Such an important book. This whole "how to create a healthy community" kick is really turning into more than a kick for me. I'm getting pretty obsesseSuch an important book. This whole "how to create a healthy community" kick is really turning into more than a kick for me. I'm getting pretty obsessed with the idea of preserving communities like the one I grew up in while still progressing in the ways we ought to progress as a society.
This book has two major cons: it is a little outdated and it is enormous and dense. As a result, sometimes I'd be trucking through a chapter and really just be ready for said chapter to be over. In fact, that happened with most chapters. That being said, I still gotta give it five stars simply because it was such a influential work. The number of times I've seen other authors cite this book lends it a lot of credibility, and I think that anyone who wants to do a serious survey of the literature on civil society would really be doing themselves a disservice if they missed this one.
Unlike every other five star review I've given, I'd suggest this book to almost nobody. But I would suggest that everyone familiarize themself with its ideas. Go listen to a Putnam lecture on YouTube or something...more
I love reading military history every bit as much as your lifelong-conservative grandfather, it’s just so dang good. Some might say this book drug at I love reading military history every bit as much as your lifelong-conservative grandfather, it’s just so dang good. Some might say this book drug at times but I definitely didn’t feel that way. I ate up every little history-shaping detail and I was especially blown away at the resiliency of war-time London, and the role that the US played in Churchill’s strategy for the war. Would highly recommend this guy to anyone interested in this kind of thing. ...more
First time I’ve ever given a book by a politician 5 stars (and I’ve gone out of my way to read quite a few). This book knocked my socks off. S/O Ean SFirst time I’ve ever given a book by a politician 5 stars (and I’ve gone out of my way to read quite a few). This book knocked my socks off. S/O Ean Snell for being my favorite person to get book ideas from on Goodreads!!
Sasse offered a concise and helpful discussion of the underlying currents that threaten a flourishing America. The book is mostly apolitical, and regardless of how you vote, I think you’d get a lot out of it. I’d suggest this book to anyone.
The only consistent flaw in this book, I thought, was the fact that Sasse was seeking to tackle enormous ideas in bite-size chapters. Consequently, I thought a lot of chapters only contained a pretty low resolution picture of their topic. BUT, if you’re gonna cast your net as wide as “what are America’s biggest challenges today”, and try to keep it under 300 pages, then it’s impossible to lend every idea the number of pages it’s worth. So this book is only topical. But it’s real real good. ...more
My other review today was so long I’m keeping this short.
If you’re into theological hot takes with huge implications, you’ll love this book. It’s aboMy other review today was so long I’m keeping this short.
If you’re into theological hot takes with huge implications, you’ll love this book. It’s about how the 7 letters at the beginning of Revelation, like the rest of Revelation, are prophesy. Nee explains how the first letter concerns the apostle’s church, then the second concerns the persecuted church, the third concerns the church after it was made the state religion of Rome, the fourth concerns the Catholic Church, the fifth concerns the Protestant church, the sixth concerns the Lords Recovery, and the seventh concerns those who have fallen away from the Lords Recovery.
I give this three stars because Nee isn’t the easiest to read, and because read in isolation, this book probably isn’t very convincing. In isolation, it might seem like Nee is just conforming the text around his ideas rather than the other way around. However, if you wanna take the time to read like 100 books by Watchman Nee, you’d probably learn a lot and appreciate his ideas more and more. I’m at like 10 books and I think he’s v cool!...more
Whole lotta thoughts here. Kendi did a phenomenal job of providing an informative and in depth look into the history of racism in the Americas post-15Whole lotta thoughts here. Kendi did a phenomenal job of providing an informative and in depth look into the history of racism in the Americas post-1500 or so. Despite its length, this book was a real smooth and quick read because of Kendi’s engaging writing style. And when I say engaging, I mean engaging. Kendi leads his readers to engage with his ideas masterfully. I think he’s an excellent writer writing about important ideas in a mostly clear way. For that reason, I almost gave this book 5 stars.
I did have a few qualms with this book, beyond the simple fact that I’m not a big critical theories guy to begin with (side note: as far as CRT-ish works go, this is probably my fav so far).
Thing #1 is that I felt that Kendi mischaracterized many of his sources. Having read mostly everything by Du Bois, Booker T, and MLK, for instance, I’m quite critical of how they’re cited, and at times, I felt that Kendi misrepresented their works and their views. BUT, Kendi also provided expansive endnotes so I really don’t fault him for that! His meticulous documentation of his research makes up for the fact that I thought he was a little too hard on Booker T Washington.
Thing #2 is that I disagree with Kendi’s assertion that ideas are products of rather than drivers of history. But again, I gotta give Kendi credit here: he did well to defend this assertion throughout the book. When I first read it I thought “oh I don’t like that statement, I hope he didn’t make it lightly”. Turns out that he sees plenty of evidence that ideas are mainly post hoc justifications of oppressive systems, and I think I was challenged by how persistently he presented that evidence.
Thing #3 is the big hang up, and is almost impossible to divulge in just this little book review. Essentially, I think that Kendi erroneously grouped two kinds of people into his “assimilationist” category of racists. To provide some background, he discusses three categories of people: segregationists (classic racists), assimilationists (those who think other races should assimilate to some standard rather than celebrating them as they are), and anti-racists (the only ones who aren’t racist).
Assimilationists, according to Kendi, are always racist as they imply blackness is inferior when they propose that there is some ideal outside of blackness that black people ought to conform to. I agree with Kendi that these people are acting as racists IF that ideal is based upon the “superior” values of some race (ie. Black people ought to act more in line with white values). However, Kendi seems to group classical liberals from Lincoln to MLK into this group. Why? To some extent, it seems Kendi assumes that there are no objectively good values that exist (and are good) independent of what races do and don’t exemplify them. Perhaps committed fatherhood (commonly associated with whites) and heartfelt soulfulness (commonly associate with blacks) are both simply good. And to suggest that one ought to conform to these values is not suggesting that they should assimilate to another culture’s value system.
The distinction between two types of assimilationists may seem subtle, but it has enormous implications for how we view progress. If Kendi is right, then his Angela Davis brand anti-racism is the only solution. Luckily, Kendi is not unaware of where he stands in the intellectual landscape. This is why he ends the book by explaining the inevitable power struggle that is the only means to one day toppling racism in America. I don’t see eye to eye with Kendi on this. I think that the continued application of our founding principles to create a more just society is the right way forward. But I think this book taught me to sympathize more with those who are tired of hearing that that’s the way forward.
Anyhow, I don’t agree with Kendi on everything but I like him and I like the way he writes. Good book. Don’t read it mindlessly....more
Just wonderful! Christmas Eve is not the time to write long book reviews, so I won’t. But I loved reading this slowly over the last week. I’m not feelJust wonderful! Christmas Eve is not the time to write long book reviews, so I won’t. But I loved reading this slowly over the last week. I’m not feeling contemplative right now, but if I was, I’d write something about the importance of tradition, cultural narratives, and childlikeness. ...more
My current intellectual kick is focused on how one ought to reckon with the idea of a nation (or a tribe, or really any community) (especially their oMy current intellectual kick is focused on how one ought to reckon with the idea of a nation (or a tribe, or really any community) (especially their own).
2 stars awarded to this book for its relevance to said kick and clear communication ideas. Zero additional stars awarded for the quality of those ideas. Not about it. And I even gave Chomsky 4, so it’s not like I hate deconstructive historicism or whatever the heck....more
Incredibly interesting and well written. About as much of a page flipper as you’ll ever find in non-long-form-narrative non-fiction. I loved this bookIncredibly interesting and well written. About as much of a page flipper as you’ll ever find in non-long-form-narrative non-fiction. I loved this book.
The loss of a star is due to the fact that the book felt like a bit of a hodge podge of cool stories at times, and when the author tried to tie them all together with deep discourses on the nature of innovation, I wasn’t really having it. I’d probably give the introduction and conclusion of this book 3 stars. But the meat and potatoes of the book - the six chapters just telling the stories of various innovations - they were five star material. Would suggest to any curious reader who likes to read non-fiction for pure entertainment...more
In the words of one of my most ideologically thoughtful and ardently left-leaning friends: “I like Noam Chomsky, but anything left of him is just too In the words of one of my most ideologically thoughtful and ardently left-leaning friends: “I like Noam Chomsky, but anything left of him is just too much”. I probablyyyyy agree with both sides of that statement.
This book was an interesting read to say the least. I mostly give it 4 stars because it included excerpts from its sources at the end of every chapter which is one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen in a book.
This thing was ideologically loaded to the n^th degree. So it’s fine if you agree with all of it but certainly don’t do so mindfully. The implications of Chomsky’s outlook basically involve a complete reframing of history and progress. So is he right? That’s the million dollar question! Figure out for yourself!...more
This book is about developing a more factual view of global challenges: hunger, education, poverty, climate change, etc.
Had you only shown me an outlThis book is about developing a more factual view of global challenges: hunger, education, poverty, climate change, etc.
Had you only shown me an outline of this book I would’ve thought it’d get five stars. It hits in 10 common mental mistakes we make that cause us to believe the world is far worse, and far less nuanced, than it really is. I love the idea of this book, and especially the optimism. It’s crazy to me that people don’t know that extreme poverty and hunger have decreased almost to 0 in the last 20 years. People think things are way worse than they are, and they don’t recognize the miraculous progress of the last few decades, particularly in the poorest half of the world.
I give this book four stars because I did think that at times it harped on global ignorance a little too much. I get that the book was about massive misperceptions, and the author did take a mostly patient tone. Nonetheless, I thought the book gave off that “why is everyone too stupid to read and understand the data?” vibe that academics constantly need to avoid lest they appear condescending.
Still a good book though. Important overview of economic development in the past quarter century....more
Overall, a really great read! Useful insights from two authors who are pleasantly candid about their views, and willingly distinguish facts from opiniOverall, a really great read! Useful insights from two authors who are pleasantly candid about their views, and willingly distinguish facts from opinions.
The downside of this book is that it felt unorganized. That could’ve been my own fault, however, as I left and came back to the book a few times over the course of the last couple weeks, and I often read it in a noisy room. Nonetheless, I would often read a few pages in a row and think “what are the authors trying to get at here?”
The upside of this book was that it made some wonderful points at times and really got the wheels turning. The authors discussed the role of government in facilitating a just society, and what fundamental beliefs a society must assume in order to sustain a just government. They made an interesting Christian case for political discourse and democracy, and even discussed how and when citizens of a democratic society ought to submit to the democratic process regardless of how they feel about its outcomes (timely).
Good read. Not the kind of book I’m gonna try to get all my friends to read or anything. But it was good, and if you’re interested in the topic, you’d enjoy this book. ...more
Gotta love authors who make their work publicly available. Says a lot about their incentive for writing...
This short book takes on an enormous task: explaining critical theory and providing a Christian framework for understanding its helpfulness and its shortcomings. I only give this book 4 stars because it was so short. I have read and listened quite extensively on the history of critical theory and applied postmodernism, so naturally, I was left unsatisfied after reading a 30 page synopsis of this uber-complex web of ideas. However, if you are a Christian, and you care to learn about this stuff, and you don't want to read more than 50 pages, this book is literally perfect for you.
I want to specifically affirm two aspects of this book (or more specifically, the authors):
First, the authors were not driven by emotion. They never launch unnecessary attacks on ideas or those who hold them. They actually pointed out some ways that critical theorists make a positive contribution. The ideological war between enlightenment ideals, classical liberalism, applied postmodernism, critical theory, etc is incredibly heated. Most authors I've read really have it out for the other side. The authors of this book were simply explaining what they see as universally true (and I agree with them), and they did so with a gentle and reasonable tone.
Second, the authors were true to their sources. I have read most of the articles that they cited in their footnotes, and whenever I read a book that draws on primary sources I've already read, I am such a harsh critic. An author totally loses their credibility to me if I think that they leveraged a source for their own purposes rather than honestly citing what that source put forward. The authors of this book were incredibly honest with their sources, which is rare in my experience. So huge S/O for that.
All in all, I would highly suggest this book. Unfortunately, I don't think that it is comprehensive enough to be sufficient for understanding the ideological battle going on right now around these ideas. However, it is a great primer and is loaded with truth.
Per usual: if you read, plz plz plz tell me your thoughts :)...more
I don’t know why a true crime book about a serial killer is so enjoyable, but these books are among the most popular genres. Most people apparently liI don’t know why a true crime book about a serial killer is so enjoyable, but these books are among the most popular genres. Most people apparently like this stuff, and I am most people. Nothing about this book was good in the usual sense of the word - it was actually quite twisted. Nonetheless, I was gripped the whole time I read it. I’m usually such a utilitarian about books I read (what will I learn, how will it improve my outlook, is it an example of great storytelling)... sometimes it’s nice to just read a book to indulge in some gory entertainment. ...more
I really can’t praise this book enough. It is a must read for anyone interested in progression toward a more just society. I disagreed with this book I really can’t praise this book enough. It is a must read for anyone interested in progression toward a more just society. I disagreed with this book at times, but overall, it was immensely helpful.
I have long believed that there is a crucial difference in the ways that one might approach social justice. For instance, with respect to racial justice, I’ve read countless books by and about the civil rights leaders, and I’ve read mostly all of the popular racial justice books of today. While they both seem to focus on race, I noticed a shift in the underlying framework that made me very uncomfortable. I appreciate that White Fragility, So You Want to Talk about Race, and others are trying to achieve a more racially just society, but I was offput by the epistemological and moral framework they hold to be self-evident.
This book exposed the difference between Classical Liberalism and Reified Post-modernism (different than the initial post-modernism of Foucault, but more relevant to today). Ideas are SO important. I would recommend this book to anyone, but beware, it is seriously dense. If you do read it please please let me know your thoughts....more
Read this mainly because it was the artistic inspiration for Between the World and Me, and because it is an important piece of black history in generaRead this mainly because it was the artistic inspiration for Between the World and Me, and because it is an important piece of black history in general.
I liked the writing style, and I think Baldwin did a great job to stir up a healthy sympathy in the reader. Definitely historically informative as well, especially about racism in Harlem specifically.
My favorite part was his letter to his nephew. Unfortunately, that only comprised like 5% of the book. The remainder of the book switched between narrative and commentary. I got a bit lost in the commentary at times. He switched between hatred towards Whites and a desire for the country to be unified a little too quickly for me to really grasp what he was trying to get across.
A good read for those who are interested in the history of thought about racial justice. However, in relation to that history, it is important to note the differences in approaches. At the risk of oversimplifying, you kinda have tour WEB/Malcolm camp, and your Booker T/MLK camp. I’m a bigger fan of the latter, and this book probably belongs to the former. Still great tho. Mostly just trying to stay educated and understanding!...more
Mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely loved the overall theme (social cohesion), and it was the first book I’ve read on a concept that I’ve thoMixed feelings about this book. I absolutely loved the overall theme (social cohesion), and it was the first book I’ve read on a concept that I’ve thought a lot about (the positive social effects of war), but it had some weird tangential points that were so often revisited that idk if it’s even fair to generously write them off as tangential. Specifically, the author revisited this sort of ancient egalitarian Native American ethos a bit more than I personally saw fit.
What I loved about this book was its commentary on society, suffering, and well being. I’ve always noted (and as my friends know, I’ve often mentioned) the way that societies seem so atomized when they don’t have some enormous enemy to unite them. Nation-wide trials have historically been the most effective remedy to political polarization. That concept is the main theme of this book. The authors are rightly condemning of war - to note war’s positive social effects is not necessarily to condone it. However, their point is well made!
I give this book four stars because it didn’t leave me with a convincing blueprint for a hopeful future. The author nails a problem and discusses it eloquently, but the solution is always forward, not backwards. This book left me feeling that our only hope for social cohesion is tribal warfare, and that’s really no solution. The author didn’t intend this effect, but it’s what I got. Still a mega-interesting read, nonetheless. ...more
Started reading this book back in August and told myself I’d finish it by the time I voted. Mostly read (not listened), but finished up by listening tStarted reading this book back in August and told myself I’d finish it by the time I voted. Mostly read (not listened), but finished up by listening to the last little bit on my drive to the polling station. Buzzer beater!!!
Lots of amazing ideas in this book. Informative to the max. I listened to podcasts and lectures about the book as I was reading it which was super clutch because context is crucial. Tocqueville has a very particular perspective and experience in his studies of American government, and to get the most out of his book, it’s important that these are understood.
This tome had too many things goin on for me to really know how to encapsulate my thoughts in a review. Some of the most influential ideas feel like I read them a year ago at this point. The balance of liberty and equality was interesting to read about, and I think Tocqueville was really on to something with his critiques of American democracy. The tyranny of the majority is almost as prescient as the fact that he literally called the Cold War 150 years before it happened. His takes on Andrew Jackson were cool, but uninformed I think (or at least according to the Oxford political science professors I listened to who discussed it).
All in all I am mostly reminded of how good and miraculous American society is in many respects. It has sooooo many faults, especially historically speaking. But it would require a painfully cynical view of our country to read Tocqueville’s bleak predictions for our future, and not be grateful for the way we ultimately applied classical liberal and democratic principles to outperform his expectations.
So... am I convinced today that multicultural states with 320 million citizens are best served by a democratic republic? Idk. I clearly believe we should participate though. Because I’ve typed this whole review while waiting in line to vote and the line hasn’t moved....more
Loved all the ideas in this book. The authors did a great job to remind readers that while non-profits play an important role in poverty alleviation, Loved all the ideas in this book. The authors did a great job to remind readers that while non-profits play an important role in poverty alleviation, the development of for-profit businesses is ultimately the process that turns the wheels of economic development. I’m totally here for it, and the authors did their research well. I’ve hardly ever not seen eye to eye with Peter Greer on anything he’s written.
I give this book 3 stars because it was probably 75% anecdotes. Which is great because people love stories and all. But it’s just not for me. I read fiction for stories, and non-fiction for knowledge, and whenever a non-fiction author follows every point with two five-page stories about that point, I get a lil bored. ...more
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