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anorthiteGood news: I have been making commendable progress at my reading list (for once actually read most of the things I SAID I was reading last time). Bad news: said list is now three pages front and back.
"The Demon Haunted World," Carl Sagan, and "Only a Theory," Kenneth R. Miller --> both fairly open and shut defenses in the liberal (not political party) tradition of scientific thought. They honestly just seem like ... really nice men? and infectiously excited about the cosmos and cell biology respectively. In addition, although they write decades apart and are sounding the alarm for the decline of scientific literacy in America, they both show a degree of optimism, if not in the abilities of the population, then in the endurance of science under scrutiny. Too optimistic? Possibly, but overall I think both of these books function more towards attempting to instill a love of science than prophecy.
"The Field of Blood," Joanne B. Freeman --> This is literally just all about congressmen with funny names beating each other up on the floor of the house and occasionally the senate. There are many entertaining terms thrown about--"personalities" as insults, everything John Quincy Adams has to offer--but also an interesting, if historical rather than sociological, examination of the changes people will undergo when the core tenets of their politics are threatened.
"The True Believer," Eric Hoffer --> ... I don't trust this man? Maybe it's because the whole book is about mass movements so I'm hyper-attuned to not being a sucker or it could be due to the overly declarative tone; anyway, I do think he's right but only in a "thesis confirming" way. I'm not sure I would feel so certain about this book if it wasn't already confirming things I had begun to formulate after reading like 5 other books on the same topic. Also I saw it on one of those stupid "Lists of Books Men Should Read" so my opinion is already sullied.
"The Believing Brain," Michael Shermer --> Imagine reading this long-ass ebook and then you get half way through past all the neuroscience bits to find out that this guy used to be a born again Christian but is now a Libertarian and is going to apply all this brain science to show the Libertarianism is to politics as atheism is to religion and express confusion as to why the idea of economy as a "level playing field" might be seen as figment not fact. Imagine closing said book in rage. Clearly understanding how beliefs work won't save you from some of the stupidest among them.
"The United States of Paranoia," Jesse Walker --> I literally could not tell you what this book is about and I think if I read another big picture book that references Richard Hofstadter I'm going to lose it! Anyway, "Fantasyland," Kurt Andersen, was better. This was missing pieces.
Other things I read so I remember to write things about them later: "It Came From Something Awful," Dale Beren, "The Rhetoric of Hitler's 'Battle,'" Kenneth Burke, "Audience of One," James Poniewozik, "Cultish," Amanda Montell, "Hate in the Homeland," Cynthia Miller-Idriss, "Kill All Normies," Angela Nagle, "Virtue Hoarders," Catherine Liu, "Cynical Theories," Pluckrose and Lindsay, "We Believe the Children," Richard Beck
Now Reading:
"The End of American Childhood," Paula Fass
"These Also Believe," Charles S. Braden
"The Hatred of Music," Pascal Quignard
"The Killer Angels," Michael Shaara, again, because I am a huge loser and love to suffer
"The Demon Haunted World," Carl Sagan, and "Only a Theory," Kenneth R. Miller --> both fairly open and shut defenses in the liberal (not political party) tradition of scientific thought. They honestly just seem like ... really nice men? and infectiously excited about the cosmos and cell biology respectively. In addition, although they write decades apart and are sounding the alarm for the decline of scientific literacy in America, they both show a degree of optimism, if not in the abilities of the population, then in the endurance of science under scrutiny. Too optimistic? Possibly, but overall I think both of these books function more towards attempting to instill a love of science than prophecy.
"The Field of Blood," Joanne B. Freeman --> This is literally just all about congressmen with funny names beating each other up on the floor of the house and occasionally the senate. There are many entertaining terms thrown about--"personalities" as insults, everything John Quincy Adams has to offer--but also an interesting, if historical rather than sociological, examination of the changes people will undergo when the core tenets of their politics are threatened.
"The True Believer," Eric Hoffer --> ... I don't trust this man? Maybe it's because the whole book is about mass movements so I'm hyper-attuned to not being a sucker or it could be due to the overly declarative tone; anyway, I do think he's right but only in a "thesis confirming" way. I'm not sure I would feel so certain about this book if it wasn't already confirming things I had begun to formulate after reading like 5 other books on the same topic. Also I saw it on one of those stupid "Lists of Books Men Should Read" so my opinion is already sullied.
"The Believing Brain," Michael Shermer --> Imagine reading this long-ass ebook and then you get half way through past all the neuroscience bits to find out that this guy used to be a born again Christian but is now a Libertarian and is going to apply all this brain science to show the Libertarianism is to politics as atheism is to religion and express confusion as to why the idea of economy as a "level playing field" might be seen as figment not fact. Imagine closing said book in rage. Clearly understanding how beliefs work won't save you from some of the stupidest among them.
"The United States of Paranoia," Jesse Walker --> I literally could not tell you what this book is about and I think if I read another big picture book that references Richard Hofstadter I'm going to lose it! Anyway, "Fantasyland," Kurt Andersen, was better. This was missing pieces.
Other things I read so I remember to write things about them later: "It Came From Something Awful," Dale Beren, "The Rhetoric of Hitler's 'Battle,'" Kenneth Burke, "Audience of One," James Poniewozik, "Cultish," Amanda Montell, "Hate in the Homeland," Cynthia Miller-Idriss, "Kill All Normies," Angela Nagle, "Virtue Hoarders," Catherine Liu, "Cynical Theories," Pluckrose and Lindsay, "We Believe the Children," Richard Beck
Now Reading:
"The End of American Childhood," Paula Fass
"These Also Believe," Charles S. Braden
"The Hatred of Music," Pascal Quignard
"The Killer Angels," Michael Shaara, again, because I am a huge loser and love to suffer
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