What Are You Reading ?

[flasharry]

Prof. Ronald Hutton's "Stations of the Sun"

[TomAiello]

I'm currently reading The Constitution of Liberty, by FA Hayek:

https://smile.amazon.com/Constitution-L ... 0226315398

I'm in the section about the American Revolution and the US Constitution and he has a fascinating (and non-US centric) view of it. It's very impressive how much research a non-American did into US history.

On the other hand, he did basically win his Nobel prize (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/econo ... yek/facts/) for the ideas presented in this book, so I guess exhaustive research is to be expected.

[Naperville]

I just bought approx 25 books on personal protection, executive protection, small combat tactics, guerilla warfare(China, Vietnam, Philippines), and Rhodesian war...

[JonLeBlanc]

“The Mirror and the Light” by Hilary Mantel, the end of a great trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal to Henry VIII.

[Doc Dan]

With a SAK as her only knife.

Doc Dan:

Indeed. Well, actually, she lost the SAK on the trail fairly early in her hike, and had to buy another pocketknife (not described), along with other supplies, at a store along the trail.

What kind of book are you writing?

Jim

A book on suffering. Why do good people suffer?

[James Y]

With a SAK as her only knife.

Doc Dan:

Indeed. Well, actually, she lost the SAK on the trail fairly early in her hike, and had to buy another pocketknife (not described), along with other supplies, at a store along the trail.

What kind of book are you writing?

Jim

A book on suffering. Why do good people suffer?

Very interesting subject for a book.

Although I suspect that many of the bad/evil people in the world who never seem to suffer, and always seem to get their way and get away with things, aren’t necessarily as happy deep down as they might appear. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to be that type. But I’m starting to go way OT.

Jim

[wrdwrght]

Ian Hodder’s Entangled: An Archaeology of the Relationships between Humans and Things.

You only think you know why and how Spydies matter to you...

[Bloke]

Some interesting articles in an old Playboy magazine.

[Doc Dan]

With a SAK as her only knife.

Doc Dan:

Indeed. Well, actually, she lost the SAK on the trail fairly early in her hike, and had to buy another pocketknife (not described), along with other supplies, at a store along the trail.

What kind of book are you writing?

Jim

A book on suffering. Why do good people suffer?

Very interesting subject for a book.

Although I suspect that many of the bad/evil people in the world who never seem to suffer, and always seem to get their way and get away with things, aren’t necessarily as happy deep down as they might appear. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to be that type. But I’m starting to go way OT.

Jim

I am also researching for a sci fi book I plan to write.

[stream26]

Currently reading Get the Right Things Done" by Peter Bregman. It's not just about planning your day rationally, it's more about setting the priorities right and also covers managing task priority. For the day, and for the whole life.

[wrdwrght]

I'm currently reading The Constitution of Liberty, by FA Hayek:

https://smile.amazon.com/Constitution-L ... 0226315398

I'm in the section about the American Revolution and the US Constitution and he has a fascinating (and non-US centric) view of it. It's very impressive how much research a non-American did into US history.

On the other hand, he did basically win his Nobel prize (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/econo ... yek/facts/) for the ideas presented in this book, so I guess exhaustive research is to be expected.

I’d love to ask Hayek how is it that socializing the costs of many private businesses is everywhere; how profiting on prisons or with private military contractors seeks fewer criminals or more peace; why a tyrannical oligarchy (one now permitted to raid pension funds) is upon us; and, indeed, why there is a 1%. Have you found answers to such questions in what you’ve read?

[TomAiello]

I'm currently reading The Constitution of Liberty, by FA Hayek:

https://smile.amazon.com/Constitution-L ... 0226315398

I'm in the section about the American Revolution and the US Constitution and he has a fascinating (and non-US centric) view of it. It's very impressive how much research a non-American did into US history.

On the other hand, he did basically win his Nobel prize (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/econo ... yek/facts/) for the ideas presented in this book, so I guess exhaustive research is to be expected.

I’d love to ask Hayek how is it that socializing the costs of many private businesses is everywhere; how profiting on prisons or with private military contractors seeks fewer criminals or more peace; why a tyrannical oligarchy (one now permitted to raid pension funds) is upon us; and, indeed, why there is a 1%. Have you found answers to such questions in what you’ve read?

Hayek opposed 'corporate welfare.'

That means that he would definitely agree with you on most of those questions. When the government favors a private party (by special tax breaks, by subsidies, by awarding government contracts, etc) they are receiving special treatment. That's the case with case with prisons for profit (largely an artifact of the 'war on drugs' which Hayek would definitely have opposed), the case with the government raiding pension funds to spend on favored groups and projects, and the case on military contract awards.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'why there is a 1%', but in general wealth inequality is a natural and desirable feature of a market economy. Hayek devotes several chapters to why this is so. As just one example, if there had not been a wealthy class in the early part of the 20th century to buy refrigerators, then they never would have been developed further, and they would not be available as a relatively inexpensive mass market consumer product today. Which basically means we wouldn't have refrigerators (or cell phones, or private automobiles, etc) today, without the 'rich' of yesterday to buy them and encourage future development. The wealthy of today are basically testing the mass market consumer technology of tomorrow, and we all benefit from that.

I'm not sure that you have a solid grasp of Hayek's principles. He was opposed to all government favoritism, which definitely includes favoritism for those with lots of money to spend on lobbyists and laws of their choice. And he devotes time to why socializing the costs of private businesses is a disaster, as well.

At any rate, I'd highly recommend the book, if you have time to read it. It sounds like you and Hayek would find quite a lot of intellectual common ground.

[A.S.]

Cache Lake Country: Or, Life in the North Woods by John J. Rowlands

A very fine memoir; my idea of a perfect summer read. I highly recommend it if you enjoy the outdoors.

[James Y]

I am also researching for a sci fi book I plan to write.

Wishing you the best in writing your books. I’ll be interested to know how it goes.

I’ve been considering writing a book (or books) for some time now, but I’m not sure about what. :o Originally, it was going to be about martial arts/applications historically and in modern day, but I’ve scrapped that. There are other, completely different subjects I’m interested in writing about, but am not sure in what way, which means I’m probably not ready yet (or I’m simply procrastinating). :)

Jim

[wrdwrght]

I'm currently reading The Constitution of Liberty, by FA Hayek:

https://smile.amazon.com/Constitution-L ... 0226315398

I'm in the section about the American Revolution and the US Constitution and he has a fascinating (and non-US centric) view of it. It's very impressive how much research a non-American did into US history.

On the other hand, he did basically win his Nobel prize (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/econo ... yek/facts/) for the ideas presented in this book, so I guess exhaustive research is to be expected.

I’d love to ask Hayek how is it that socializing the costs of many private businesses is everywhere; how profiting on prisons or with private military contractors seeks fewer criminals or more peace; why a tyrannical oligarchy (one now permitted to raid pension funds) is upon us; and, indeed, why there is a 1%. Have you found answers to such questions in what you’ve read?

Hayek opposed 'corporate welfare.'

That means that he would definitely agree with you on most of those questions. When the government favors a private party (by special tax breaks, by subsidies, by awarding government contracts, etc) they are receiving special treatment. That's the case with case with prisons for profit (largely an artifact of the 'war on drugs' which Hayek would definitely have opposed), the case with the government raiding pension funds to spend on favored groups and projects, and the case on military contract awards.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'why there is a 1%', but in general wealth inequality is a natural and desirable feature of a market economy. Hayek devotes several chapters to why this is so. As just one example, if there had not been a wealthy class in the early part of the 20th century to buy refrigerators, then they never would have been developed further, and they would not be available as a relatively inexpensive mass market consumer product today. Which basically means we wouldn't have refrigerators (or cell phones, or private automobiles, etc) today, without the 'rich' of yesterday to buy them and encourage future development. The wealthy of today are basically testing the mass market consumer technology of tomorrow, and we all benefit from that.

I'm not sure that you have a solid grasp of Hayek's principles. He was opposed to all government favoritism, which definitely includes favoritism for those with lots of money to spend on lobbyists and laws of their choice. And he devotes time to why socializing the costs of private businesses is a disaster, as well.

At any rate, I'd highly recommend the book, if you have time to read it. It sounds like you and Hayek would find quite a lot of intellectual common ground.

Your thoughtful insights suggest you didn’t take my comment as a goad. I’m glad of that.

I am not a student of Hayek, but I am a student of the accumulation of capital and of any models (Marx’s included) that can explain divides in wealth and power, and especially the social consequences (as distinct from any enjoyments and freedoms parts of society can or cannot find depending on which side of a divide they find themselves).

Hayek’s model does seem to beg the question about divides; as you say, he takes as a given that “inequality is a natural and desirable feature”, and yet, curiously, he would in your view think my questions to him as illustrating capitalism misbehaving itself.

Marx‘s model, on the other hand, treats such divides not as always having been there, naturally, but as having happened historically within the ongoing accumulation process by reason of the process’ changing contingencies.

The desirability of inequality plays no role in Marx’s model, where it seems in Hayek’s, one is forced to excuse capitalism’s inequalities as not only natural but also desirable. Seems uncomfortably Faustian to me.

Given all the bad done in Marx’s name, it is ironic that Marx was actually moral (though not in his model) on the matter of inequality and could not refrain from making hope-filled predictions, stemming ill-advisedly from his model, about capitalism’s imminent demise. ThIs irony is even greater inasmuch as his model actually allows for capital’s endless reinventiveness, including “corporate welfare” and the evermore obscene concentration of wealth among the now minuscule “1%”.

Anyway, not trying to change your mind, just expressing some thoughts your reference and comments have triggered.

[ChrisinHove]

“The Mirror and the Light” by Hilary Mantel, the end of a great trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal to Henry VIII.

Excellent series! This one is lined up for my vacation.

If you like this, for a lighter read you might like the Shardlake series, set at the same time.

[JonLeBlanc]

“The Mirror and the Light” by Hilary Mantel, the end of a great trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal to Henry VIII.

Excellent series! This one is lined up for my vacation.

If you like this, for a lighter read you might like the Shardlake series, set at the same time.

Isn’t it though!? You’re in for a treat with “The Mirror and the Light” as it’s twice as long as “Wolf Hall” and “Bring up the Bodies.” Of course, we know what happens, so the last book is a studied exercise in dread. But as Mantel herself said, Cromwell will live again! Happy reading and thanks for the suggestion!

[MichaelScott]

The Marne 1914, Holger Herwig

[TomAiello]

...but I am a student of the accumulation of capital and of any models (Marx’s included)...

I've already read Capital and The Communist Manifesto (both are on my shelf in our home library actually), but if you can recommend any good socialist-oriented economic works (maybe someone more recent than Marx), I'd be interested to read them. Keynes doesn't count--I'm super current on Keynes.

Just for entertainment value, have you seen the Keynes v. Hayek rap on Youtube?

https://youtu.be/d0nERTFo-Sk&t=37s
https://youtu.be/GTQnarzmTOc

If you're actually interested in and reasonably informed about the economics they're pretty funny. For most people, they're kind of pointless though.

Side note; I found Niall Kishtainy's A Little History of Economics to be a really nice overview of the development of economic thought, with a ton of references to guide me to further reading. If you're interested in this kind of stuff, I highly recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Little-History-E ... 0300206364

[z4vdBt]

Just finished Skeleton Man (Leaphorn & Chee #17), Tony Hillerman 2004.

Reading The Shape Shifter (Leaphorn & Chee #18), Tony Hillerman 2006.

^ #18 is the last in the series written by Tony Hillerman. His daughter, Anne Hillerman, picks it up at #19 through #23.