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dr.Pep
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Copyright © 2021 Pepijn van der Laan.
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Feigning intelligence is not too difficult, considering that people can be fooled in many different ways

Feigning intelligence is not too difficult, considering that people can be fooled in many different ways

Brian Christian – The most human human

Unfortunately, the book does not explicitly challenge if humans are adequate judges in the Turing test.

It is not hard to find an excuse to try phychedelics when you have a midlife crisis

It is not hard to find an excuse to try phychedelics when you have a midlife crisis

Michael Pollan – How to change your mind

It is much harder to relate to the author’s obsession, which seems mostly driven by a some vague feeling of disappointment concerning life in general.

Whenever you need to come to a rational decision: use Mathematics

Whenever you need to come to a rational decision: use Mathematics

Jordan Ellenberg – How not to be wrong

A cornucopia of charming mathematical anecdotes and facts

The left terrorizes the right while bathing in victimhood

The left terrorizes the right while bathing in victimhood

Gad Saad – The parasitic mind

The purposeful one-sided rant makes the book lose all credibility, in particular since the arguments can easily be reversed – especially in the wake of Trump’s desperate challenge the US election outcome.

Poverty is not just characterized by lack of money, but also by risk unpredictability of cash flow and risk exposure

Poverty is not just characterized by lack of money, but also by risk unpredictability of cash flow and risk exposure

Daryl Collins – Portfolios of the poor

Thorough application of small data that provides valuable insight in how people live on less than 2$ a day – and what that implies for microfinance.

20th century science gave rise to some truly mind-blowing concepts

20th century science gave rise to some truly mind-blowing concepts

Benjamin Labatut – When we cease to understand the world

A highly entertaining fictionalized history of landmark scientific breakthroughs.

Ongoing advances in technology make that ethical norms develop incredibly fast

Ongoing advances in technology make that ethical norms develop incredibly fast

Juan Enriquez – Right/Wrong

Filled with highly interesting statistics about the evolution of public perception on ethical issues.

The philosophy of the Silicon Valley elite is just a bunch of ill understood one-liners from preferably obscure thinkers

The philosophy of the Silicon Valley elite is just a bunch of ill understood one-liners from preferably obscure thinkers

Adrian Daub – What tech calls thinking

Entertaining and polemic book, although many of the author’s points hardly need to be argued.

It is not political philosophy, but political geography that led Democrats in the USA to embrace the knowledge economy

It is not political philosophy, but political geography that led Democrats in the USA to embrace the knowledge economy

Jonathan Rodden – Why cities lose

In the US election system, geographic concentration puts democrats at a fundamental disadvantage.

If you allow yourself to think on a different timescale, trees are surprisingly dynamic

If you allow yourself to think on a different timescale, trees are surprisingly dynamic

Colin Tudge – The secret life of trees

There is a limit to the degree of suspense that you can bring into taxonomy.

It is quite hard to die in peace while owning the most famous diamond in the world

It is quite hard to die in peace while owning the most famous diamond in the world

Anita Anand and William Dalrymple – Koh-i-Noor

The stone itself is just an excuse to tell wonderful stories.

Over the past decades, most economists have been forced to flex their opinion on the efficient market hypothesis

Over the past decades, most economists have been forced to flex their opinion on the efficient market hypothesis

Justin Fox – The myth of the rational market

The book resists the temptation to get lost in juicy stories, but focuses on the evolution of ideas.

The combination of dogged determination and a bit of luck can turn an antihero into a hero

The combination of dogged determination and a bit of luck can turn an antihero into a hero

Anita Anand – The patient assassin

Compelling story telling and enriching perspectives make it hard not to become fascinated by Udham Singh and his quest for revenge.

Marginal communities provide natural experiments that convincingly illustrate basic economical mechanisms

Marginal communities provide natural experiments that convincingly illustrate basic economical mechanisms

Richard Davies – Extreme Economies

Well chosen examples (prisons, refugee camps, declining cities, etc.) illustrate why economics is a social science

The escalating polarization in USA politics may well lead to an exit of California or Texas from the union

The escalating polarization in USA politics may well lead to an exit of California or Texas from the union

Daivd French – Divided we fall

The hypothetical scenarios are well crafted and unfortunately not as far-fetched as one might hope.

Even someone reading Milton and Goethe may still turn into a monster

Even someone reading Milton and Goethe may still turn into a monster

Mary Shelley – Frankenstein

Nice to read in conjunction with The Age of Wonder.

Natural philosophy transformed into science thanks to the commitment and sacrifice of some thrill-seeking geeks

Natural philosophy transformed into science thanks to the commitment and sacrifice of some thrill-seeking geeks

Richard Holmes – The age of wonder

Conveys lively how science was considered an undertaking for daring adventurers.

Once people realize that the US will never ever be able to pay off its debt, inflation will skyrocket and the the economy will be in shambles

Once people realize that the US will never ever be able to pay off its debt, inflation will skyrocket and the the economy will be in shambles

Peter Schiff – The real crash

Good diagnosis of current monetary policy, but combined with a disappointingly naive belief in the free market as panacea.

The Silicon Valley philosophy of innovation and disruption undervalues the importance of maintenance and durability

The Silicon Valley philosophy of innovation and disruption undervalues the importance of maintenance and durability

Lee Vinsel, Andrew Russel – The innovation delusion

Funny enough, the polemic narrative applies all the trick of typical innovation literature to promote a maintenance mindset.

How to evoke emotions, using only the simplest of graphical elements?

How to evoke emotions, using only the simplest of graphical elements?

Mollie Bang – Picture this

A practical guide to understanding composition and graphic design.

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Copyright © 2021 Pepijn van der Laan.
All rights reserved.