The reading collection
Psychology, geopolitics, philosophy—and everything in between.
2,048 readings · 133–144
“Cobalt Red” delves into the heart of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution and the world’s tech-driven economy, focusing on Kolwezi, a unique city that harbors about a quarter of the planet’s cobalt reserves.
Voltaire’s provocative declaration “Si Dieu n’existait pas, il faudrait l’inventer” (If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him) represents one of the most paradoxical and profound statements about…
In Industrial Society and its Future*, by Theodore Kaszynski , the author argues that industrial society is unsustainable and will ultimately fail. Kaszynski makes a strong case for the need for a new society based…
In “Fateful Triangle,” Noam Chomsky examines the attitudes and policies of key players in the Middle East conflict since 1967, focusing on the United States, Israel, the Palestinians, and the Arab states including…
William Gibson’s observation that “when you want to know how things really work, study them when they’re coming apart” represents a profound insight into the nature of systems, knowledge, and crisis analysis.
Below is a review and summary of Iain M. Banks’s classic, The Player of Games*, and how it relates to our times. The Adventure Unfolds** Imagine a man named Jernau Morat Gurgeh, a citizen of the Culture—a vast,…
In Dick’s world, it is hard to keep the police separate from the corporations or distinguish the state’s propaganda from capitalism’s**. Or maybe they’re all space aliens.
Wayne Jonas worked as a director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and as a research scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), Walter Reed Army Institute of…
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s profound insight that “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable” represents one of the most sophisticated understandings of strategic…
Why Materialism is Baloney is an original and engaging work. Bernardo Kastrup neatly pokes glaring holes in the dominant scientific narrative of our age: materialism. Below are some highlights.
The quest for immortality and prolonged life is not a recent phenomenon but has been a part of human culture since early civilizations. This pursuit is evident in ancient legends like that of King Gilgamesh and in…
The section paints a grand panorama of the evolution of life on Earth and humanity’s journey towards technological and environmental [mastery](https://www.amazon.