Economist Bryan Caplan makes a bold case for unrestricted immigration in this fact-filled graphic nonfiction. American policy-makers have long been locked in a heated battle over whether, how many, and what kind of immigrants to allow to live and work in the country. Those in favor of welcoming more immigrants often cite humanitarian reasons, while those in favor of more restrictive laws argue the need to protect native citizens. But economist Bryan Caplan adds a […]
With ‘Talking to Strangers,’ Malcolm Gladwell Goes Dark. Human beings are by nature trusting — of people, technology, everything. Often, we’re too trusting, with tragic results. But if we didn’t suppress thoughts of worst-case scenarios, we’d never leave the house. We definitely wouldn’t go on dating apps or invest in stocks or let our kids take gymnastics. (…) The “default to truth” theory is Mr. Gladwell’s latest obsession and the theme of his first book […]
Claude Lévi-Strauss’ (1908-2009) chef-d’oeuvre Tristes Tropiques (1955) is there among the top 50 books of the XXth century. It is also one of the books that influenced me a lot when I was a teenager. I read it at least three times. It was novel, exotic, and very inspiring. Maybe it is one of the reasons why I live now on the equator. There is a new biography of Levi-Strauss. Anthropology at that time was […]
1. Can you step in the same river twice? Wittgenstein v Heraclitus by David Egan (philosophy) 2. Counting Calories to Stay Fit? There’s a Trillion Little Problems With That (health) 3. Great Ideas Are Growing Scarce. That’s Not So Great by Noah Smith (innovation) 4. Yes, There Is a Trade-Off Between Inflation and Unemployment by Greg Mankiw (economics) 5. The economics of bubbles by Brent Goldfarb and David A Kirsch (economics) and their new book: […]
On Logic and the Theory of Science by Jean Cavaillès, translated by Knox Peden, MIT Press (2019) (…) Jean Cavaillès evaluates philosophical efforts to determine the origin—logical or ontological—of scientific thought, arguing that, rather than seeking to found science in original intentional acts, a priori meanings, or foundational logical relations, any adequate theory must involve a history of the concept. Cavaillès insists on a historical epistemology that is conceptual rather than phenomenological, and a logic […]
Shariatmadari borrows from Iris Murdoch’s idea of language as a net cast over the mind, constraining our thoughts according to how its knots and threads land – wrinkled in some places, straight in others. Every language is a different throw of the net. Language sieves and strains reality but never imprisons it. There are always holes for the real world to escape. vie The Guardian And an important point: Youth is the driver of linguistic change. This […]
Tom Holland has written another book! Christianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, and its emergence the single most transformative development in Western history. Even the increasing number in the West today who have abandoned the faith of their forebears, and dismiss all religion as pointless superstition, remain recognisably its heirs. Seen close-up, the division between a sceptic and a believer may seem unbridgeable. Widen the focus, though, and Christianity’s […]
The most sobering truth in this book is that truth is not persuasive, because beliefs are impervious to facts. “It’s not realistic to think that if only people knew the truth, they would do the right thing,” via The New York Times
The concept of “grit” is very simple – try hard enough, believe in yourself, persevere and you will succeed. Angela Duckworth presents her case for the predictive power of behaviors and values related to “grittiness” and through many (very similar and repetitive) anecdotes she contrasts them with talent and intelligence (privilege is swept under the carpet). No surprises here, and most anecdotes are very simple stories of the “Übung macht den Meister” type. Talent as unmet potential and […]
“As McCulloch explains in one of many illuminating historical anecdotes, simply settling on a standard greeting made for acute confusion. What initially started as a battle between “ahoy” and “hello” (another contender was “what is wanted?” — my new phone greeting) was eventually resolved in favor of “hello”; the word has the same origins as “holler,” and was used at the time as a call for attention. “ Why Has Language Changed So Much So […]
Oragious 