2022-11-09 I just noticed a review by a friend of another one of Oriana Fallaci's books, which reminded me of reading this one in the mid-80s.
I rememb2022-11-09 I just noticed a review by a friend of another one of Oriana Fallaci's books, which reminded me of reading this one in the mid-80s.
I remember kind of liking it, but being frustrated, since the author's philosophy/political/economic ideas were so .... strange and inconsistent.
My memory of this is not great, since it has been almost 40 years.
I remember being impressed by the power of her writing and the vibrancy and immediacy. But I am sorry to say I don't have too many other details to relate....more
2022-08-08 I still need to go through my notes and highlights to expand/refine my review. This book deserves it and I have heartily recommended it man2022-08-08 I still need to go through my notes and highlights to expand/refine my review. This book deserves it and I have heartily recommended it many times since my reading a few months ago.
The writing style is excellent - very engaging and compelling. The characterizations fit people I know. The situations are a little bit of a stretch, but optimism is a very good quality for positive change. The author has very sound and super-needed ideas/policies that are discussed by the main characters in the book. I love books with strong discussions.
This book is much needed for those who think government gun controls/restrictions are an effective answer to crime.
Fun, vindicating and helpful read for libertarians, conservatives, 2A committed folks, & open minded individuals.
Perfect summer book - don't miss it.
2022-04-20 Just finished this morning after waking up early and reading for a couple hours. Wonderful. The book ended very strong. Great critique of political/economic/social issues of today and the near future, yet the discussion did not slow down the exciting story.
The plot is moderately believable at first, then gets better as it goes on. The ending is left somewhat up in the air, but there was pretty neat action not long before.
If you care about ideas and the future of your country, this book should touch some nerves.
I look forward to filling out this review with more details soon as I can go through my notes and organize my thoughts....more
2021-09-13 - starting again into this very unsettling, but insightful book. The effects that Marcuse's writing has wrought are so disturbing and perva2021-09-13 - starting again into this very unsettling, but insightful book. The effects that Marcuse's writing has wrought are so disturbing and pervasive as to be scary. Several of his acolytes and their work are well described. The detail, and precision can be difficult. But then Kors brings the net effect back to simple clarity. Beautiful. I'm building more momentum on this now...
2021-03-10 - I started this a couple weeks ago and paused a few days ago. The book is pretty heavy - some parts are easy to read and very compelling, while other parts (so far) are quite detailed, philosophical, legal or historical, and I have a tough time digesting. But all are important.
The opening intro chapter was amazing and it alone was worth the price of the book. What a harrowing, sad, but uplifting story of the "water buffalo incident" at UPenn.
The next chapter on the legal aspects and current (up to the book's publication -1998) of freedom of speech, was very revealing, very carefully done - but made me need to rest.
I ploughed on with the next chapter on Herbert Marcuse... and then needed a break, for sure. I will return, since the effects of Marcuse's perverted philosophy has wrecked more than enough havoc in academia and beyond that the need to try to grasp the effects of his work is necessary, for sure....more
2021-02-13 Just finished reading the book, though not the endnotes, since they were not referenced within the text.
I liked the book, but did not think2021-02-13 Just finished reading the book, though not the endnotes, since they were not referenced within the text.
I liked the book, but did not think it outstanding. Very detailed history of this funky incident during the end of WWII in northern New Guinea, where a planeload (21) of WACs and other US military personnel were killed in a sight-seeing accident, except for one WAC and two men. Their survival and rescue by some very brave and skilled paratroopers was quite a story. Interactions with natives who had been thought to be cannibals added some significant spice and anthropology to the story.
This very true story confirmed many other reports I have read and heard about regarding military "efficiency." 1. The first plane load of supplies dropped for the survivors, several days after the crash contained no food except: Tomato juice, tomatoes and hershey bars. REALLY!
2. Even though there was good radio communication between the military coordinating the rescue and the survivors and some of the rescue crew on the ground, there were still many screw-ups of supplies dropped but not needed, while much-needed supplies were not dropped, till much later than when they were needed, and some key instructions were not relayed. One time much desired beer was dropped, but at the old crash site, NOT the new camp, a very long and laborious trek away. p. 218, 243 and other places.
3. The military did not find out till well after the whole rescue mission was over (it took over 45 days to complete), that this valley was NOT previously undiscovered, and that another simpler method of extraction of the survivors was possible, per the previous written up account of the years earlier mission to the valley. Perhaps this comment is not fair, considering the instant research capabilities of the internet these days vs. the very difficult wartime, 50 year pre-internet logistics of gaining that type of knowledge back then. But still...
the extra cost in terms of: - time - work/labor - material costs - risks - ect. of how the rescue was actually accomplished, vs. the potential outlined in the book if the previous expedition to the "Shangri-La" valley's lessons were discovered made me think twice.
I would not go nearly as far as one friend's review characterized the book - the story could have been told in 5-6 pages, but was stretched to 300+ with useless details about non-crucial characters. But the author was indeed quite punctilious in naming all names involved in the crash and rescue and going into a high degree of detail about most all the many characters involved. But I would agree that the book could have been shortened in that regard.
The many black and white pictures of the survivors, the rescuers, and the natives did add much to the story too.
2021-02-01 Reading this aloud now to my mom. My wife read it a couple years ago at the suggestion of her mom and gave it to my mom, who never got to it, I don't think. My mom is now in a tough spot, with memory loss and physical mobility issues, so reading in a sustained way herself is just about out of the picture. But she sure seems to be enjoying my reading aloud to her... and I am really enjoying it too.
We are about 1/3 through so far - at about 100 of the 320 or so pages. The story is pretty harrowing, but very personal too. Learning much about New Guinea, the main setting of this "true story of survival, adventure, and the most incredible rescue mission of WWII."
The story reminds me of several others: the huge best-selling book and movie: "Unbroken", as well as the much older book "Lost Horizons", which was about a fictional Shangri-La and which played a significant part of this book, including especially the title.
I'll write more when I finish the book, or if I find something beforehand with which I could tease you. But so far, so good - very much looking forward to continuing and finishing this amazing story....more
2024-01-24 lightly edited for typos and clarity. 2020-09-01 Thinking about this a bit more, I need to mention the importance of government censors in D2024-01-24 lightly edited for typos and clarity. 2020-09-01 Thinking about this a bit more, I need to mention the importance of government censors in Duranty's life & work. His first reporting job was as war correspondent in WWI. The book did a very good job of showing how insidious the allied censorship was during the war - how corrupting of the military, the reporters, and the populace, who were deprived of accurate information and opinions. But Duranty learned to thrive in that milieu - turning his character flaw of being increasingly good at lying, dissembling and working the corrupt system to his advantage.
Well, that experience and skill stood him in very good stead with the Soviet censors. He worked that system so well to his advantage that he earned himself a Pulitzer Prize and the acclaim of the world, for basically telling one huge lie - that Stalin's first 5 year plan was a brilliant idea and success. The world but most especially the Soviet Union's people paid a heavy price for believing that lie.
2020-08-31 Finished this yesterday. Very gripping. So many clues about Walter Duranty's sad life. I almost, almost felt sorry for him since the last third or so of the book just chronicled his last 25 years or so of decline into: - bouts of alcoholism, - foolish poverty (by spending too much and saving not at all, - being a deadbeat to many creditors/friends, - having almost no friends (partially due to the previous condition), - never realizing/admitting his main professional fault(s), - pleading for money and work, and thinking he was blacklisted, when he just would not realize that what he offered to write was not what people were willing to pay for.
Made totally clear to anyone who reads this book: 1. His disgust for capitalism and promotion of fantasy socialism vs. his love of the wealth and the freedom capitalism provided, 2. His knowing the lack of wealth under socialism and 3. His knowing of the massive snuffing out of liberties under Soviet Socialism.
His apologetics for Stalin, the USSR and socialist methods was incredibly counter-reality but he just could never admit it. He always highlighted the things that tried to make Stalin/USSR look good and almost never admitted their horror. And when people pointed that out, he lashed out in disgusting ad hominem and dissembling attacks.
His favorite phrase was "you can't make an omelet without cracking eggs" as his justification for the Holodomor (mass starvation of Ukrainians by Stalin), was so clever. But how many people understood/understand that he means humans should only be treated like eggs and have no more value than that to him? Let that thought sink in. Duranty's morality (which he abhorred admitting he had any!) meant that he/Stalin/whatever "great leader" he thought appropriate, should have the perfect right to kill/"crack" any human necessary, in order to create his idea of a great socialist society (omelet). Are you an egg? Do you like being "cracked" (killed), to create a "better" (in Duranty's view) society?
And people think Capitalism is immoral?
Read this book to see how the New York Times, the US's (and much of the whole world's) "top" literary, cultural, news and public affairs community adored him, got sucked in to his lies, equivocations and disgusting values. Note the huge number of elite figures in the world's intellectual circles who Duranty knew &/or influenced or were influenced by him - and sooo many of them were of the socialist persuasion, if not full red, then usually deep pink: Isadore Duncan, Alex Woollcott, Harpo Marx, Emma Goldman, Wm. Henry Chamberlain, Armand Hammer, Sidney and Beatrice Webb, Sinclair Lewis, Wm. Shirer, John Wiley, John Gunther, Louis Fischer, etc. etc. And how this network of friends provided incredible connections for jobs, reviews/better sales of his work, tips, ego-stroking, etc. etc.
And despite Duranty knowing full well about the Holodomor, (millions of Ukrainians deliberately starved by Stalin's Soviet Socialist system) he never really recanted his despicable attacks on Gareth Jones who put forth the bravery and tenacity to report it.
2020-07-18 - started this a week or so ago right after seeing the great new movie "Mr. Jones" about Gareth Jones, the reporter who tried to expose the Holodomor - the famine caused by Stalin in Ukraine 1932-3, and went up against the Pulitzer prize winning icon, Walter Duranty in the process.
I'm on p. 116. so far.
The author goes into far more (some fairly trivial in my opinion) detail than I appreciate in many areas and too little in others. She does not appear to have a good understanding of economics, so can't see through some of Duranty's BS writing on that subject, (such as the subject for the Pulitzer win) so far anyway. But she is laying the groundwork for WHY Duranty seems to have acted the way he did in many strange/quirky respects, and that is valuable. So far, this book is a very good complement to the movie on Gareth Jones ("Mr. Jones") - wow - what different values motivated each journalist!...more
2020-11-15 Perfect novel for reading amidst the news today about the election machine software fraud and kickbacks!!!!!! https://video.foxnews.com/v/vi2020-11-15 Perfect novel for reading amidst the news today about the election machine software fraud and kickbacks!!!!!! https://video.foxnews.com/v/video-emb... But with real life, we need to ask: Where's the beef, and wait for the hard evidence. Though, I will point out that that was a pretty important part of the book too, since the protagonist had to work VERY hard, against long odds, to produce the beef/evidence.
2020-08-08 Just finished this last night on a tear - Wow! So timely. - Presidential elections, free speech, demonstrations/vandalism/mobs, etc.
So full of reasonable optimism. - Easy to get depressed these days due to so much bad news. This book is a good antidote.
Great ideas and analysis of important issues. - Excellent weaving in of descriptions of bogus and destructive but popular ideas and convincing and short refutations abound.
Characters that ring true - good and bad - some bigger than life to look up to or down on, but also some about exactly as mediocre (morally) as one often sees in real life.
This is the latest book by Gen LaGreca, who's other books: Nobel Vision A Dream of Daring Fugitive from Asteron
I have really enjoyed and have reviewed on GR.
Here are a few quotations to show you how timely the book is: "The Advocates for Peace and Democracy held a demonstration yesterday in Atlanta that got a little out of hand.” “I’ll say. Ten people hospitalized, dozens of stores looted, police cars overturned, and a fire set in a shopping mall. Very few of the rioters and thugs were arrested, and they promise another round of street fighting tonight.” Sound like the real life reporting about major riots that were "mostly peaceful" but were really highly destructive?
"What would Laura think of me if I equated the police with the rioters? But reluctant to challenge his new boss, Sean conceded."...more
I actually knew the author, Jeanette Clinkunbroomer, a little bit, meeting her at a Libertarian Party me2022-07-08 Just finished this book - Loved it!
I actually knew the author, Jeanette Clinkunbroomer, a little bit, meeting her at a Libertarian Party meeting or two in the early 80s and then again via Facebook a few years ago. I also learned that she died not long ago and I am sooooo sorry that I did not make time to read the book before she did, since I would have loved to tell her what a fantastic job she did. This book is absolutely great. I rank it right up there with "Gone with the Wind" only far more realistic and far better regarding slavery/freedom, markets, government, war, relationships, etc.
The book is fiction, but the excellent historical setting - just before during and after the American civil war, with up-close descriptions of major characters such as Lincoln, US Grant, WT Sherman, Clara Barton, Horace Greeley, etc. battles such as Bull Run I & II, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Atlanta and Sherman's march to through Georgia, were super well done. The pro and anti-war sentiments were well described and the overall horror and tragedy of war came through brilliantly.
The big issues of why the war broke out: from high tariffs, to slavery, state's rights/impending southern power/representation loss in the government were quite well portrayed by various characters.
The issue of women's rights, the difficulties of women's status during the period and inability to control their own lives and destinies then was a great theme, which came ably to life in several characters and relationship conflicts, key to the book's plot and charm. There was a neat libertarian feminist perspective in the book that played out in many ways.
The emotional power of the book's plot, characterizations and dialog was enormous, bringing this reader to tears many times. And even some poetry, that brought more tears to my eyes. The imagery of what war really meant was overpowering. And the theme of love and devotion and what was the right thing to do? Reminded me of Jane Austin and other great authors who dealt with 19th century realities on the subject.
There was even some wonderful (though mostly dry) humor in the book that I appreciated greatly.
I especially would love to see self-righteous Republicans or Libertarians read this book, to see the dangers of certain beliefs and causes. The perspicacity of the statements on p. 51-3 in particular hit home to me.
And the realism, re: racism and prejudice in both the south as well as various aspects in the north was very well done.
The overall sense of fairness and objectivity of the book's narrator/author struck me too. Dealing with these tough political, personal, sociological and some economic issues, she did a marvelous job. I much prefer this book to Gone With the Wind's whitewashing of "the peculiar institution" as well as nasty anti-capitalist biases.
Oh, and did I say how realistic the author was on the subject of politicians and the political class? And how well the author understands and portrays the economic aspects of life? Brilliant. See especially the little discussion on p. 89-90 of "hoarding" and "profiteering." But beyond that, she did not make the business of getting a living a black-box mystery, but rather had all the characters display their comparative advantages, goals and expectations, values of travel, leisure, profit, philanthropy, caring, etc. etc. Great stuff.
HIGHLY recommended if any of the above is of interest to you.
P.S. Another thought occurred to me about this book. One of the themes was a couple of the main characters' insecurities about their own worth and whether the other person really loved them or not. I thought of the very cool book "A Tale of the Wind" by Kay Nolte Smith that also explored this theme too. If you liked that book, this book might also resonate and vice-versa....more
2020-06-06 - I read about 1/4-1/3 of this about 10-15 years ago, then lost it and have not made time to get back to it.
My impressions were that Sincla2020-06-06 - I read about 1/4-1/3 of this about 10-15 years ago, then lost it and have not made time to get back to it.
My impressions were that Sinclair Lewis was concerned about fascism coming to the US so his"good" character was a newspaper editor/publisher(?) who fought the local fascist type politician(s) and general public mood. That is generally a good thing, of course, but Lewis's ideas about what fascism actually is and what a good "liberal" society should be instead were very confused.
Lewis uncritically had accepted the gradual coercive "progressive" pollution of the term liberal. Liberal, in the classical/original sense meant liberty and was founded in a good understanding of how keeping government (the biggest potential oppressor of liberty) LIMITED via clear, short, written constitutions, rule of law, and property rights. The so-called "progressives" in the late 1800s (and even muddle headed "liberals" gradually destroyed the clear thinking of the American founders and other great liberal thinkers such as Adam Smith, and the other classical economists. John Stuart Mill was one of the biggest con-founders of those clear pro-liberty ideas, despite his brilliant defenses of liberty too.
So, at some point I would like to get back to this book, but the unclear thinking on the problems and solutions of the ideas that help society to prosper peacefully vs. getting more and more enmeshed in conflict, disharmony and poverty.
2020-10-11 - I recently read a reference to Lewis in the book "Stalin's Apologist" where all his friends, including the subject of that book, Walter Duranty, called him Sinclair "Red" Lewis, since he was such a big fan of communism during his trip to Moscow in the 1920s (or early 30s?) (as well as having red hair). Well, that figures: 1. Who of all the people who have read Lewis' book know he was a communist or at least that was where his sympathies lay? 2. Sure communists were "anti-fascist" because both ideologies/movements were fighting for control of the reigns of government in countries around the world. His muddle-headed "anti-fascist liberalism" in this book was no such thing at all. This clarifies matters greatly....more
2020-01-13 - Wonderful book. Not for those with delicate language sensibilities, but otherwise I recommend it to most any adult. Very funny. Very inform2020-01-13 - Wonderful book. Not for those with delicate language sensibilities, but otherwise I recommend it to most any adult. Very funny. Very informative. Breezy, yet serious too. If you want an intro into why "democratic socialism" might be worth being careful of this campaign season, this book is for you. Great little descriptions of the key features of such socialist countries as: Venezuela Cuba North Korea and the former socialist countries: China Georgia (in the Caucasus mountains next to the Black Sea, not the US State) Russia Ukraine and the never socialist, though highly welfare statist & high taxing: Sweden.
Oh, the book ended with a visit to a major socialist convention...
in the USA - perfect.
I loved the mix of travelogue, history, drinking & eating, economic theory and more. The references to key people and ideas was just about right for this intro-level book. I read it in less than a week, which is pretty darn quick for me. I listened to part of the Audio book and read other parts on my Kindle, due to my schedule and love of both. The professional narrator, John Pruden, was excellent.
Highly recommended for those who have not closed their mind on the subject of socialism (or the free market alternatives). If you think you like the idea of the promises of socialism, give this book a shot. If you like the idea of seeing what travelling to some exotic and talked about places in the news, this could be the ticket.
Great place to start a reasonable journey toward clearer understanding and how to create an actually better world....more
2021-08-23 I just came across this excellent article that uses Nixey's book as the focal point for a critique of various present day trends! Don't mis2021-08-23 I just came across this excellent article that uses Nixey's book as the focal point for a critique of various present day trends! Don't miss it. https://symposium.substack.com/p/our-...
On rereading my review below and noting that I only gave the book 3 stars, I changed the rating to 4 stars, which seems more in keeping with how good the book seems to me after about two years of reflection and how many times I have referred to it.
4 Sept. 2019 I finished this yesterday. Very powerful. Very sad.
Answered a question I had had since my high school history class days that I had never gotten a good handle on: what happened to the vast amount of philosophical, scientific, artistic and other great achievements of the Greek and Roman classical world? And why did it take about 1000 years to "discover" Aristotle and most of the other great minds of that world?
I had had many hints over the years, but this book is the first that finally hit the nail on the head.
For anyone concerned with: - history - especially Greek, Roman, Dark Ages, Christianity, art, architecture - Philosophy - Science - toleration - Religions - especially comparative and a whole host of other important issues - this book will really be eye-opening.
Warning - the book is not without faults, for sure. There is a distinct bias and an asymmetry in some of the analysis. But overall, it is way more objective and enlightening about this subject than the standard mumble-mumble, shift the subject, "we just don't know why" answers typically given....more
18 April 2019 - Finished the book about 12:30 am last night - could not put it down.
Such a gas - loved it. The whole book was so funny, entertaining, 18 April 2019 - Finished the book about 12:30 am last night - could not put it down.
Such a gas - loved it. The whole book was so funny, entertaining, insightful and precious... till the last chapter, which was very different: personal (to the max), revelatory, emotional, heartbreaking, heartwarming and also thoughtful. What a total package.
Dave Barry is one of my very favorite authors.
He has such a great mix of totally irreverent, off the wall humor, yet sticks in many incisive observations that stand the test of time and human nature.
Though I would dare say that the vast majority of his fans do not think of themselves as libertarian - he is one and shares many of those insights in his books. Perhaps those points are too undercover for most readers to notice or worry about? Or possibly they just come across as being another wild rant that is more funny than true? He certainly backpedals sometimes (when he thinks he may have gone too far?). And he poo-poos wild statements often enough. Of self deprecation, he is a master.
But here are a few statements that I wish more people took more seriously - laughing at them is fine - but in a bitterly sarcastic way, that means you understand the underlying truth.
Loved the scenes where he describes Lucy, his dog, the hero of the book, and her "stuffed chew toys, including dolls representing John McCain and Hillary Clinton." (pp. 51-2)
"Diversity training - This is a process whereby a corporation makes a group of employees sit in a room with a professional diversity trainer, who subjects them to lectures, videos and role-playing exercises about the importance of respecting each other until the employees finally come to the realization that they hate the diversity trainer and want to do the diametrical opposite of whatever he or she is telling them."
"There is no American institution more monumentally incompetent than the federal government."
"So don't be like our political leadership. Be like Lucy." (his dog, who he has shown throughout the book to be an incredibly admirable creature, eminently worth emulating)
(lying) "It's wrong because even if a lie helps you, it deceives somebody else, and it undermines the trust that holds us all together. If we can't trust each other, we can't work with each other, learn from each other, enjoy each other, love each other. Lying makes the world a dodgier, crappier place." - And that is about the greatest statement anyone can make.
"I almost never argue about politics anymore, and I have pretty much stopped watching the nonstop freak-out-a-thon that is cable-TV news. I am a far happier person for it."
---- The book is a very fast, enjoyable read. I made it all the way through in about 6 hours or so. At 225 pages total, that is a really, really rapid page rate for me of about 37 pages/hr. My normal, for most any book is more like 10-15 pp/hr, for a pulp fiction book all the way to Human Action.
P.S. I got lucky and noticed that Dave Barry was in the area I lived not long after this book was published, to give a public talk, put on by an area bookstore. I bought a ticket and went - what great fun to see him again in person and highlight various parts of the book in his talk as well as answer some questions. Super-likeable guy and very funny in person, not just in writing....more
11 Feb. 2019 - I just saw this book on a Goodreads friend's list "To Read" and remembered that I had read it when I was in high school or Jr. High in 11 Feb. 2019 - I just saw this book on a Goodreads friend's list "To Read" and remembered that I had read it when I was in high school or Jr. High in the early 70s.
I remember liking it, since the author, one of the most interesting newspaper columnists around, who wrote for the local Chicago Tribune, had a really fun time describing Chicago's longtime mayor, Richard Daley I.
I can't remember specific examples, after all this time, but I do remember enjoying the classic descriptions of how political patronage system specifics worked in the city. It was a far cry from how the basic history/civics classes taught that the system was designed and supposed to work.
I bet I would enjoy seeing how Royko anticipated some of the economic "public choice" analyses of how government actually works, if I had time to read it again. But then again, perhaps he did not, otherwise he would have become more libertarian, and less cynical....more
6 Jan 2019 - I read this when I was in college - between 1973 and 77. Hunter Thompson was booked as a speaker at my college, so I was preparing for him6 Jan 2019 - I read this when I was in college - between 1973 and 77. Hunter Thompson was booked as a speaker at my college, so I was preparing for him, or something like that. He did not show up. There were very confirmed rumors that he was often unpredictable and had a big problem with the booze.
I don't remember much about this book except it was kinda fun to read but the perspective on the candidates' positions on various issues was pretty shallow and did not really resonate much.
I do remember the author had been (or would be?) elected as sheriff of his town/county in Colorado at one point and was quite pro-gun/2nd Amendment, which was kind of unusual for journalists then and now.
Also remember his style was called "Gonzo" and kinda "out there" but not easy to describe. I remember liking a rival journalist at the time much better - Tom Wolfe, although their subjects really did not overlap much at all....more
26 Nov. 2018 - I remember reading and enjoying this little book sometime in the early 80s, not too long after it was published in 1981. Tom Wolfe is j26 Nov. 2018 - I remember reading and enjoying this little book sometime in the early 80s, not too long after it was published in 1981. Tom Wolfe is just a fantastic writer. Very creative and accurate portrait painter of the foibles of various people and groups.
This one critiqued the Bauhaus architects and movement as being opposed to designing buildings that were enjoyable to observe, live and work in. I think he made many good points in a very touching way....more
26 Nov. 2018 - I just noticed someone using the term "Mau-Mauing" and it brought back wonderful memories of the essay in this little book by Tom Wolfe26 Nov. 2018 - I just noticed someone using the term "Mau-Mauing" and it brought back wonderful memories of the essay in this little book by Tom Wolfe that I read in the 70s, probably not too many years after it was published in 1970.
What a great journalist Wolfe was. Catching just the right nuances of memorable foolish traits of various people and groups. The people Mau-Maued in this case are hapless SF welfare bureaucrats. The Radical Chic fool was the great conductor and composer, but totally politically misguided, Leonard Bernstein, hosting a party for the Black Panthers in his NY penthouse (if I remember correctly after 45+ years).
Both essays in this book are excellent, super satirical and highly recommended....more
12 April 2019 - Very cool book. I finished this about two weeks ago and have been mulling over how to review it since. On the one hand, I love most of t12 April 2019 - Very cool book. I finished this about two weeks ago and have been mulling over how to review it since. On the one hand, I love most of the book passionately. So many great insights. Such wonderful explanations of complex new technologies in terms that most any intelligent layman can understand - classic George Gilder! Gripping backgrounds on key movers and shakers in so many related fields that are becoming more important every day. Connections between technologies, individuals, news issues and government policies that I had not considered before, that could be crucial for a much better or much worse world.
On the other hand, I saw some flaws in his explanations of what money is or means. Some technology explanations just did not quite ring true and a few experts in those areas I consulted were a bit skeptical if he got them right. There were some other problems too... but they all seem pretty minor, compared to the positives and mind expanding scope, energy and positiveness of the overall book.
I highly recommend this to anyone interested in: - figuring out a better future world - government policies actually already and potentially screwing things up - what this "net neutrality" talk and policies are really about - should we fear Google, love them or a mix? - cryptocurrencies - privacy on the internet
I remember reading and being greatly influenced by Gilder's amazing book Microcosm about 30 years ago. He wrote the most compelling story of the import of Moore's Law, the chip business, science, engineering, marketing, and affects on society one could possibly tell. The book steeled my wife and my resolve to invest in Intel and Microsoft at that semi-early stage, and wow, was that a winning hand for over 10 years financially, and society-wise still to this day and beyond. I believe that this book builds on some of Gilder's original insights there, and expands on the new technologies of cryptography and cryptocurrencies, communications, fibre optics, wireless and other related technologies so important for more progress toward a better world.
to be continued.... 3 May 2019 - With today's Facebook announcement on their upcoming cryptocurrency, it looks like Gilder is definitely on the right track: https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook...
8 Aug. 2019 - Wow - what a firestorm erupted and has continued with the Facebook cryptocurrency proposal! Makes this book all the more important to read, ponder and consider the import....more
2021-01-11 I read this in college for an independent study course in Government my senior year (1976-7). I remember having difficulty with the languag2021-01-11 I read this in college for an independent study course in Government my senior year (1976-7). I remember having difficulty with the language and focusing on other books in the course, but still liking this.
And of course I have seen GREAT references to many aspects of this book many times since then.
It is very insightful about the power and benefits of individualism in early America vs. the collectivism and authoritarianism in Europe.
I would really like to make time to read it again, since America's political and cultural evolution has been away from what de Tocqueville saw here in the early 1800s, and toward the problems he saw so common in Europe then....more
9 Jan. 2019 - I read this book my junior year in High School American English class (1971 - 2). I remember it quite vividly, since it was a famous book9 Jan. 2019 - I read this book my junior year in High School American English class (1971 - 2). I remember it quite vividly, since it was a famous book, pretty easy to read, and deadly propaganda, that also had some not insignificant influence on why the American public now suffers from having the massive federal government bureaucracy the FDA - Food and Drug Administration.
The reason I happen to be writing this review now, is because of reading this generally good description of the book and it's effect: https://www.zeroaggressionproject.org...
But here is what I wrote the author: Upton Sinclair and his The Jungle - you may also like to know, promoted full socialism as much as his "muckraking" journalism for the meat packing business. This may have been why he opposed the limited FDA legislation.
... So that [socialism info] is something else few know or are willing to admit about how government regulations came to pass. [And the lack of someone or group pointing out full organic or private regulation forces that would far better address any issues needs to be pointed out too.]
And your statement:
"Kolko may be a Marxist, but no one has done better work on the intersection of The State with American business."
How about: Burton Folsom - "Entrepreneurs versus the State", later editions with the title: "Myth of the Robber Barons"- see my review of this on Goodreads. Robert Hessen - In Defense of the Corporation
Warning your readers that Kolko was a Marxist was good, but saying "no one has done better work" is very sad. True, Folsom and Hessen's work does not cover the exact thing that Kolko did, and I don't know of a full book on that exact subject, but there are many articles (and some books too?) by many different good scholars that cover the territory better. I remember many articles in Reason, FEE.org, Regulation magazine and other places that covered many different specific examples of this very topic. Since his Marxist blinders really distorts the main history that Kolko uncovered, and he was adamantly against the lessons libertarians learned from his work, I would hope that in the future you at least mention some of this too.
Additional sources worth checking out: archiveis/pKXlg Meat Packing Lies: Exposing The Fiction Of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle by Michael Suede • November 15, 2012
The American Economy and the End of Laissez-Faire: 1870 to World War II , Friday, January 15, 2010 by Murray N. Rothbard (comments on meat packing start at time 46:00). at: youtubecom/watch?v=tGX3_XnC8n0
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