Essential Higher Learning Book Club

[Counter Racist Male]

With the exception of maybe Squeezed, most of the books listed don't have heavy criticisms of Capitalism per se. Cowen's work specifically defends Capitalism, it's the lack of voluntary mobility of Americans he has issues with. And so, I wouldn't say there is a anticaptialist theme prevalent in the books listed.

Hoarders is a great book. It reinforced my stance that working class people often grossly underestimate the financial cost of competing with the upper middle class. He shows that the upper middle class has to give up alot of their resources and power in order to help the poor and working class. But he acknowledges they probably won't do that, as their interests have become entrenched.

Squeezed is a tough read, because of how sad the stories are. The book is filled with stories of people who did everything "right" and still struggle. It undermines the just world fallacy, and forces the reader to evaluate their own narratives of success.

Be honest with me breh are those books by smart white people telling you anything that you don't already know?

 

[ogc163]

Read over the last couple of weeks

• In Amusing Ourselves to Death, it's impressive how Postman predicted how distracted Americans would become, and even though he focused on TV the concepts he outlined definitely apply to tech.
• Why We're Polarized puts forward the argument that different parts of our identity play a part in how we vote, and we end up feeling threatened when our core identity is "losing" culturally. It reinforces my stance that "wait till the boomers die" isn't as solid and large a windfall as many on the left believe it is.
• Souls of Yellow Folk is great, Yang is a very good writer whose prose flows beautifully. There were Asian perspectives, especially regarding academics and corporate power that I intuited but Yang provides a clearer picture.
• Overcomplicated may the best book presenting the core ideas of complexity science to a general audience.
  • One framework I found especially helpful is the difference between a physics vs. biology mindset when engaging with complex systems, he argues that Physics tends to be overly reductionist and neat whereas Biology can be messy, random, and dependent on a variety of factors. And although the book looked at technological systems, I think the framework is beneficial for looking at political systems.
• This is America and On Tyranny both discuss the role of nationalism in our politics, although Lepore goes deeper into how we can fight nationalist urges. I think the new right is very nationalist and if they are successful they can quickly undermine liberal democracy, neither books explicitly deal with the intellectuals of the new right but both warn that Americans may be too confident in their ability to undermine potential right-wing nationalism.

Next books up:

 

[Warren Moon]

Read over the last couple of weeks

• In Amusing Ourselves to Death, it's impressive how Postman predicted how distracted Americans would become, and even though he focused on TV the concepts he outlined definitely apply to tech.
• Why We're Polarized puts forward the argument that different parts of our identity play a part in how we vote, and we end up feeling threatened when our core identity is "losing" culturally. It reinforces my stance that "wait till the boomers die" isn't as solid and large a windfall as many on the left believe it is.
• Souls of Yellow Folk is great, Yang is a very good writer whose prose flows beautifully. There were Asian perspectives, especially regarding academics and corporate power that I intuited but Yang provides a clearer picture.
• Overcomplicated may the best book presenting the core ideas of complexity science to a general audience.
  • One framework I found especially helpful is the difference between a physics vs. biology mindset when engaging with complex systems, he argues that Physics tends to be overly reductionist and neat whereas Biology can be messy, random, and dependent on a variety of factors. And although the book looked at technological systems, I think the framework is beneficial for looking at political systems.
• This is America and On Tyranny both discuss the role of nationalism in our politics, although Lepore goes deeper into how we can fight nationalist urges. I think the new right is very nationalist and if they are successful they can quickly undermine liberal democracy, neither books explicitly deal with the intellectuals of the new right but both warn that Americans may be too confident in their ability to undermine potential right-wing nationalism.

Next books up:

Are you skim reading? how much are you reading a day?

 

[ogc163]

Are you skim reading? how much are you reading a day?

No I'm not skimming, I'm either listening to the audiobooks or listening to audiobooks and reading physical/e-books at the same time. On the weekends I'll read 3-4 hrs, and on the weekdays maybe 2 hrs and some change. Most books I've listed have fairly simple prose, and so it doesn't take a lot to get through them.

 

[re'up]

Reading

Notes on a Silencing (2020) memoir of a rape on St Paul's in 1990 and a exploration of privilege and class

finished

And Their Children After Them (2020) about classism, poverty, generational pull in rural France in the early 1990's, translated from french.

 

[producingfire]

I just wanted to know what books are you all reading. I want to pick up something new.

My favorite business/entrepreneurship book was The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ Demarco.

 

[Macallik86]

One that I finished recently was Ultralearning. Good for optimizing the task you need to do to complete all the other tasks in life.

 

[producingfire]

I'm sorry you all, I didn't notice "The Film Room" for books as well. If a mod can move this that would

One that I finished recently was Ultralearning. Good for optimizing the task you need to do to complete all the other tasks in life.

Thanks @Macallik86 I'll check it out

 

[Gains]

Everyone Poops

 

[Ezra]

 

[EndDomination]

I'm finishing up Caste now - how did you like it?

I have a few questions about her analysis of caste in relation to indigenous Americans - as well as some thoughts about the treatment of non-American African peoples and the like in the caste system - but I thought it was really well done. Not as gripping or complete as The Warmth of Other Suns, but a fantastic theoretical work nonetheless.

 

[Ezra]

I'm finishing up Caste now - how did you like it?

I have a few questions about her analysis of caste in relation to indigenous Americans - as well as some thoughts about the treatment of non-American African peoples and the like in the caste system - but I thought it was really well done. Not as gripping or complete as The Warmth of Other Suns, but a fantastic theoretical work nonetheless.

I liked it and thought it was brilliant framing. Agree it's not as compelling as Warmth of Other Suns. That's because Warmth was more narrative, following 3-4 families for a couple generations. You became attached to them. Caste is a little more dry that gets more into sociology which isnt the most compelling thing to read. The sad thing, like many of these type of books, the people who most need to read something like this, never will

 

[Macallik86]

Grabbed an Audible trial since it lets you keep a free audiobook for life. They also have this new service called 'Audible Plus' which are a bunch of books you can borrow for free like the library. I had this on in the background for the last few days

 

[---]

Been On Tear recently, books so far this year going to end the year really strong.

This was recommended by @BillBanneker

This Book below made me laugh, never read such a short-sighted book like this before

Really Good Book Below ( learned a lot)

Great Book below

Decent book below

Really good insights into this man that changed a country

Something I Kinda already know but its good still to see the exact same thing from a different viewpoints

Currently reading this below

That is it so far this year!

 

[Ezra]

Empire of the Summer Moon was great.