inquiry_from_an_anti_library's reviews
624 reviews

Wealth is an emergent property that evolved through people’s cooperation.  Cooperating for rewards, for mutual benefits.  Society enables synergy between people, differences within people, to create non-zero-sum outcomes.  Wealth that is enhanced by the productivity of labor, through specialization created by division of labor.  Cooperation made possible by various social technologies, which are the rules people abide by. 

Wealth is contained in knowledge, for knowledge enables people to transform resources into value.  Originating and improving through the process of evolution.  A method of competing to survive that filters out errors and enables the successful competitors to share their traits.  There is no best strategy for survival, no sustainable competitive advantage.  Any competitive advantage is temporary.  Survival itself is success.  Competition allocates finite resources, with markets being better due to their ability to innovate in disequilibrium.

 

Evolutionary successful strategy of cooperation builds on past methods.  Innovate based on what was, but innovations have diminishing returns.  To keep high returns, more innovation is needed.  It might be impossible to predict the changes that evolution enabled, but societies can be designed better.

The collective has emergent properties.  Properties that do not exist within the individual.  Emergent properties such as complexity.  Enabling systems that are dynamic and nonlinear.  Systems that have self-reinforcing cycles of positive feedback, and self-regulating cycles of negative feedback. 

Cooperation can have a network effect, in which products that garner more users based on the number of users the system has.  Networks can provide a lot of value, but they can have consequences.  Networks can become too complicated.  Creating a complexity catastrophe.  When the networks grow too much, a negative change somewhere has drastic effects on various other parts.  Networks create interdependencies that have conflicting constraints, that create gridlock.  Local pain in change can prevent change in the whole system even if the change would improve the whole system.  Hierarchy can enable a better flow of information, to enable complexity along with the interdependencies.  But hierarchies have their own informational problems, such as information degrading.

 

Physics was imported into economics which gave economics mathematical precision, at the cost of realism.  For some, it did not matter that the assumptions were not realistic, as long as they made correct predictions.  That the system acted ‘as if’ the assumptions were correct.  But, the purpose of science is explanations, not predictions.  The explanation and conclusion need to be tested.  Economics took ideas from physics, but while physics kept changing, economics did not.  Physics went from deterministic to dynamic and indeterminate.

Various economic ideas were wrong because economists were using science appropriately.  Assumptions are meant to simplify, but not contradict reality.  Economists used assumptions inappropriately by taking them to an extreme, that contradicted reality.  But there has been improvement, by enabling more realistic assumptions such as through the satisficing rather than making perfectly rational decisions.

 

Evolution is an integral concept to explain wealth, cooperation, and complexity.  Evolution is considered to provide beneficial change by error correcting problems.  The problem is that evolution does not provide only benefits, but also consequences.  Evolution can enable traits that are better for the individual at the expense of the system, at the expense of cooperative ventures.

While the author critiques various economic ideas, and referenced them as having been more static, there are also references to how the ideas have changed, improved, and were integrated within various fields.  The author provides various updated ways that economics has improved, has evolved. 

 Is This An Overview?

To prevent a war that results in self-obliteration, requires an understanding of what war provides.  How war functions and changes behavior.  War is a destructive act, but tragically also has value.  War can become an addition, like any other.  War provides excitement, power, purpose, and meaning.  War removes the trivia, the shallowness of life.  Allows people to rise above the divisiveness.  War makes reality more understandable, by simplifying reality.  A clear dividing line is made between us and them.  Makes people ready to pursue suffering for a higher good.  Enables people to do evil, that is difficult to reconcile with after the war. 

War is perpetuated by myths, news, entertainment, and history.  Myths twist all information to serve the myth.  The myths are meant to separate people, to prevent communication with the opposition.  Myths invoke a threat to community’s sacred values, with the community perceived as the victims who are justified in their violent reciprocation.  With the myths, the opposition is demonized, with their values inverted to justify cruelty.  Wars that lose their mythic stature, are doomed to fail.  Without the myths, war becomes recognized as organized murder. 

 

The cause needs to be just to fight.  Wars are difficult without an appropriate cause.  Which is why states take tremendous time and effort to promote their cause.  At war, the state becomes the guide for moral righteousness.  To try to expose the myth, would mean removal from the group.  Reporters provide legitimizing support for the for the state. 

Death of innocent ignite conflicts.  The innocent builds the cause.  Each group perceives themselves as victims.  Sharing and distorting the excess of others.  Victimhood is cultivated by showing the injustice carried out against their group.  Atrocities are justified by the atrocities of the opposition.

The dead do not have equal value.  The dead of others mean little, while the dead of supported group matter.  The opposition lacks humanity for killing, but the killing done by the supported group is praised.  War turns people into killers.  For want of power, or under peer pressure.  Martyrs provide a way to prevent arguments for compromise or tolerance.  The dead speak and ask for revenge.

 

The dissidents to conflict are the earliest to be silenced, for they are the most dangerous, as they provide an alternative way to think.  The opposition is not silenced, for they enable the sought after conflict.  Most people self-censor their views to not be branded as outsiders to their community.  Unwilling to help neighbors to prevent being attacked themselves. 

States destroy their own culture to prevent the people from finding critical and moral restraint.  Without the restraint, states are more effective in their attack against the opposition.  Replacing authentic culture with a warped reality.  Generating a conflict between good and evil.  To glorify the myth.  Seeing the humanity of the enemy makes for ineffective soldiers.  Therefore states obliterate self-awareness and self-criticism.  War removes individual consciousness and responsibility, in favor of communal effort.

The problem with silence, is that the silence of past atrocities, enables further atrocities.  War does not free people from ethics of responsibility.  But at times, immoral behavior needs to be reciprocated with less immoral behavior. 

The press sees itself as part of the war effort.  War is perpetuated by the news, as wars garner more views.  The press is being shown only what the military wants them to see.  The press share only what the state wants people to see.  The press show little of reality.  Reporting what makes people feel better about themselves. 

 

Real conflict is very different than what is portrayed by the entertainment industry.  Most people do not behave the way they expected to in actual combat.  Imagined heroism is quick to fall apart.  Individuals betray themselves, for want of safety.  To avoid the primordial fear.  There are few heroes, who usually do not support what they did.  Combat humiliates.  Words used to inspire, become hollow and repugnant.

 

This book covers many sensitive topics, sensitive wars, sensitive traumas.  A diverse history is provided to support the claims.  But the history is limited.  To understand the history of the various conflicts would require more research. 

The inhabitants of Mesopotamia were ethnically diverse.  Various peoples wanted control of Mesopotamia which generated conflict.  Ancient conflict reflected in contemporary events.  Conflicts that devastated cities.  After various disasters, military power was changed.  Concentrated to protect, but also for conquest.  To prevent being conquered, they had become conquerors.  The political system contained citizen assemblies that were needed to approve decisions, no matter who the leader was.  The political system changed from city-states to centralized power, with formalized laws. 

The culture was based on continuous change, to continuously improve on what was.  Change everything from physical structures to belief systems.  There were even references to the flood that were used to explain the changing times.  When various aspects of society had been disintegrating, many had given up on the social system.  The flood symbolized rejection of what was before.  That power, culture, and ideology have changed. 

 

Understanding Mesopotamian history is made difficult by a lack of sources, and challenges in translating the language. 

History is useful when applied to contemporary events.  Showcased in this book by the connection of the various related historic and contemporary events.  The connections have mixed qualities, as the references can be interesting, but also distracting.   

 Is This An Overview?

A looming fortune is within reach, only to be taken away by tragic events.  Tragic events can seem hopeless, only to stumble into a new fortune.  This book follows the oscillating fortune and misfortune of primarily Candide, and many other characters.  Many who had everything, became those with nothing.  While those who appear to have nothing, have a fortune.  Not just fortune that has reversals, but also social values.  Written as a critique on society, on how social perception of groups does not mean that the members behave in the manner they are expected to.  Those who are supposed to represent the civilized behave in a barbarous manner, while those who are supposed to be barbarian behave in a civilized manner. 

 

This is a fast-paced adventure.  Each chapter is short, without many details given.  Lack of details, but filled with meaning.

Transitions have mixed qualities.  There are antediluvian references, which would be better understood by those who know the various historic aspects of the era. 

In an efficient market, in an efficient civilization, the individual cannot do better than the collective power of the many who have a lot more available information.  Even if the individual has information that others do not, the individual cannot make an improvement, gain any benefits by fixing the problem, and cannot exploit the system.  Common problems within adequate systems are supposed to be resolved by the community, as good ideas have already been tried by the community.  The collective might not get the exact answer, but no individual can predict the average value of the error, the average value of the change.   

Alternatively, there are inadequate systems in which individuals can do better that the community, as problems exist but do not get resolved.  Civilization gets stuck with inadequate equilibria as they are systemically unfixable.  There are various reasons for how an inadequate system, an inadequate civilization can develop. 

Central decision makers can prevent others from fixing the problem.  Decisions makers are not the beneficiaries.  There is asymmetric information as decision makers cannot know what or whose information to trust.  Systems might be inadequate, but that does not make them exploitable as there are many competitors trying to benefit from available opportunities, a competitive equilibrium.  To improve the system would require large scale coordination action, but they are difficult to facilitate.

 

Wrong guesses and false cynicism do exist.  Different systems are dysfunctional in different ways.  No individual is better at everything, but individuals can be better at somethings and worse at others.  There is a lot of variation in expert views.

Although there are inadequate systems, just assuming inadequacy can make people see inadequacy in everything with a lot of arguments.  Concluding inadequacy from a problem is not an adequate rule.  Even though systems have inadequate equilibria, a blanket distrust of inadequacy arguments does not get far.  Civilization cannot be beat all the time, but its good to be skeptical and check for inadequacy. 

 

The explanations can be improved.  The organizational quality is mixed.  There are practical examples and abstract reasoning.  The abstract reasoning and conversations can become confusing.  There are parts that would be better understood with prerequisite knowledge.   

This book is based on the dichotomy of perfect and imperfect information theory, an improvement on them.  Tailored to reduce the strictness of perfect information.  

People have different experiences, values, and priorities.  Differences that cause division and conflict.  With tribes formed by those who agree and share the same values.  A method to overcome the division and conflict would be to change how to think about the ideas.  To think about the ideas from above, a cosmic perspective.  Science and rational thinking provides that perspective.  Many disagreements disappear when data about the ideas is introduced.  Scientists are after the data, rather than opinions.

While scientific tools overcome human sensory frailties, scientists are taught to think rationally rather than emotionally.  Truth comes from repeated and consistent results, not based on authority nor on a single research paper.  Changing how ideas are interpreted based on tests and experiments.  Knowledge grows exponentially as previous research is used to develop new understanding.  While science seeks to change behavior through voluntary consensus, behavior on social media tends to coerce agreement.   

 

This book is on applications of science across diverse topics.  Various topics that include those that are socially sensitive.  Some topics have been developed further by specialists within the topics, who have different interpretations of the claims. 

There is an idealism about science and scientists.  There is a recognition that scientists can corrupt research, but that the community can self-regulate.  The problem in thinking of the community as an ideal, can prevent scientists from considering how science can be corrupted, which exacerbates the corruption.  Ideally, scientists remove their emotions from their claims, but emotions provide logic with value.  Scientists are people, who have emotions.  Emotions that influence how data is interpreted.  The want to remove emotions, does not prevent emotions, but rather hides them.  Creating the hidden biases that the author recognizes corrupt science.

The subtitle is a bit deceptive.  The cosmic reference is not about astrophysics, but about science.  Science is the cosmic perspective.  There are some references on astrophysics, but that is not the purpose of this book. 

Everything in nature is interconnected.  A species effects the ecosystem around them.  A cycle of life as nutrients from the dead feed the living.  Many animals fight for nutrients provided by other dead animals.  Nitrogen is a reactive compound that enables the growth of vegetation, but is rare in nature.  Nitrogen can be provided by dead animals around them, or alternatively, the winds can carry it.  Nitrogen is a by-product of burning fossil fuels that can be carried long distances on the wind, to come down when it rains.  Trees have been aware of the emissions as they have been growing faster when emissions rose.  But growing too fast makes them vulnerable to fungi and other predators.  Fires have been a way to recycle dead biomass, but that also incinerates the natural sanitation army of animals that decompose and release nutrients.  Rain can provide sustenance, but heavy rain can carry away valuable soil and nutrients.

Animals communicate, between their own species and other animals.  Even vegetation has a communication method, a wood wide web.  Much like animals have defenses against predators, vegetation has defenses on those that prey on them.  Reproduction is attuned to winter losses, but humans can intervene to feed animals and prevent losses, which means more animals available after winter.  Increased population of a species effects how they compete with other animals, and how much vegetation there is.  Hunters have participated in feeding animals, to have more animals to hunt.  People can also protect animals, a desire usually fostered when people engage and connect with animals, such as through zoos. 

 

The ecosystem is complex.  Complexity that makes it difficult to understand how everything is interconnected.  This book shares some connections that are known, with different interpretations.  There are many connections not yet known or understood. 

Death is the outcome of a concentration camp.  A prison that sorts people based on their ability to work.  If a person could not be forced to work under the harsh conditions, or lack of food, they were sent to death.  A concentration camp is about suffering, but there are those who survived.  Those who had higher chances of survival found moments to overcome the suffering, and find mental habits to keep themselves from despair.  Those who survived found ways to imbue meaning in their life.  Finding meaning even in the tragic human experience of the concentration camp.

There were those who died from giving up hope, from a lack of a potential future.  Died from nothing to live for.  A physiological response, as those who deteriorated mentally, also deteriorated physically which made them vulnerable to every other threat.  To survive, to prevent despair, the prisoners found ways to imbue meaning into their experience.  Prisoners found momentary solace in retrospective thought.  Momentary bliss from thinking about loved ones.  Even some humor was used as a self-preservation mechanism. 

Finding meaning is the basis of logotherapy.  Meaning can be found through work, love, or even courage in difficult times.  There is much that is beyond the control of the individual, but the individual has the freedom to choose how to respond.  Cannot control what happens, but can control how the individual feels. 

 

Initially, the prisoners had some hope that they would keep their items.  But became apathetic, as a self-defense mechanism.  Everything began to be about self-preservation.  The prisoners crowed together for self-preservation, to not be conspicuous.  Alternatively, prisoners wanted time along with their thoughts. 

Prisoners who were chosen for death, had a delusion of reprieve.  An illusion of being spared in the last moment.  Those who were chosen for death were those who could not work.  In response, the prisoners tried to make themselves look younger, fit for work.  Viktor E. Frankl used psychological tools to become useful to the Capo, who saved Frankl from death.  Capos were prisoners who worked for the guards.  There were some really bad guards, in all can be found human kindness.

After the camp experience, former prisoners depersonalize their experience, as if they had been deceived and it did not happen.  Even though they wanted liberation, they also could not believe it happened.

 

Logotherapy is about the future, how people finding meaning.  By finding fulfillment in the future.  A tension between what was achieved, and has yet to be achieved.  People have the ability to change, and change the world.

Retrospective thought can be help, but can also be dangerous.  Retrospective thought can prevent people from seeing the opportunities of reality.  To not see opportunities to become better.

There is a survivorship bias in those who survived by using the methods.  As mentioned in the book, many of those who used the methods still died.  Without mentioning how many survived without using the methods. 

In the 1970s, a skeleton is found in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.  The skeleton has a pendant that leads to The Heaven And Earth Grocery Store.  The tale takes the form of a backstory of how the skeleton came to be there, a mystery that is set in the 1920s-1930s.  During the time, The Heaven And Earth Grocery Store, along with theaters are owned by Moshe and Chona.  Moshe manages the theater, while the disabled Chona manages the store. 

The Heaven And Earth Grocery Store acts like a sanctuary for many.  A central community gathering place that is recognized for how they help the community.  In an era of various forms of persecution, the store and theaters transformed the community into an inclusive region.  A region where diverse people who struggle are able to find people who can help them.  Diverse people from different ethnicities, cultures, religions, and disabilities. 

As a sanctuary, Moshe and Chona are willing to hide a nephew of a friend and colleague.  The nephew is a 12-year-old boy called Dodo, who needs to avoid a government agent who is set to take Dodo to a special school for people like Dodo.  Dodo became disabled after a kitchen accident.  Dodo became deaf, but is able to read lips and be athletic.  The request to hide Dodo was due to the poor conditions of the intended school.  Dodo is hidden at The Heaven And Earth Grocery Store.  Although Moshe and Chona did not have a child, Dodo has become part of the family.  Can they keep Dodo hidden?  How is this event tied to the skeleton found many years later?

 

The book covers various socially tense situations, using the language of the era.  Ideas and language that are no longer appropriate.  The situations are meant to represent the values of people during the time.  What they thought and how they reflect on contemporary values. 

Islam has a diverse community, formed by diverse views.  There are those who seek peace and friendly relations with others, but there are also those who seek to justify conflict.  This book is focused on explaining why there are those who want conflict, on the justifications.  The Islamic community had been a leading civilization in military power, commerce, and science.  But since at least the 17th century, Islamic communities have been falling behind.  Without an effective resolution to the gap.  There are those who place the fault on Western imperialism.  Some sources of material support came from foreign sponsors who also provided a philosophy to express anti-Western sentiments.  Although foreign influence did not cause the sentiments, many Islamic states were receptive to the sentiments.

 

Those who seek conflict, need an enemy to retain power.  Even creating conflict to prevent cooperation and diplomatic relations.  In Muslim states, there is no separation of government and religion.  Islam has a devote population with high participation, and deference to the community that is no longer found in the West.  Giving people an identity, and obtaining loyalty.  There are those who seek a pure and authentic Islam.  A piousness that restricts behavior, with those who commit inappropriate behavior seen as legitimate targets of conflict. 

 

As this book focuses on understanding those seeking conflict, there is not much on those seeking cooperation.  There is a lot of Islamic history, with this book covering relatively few events that focus on explaining the claims.