Emily Bender and Alex Hanna – The AI Con
The overly negative tone of the book makes it less credible, especially considering the advancements that have been made in AI since its publication.
Capitalism is the best economic system, as long as you assume that the marginal utility if incremental individual wealth is not diminishing
Johan Norberg – The capitalist manifesto
Some interesting fact and figures around happiness in different countries support the thesis, but the question of redistribution is treated in a shallow way.
To understand the full potential power of blockchain technologies, think of a computer rather than a ledger
Chris Dixon – Read, write, own
A passionate plea for proper use of blockchain to revolutionize the economics of the digital world, which is still far from materializing.
To contain AI (and synthetic biology), humanity should bet on regulation
Mustafa Suleyman – The coming wave
In the light of the message of the book, the writer’s move to join Microsoft as AI chief in early 2024 was surprising.
A solid system of taxation is one of the major indicators for the success of power structures
Chris Wickham – Medieval Europe
Rich and fascinating deep-dive into an under-estimated millennium.
The Mediterranean has been the pivotal connection between great European, North African, and Asian cultures and economies
David Abulafia – The great sea
The best parts are the details (e.g. on laws governing responsibilities at sea in medieval times), but these facts buried in a thorough, impressively complete historical overview.
Various scandals illustrate the despicable role that big consultancies play in the global capitalist system, while they try to reap benefits of their worthless services by applying dubious marketing and sales tactics
Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington – The big con
The book paints a naive caricature of the consulting industry, downplays the role and responsibility of other actors and, unfortunately, lacks a realistic alternative for flexibly solving skill and capacity deficits (especially in the public sector); thereby undermining any justified concerns.
Africa and Africans have never been taken seriously by the Western world, simplifying the story of the continent to ‘famine and safaris’
Dipo Faloyin – Africa is not a country
Well known story told in a fresh style, which unfortunately still serves a purpose.
The issues and conflicts plaguing modern Spain are rooted in a troubled history that until shockingly recently was a dictatorship
Great overview that brings together different perspectives in a shocking narrative without becoming judgemental.
The initial strength of the Hanseatic League was the fluidity of the institution, but that also limited the degree to which it could scale its power
Carsten Jahnke – Die Hanse (read in German)
Nice to read as an example of a successful alternative power structure (in the sense of Graeber en Wengrow), that is nonetheless is firmly rooted in proto-capitalist principles.
A subversive branch of the French royal family has been responsible for the emergence of the low countries as a geopolitical entity
Bart de Loo – The Burgundians (read in Dutch)
Politics and court life in the high middle ages evoked in a juicy style.
Fishermen tend to kill the thing they love
Everything you always wanted to know about the economic, cultural, historical, and culinary significance of cod.
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
Good diagnosis of current monetary policy, but combined with a disappointingly naive belief in the free market as panacea.
Back in the day, the Mayas may have captured some Vikings
The year 1000 – Valerie Hansen
Most intriguing where the described ‘globalization’ takes the for of trade – rather than old-fashioned conquest
The contemporary art market bubble is kept afloat by a handful of mega dealers
The metroric rise of art prices is a fascinating topic, but the author get a bit lost in his effort to ducoment each twist or turn in the lives of the secondary characters in his story.
Forget about stopping climate change, but don´t let that stop you fighting it
David Wallace-Wells – The uninhabitable earth
The book clearly illustrates that climate change is the prisoner’s dilemma ‘par excellence’
Running a socially responsible business is often just egotism in disguise
Anad Giridharadas – Winners take all
Giridharas key argument is that elites only support change to the point where their privilege is not endangered.