This book’s full title is Persians: The Age of the Great Kings. We in the western world generally do not have a positive attitude towards the Persians and this is mainly due to the Greek historians and the Roman Empire. The Greeks and the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire were enemies and fought a number of battles. I love reading history. I found this book interesting and it adds to my knowledge of world history.
I found a great review of this book at Bryn Mawr Classical review. Review is by Farnoosh Shamsianat of Leipzig University. There is a short review at Publishers Weekly. Ali Ansari on Engelsberg Ideas writes an interesting and rather negative review of this book.
Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones speaks at York University Questions start around 46 minutes in. This is a short video on YouTube of Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones talking about Cyrus the Great. This next video is an interview by Erica on YouTube of the author. She is a young woman interviewing the author and it is quite interesting.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
The Dragons and the Snakes by David Kilcullen
This book’s full title is The Dragons and the Snakes: How the Rest Learned to Fight the West. I found this a fascinating book. I do not usually read such books because it is about war rather than straight history. But this is a well-written and as I said fascinating book about how war techniques change over time.
The dragons in this book are Russian, China, Iran, and North Koreas. The snakes are terrorist groups, like the Taliban, Al Qaida, ISIS etc. He talks how the dragons and snakes are changing how they fight based on how America fights. He talks about how the fighting is evolving, changing, and adapting.
There are some good reviews on Amazon. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the reviews. I found Will Selber’s review of this book on The Strategy Bridge interesting. He talks about what he likes and dislikes of this book. It is always interesting to read a critique of a book and this is what this review is. This probably the best review. Micholas Underwood on Small Wars Journal gives a rather positive review of this book
Clifford May moderator for a Foundation for Defense of Democracies. David Kilcullen starts discussion 3 minutes in. The site The Reading Stack talk about this book and review starts around 3:45 minutes in. David Kilcullen is interviews on United States Studies Centre in July 2020. This is just a discussion with David Kilcullen rather than a discussion on this book.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
The dragons in this book are Russian, China, Iran, and North Koreas. The snakes are terrorist groups, like the Taliban, Al Qaida, ISIS etc. He talks how the dragons and snakes are changing how they fight based on how America fights. He talks about how the fighting is evolving, changing, and adapting.
There are some good reviews on Amazon. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the reviews. I found Will Selber’s review of this book on The Strategy Bridge interesting. He talks about what he likes and dislikes of this book. It is always interesting to read a critique of a book and this is what this review is. This probably the best review. Micholas Underwood on Small Wars Journal gives a rather positive review of this book
Clifford May moderator for a Foundation for Defense of Democracies. David Kilcullen starts discussion 3 minutes in. The site The Reading Stack talk about this book and review starts around 3:45 minutes in. David Kilcullen is interviews on United States Studies Centre in July 2020. This is just a discussion with David Kilcullen rather than a discussion on this book.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
Thursday, May 30, 2024
The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow
This book’s full title is The Dawn of Everything: A new History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow. This is an absolute terrific book. Graeber looks at the world very differently. You cannot help but learn from him.
An interesting story in this book is about the first contact Europeans had with people of the Americas. The people of Americas ran their societies differently than the Europeans. The authors talk about how discussions with people of the Americas, especially around the great lakes, affected and maybe prompted the European Enlightenment age. An interesting person they talk about is Kandiaronk, a Huron-Wendat chief.
This is an absolutely fascinating book to read, no matter what political persuasion you have. I have always found anthropology and archology interesting and often fascinating. I sure people into sociology will also love this book. I took a course once in sociology in U of T. I found it boring and depressing. It was all about how horrible things are and what was wrong with the world. Yes, our society is not perfect and there are better ways of doing somethings, but it seems to me that socialism leads to dictatorships. Example currently is Venezuela. I guess that is politically wrong and I may have to remove this sentence
David Priestland on the Guardian writes an interest review of this book. There is an interesting review of this book by Rob Henderson on Substack.
Four Minute Books coving this book is interesting but a lot of advertising for such a short review. See review here. David Wengrow speaks at British Library. See Four Minute Books on YouTube and it is an interesting summary. Democracy now interviews David Wengrow on YouTube.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
An interesting story in this book is about the first contact Europeans had with people of the Americas. The people of Americas ran their societies differently than the Europeans. The authors talk about how discussions with people of the Americas, especially around the great lakes, affected and maybe prompted the European Enlightenment age. An interesting person they talk about is Kandiaronk, a Huron-Wendat chief.
This is an absolutely fascinating book to read, no matter what political persuasion you have. I have always found anthropology and archology interesting and often fascinating. I sure people into sociology will also love this book. I took a course once in sociology in U of T. I found it boring and depressing. It was all about how horrible things are and what was wrong with the world. Yes, our society is not perfect and there are better ways of doing somethings, but it seems to me that socialism leads to dictatorships. Example currently is Venezuela. I guess that is politically wrong and I may have to remove this sentence
David Priestland on the Guardian writes an interest review of this book. There is an interesting review of this book by Rob Henderson on Substack.
Four Minute Books coving this book is interesting but a lot of advertising for such a short review. See review here. David Wengrow speaks at British Library. See Four Minute Books on YouTube and it is an interesting summary. Democracy now interviews David Wengrow on YouTube.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
Monday, April 8, 2024
Leadership by Henry Kissinger
This book’s full title is Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy. This is a wonderful book and highly enjoyable to read. Kissinger talks about Konrad Adenauer, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kuan Yew, and Margaret Thatcher. I have a better view of Nixon because of this book.
Critical thinking is what we need rather than just believing in what you hear from our leaders and the press. I am sorry if anyone disagree with this, but I like to read all points of views and then decide for myself, what I will accept or not accept. That seems like an unpopular position are a lot of people.
Andrew Anthony on the Guardian writes an review of this book. He quotes Christopher Hitchens, an author I have never cared for. Abraham Sofaer on Moment Magazine does an interesting review of this book. Francis Sempa on New York Journal of Books likes Kissinger. Most of reviews do. See the review on Kirkus.
This is a short interview on Good Morning America. Henry Kissinger is interviewed about this book on MSNB. Henry Kissinger is interviewed by World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth. The interview starts around 4 minutes in.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
Critical thinking is what we need rather than just believing in what you hear from our leaders and the press. I am sorry if anyone disagree with this, but I like to read all points of views and then decide for myself, what I will accept or not accept. That seems like an unpopular position are a lot of people.
Andrew Anthony on the Guardian writes an review of this book. He quotes Christopher Hitchens, an author I have never cared for. Abraham Sofaer on Moment Magazine does an interesting review of this book. Francis Sempa on New York Journal of Books likes Kissinger. Most of reviews do. See the review on Kirkus.
This is a short interview on Good Morning America. Henry Kissinger is interviewed about this book on MSNB. Henry Kissinger is interviewed by World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth. The interview starts around 4 minutes in.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
Friday, April 5, 2024
Liberalism and Its Discontents by Francis Fukuyama
This book’s full title is simply Liberalism and Its Discontents. It is an interesting read. I found the last chapter, called Principles for a Liberal Society, the most interesting. I have always had both male and female friends. It seems to me that people who cannot be friends with the opposite sex, cannot see others as fellow humans first.
He is saying that America conservatives must accept the shifting demographics and social change. They will find that the new immigrants are not so different from older immigrants. We are all immigrants in North America. The left only accepts certain diversity, which refers to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. They need to accept other diversities as people are more than just members of a group.
Francis Fukuyama at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy talks about his book. He speaks for 30 minutes and then there is Q & A. For the Commonwealth Club there is a conversation between Tim Miller and Francis Fukuyama on YouTube . The introduction is over around 3.52 minutes and the conversation starts around 5.29 minutes in.
There is a long, interesting review by Seamus Flaherty on Quillette .
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
He is saying that America conservatives must accept the shifting demographics and social change. They will find that the new immigrants are not so different from older immigrants. We are all immigrants in North America. The left only accepts certain diversity, which refers to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. They need to accept other diversities as people are more than just members of a group.
Francis Fukuyama at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy talks about his book. He speaks for 30 minutes and then there is Q & A. For the Commonwealth Club there is a conversation between Tim Miller and Francis Fukuyama on YouTube . The introduction is over around 3.52 minutes and the conversation starts around 5.29 minutes in.
There is a long, interesting review by Seamus Flaherty on Quillette .
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Toronto Mayors by Mark Maloney
This book’s full title is Toronto Mayors: A History of the City’s Leaders. The shocking thing about this book is how readable it is. This I did not expect. Most book with biographies of individuals you keep as reference, because they are boring to read. This is the exception and therefore shocking.
I learned a lot from this book about Toronto, I city I have lived in most of my life. Compared to what you read on the cover of the book. I thought the author treated all the mayors rather sympathetically. Mark Maloney not only talks about the time the mayor was in office, but gives the whole life story of each mayor. I found the book a very easy read.
There is a review of this book on Donner. There is a list of Toronto Mayors and some details on Wikipedia but this is unrelated to this book. There is an article in the Toronto Star by Mark Maloney about the first women elected to the Toronto City Council. She was Constance Hamilton. There is an article in Now about why Cawthra Square Park should be renamed after Mayor Barbara Hall. There is only one review of this book at Good Reads and the reviewer did not particularly like the book.
Mark Maloney is interviewed on the War Room by Vince Nigro. An interesting name for a book review, but it was a good interview.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
I learned a lot from this book about Toronto, I city I have lived in most of my life. Compared to what you read on the cover of the book. I thought the author treated all the mayors rather sympathetically. Mark Maloney not only talks about the time the mayor was in office, but gives the whole life story of each mayor. I found the book a very easy read.
There is a review of this book on Donner. There is a list of Toronto Mayors and some details on Wikipedia but this is unrelated to this book. There is an article in the Toronto Star by Mark Maloney about the first women elected to the Toronto City Council. She was Constance Hamilton. There is an article in Now about why Cawthra Square Park should be renamed after Mayor Barbara Hall. There is only one review of this book at Good Reads and the reviewer did not particularly like the book.
Mark Maloney is interviewed on the War Room by Vince Nigro. An interesting name for a book review, but it was a good interview.
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Slouching Towards Utopia by Brad DeLong
This book’s full title is Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century. It is an interesting read and I found the book quite fascinating. He has some interesting points of view and the book is well worth reading. I have read a lot, but Karl Polanyi is new person to me. He has interesting views and I believe a very good understanding of humans.
However, I do not understand why it should be thought that just because we have enough resources to satisfy everyone that we did not do that. That is our society should be a utopia. Humans throughout history has always been ruled by elites. When we got lots of resources we were still ruled by elites. We are today, still ruled by elites.
I also do not think that Utopia is good. Utopia will produce bored people. Bored people are dangerous people. They will find lots of stupid things to do. You can produce a satisfactory life or society for most people. I think that is possible.
There is a Lecture by Brad DeLong at Peterson Institute. His lecture starts almost 5 minutes into the video and stops around 26 minutes. This is an interview by Gillian Tett on YouTube by RSA. Bradford DeLong talks about this book at Fordham Gabelli School of Business. Lecture stops around 35 minutes and then he answers questions.
There is a short review at Kirkus. Joel Mokyr on Economic History Association has a great review of this book. Rohit Krishnan from Substack gives a review of this book. . .
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
However, I do not understand why it should be thought that just because we have enough resources to satisfy everyone that we did not do that. That is our society should be a utopia. Humans throughout history has always been ruled by elites. When we got lots of resources we were still ruled by elites. We are today, still ruled by elites.
I also do not think that Utopia is good. Utopia will produce bored people. Bored people are dangerous people. They will find lots of stupid things to do. You can produce a satisfactory life or society for most people. I think that is possible.
There is a Lecture by Brad DeLong at Peterson Institute. His lecture starts almost 5 minutes into the video and stops around 26 minutes. This is an interview by Gillian Tett on YouTube by RSA. Bradford DeLong talks about this book at Fordham Gabelli School of Business. Lecture stops around 35 minutes and then he answers questions.
There is a short review at Kirkus. Joel Mokyr on Economic History Association has a great review of this book. Rohit Krishnan from Substack gives a review of this book. . .
An index of the books I have reviewed are on my website at Books. I have three blogs. The first talks only about specific stocks and is called Investment Talk . The second one contains information on mostly investing and is called Investing Economics Mostly. My last blog is for my book reviews and it is called Non-Fiction Mostly. Follow me on Twitter.
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