Books
The World: A Brief Introduction by Richard Haass
Richard Haass is the President of the Council on Foreign Relations and his latest book is a fantastic read on presenting an account of the history, diplomacy, economics, and societal forces that have molded the modern global system. A fantastic read!
The Devil’s Delusion by David Berlinski
World renown Philosopher and Mathematician writes a fantastic rebuttal to Richard Dawkin’s book, The God Delusion. I have read both, and The Devil’s Delusion is clearly the better book, and argument - it is also quite funny.
White Paper
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System by Satoshi Nakamoto.
With the recent Bitcoin run, I thought it would be fun to go back and read the famous white paper released fresh on the heels of the global recession.
Lectures
Peter Thiel on “The Straussian Moment” by The Hoover Institute
Peter Robinson opens the show by asking Thiel’s views on his own essay “The Straussian Moment.” (Essay link: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s542/c...) Thiel responds by saying that people today believe in the power of the will but no longer trust the power of the intellect, the mind, and rationality. The question of human nature has been abandoned. We no longer trust people’s ability to think through issues. Thiel notes that this shift began to take place in 1969, when the United States put a man on the moon; three weeks later Woodstock took place, moving the culture in the direction of yoga and psychological retreat. Thiel further adds that there was still hope that things would open up for the world in 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union collapsed, but that the leaders of China and other East Asian countries did not accept that openness would solve their problems. Instead they learned the opposite lessons from those events: that if you open things up too much, then things fall apart. Thiel ends the interview by noting that there is nothing automatic or deterministic about how history happens, and he expresses his views that economic growth plays a vital role in a country’s future.
TV Shows
The Mandalorian Season 2
Seriously the greatest Star Wars content Disney has ever done. Overtook the spot long held by Rogue One. Incredible season and work.