author’s angle?
Azhar has a whole “exponential” empire with a website, newsletter and podcast, so it was only a matter of time before he added a book to that.
Who should read this book?
People hoping to understand the accelerating pace of technological change outside of just the internet. This includes computing and artificial intelligence, renewable electricity and energy storage, along with biology and manufacturing.
General Thoughts
In the intro Azhar claims that there are two main problems with our “conversation about technology”. The first problem is the idea that technology is neutral, that by itself it’s neither good or evil it just is. That it exists “independent of humanity” in a fashion similar to gold—it’s already out there, we’re just digging it up. Or if there are aliens out there that they would end up with identical technology, despite, presumably, the vast differences which otherwise exist between us and them.
Azhar rejects this idea, though his examples are not especially earth shattering:
…that means our technologies often recreate the systems of power that exist in the rest of society. Our phones are designed to fit in men’s hands rather than women’s. Many medicines are less effective on Black and Asian people, because the pharmaceutical industry often develops its treatments for white customers. When we build technology, we might make these systems of power more durable – by encoding them into infrastructure that is more inscrutable and less accountable than humans are
I also reject the idea that technology is neutral, but my primary example would be the phenomena of supernormal stimuli. This is the idea that historically it was difficult to get too much of some things—things which were beneficial in small amounts—and as such we have no built in protection against excessive consumption, because it’s not something that ever came up historically. In theory if technology was neutral it could just as easily be used to protect us against excessive consumption, as it could be to encourage such consumption, but as it turns out it’s far easier and more lucrative to do the latter. We see this play out in areas as diverse as junk food and Facebook algorithms, both of which are basically evil. Not EVIL, but certainly not neutral.
The second problem Azhar points out is that most people make no effort to understand technology. Here he is mostly talking about politicians, but the point could also be expanded to the rest of us.
Again, I would take issue with Azhar’s claim. Certainly some people make no effort to understand technology, but even for those that do make an effort the task is essentially impossible. To begin with there’s far too much technology for anyone to completely grasp all of it. And beyond that it’s changing so fast that even if one were to “get up to speed” on some aspect of it, by the time you have, it’s changed enough that the “speed” you’re at is no longer the speed it’s going. Even if you somehow avoid this strange version of Zeno’s Paradox there are still dozens of other areas you have fallen behind on while your focus was elsewhere.
Taken together, I think Azhar’s book is interesting, and enlightening. He definitely provides a lot of information about a real problem. I just don’t think he goes far enough in grappling with future disruption.
Eschatological Implications
I have my issues with how Azhar presents the problem and his proposals for dealing with it, and we use different terminology, but at the core we’re both talking about secular eschatology. We are accelerating towards a future we’re entirely unprepared for.
By: Leonard Sax
Published: Originally 2007, Revised 2016
352 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
There are problems unique to adolescent boys and young men that have been brought on by the modern world and other forms of supposed “progress”.
What’s the author’s angle?
Sax is a psychologist, physician and speaker. One presumes that advocating for this thesis provides the majority of his income.
Who should read this book?
Parents raising boys should absolutely read this book. And given that we’re talking about something that affects huge swaths of society, probably everyone should read this book.
General Thoughts
As you might be able to tell from the title Sax’s book is built around five factors, each contributing to various problems being experienced by young men. These five factors are:
- The way school has changed: There is less time for physical activity, and things like learning to read have been moved to earlier and earlier in the child’s life.
- Video games: Sax spends a lot of time talking about the violence angle, but I think the way it affects motivation is a bigger story.
- ADHD medications: The first factor leads to a greater diagnosis of ADHD, and then while medications solve the immediate problem of lack of focus, over the long term they actually undermine motivation.
- Endocrine disruptors: The way that certain plastics, in particular phthalates, have disrupted male puberty while accelerating female puberty.
- Abandoning traditional transitions to manhood: We no longer have formalized steps and achievements that mark the passage from boy to man.
I could spend a whole post talking about each one of these (as indeed I have with endocrine disruptors.) And while I think he goes too far in some respects (see my comment about video games above). I would say that he’s 90% correct about both the causes and the scope of the problem. And even if we were to be ultra conservative and say that Sax is only 50% correct he would still be describing a massive problem.
Eschatological Implications
I remember a time when there was enormous attention being paid to Sax’s concerns. When debates over whether boys were in crisis was a major part of the culture war, and single sex education (which Sax is a big advocate of) was gaining significant traction. But these days it’s almost entirely disappeared from the national conversation. Is that because Sax was an alarmist and there wasn’t actually a problem? I wish. No, I think the problem is far worse than that. This crisis has not gone away, it has merely been replaced by crises that are even worse.
The process of replacement was already well underway by the time the pandemic came around, but it was certainly the final nail in the coffin. Preceding that, I would place the crisis of young women identifying as young men as a result of social contagion, and of course closely related to that, is the fact that who even counts as a boy has gotten a little bit slippery with the increase in trans-identifying teens. But I think the biggest thing to overshadow the crisis Sax describes was the crisis brought on by social media.
Despite the fact that the book was updated in 2016 Sax only mentions “social media” twice, and then it’s basically just to add it to the list of the ways computers can sap your motivation, placing it alongside video games.
This is the eschatological implication, that we have been experiencing a series of escalating crises, such that the problem with young men, which still exists and is still massively important, now barely rates a mention. As near as I can tell from looking at the numbers and my own experience there are actually more boys adrift today than there were in 2007, it’s just that we don’t have any attention left to spend on them.
II- Capsule Reviews
The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos
By: Sohrab Ahmari
Published: 2021
320 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
This is a book Ahmari is writing to his two year old son Max. It’s constructed around 12 questions Max might ask as he grows up, questions about how to live a good life.
What’s the author’s angle?
Ahmari was raised Muslim in Iran, after spending quite a while as an atheist he was baptized into the Catholic Church at age 31 (in 2016). So his discussion of tradition has been said to be motivated by the zeal of a convert.
Who should read this book?
If you’re not a fan of tradition I don’t think this book will change your mind. I think the book probably assumes too much to be persuasive to those who aren’t already favorably disposed towards tradition. But if you agree with Ahmari’s basic premise, then the biographic examples he gives are very interesting and impactful.
General Thoughts
Each of Ahmari’s twelve chapters (excepting an introduction and conclusion) are built around a title question and the biography of someone who grappled with that question. While I appreciated Ahmari’s reasoning (and in fact used it as the basis of a recent post) I really think the biographies were what drove the book. Consequently I thought it would be a good use of space to list the chapters with their subjects, along with a short blurb:
Part I: The Things of God
1- How Do You Justify Your Life? C. S. Lewis
A discussion of his conversion interspersed with scenes from his Space Trilogy.
2- Is God Reasonable? Thomas Aquinas
The creation of Summa Theologica and Aquinas’ demonstration of God’s reason.
3- Why Would God Want You to Take a Day Off? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
How taking a day off is another example of virtuous freedom.
4- Can You Be Spiritual Without Being Religious? Victor and Edith Turner
The story of how their studies of African Tribalism led them to realize the importance of religion and their eventual conversion to Catholicism.
5- Does God Respect You? Howard Thurman
A civil rights leader who knew that even if whites didn’t respect him, God did. He went on to strongly influence Martin Luther King, Jr.
6- Does God Need Politics? Saint Augustine
The story of his role in defending Christianity against the backdrop of a disintegrating Roman Empire when Christianity was being blamed for that disintegration.
Part II: The Things of Humankind
7- How Must You Serve Your Parents? Confucius
How filial piety is the beginning of crafting a broader just and humane society.
8- Should You Think for Yourself? John Henry Newman
How “thinking for yourself,” in the modern, liberal sense, undermines the true conscience.
9- What Is Freedom For? Alexander Solzhenitsyn
His famous speech at Harvard, that true freedom is not unlimited license to do whatever feels good.
10- Is Sex a Private Matter? Andrea Dworkin
Her battle against pornography and sex-positive feminism.
11- What Do You Owe Your Body? Hans Jonas
“Act so that the effects of your action are compatible with the permanence of genuine human life.”
12- What’s Good About Death? Maximilian Kolbe
The story of his sacrifice at Auschwitz, where he volunteered to be starved to death by the Nazis in place of another.
As I mentioned, if you want an even deeper dive, see this previous post. [POST – PUT IN TITLE OF EPISODE]
The China Dream: Great Power Thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post-American Era
by: Liu Mingfu
Published: 2015
288 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
The necessity for China to rise and become the champion nation of the world—which is different than being the hegemon—and how it will need to deal with the US in order to do that.
What’s the author’s angle?
Mingfu is a retired PLA colonel, and one of the leading America hawks within China. This is a book written for a Chinese audience.
Who should read this book?
If, like me, you’re on a quest to better understand China, you should definitely at least skim this book. I’ve read lots of books attempting to explain China from the outside. This is the first I’ve read that explains China’s goals from the inside.
General Thoughts
I highlighted 149 passages in this book. Most of them qualified because of how strange they sounded to my, presumably biased, American ears. He goes on and on about how the rise of China will be the most peaceful of all ascensions by “champion nations”. That China is super civilized and peaceful, that:
As China moves toward the world’s leading nation it will struggle to become a new kind of champion nation, the significance of which is that China will never seek to become a global hegemon, and will never seek hegemonic benefits, and will never consider holding hegemonic power as a core national interest.
Perhaps this is the case. Perhaps if we stand by when they eventually invade Taiwan. And if we stop caring about what they do internally, i.e. the Uighurs (who are never mentioned, as you might expect.) Then China will have no further ambitions. Our relationship with them will be similar to our relationship to Japan in the 80’s: significant economic competition and rivalry, but no real military concerns.
In support of this possibility Mingfu offers up a theory that competition between nations has gradually softened. He calls it the “Track and Field Model”:
A New and Civilized Competition Model: A track and field competition model between China and America is significant on two levels. The first is that the 21st century will hinge on the competition between America and China, which will be history’s most civilized round of great power competition. It will not be a duel-style great war nor a boxing-match-style Cold War; it will be a track-and-field-style heat. The second is that the competition will be a century-long struggle, a track and field competition between the two nations. Not a hundred-meter or thousand-meter sprint, this will be a marathon that tests courage, will, and patience. The upcoming track and field event between China and America in the 21st century will be notable for two things: the civility and the length of the competition.
I hope that the competition between the US and China ends up being as civilized as he claims. I guess only time will tell. I think a lot hinges on our different ways of seeing the world, and it was enlightening and a little bit strange to read a book about how China sees the world.
Canceling Comedians While the World Burns: A Critique of the Contemporary Left
by: Ben Burgis
Published: 2021
136 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
This is another author attempting to get the left to be more strategic. To work on building a broader coalition and to focus less on being censorious and more on engaging and debating their ideological opponents.
What’s the author’s angle?
Burgis is a Bernie Sanders supporter who writes for Jacobin. He’s a philosophy professor and he hosts a podcast called Give Them an Argument.
Who should read this book?
I’m not sure. Perhaps people on the left who are sick of cancel culture and looking for an alternative. But I suspect that if they were actually looking for an alternative they would have encountered it already, and not need this book.
General Thoughts
Only the first chapter of the book talks about comedians, the rest is the kind of thing you might get from Matthew Ygelsias, or Freddie deBoer. To give you an example Burgis talks about when Rogan endorsed Bernie Sanders and how the Sanders campaign embraced the endorsement only to get excoriated by people on the far left. Burgis points out that this is really dumb, and that the left does a lot of things like that. He is not the first, nor will he be the last.
The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe
Published: Originally in 1979, Abridged in 1983, 2nd Edition w/ Afterword 2005
336 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
The contribution printing made to the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and to the Scientific Revolution.
What’s the author’s angle?
Eisenstein was a historian, and in 1979 most people didn’t pay much attention to the role printing played in the huge changes which took place in Europe in the 16th, 17th, and 18th century. This book was Eisenstein’s attempt to change that.
Who should read this book?
It is a sign of how successful Eisenstein was, that her thesis has largely become conventional wisdom. As such, most people don’t need a book full of arguments in order to be convinced. But for those interested in the nitty-gritty of how printing impacted everything this is a great resource.
General Thoughts
Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press upended religion, society, and knowledge. The invention of the internet appears to be having a similar effect. I picked up this book because I was hoping that it might have some wisdom to provide, that by reading about the last time we had a communication revolution I would get some insight into the current communication revolution. I was largely disappointed in this hope. Eisentstein did add an afterword in 2005, but it was largely a discussion of various criticisms of the original work; she did not offer much if any opinion on the parallels between then and now.
Despite this it was nevertheless a fascinating book, though to be clear it was not written for a general audience. It was written to advance and refute very specific historical arguments and sometimes the specificity of those arguments can bog things down. For example: Can we use the memoirs of a Florentine manuscript book seller to estimate the number of books produced by scribes? Spoiler alert, we cannot, they are “entirely untrustworthy”.
In any case, the book did give me a greater appreciation for the insights of Marshall McLuhan, who Eisenstein cites as one of her inspirations. But I’m still trying to get to the bottom of what Eisenstein and McLuhan would say about the modern world. Mostly I’m guessing it wouldn’t be good. Eisenstein herself feels that there is good reason to suspect that the Protestant Reformation wouldn’t have happened without the printing press, and if that’s the case then you probably also don’t get the incredibly bloody 30 Years War, or the Troubles in Ireland which have only recently abated. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
What will be the modern version of the Protestant Reformation? And more frighteningly will there be a modern version of the 30 Years War? I’m afraid I can’t answer that, but if you’re interested in a deep dive on all the things that happened the last time around, Eisenstein has you covered.
By: Steven Heumann
Published: 2018
448 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
The main character is approached by his billionaire boss and offered the chance to be a literal superhero. He accepts and morality ensues.
Who should read this book?
People who like supporting small, independent authors. Or those who are fans of unconventional superhero tales.
General Thoughts
I bumped into Heumann at a local networking event. When he mentioned he was a science fiction author I asked him which book of his I should read (or, actually, listen to). And he pointed me at this book. I’ll be honest, I have not discovered the next Orson Scott Card or the next Heinlein, but it was an enjoyable book with a lot of heart and a great ending.
By: Craig Alanson
Published: 2020
393 Pages
Published: 2020
392 Pages
Briefly, what is this series about?
Military science fiction about humanity suddenly discovering that the galaxy is full of super powerful warring aliens, and their attempts to avoid being collateral damage in those wars.
Who should read these books?
There was a point when this series was starting to feel repetitive. That point is mostly past. The plot of the series has definitely entered a new phase and so far I’m enjoying it. Also, the complications present in this new phase are more interesting and less likely to become repetitive. As such, I’m looking forward to seeing how Alanson wraps it up. (Supposedly book 15 will be the last one.)
General Thoughts
Before starting a new series one should carefully consider what they’re getting into. How many books are there in the series? Is the series complete or is the author still working on it? How many books are there expected to be when it is completed? Is there any chance the author won’t be able to finish the series? You really should carefully consider the answers to all those questions before you make the commitment implicit in starting the series. Of particular importance is that last question. Nothing is more annoying than starting a series and finding out once you’re halfway through that you may never find out how it ends. (I’m looking at you George R. R. Martin!)
I confess I don’t always follow my own advice as well as I should. Perhaps if I’d really ruminated on the fact that Expeditionary Force was likely to be 15 books long I wouldn’t have started it, but I did and now that I’m up through book 11, it seems like I might as well see it to the end. And fortunately there does not appear to be any chance that Alanson will “pull a Martin”. He seems to have no problem putting out two books a year (as you can see from the publication dates above) and book 14 was just released which means book 15 should come out by the end of this year or early next year.
You might get the impression from the foregoing that I’m reading the books more because I’m a completionist than because I enjoy reading them. Mostly, that is not the case. I am enjoying the books, the characters, the plot and the gradually unfolding mysteries of the universe Alanson has built, but as I get near the end I would be remiss if I didn’t reemphasize how big of a commitment you’re taking on when starting this series.
By the time I finished all the reviews we actually had made an offer on a house and that offer was accepted. I’m very happy with the house we ended up with. If you’re the kind of person that gives housewarming gifts, consider donating. I promise I’ll put a post-it note with your name on it on the wall of my new office.
I’ve been holding off recommending books to you as it appears you probably are in need of some catchup time on reading, but since you’re exploring China you may want to consider:
The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor
The gist: How would you conduct your life if you were a member of the Chinese Communist Party? OK you’ll never be, even if you moved to China, asked for citizenship, swore you really loved communism you’d never get in. But if you were, what should you do?
If the first answer that springs to mind is well just be very very loyal and praise the President all the time? That might apply in North Korea but not so much China. It’s actually a complex system of multiple zones of power. For example, the central party cannot investigate a member in a local area without approval from the higher up local member. This creates rather intense corruption since your local party head can really make your life hard for you, BUT that little fiefdom can come crashing down fast if the local bigwig is approved to be investigated by the guy above him. So it’s not as simple as simply being totally loyal to the local leader.
My favorite tidbit, members who make it have a red landline phone installed in their office. The red phone is linked to a private telephone network only for party members deemed worthy. It is not on the cell phone networks. If that phone rings, you answer it and do the favor asked. Likewise if you call someone, they will do the favor you ask of them.
This shadow system means that on the surface China functions much like the rest of the world seems to function. There is a legal system, there are trials, you can sue someone if they break a contract with you etc. Likewise there are companies with boards of directors who vote trying to adopt policies to make the company as profitable as possible. BUT the shadow system says when party interests come into play, all that goes out the window and people in those positions will simply rule or vote as the party wants.
What is party interests, though, are an open question. It is not simply what the President wants. For example, when the directive went out to decrease burning coal because of smog, coal burning went up because local party bosses wanted to still show growth in production metrics. When a large smelting plant that would have been much more efficient at producing steel was planned, it was killed with ‘investigations’ from the local party worried about the competition while the upper party wanted more steel. The industrialist who was trying to build it ended up in jail, but then years later his tormenters ended up in jail.
The only analogy I can imagine that might work is to imagine the Catholic Church never lost its hold on Europe. On top of that imagine it was many times more powerful so that rather than simply having a different sphere of influence, it also had a type of veto on secular institutions. In that history things might usually proceed as normal, say the succession of monarchs but then you’d occasionally see things just not proceed. One day a prince won’t become king when his dad died, but some distant cousin does and everyone just says this is what we are doing.
Well worth the read, not sure if you should take the book with you if you ever visit China.
Sounds good. I grabbed it. Thanks!
Left and Censorship:
I think Twitter battles helped me distill this down to as brief a sketch as I’m capable:
Social Media rewards people for being edgy.
If you reward people for being edgy, people will fall off the edge.
If you knock someone near the edge off it, you’ll be edgy.
The most intesting part of a black hole is near its event horizon. But that is also the most dangerous place to be. The edge is pretty stable from a far distance but when you’re right up on it, an inch maybe all you need to fall off.
Is it wise to push everyone to explore the edge rather than being in the center? Our minds do want to explore the extremes. Jerry Springer didn’t make a living for decades with happy families whose biggest argument was who does the dishes.
Much like Obi-Wan*, the left has the cultural high ground. Conservatives freely admit this (“You have the culture!”) but in a somewhat nasty way…as though culture is the one thing that operates on socialism…everyone gets an even slice. But the production of culture is probably the most hyper-capitalist institution around. Not for nothing did Ayn Rand not only find work in Hollywood but loved it. The right, having choosen to essentially give up on trying to produce culture, pokes around the edge for a stable point to push back. It shouldn’t be surprising then they fall off the edge more often than not. Not easy being edgy all the time.
In other words the right tends to try to double down on social media’s incentive to ‘be edgy’ and if you double the dose you’re just asking to double the side effects.
* Obi-wan did have the high ground but he was like 5 feet higher. Previously they had been jumping like 50 feet into the air. In retrospect it was a bit fake that a few feet suddenly became too much high ground just because they ran out of music.