My latest summary is for Inadequate Equilibria: Where and How Civilizations Get Stuck, in which Eliezer Yudkowsky pushes back against what he calls "modest epistemology". As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS Two competing views on when you should think you may be able to do something unusually well: Inadequacy. We should understand how different systems work and the incentives within them to determine whether we’ll...
14 days ago • 1 min read
I'm happy to say I cleaned up both the All Summaries and Blog Posts archives this month so you can now sort by things like author, title, date, rating and topic. I've kept the old pages for now in case of teething issues—please let me know if you see any! During October, I posted 2 book summaries and 3 blog posts: Book summaries The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef (32 mins) — an accessible book about how we should strive to think more like scouts trying to work out the truth, rather than...
26 days ago • 1 min read
My latest summary is for Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the largest hedge funds in the world. In Principles, Dalio reflects on his life and career and sets out the principles he claims helped him succeed. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS Why Principles? Principles allow you to systemise your decision-making and operate consistently. When you can explain your...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
In The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don’t, Julia Galef argues that we don’t need to deceive ourselves in order to feel good, motivated, or persuade others. The book also offers practical tips to see the world more accurately. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS We’re in soldier mindset when we try to defend the views we already hold or wish are true. We’re in scout mindset when we...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
September had 1 book summary and 3 blog posts. I've also started putting reading time estimates on my posts. Book summaries The Case Against Education: Why the Education System is a Waste of Time and Money by Bryan Caplan (29 mins) - it is what it says it is. I found some of Caplan's arguments persuasive but, as you'll see below, I also took issue with many of his claims. Blog posts Thought Experiment: Would You Give Up the Ability to Enjoy Food? (4 mins) Criticisms of “The Case Against...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
I didn’t plan this, but my latest summary for The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money by Bryan Caplan comes right as the school year begins for those in the Northern Hemisphere. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. A word of warning: although Caplan makes some great points, I've also found multiple flaws with his arguments, particularly when he tries to calculate the social return and...
2 months ago • 1 min read
In August, I posted 2 book summaries and 1 blog post: Book summaries The WEIRDest People in the World by Joseph Henrich - a very interesting but dense explanation of how WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) cultures are different, and how they got to be that way. Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt - covers how to spot the far-too-common examples of "bad strategy" and develop good strategy instead. Blog posts Is it better to be WEIRD? - a long-ish...
3 months ago • 1 min read
You’re probably familiar with bad strategy. It’s full of fluff, lofty visions and desirable outcomes, with no clue on how to achieve these things. In Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters, Richard Rumelt explains how good strategy is different. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS The word “strategy” has been so misused that many people don’t even know what it means. Bad strategy fails to...
3 months ago • 1 min read
My latest summary is for The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous by Joseph Henrich, a fascinating book about culture and psychology, with a dash of history. This one's a bit lengthier than normal, reflecting the scope of Henrich's ambitious, 700-page book! As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS What is WEIRD? WEIRD is an acronym for: Western, Educated,...
3 months ago • 1 min read