Thread by @eriktorenberg

Here are the most interesting books and articles that changed my mind in 2021:

Lyn Alden presents the case for inflation, drawing partially from Ray Dalio’s "Big Debt Crisis"

Whenever sovereign debt to GDP has reached over 130%, 51 out of 52 times that debt was not paid back in real terms, meaning there was inflation.

lynalden.com

Scott Sumner believes that recent inflation is transitory (COVID supply shock) & inflation won't exceed 3% in 2020s

He believes Fed can stabilize inflation (2% last 40 yrs) & GDP/debt concerns are different this time b/c interest rates are naturally low

amazon.com/Money-Illusion…

"The Mind is Flat" proposes that that our notion of an inner life/authentic self is misguided

Scientifically we understand less about the brain (& consciousness, trauma) than we think

The counter is “The Body Keeps Score”, tho I find this more empowering
amazon.com/Mind-Flat-Rema…

Will Storr's book describes how status games have evolved since we left small tribes and how we’ve gone from virtue games to prestige games. He unpacks the evolutionary role of gossip & how cancel culture scaled it. Informed this: eriktorenberg.substack.com/p/truth-status…

amazon.com/Status-Game-Po…

Luke Burgis explains Girard in his book "Wanting"

Girard shows how the scapegoat phenomenon emerges even among people fully aware of the pattern

Each time, the death/cancellation of the scapegoat is *uniquely* required by the specialness of the situation
amazon.com/Wanting-Power-…

Power to the Powerless chronicles the journey of a merchant reconciling with the moral crusade of his time (at the time, communism)

It’s also about how ideology acts as a bridge between the elites and the masses in post-totalitarian societies

amazon.com/Power-Powerles…

In contrast, Eumeswil's “anarch” makes a deliberate choice to formally comply while maintaining independence internally

The anarch believes that resistance is futile, & focuses on other projects where they can make a difference (e.g “It’s Time To Build”)
amazon.com/Eumeswil-Ernst…

Given excitement around new innovations in democratic governance, it's good to read Nadia Eghbal's "Working in Public", which adds more nuance to the utopian stereotype that all open source projects are bottoms-up and democratically built/governed.

amazon.com/Working-Public…

Another helpful concept—The Iron Law of Oligarchy

Democratic power rolls up to an oligarchy, bc the masses can't organize, only a minority elite can organize

This oligarchy gains its power by marrying itself, a small minority elite, w/ a permanent underclass, against the middle

Rob Henderson's "Luxury beliefs" is a model for understanding why some elites profess beliefs that run contrary to their actions (e.g. promoting public schools but putting their kids in private schools). Aristocrats who think aristocracy is evil.

https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1287233780600541185?s=20

Paul Bloom’s "Against Empathy" tries to make a nuanced case for balancing rationality & compassion (both of which can be weaponized)

One concern is whether we have the right antibodies for the weaponization of empathy, or the ability to properly scope it
amazon.com/Against-Empath…

Burnham's trio:

1. The Machiavellians — about the structure of politics
2. The Managerial Revolution — about the 20th century
3. Suicide of the West — how liberalism works

Burnham was a Marxist in 1920s, then renounced communism & founded The National Review so he's seen it all

If these books seem heavy on political philosophy, it's b/c most of the remaining big questions around the future of the internet involve political philosophy!

@balajis & @benthompson captured it well here:

https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1424795340524326914?s=20

stratechery.com/2021/internet-…
foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/11/bit…

On leadership, I enjoyed 1. ”Conscious Leadership” which is something like a mix of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Nonviolent Communication: amazon.com/15-Commitments…

And 2. The Great CEO Within: amazon.com/Great-CEO-With…

Joan Didion passed away a few days ago, so it’s fitting to end with her tragic memoir about her husband and daughter, as well as this speech she wrote when she was 13 (!) h/t @KTmBoyle

amazon.com/Year-Magical-T…

For reference, here's my 2020 version of the best books I read:

https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1344815629426073600?s=20

And here's my 2019 version:

https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1209990096402796544?s=20

Another rabbit hole I went down this year was higher-ed:

https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1379670298140803073?s=20

I'm interested in any and all recommendations for 2022.