This classic is finally available as an audiobook!
Still relevant after all these years, and a must read for anyone interested in political history.
Government remains the paramount area of folly because it is there that men seek power over others — only to lose it over themselves.
Previous Post and Quotes
This entertaining little book sheds light on many subjects. First, it is a concise biography of the life and ideas of René Descartes. He outlines how Descartes’ Discourse on the Method led to the birth of the modern era. He also gives a clear overview of Cartesian Dualism and why we struggle with it to this day.
Second, [...]
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson (2004)
Just finished reading this delightful survey of modern scientific thought and the history of how we got here. Some of the biographical vignettes are truly inspiring, and others heartbreaking.
I found only one area where recent discovery has superseded his account—so called “junk” DNA. It is now known that these areas [...]
One of the great novels of the twentieth century. Also one of the most powerful expressions of existentialism and humanism ever written. I reviewed this book for the Narrative Medicine Series in 2003. See also the article A Hero for Our Times published in The Guardian.
The Plague is an allegorical novel set in the [...]
Just finished listening to a fascinating interview with Temple Grandin about autism, humane treatment of livestock and the connections between the two. Her new book is Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best life for Animals.
Philip K. Dick is less well known than other science fiction authors of his generation (Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein), but today he enjoys a growing reputation as his novels are adapted to the screen. Of these, A Scanner Darkly is the most recent, the most personal, and perhaps the most important. It is a semi-autobiographical story [...]
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Neil Postman
This important book helps explain the current state of our society, media, and education. Postman begins by contrasting the two great futurist novels, 1984 and Brave New World. He concludes that Huxley made the better prediction—no need for a police state when we have television!
His basic [...]
Last Days of the Incas
Kim MacQuarrie
It is serendipitous that this book came out within a few months of my trip to South America. A history book that reads like a novel, it provided much needed context for what I’d seen. It begins and ends with Machu Picchu, from about 1400 to the present. The story really starts with [...]
Just back from attending this short course by the master of “intelligent design” himself Edward Tufte. It was well worth the time and effort! I’d recommend it to anyone who prepares or presents information with a computer (ie, just about everyone!). His insights are numerous and often challenge conventional wisdom. His bottom line is to [...]
With America “at war” on several fronts, I was stimulated to recall this wonderful and important book by the eminent historian Barbara Tuchman. The first line says it all…
A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests.
More Tuchman Quotations…