The Worthy House (Charles Haywood)
Charles Haywood
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
Mentioned books
Sep 10, 2020 • 9min
Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond (William Dalrymple and Anita Anand)
A book not really about the diamond, but about the superiority of Western culture. (The written version of this review was first published May 19, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Sep 8, 2020 • 29min
The Stakes: America at the Point of No Return (Michael Anton)
On the most important book of the year, Michael Anton’s The Stakes, which you should read, right now, to prepare for the immediate future. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Sep 4, 2020 • 26min
All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery (Henry Mayer)
Of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, a man who challenged the interests of the powerful, and why his successors today are hampered in ways he was not, such that more direct methods are necessary. (The written version of this review was first published April 21, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Sep 1, 2020 • 31min
Why Liberalism Works: How True Liberal Values Produce a Freer, More Equal, Prosperous World for All (Deirdre Nansen McCloskey)
Not just a review of this book, by choice extremist Deirdre McCloskey, but also an explanation of why I will no longer read or review any modern book by the Left merely in order to disprove it. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Aug 19, 2020 • 9min
Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy (Dani Rodrik)
Dani Rodrik's book disappoints, since he is unable to escape the old and tired neoliberal frame, and doesn't even try very hard. (The written version of this review was first published April 21, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Aug 15, 2020 • 22min
Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire (Roger Crowley)
A thrilling tale of the brief, but spectacular, Portuguese efflorescence between 1490 and 1520, featuring a cast of characters we could use today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Aug 11, 2020 • 21min
The Arms of Krupp 1587-1968 (William Manchester)
This is the book that made William Manchester, later the biographer of Churchill, and it is both a book well worth reading, and one that could only have been written when it was, 1968. (The written version of this review was first published April 20, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Aug 8, 2020 • 23min
Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine (Barry Strauss)
Barry Strauss's latest book doesn't offer anything particularly new, but it does offer food for thought. And I predict our November future! (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Aug 1, 2020 • 22min
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work (Matthew B. Crawford)
As the Wuhan Plague has exposed many jobs as substantively valueless, Matthew Crawford's classic work on work, manual labor, and craft has assumed more relevance. (The written version of this review was first published April 17, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Jul 14, 2020 • 24min
The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic (Mike Duncan)
As it is said, history does not repeat, but it does echo. This book narrates those echoes, which grow louder every day in 2020 America, in the history of the late Roman Republic. (The written version of this review was first published August 3, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
