Rise and Fall of the Third Reich - A Series of Unfortunate Events
Release Date: 02/10/2026
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama - More Palestinian Sadness
We Are Not Saved
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy By: Nathan Thrall Published: 2023 272 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? The book operates on three levels: First, the book spends quite a bit of time giving you Abed’s history: his youth, his participation in the Palestinian resistance, his marriages, the associated family dynamics, etc. Second, there’s the actual “day” from the title. Abed’s desperate search for his son after he was involved in a horrific bus accident, and the various difficulties presented by Israeli control (checkpoints, different passes,...
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Plagues upon the Earth - You're Not Sufficiently Horrified
We Are Not Saved
Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History By: Kyle Harper Published: 2021 704 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? A comprehensive historical overview of the never-ending war between humanity and disease. From its earliest days all the way down to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a specific focus on what he calls the “paradox of progress”: every new advance creates new opportunities for diseases. But it’s not just us driving diseases, they’re driving us as well. Efforts to mitigate the negative effects of these pathogens are scattered throughout our history, our...
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Phenomena - Why Must It Always Be a Spoon?
We Are Not Saved
Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis By: Annie Jacobsen Published: 2017 544 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? An exhaustive history of the government’s attempts to systematize and weaponize paranormal abilities. It also covers the broader paranormal research landscape, with lots of discussion of Uri Geller. What authorial biases should I be aware of? Jacobsen claims to be approaching the subject as a neutral observer, but I got a strong “I want to believe” vibe from the book. Her approach...
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Four Books of Speculative Fiction About Christian Damnation
We Are Not Saved
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Unshrunk - Medication, Red in Tooth and Claw
We Are Not Saved
Delano is very much an example of something being wrong with psychiatry, the question is how emblematic is her experience? Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance By: Laura Delano Published: 2025 352 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? An autobiographical tale of Delano’s experience with the mental health industry starting at the age of thirteen. Among other things, it covers her bipolar diagnosis, eating disorders, cutting, and one, nearly successful, suicide attempt. On the treatment side of the ledger she took at least a dozen drugs, engaged in constant therapy, and was...
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Three Books About Roman Stoicism or Lack Thereof
We Are Not Saved
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![Grand Strategy In Life [Essay] (w: review of 33 Strategies of War) show art](https://assets.libsyn.com/content/199465725?height=50&width=50)
Grand Strategy In Life [Essay] (w: review of 33 Strategies of War)
We Are Not Saved
There’s a concept within statecraft known as grand strategy. The “grand” strategy means paying attention to every avenue of conflict, not just the military sphere, but also the diplomatic, the logistical, and the domestic, and everywhere else advantage might be gained or lost. It encompasses soft power, irregular actions, public opinion, etc. But at the same time, it also encompasses prioritization and focus, because, while it’s important to consider every avenue, resources are always limited and need to be spent wisely. A great example of grand strategy done right is the US in...
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Meta-Competition and the Downfall of Civilization [Essay]
We Are Not Saved
Or how America went from the platonic ideal of goal-scoring to the messy theatricality of flopping. And whether we can stop it before someone get's stoned in the forum.
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Eugenics and Other Evils - Chesterton Was Right Everyone Else Was Wrong
We Are Not Saved
Eugenics and Other Evils By: G. K. Chesterton Published: 1922 188 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? Once this book entered the public domain, someone (most likely Inkling Books) added a subtitle to their edition: “An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized State”. This is a pretty good description of the book’s thrust, though the book’s major focus is still definitely eugenics. When the book was written eugenics was a powerful political force, supported by numerous well known individuals. Buck v. Bell, the famous case which approved involuntary sterilization, didn't arrive...
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Three Books With Some Variation of the Word “Fly” in the Title
We Are Not Saved
1- Operation Overflight By: Francis Gary Powers and Curt Gentry Published: 1970 384 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? An autobiographical account of Powers’ experiences before, during, after and around his U-2 spy plane being shot down over the Soviet Union, including his 21 months of imprisonment in a Soviet prison and his long campaign to rehabilitate his reputation upon his return to the US. 2- Flybot By: Dennis E. Taylor Published: 2025 430 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? Another Taylor book where a few scrappy nerds get thrust into the middle of world altering...
info_outlineA book full of potential comparisons to our own day for the motivated, and strangely removed from our own day if you're really going to be honest about it.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
By: William L. Shirer
Published: 1960
1250 Pages
Briefly, what is this book about?
A comprehensive history of Nazi Germany, from Hitler’s birth to the Nuremberg trials. Written by someone who was there for a great deal of the most important period.
What authorial biases should I be aware of?
Shirer is a journalist, not a historian, but he did have access to the German state and party archives, plus some diaries, etc. that were captured at the end of the war. Plus he witnessed the rise of Hitler in the 30’s. I love passages like this:
No wonder that Hitler was in a confident mood when the Nazi Party Congress assembled in Nuremberg on September 4 [1934]. I watched him on the morning of the next day stride like a conquering emperor down the center aisle of the great flag-bedecked Luitpold Hall while the band blared forth “The Badenweiler March” and thirty thousand hands were raised in the Nazi salute.
Who should read this book?
It’s clear that this isn’t the most accurate book about this subject. Scholarship is always advancing and this was written more than 60 years ago. But it may be the most readable book on the subject. It flows very well. 1250 pages fly by. (Or rather the minutes fly by, I listened to it, but with a physical copy for reference and anchoring.) If you’re at all interested in this period I think you’ll really enjoy this book.
What does the book have to say about the future?
I think a lot of people are trying to draw comparisons between the rise of Hitler and the Trump phenomenon. Other people see echoes of fascism in the ubiquity of woke-ism. I don’t think history is going to repeat. And I’m not even sure it’s going to rhyme this time around. People are still too aware of the dangers of populist demagoguery for someone to come to power in the same way Hitler did. Which is not to say there’s nothing to be gleaned from this book, but I suspect that by the time things start lining up, in some bizarre fashion, it will be too late.
Specific thoughts: Pivot points