The review examines 'How Asia Works' by Joe Studwell, which proposes a three-part model for economic development based on the success of East Asian countries. Longer summary

This book review explores Joe Studwell's 'How Asia Works', which argues that successful Asian economies followed a three-part development model: land reform, state-guided industrialization with export discipline, and financial policies supporting the first two goals. The review compares successful countries like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China with less successful ones like Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. It discusses the importance of land reform, industrial policy, and financial controls in early development stages, and how these policies differ from standard free-market advice. The review also considers potential counterarguments and the book's implications for current development economics. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews a book about Chinese education, comparing it to criticisms of US schools and examining evidence for discipline-focused vs. creativity-focused approaches to education. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews a book review of 'Little Soldiers', which describes the Chinese education system. The book's author, Lenora Chu, initially resists the strict methods but eventually sees benefits in her son's behavior. Scott compares this to criticisms of the US education system and discusses the debate between discipline-focused and creativity-focused approaches. He examines various pieces of evidence, including twin studies, historical examples, and trends in US education, but finds no conclusive answer. Scott suggests the Polgar method of intense but interest-driven education as a potential compromise. Shorter summary

Scott reviews 'Ages of Discord', which applies cyclic theories of civilizational rise and fall to modern America, finding the data interesting but the core theory questionable. Longer summary

Scott reviews Peter Turchin's book 'Ages of Discord', which attempts to apply the demographic-structural theory of civilizational cycles to modern America. The book presents data showing cyclic patterns in various societal indicators over the past 200+ years, including two main cycles: a long 150-year cycle of national growth and decline, and a shorter 40-60 year cycle of instability. Scott examines the data, theory, and potential problems with applying this pre-industrial model to a modern economy. While finding the data interesting, he is skeptical of some of the theoretical explanations and notes several issues with the arguments. He concludes that while the book provides some valuable concepts and historical information, its core cyclical theory remains questionable. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering various topics from scientific studies, social issues, and current events, including problems with brain imaging studies, AI safety developments, and surprising research findings. Longer summary

This is one of Scott's regular link posts where he shares and briefly comments on interesting articles and studies he's found. The post covers diverse topics including medical research critique (particularly brain imaging and psychiatric studies), current events (like the Chinese government's actions against Buddhist monks), and technological developments in AI safety. Scott adds his characteristic analytical commentary to many of the links, pointing out surprising implications or potential flaws in the studies. The format is casual but informative, with Scott often expressing personal opinions or humorous observations about the material he's sharing. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Hive Mind' by Garett Jones, which argues that national IQ matters more for economic success than individual IQ, while raising several criticisms of the book's methodology and conclusions. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Garett Jones' book 'Hive Mind', which explores the hypothesis that a nation's average IQ matters more for its economic success than individual IQs. The book presents various studies and theories to support this idea, including how high-IQ individuals are better at cooperation and long-term thinking. Scott finds the book interesting but raises several criticisms, including questions about the direction of causality between IQ and development, and how the findings from small-scale experiments might apply to real-world nations. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering science, education, politics and culture, with Scott Alexander's commentary and analysis on each. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and studies. Notable topics include: an IQ study predicting US gains, a social site called Omnilibrium trying to improve filtering, FDA allowing 23andMe genetic tests at higher prices, evidence about pre-K education having potentially negative effects, and news about polio eradication. The post also covers topics like genetic engineering in China, studies about police reducing crime, and cultural analysis of urban violence. Many links come with Scott's brief commentary or analysis putting them in context. Shorter summary