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
Mar 7, 2020 • 23min
The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook (Niall Ferguson)
Of Niall Ferguson's excellent 2018 "The Square and the Tower," and of low-trust societies and the effects of technology on our political future. Prescient, from the viewpoint of 2020. (The written version of this review was first published January 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Mar 1, 2020 • 20min
The Collapse of Complex Societies (Joseph A. Tainter)
A book with some interesting points, but extremely narrow and deliberately self-blinkered. (The written version of this review was first published January 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Feb 25, 2020 • 28min
The Betrayal of American Prosperity: Free Market Delusions, America’s Decline, and How We Must Compete in the Post-Dollar Era (Clyde Prestowitz)
This 2010 book outlines much of today's even-more-pressing debates about whether America should implement an industrial policy. (The written version of this review was first published January 17, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Feb 22, 2020 • 18min
Reflections on the Revolution In Europe: Immigration, Islam, and the West (Christopher Caldwell)
Christopher Caldwell's 2009 book on immigration to Europe is not bad, but it's been overtaken by events, and its analysis isn't subtle enough. (The written version of this review was first published January 15, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Feb 13, 2020 • 24min
Age of Fracture (Daniel T. Rodgers)
This book, winner of the 2012 Bancroft Prize, offers some interesting ideas about ideas, but is primarily interesting for what it misses. (The written version of this review was first published January 12, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Feb 9, 2020 • 21min
Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master’s Insights on China, the United States, and the World (Graham Allison)
An exploration of the supposed Grand Master's mostly banal thoughts. Also of multiculturalism, wine aunts, and our own future. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)
Feb 7, 2020 • 26min
The Reckless Mind: Intellectuals in Politics (Mark Lilla)
Mark Lilla's polished examination of philotyrannical intellectuals of the twentieth century. (The written version of this review was first published January 14, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Feb 4, 2020 • 16min
Stasiland: Stories from behind the Berlin Wall (Anna Funder)
Of why those who opposed Communism when it ruled are forgotten or dishonored, while those who supported it paid no price (yet). (The written version of this review was first published January 13, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Feb 1, 2020 • 17min
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (Laura Spinney)
A year ago, I offered thoughts on the next pandemic, in particular its possible effects on society and the reaction of the government. This review seems timely now. (The written version of this review was first published November 15, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
Jan 29, 2020 • 27min
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (Richard Rothstein)
An exploration of twentieth-century government's role in African American segregation and its subsequent ill effects. (The written version of this review was first published August 15, 2017. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)
