How to explore Scott Alexander's work and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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9 posts found
Jul 18, 2024
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Mentally Ill Homeless People

70 min • 9,679 words • 786 comments • 151 likes • podcast (52 min)
Scott Alexander discusses various responses to his post on mentally ill homeless people, emphasizing the need for specific, detailed plans. Longer summary
Scott Alexander responds to comments on his previous post about mentally ill homeless people, addressing various objections and proposed solutions while emphasizing the need for specific, detailed plans rather than vague calls for toughness. Shorter summary
Scott Alexander explains why 'doing something' about mentally ill homeless people is more complex than it seems, detailing current processes and challenges in implementing alternatives. Longer summary
Scott Alexander critiques the common call to 'do something' about mentally ill homeless people, explaining why seemingly simple solutions are often impractical or ineffective. He details the current process for dealing with disruptive mentally ill homeless individuals, highlighting its limitations and the numerous challenges in implementing alternative approaches. The post emphasizes the need for specific, well-thought-out plans rather than vague demands for action, and critiques articles that criticize 'soft' approaches without offering concrete, feasible alternatives. Shorter summary
Jun 29, 2022
acx

Highlights From The Comments On San Fransicko

69 min • 9,632 words • 537 comments • 65 likes • podcast (65 min)
Scott Alexander shares reader comments on his 'San Fransicko' book review, covering homelessness, crime statistics, and urban policy debates. Longer summary
This post is a collection of highlights from reader comments on Scott Alexander's review of the book 'San Fransicko'. It covers various topics related to homelessness, crime, and urban policy in San Francisco and other cities. The comments provide additional context, personal anecdotes, data analysis, and critiques of both the book and Scott's review. Key themes include the complexity of homelessness, issues with crime statistics, debates over housing policy, and differing perspectives on how to address urban problems. Shorter summary
Jun 23, 2022
acx

Book Review: San Fransicko

183 min • 25,531 words • 899 comments • 186 likes • podcast (178 min)
A detailed review of Michael Shellenberger's 'San Fransicko', examining its critiques of San Francisco's progressive policies on homelessness, drugs, and crime. Longer summary
This post reviews Michael Shellenberger's book 'San Fransicko', which criticizes progressive policies on homelessness, drug addiction, and crime in San Francisco. The review examines key claims in the book, fact-checking statistics and comparing them to other sources. While finding some of Shellenberger's criticisms valid, the review also points out areas where the book presents a one-sided narrative or misrepresents data. Overall, the reviewer sees the book as a flawed but thought-provoking critique of San Francisco's approach to urban problems. Shorter summary
May 24, 2022
acx

California Gubernatorial Candidates From Z to Z

81 min • 11,236 words • 316 comments • 198 likes • podcast (85 min)
Scott Alexander humorously reviews the 26 candidates for California governor in 2022, highlighting their diverse backgrounds and unconventional policy ideas. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews the 26 candidates for California governor in 2022, providing humorous and insightful commentary on each candidate's background, policies, and campaign style. He covers a wide range of candidates, from established politicians to small business owners, immigrants, and even a former poet laureate. The post highlights the diversity of candidates and their often unconventional approaches to addressing California's issues, particularly homelessness. Scott concludes by expressing admiration for the candidates' spirit of optimism and civic engagement, seeing them as a positive sign for American democracy despite their slim chances of winning. Shorter summary
Jun 10, 2021
acx

Your Book Review: Down And Out In Paris And London

100 min • 13,899 words • 92 comments • 77 likes • podcast (85 min)
The review analyzes Orwell's 'Down and Out in Paris and London', praising its vivid depictions of poverty while noting some limitations in perspective. Longer summary
This review analyzes George Orwell's 'Down and Out in Paris and London', a memoir of his experiences living in poverty in both cities. The reviewer praises Orwell's vivid descriptions and insights into the lives of the poor, while noting some limitations in Orwell's perspective. The book is divided into sections on Paris, where Orwell worked grueling jobs in restaurant kitchens, and London, where he lived as a tramp relying on shelters. The review highlights Orwell's observations on the psychological impacts of poverty, the failings of charity and welfare systems, and societal attitudes towards the poor. It also discusses how some aspects of poverty and homelessness have changed since Orwell's time. Shorter summary
Sep 13, 2017
ssc

Classified Thread 3: Semper Classifiedelis

2 min • 247 words • 164 comments
Scott Alexander shares community classifieds, including a math tutoring offer, a request for financial help, and a now-fulfilled request for AI professionals in North Carolina. Longer summary
This post is a classified thread for the Slate Star Codex community. It includes three main announcements: 1) Iacta_Procul, who previously shared her life and mental health struggles, is starting a math tutoring company and offering her services. 2) Isak, a member of the Rationalist Tumblr Discord, is seeking financial help due to homelessness and disability check issues. 3) Scott was looking for AI/data science professionals in North Carolina to connect with a friend, but has since received enough responses. Shorter summary
Mar 31, 2016
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Book Review: My Brother Ron

55 min • 7,612 words • 427 comments
Scott reviews a book arguing against deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, agreeing with many of its claims but ultimately disagreeing with its conclusion. Longer summary
Scott reviews Clayton Cramer's book 'My Brother Ron', which argues against deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill. The book traces the history of mental health care in America, from colonial times through the rise of large institutions and their subsequent closure. While Scott agrees with many of Cramer's empirical claims about problems faced by deinstitutionalized mentally ill people, he ultimately disagrees with Cramer's conclusion that reinstitutionalization is needed. Scott argues for alternatives like involuntary outpatient commitment that preserve more freedom for the mentally ill while still providing treatment. Shorter summary
Feb 12, 2015
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Money, Money, Everywhere, But Not A Cent To Spend

8 min • 1,104 words • 513 comments
Scott Alexander critiques the inefficiency of psychiatric care for poverty-related issues, suggesting a Basic Income Guarantee as a potentially more effective solution. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the inefficiency of psychiatric care for patients whose primary issue is poverty. He relates a case where a suicidal patient, in debt for $5000, is hospitalized at a cost of $5000, which doesn't address the underlying financial problem. The post criticizes the current system as wasteful and patronizing, highlighting the dilemma between libertarian and liberal approaches to such issues. Scott suggests that a Basic Income Guarantee might be more effective and cost-efficient than current psychiatric interventions for poverty-related issues, potentially saving money in both psychiatric care and prison systems. Shorter summary