What Books Have You Read Recently?

[MyTurn2Raise]

The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes

a new history on the Great Depression in the United States. Goes through Hoover, Roosevelt, their top advisors, the programs, and the results. Argues that government prevention not only didn't stem the Great Depression but worsened and lengthened it. The book points out the flaws in government intervention and planning in general. This should be obvious, but it seems most of this world seems to acknowledge this. Nobody is bright enough to run an entire complex system. Nobody can come close to the workings of a market. oh wellz

[MyTurn2Raise]

Everything Bad is Good For You by Steven Johnson

Looking through IQ tests over the past 50 years, one finds an interesting development. People are getting smarter. Each generation is scoring higher than the one before. Steven Johnson presents a piece of persuasive writing that the reason for this increase is the increasing complexity of popular culture. Johnson argues that video games, television, and the internet are making our culture smarter. He points out that many of these things have been demonized and evaluated by the wrong criteria. He points out the positive things that help one in life and to enjoy life. With video games, he avoids the common hand-eye coordination bs. Instead, he argues that the ability to focus, how to find goals, how to keep multiple goals in mind, and how to complete goals is making everyone smarter. With TV, he analyzes how many more story threads and characters go through the modern tv drama, kids program, or movie compared to past programming. He also points out how the reality shows actually give people practice in reading human emotions and human interaction. He further points out how the internet is making the world more interconnected. Those are the main points in what is a powerful book that will blow the socks off some of the fascist talking heads on tv.

[MyTurn2Raise]

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Best Read I've had in a long time!!!!! 10 out of 10.
This book is all about how human lives have moved from mediocrestan (characterized by normal distributions) to extremistan (mandelbrotian distributions). The world is not moving to the beat of the average or the mundane. Outliers are showing up with amazing frequency that blow the normal curve apart. Outliers are impacting our lives everyday. It's the black swan, the unexpected event, that is controlling what we do and where we are going. Taleb goes through and explains how this doesn't jive with most of our thinking. Our thinking has become outdated and harmful in the land of extremistan.
AN AWESOME READ!!

[Blarg]

I give the use of annoying made-up words two thumbs-upistan.

[ChipWrecked]

Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four by John Feinstein.



I dunno.

I love college basketball, and I really enjoy Feinstein (author of 'A Season on the Brink' and 'A Good Walk Spoiled'). But I'm a little disappointed in this effort.

He does a good enough job of delving into the human element of the FF, chronicling out-of-work coaches preying on the crowd of employed coaches ("Got a job for me?") in the hotel lobby, and retelling the experiences of past Final Four participants like Princeton's Bill Bradley.

But, it feels kind of rushed, like he's trying to meet a deadline or something. Also, as the 2005 Final Four is the backdrop (sorry, MT2R) with North Carolina as a featured team, Feinstein makes use of the opportunity to retread several stories from his ACC book that I really loved, 'A March to Madness'.

I'm glad this book was done, but can't really give him more than a 'C' on it.

[kevinhav11]

SSHE, no i am not joking i just read it again.

[gimmetheloot]

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - John Perkins
Discusses the international corporations and how they and governments run corrupt schemes all over the world. Cites many many many examples, specifically his own 'hits' in places like Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, and others.

[Enrique]

[ QUOTE ]
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - John Perkins
Discusses the international corporations and how they and governments run corrupt schemes all over the world. Cites many many many examples, specifically his own 'hits' in places like Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, and others.

[/ QUOTE ]

I read this in October of last year in a book club. I thought the book was great. One of those books that make you see things differently in the world around you. It is sad learning about the greediness that drives so much of human misery. The murder of the Panamanian president was really painful to read.