The reading collection
Psychology, geopolitics, philosophy—and everything in between.
2,048 readings · 589–600
The Palgrave Handbook of Mimetic Theory and Religion* is an attempt to delineate the mimesis of religion. It will focus on how mimesis is a prominent feature of religion by discussing how mimesis is defined and how…
The comedian Tim Minchin once observed in a graduation speech that “opinions are like assholes—everyone has one. But unlike assholes, they should be constantly and meticulously examined.
What Is Information? Information is a widely used term referring to knowledge or facts, whether in newspapers, books, phone conversations, or digital communications. In complex systems, information pertains to the…
Sapiens by Harari is an ambitious attempt to summarize the history of humankind, including our harsh beginnings when we competed with other human cousins for resources, our conquests, our innovations, our tragedies,…
Donald Trump* Sam Harris debated Scott Adams on his Waking Up podcast.
Growth Modes and Big History Not long ago, our ancestors were still swinging through African trees. In evolutionary terms, the rise of Homo [sapiens](https://www.amazon.
Forget the saying, ‘the mind is a terrible master but a great servant.’ The mind can be a terrible master and a terrible servant. Not only does it not know what it wants, but it is bad at doing what it does want.
The quote “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times” has become one of the most widely circulated aphorisms of the 21st century, despite…
Schopenhauer is peculiar among philosophers because he is a pessimist while almost all of the rest are optimists. He is not fully academic like Kant or Hegel, but not wholly outside the academic tradition.
Exorcism and Enlightenment: Johann Joseph Gassner and the Demons of Eighteenth-Century Germany* by H.C. Erik Midelfort is an in-depth exploration into the life and work of one of the most renowned exorcists in…
Epilogue: Myth and Society Nietzsche* 1. The Shapeshifter Campbell concludes by commenting on the relevance of myths today, how myths are viewed and how you can make use of them in your own life.
The image of a forest burning is tragic. Forests capture carbon. And carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas emitted by human activities. Changes in forest carbon can mitigate climate change or make it worse. But…