Book Reviews

** Imperial Hubris - Antiquity Edition ** The Eagle and The Lion is a slightly underwhelming exploration of the dynamic between the Roman and Persian empires. While Edward Gibbon’s works offer a more comprehensive description of this period, this book falls a bit short in delivering fresh insights from new research, which can be a disappointment. However, it does shed light on the limits of our knowledge, especially regarding the Persian empire, acknowledging the gaps in historical understanding. The book interestingly points out how external empires were often leveraged to boost internal prestige and how internal strife was a reliable predictor of external conflicts. Essentially war was never sustainable, but peace was never prestigious. ...

2024 in books Life doesn’t get many turning points, but 2024 was one. After being tossed from the OpenAI rollercoaster, I’ve expanded work on our family office. Both kids are now in school, and my day to day is an axis between the local coffee shop for me and the BMX park for my son, with much less idle time available for reading. I also focused more on Chinese, which means I read about half as many (54 v. 120) books this year as last year. ...

Bits of plot interspersed with long passages brooding on genitals and hands, or lack thereof. One of the darkest fantasy books i’ve read.

A good book, except I don’t really think about the information I consume, and I’m not sure where to carve out the time, since I’m only consuming information in circumstances where I can’t do something else. Seems like it would be very useful if I were writing a book…. maybe I should write a book?

Ugh rolls eyes, my mom was right to recommend this one. It actually is a really good book, and the best I’ve read so far when talking about how to parent emotion.

** OK, Boomer** “The Loom of Time” presents itself as a work of meta-history, ambitiously attempting to weave a narrative that connects the thoughts of historical giants like Gibbon and Said. In an era where brand names no longer guarantee widespread readership, Kaplan’s execution doesn’t stick. The author’s approach to discussing historical debate, particularly the one between Bertrand Russell and Edward Said, comes across as ill-conceived and is indicative of a broader issue within the text. The author feels misaligned with the depth of understanding one might expect from a writer dealing with such esteemed intellectuals. This sense of disconnect is further exacerbated by the author’s own admission of a lack of intimate knowledge of the regions under discussion. Acknowledging neither residency in the concerned areas nor proficiency in the relevant languages, it’s as if Kaplan takes pride in his ignorance. ...

The ‘Age of Wood’ delves into the realms of chemistry, biology, and the intricate art of woodworking. The book offers a surprising amount of insight into archaeology and prehistory, shedding light on wood’s ‘rooted’ significance during the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages. It details various woodworking techniques like dovetail and a lifetime supply of mortise-and-tenon joints, as well as the hygroscopic nature of wood and its propensity to combust. While some might find it a bit sappy with its extensive discussions on wood properties and drying processes, it remains a compelling read for those who truly pine for depth in the subject. Overall, a solid four stars.

The world according to China according to the Washington Consensus. Good info on Huawei, makes me want to write a book on the subject.

Precedent for Unprecedented Just because the author doesn’t understand history, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. There were substantial technological innovations before, and none of them happened in a year.

** 剧情盔甲后的很 (The Plot Armor is Too Thick) ** 在第一个阶段，Talon的家和朋友都被灭门了。所以在这个故事中他好像一块白板，他的性格可以为了剧情的需求而改变。 绝大部分的故事是描述Talon经过秘密社团的培训：怎么用剑、怎么做菜、怎么做爱、怎么感觉到魔法的反应、怎么模仿王室成员等等。他开始用这些能力的时候，只有几个章节描述他怎么用他的百花齐放能力。 不过，我喜欢读关于学习的书，因为这个故事类似于自己的生活。 在这本书的后面，最让人感到麻烦的方面是Talon看起来无敌的。他的剧情盔甲太厚了。 ** 2023的第94书 **