Hope 2026 has gotten off a good start for you. I'm still publishing on a slower schedule, with 2 book summaries and 2 blog posts this quarter: Book summaries Seeing Like A State by James C Scott (33 mins). Scott explains how states simplify and standardise complex societies to make them “legible” to distant rulers and, in doing so, reshape those societies. Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson (27 mins). The book argues that institutions, rather than geography or culture, are...

It's been a while since my last summary and newsletter. Since I'm not publishing as often, I'm only sending out the newsletter quarterly for the time being (instead of monthly) - just an FYI. Anyway, I've published a new summary: Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. They won a Nobel Prize in 2024 for their work arguing that institutions are key to understanding why some nations succeed and others fail. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary...

My latest summary is for Seeing Like A State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C Scott. The book explores how states simplify and standardize complex societies to make them “legible” to distant rulers. In doing so, the state ends up reshaping reality to fit its narrow view. As usual, the key takeaways are below, and you can find the full summary by clicking the link above. KEY TAKEAWAYS States try hard to make their subjects legible: State power is...