Libsyn Directory

Crisis Zone - What Did I Just Read?

We Are Not Saved

Forbes magazine, the bastion of conservative American business journalism, called it "a filth-spattered lens of depravity and dysfunction". Crisis Zone By: Simon Hanselmann Published: 2021 296 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? A very non-traditional household navigates the pandemic using violence and porn production. Who should read this book? I would not recommend this book to anyone. It is without a doubt the grossest, crudest work I have ever read. Though Forbes reviewed it and said: In the deluxe and beautifully designed Fantagraphics edition, Crisis Zone ends up looking like...

Noticing An Essential Reader (1973-2023) - Sailer, Not As Scary as You Think

We Are Not Saved

By: Published: 2024 458 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? A collection of essays from Steve Sailer covering immigration, culture war stuff, and human biodiversity. What's the author's angle? For some, Sailer is a horrible right-wing racist. For others he’s a data-driven contrarian. I mostly fall in the latter camp. Also whatever you think of his opinions, his tone is exceptionally mild. He’s not a fire-breather. Who should read this book? If you’ve been following Sailer forever there’s nothing especially new here. Even if you haven’t previously read all of the included essays...

Collapse of Complex Societies How Long Do We Have Left?

We Are Not Saved

By: Published: 1988 262 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? A new (at the time) theory for the collapse of societies based on declining marginal returns to complexity. What's the author's angle? This is a book definitely written in opposition to previous theories (think , , etc.) many of which Tainter rejects as overly moralistic. Who should read this book? If you’re interested in how the United States will end (and I can’t imagine how you’re not) this is a great book. Specific thoughts: Okay so this is how collapse happens. Can it be stopped?

[Review] Apple in China - Is China Playing a Longer Game Than the US?

We Are Not Saved

By: Published: 2025 448 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? How Apple went all in on China, not merely moving manufacturing there, but also educating their companies in, and co-developing with them, numerous advanced manufacturing techniques. These techniques then spread all throughout China. As such, Apple, far more than any other company, enabled China’s rise to be the world’s most sophisticated manufacturer. In effect they imported a super-charged industrial policy for China. This was bad enough, but the eventual result was that Apple is now utterly dependent on a capricious...

A Meta-tative Episode

We Are Not Saved

In which I start by using my massive intellect to predicte a timeline for the end of the world and end with admitting that I couldn't remember whether I'd read a specific book or not.

Writing in the Age of AI Errors, Eccentricity, and Ego

We Are Not Saved

In which I engage in an extended, and somewhat clunky Star Wars metaphor. And eventually conclude that clunkiness is sort of the point.

Short Fiction Reviews: Volume 4

We Are Not Saved

Israel vs. Hamas vs. Kriss vs. Legibility

We Are Not Saved

A review of Douglas Murray's "On Democracies and Death Cults" with broad discursions into Sam Kriss' article "Douglas Murray, gruesome toady" and the entire Israel-Hamas-Gaza Mess.

Mid-length Non-fiction Book Reviews Volume 7

We Are Not Saved

What Our Last War With China Can Teach Us About Our Next One

We Are Not Saved

People are worried about a lot of things at the moment, but one thing near the top of everyone’s list is a war between the US and China over the fate of Taiwan. What most people have forgotten is that the US already fought a war with China. It’s easy to overlook this previous conflict because we called it the Korean War (and initially it wasn’t even called a war). This is understandable given that it took place in Korea. As such, it’s forgivable to overlook the huge Chinese involvement. But for most of the war the Chinese were our primary opponents. (At its peak were...

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