Jerry Fodor & Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini (2010)

Brace yourself for a more extensive summary than usual.

Boisterous diatribe to the contrary, ‘science’ is far from free of taboos. Nietzsche remains right about that. Examples: questioning the potential merits of astrology, or links between ‘race’ (however ill-defined) and particular traits. First off, kudos to J&M for having the cajones to put this work out, under such a provocative title. It is hard, even for established intellectuals, to criticise the theory of Darwinian evolution and escape ostracism. And as it turned out, J&M did not escape their un/fair (?) share of ostracization.

J&M think that the Theory of Natural Selection (‘TNS’) is flawed. They come at it with a dual-barreled attack, and the two barrels can be quite cleanly divided. » Continue reading “What Darwin Got Wrong”

Pankaj Mishra (2017)

Pankaj’s new book might well have been subtitled, ‘An Anthology of Terrorism’.  And at times it’s not the most cohesive one, reading more like a smattering attempt to capture every act of politically subversive violence, and a checkered description of the perpetrators and their inter-relationships, since the Enlightenment.

But looking through this somewhat ramshackle layer of narrative exposes an uncut gem of substance.  Pankaj makes the case that the same fundamental processes that are giving rise to the likes of Brexit, Erdogan, Hofer, Le Pen, Orban, Trump and Wilders simultaneously explain ISIS.  Ressentiment, in a nutshell:

“… where individual dissatisfaction with the actually available degree of freedom constantly collides with elaborate theories and promises of individual freedom and empowerment.”

» Continue reading “Age of Anger”

Frank Sherry (1986)

Highly entertaining and accessible narrative covering the Golden Age of Piracy.

Fred Pearce (2015)

“Here we face a central paradox of conservation in the 21st century and beyond. Traditional wild lands – the old-growth forests and other historic habitats – will in future be the places most dependent on human intervention for their survival. In a world of climate change, where the old wild is hemmed in by human activity, these ecosystem islands will increasingly resemble museum pieces, time capsules and experimental labs for scientists. They will not be ‘wild’ in any true sense. On the other hand, the novel ecosystems, the make-do-and-mend places, will be the ones able to stand on their own two feet. They will be the new wild.”

Tadao Umesao (1957)

  No good. If only it lived up to its title …

David Rains Wallace (1983)

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Branko Milanovic (2016)

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Francis Fukuyama (2014)

To all y’all Wes-Coas homies who tuned me I’d nevah pull off dah Opus let me herewith undiss mahself cause here it iz ya know its true that I got thru.

Respec, y’all.  Respec.

And a Big One goes out to mah main man Fukuyama.  You the man for pullin’ this togetha man, dat some mad Eas-Coas politico-economic skillz mah man.

Peace out.

Yanis Varoufakis (2016)

At times haughty and generally poorly structured, with confusing achronological interludes.  That’s the bad stuff out of the way.  On balance, still a highly worthwhile read, in particular the last two chapters, ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Europe’s Crisis, America’s Future’.  Also a must-read for anyone that seriously wants to take an informed position in the Brexit debate, rather than just follow the dogma – ‘progressive Brexin’ and ‘populist Brexit’ alike!

David Porter (2014)

An unashamedly opinionated account of the privatization of the UK energy industry, told from the inside. Highly recommended for market fundamentalists and opponents alike.