The review examines Daniel Everett's 'How Language Began', which challenges Chomsky's linguistic theories and proposes an alternative view of language as a gradual cultural invention. Longer summary

This book review discusses Daniel Everett's 'How Language Began', which challenges Noam Chomsky's dominant theories in linguistics. Everett argues that language emerged gradually over a long period, is primarily for communication, and is not innate but a cultural invention. The review contrasts Everett's views with Chomsky's, detailing Everett's research with the Pirahã people and his alternative theory of language origins. It also touches on the controversy Everett's work has sparked in linguistics and its potential implications for understanding language and AI. Shorter summary

A review of 'The Family That Couldn't Sleep' by D. T. Max, discussing its exploration of prion diseases and their impact, with updated perspectives on the book's conclusions. Longer summary

This review discusses 'The Family That Couldn't Sleep' by D. T. Max, a book about prion diseases published in 2006. The review covers the book's exploration of various prion diseases, including fatal familial insomnia, kuru, mad cow disease, and chronic wasting disease. It highlights the book's focus on the historical, scientific, and cultural aspects of these diseases, as well as the key figures involved in prion research. The reviewer also provides updated information and critiques some of the book's conclusions in light of more recent research. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews Rene Girard's 'I See Satan Fall Like Lightning', critiquing its theory of myths and religion centered on scapegoating, and discussing its application to modern 'wokeness'. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Rene Girard's book 'I See Satan Fall Like Lightning', which presents an ambitious theory of anthropology, mythography, and Judeo-Christian religion. Girard argues that pagan myths and Bible stories describe the same psychosocial process he calls the 'single-victim process' or 'Satan'. This process involves mimetic desire leading to conflict, which is resolved by the community turning against a scapegoat. Girard claims Christianity uniquely reveals this process as evil. The review critiques Girard's theory as overly broad and not fitting many myths and Bible stories. It also discusses Girard's views on modern 'wokeness' as an extension of Christian concern for victims, but notes Girard's struggle to reconcile this with his conservative Christian views. Shorter summary

A review of 'The Arctic Hysterias' by Edward Foulks, exploring culture-bound mental disorders among Eskimos and their decline with westernization. Longer summary

This book review examines 'The Arctic Hysterias' by Edward Foulks, which explores culture-bound mental disorders among Eskimos, particularly focusing on 'piblokto' or Arctic hysteria. The review discusses various Eskimo mental conditions, Foulks' investigations into their causes, and the decline of these disorders as Eskimo society westernizes. It also considers the cultural context, the impact of colonialism, and potential explanations for these phenomena, including comparisons to panic disorders and the effects of societal changes on mental health. Shorter summary

A critical review of 'The Dawn of Everything' by Graeber and Wengrow, examining their challenge to standard prehistory narratives and proposing an alternative hypothesis. Longer summary

This book review of 'The Dawn of Everything' by David Graeber and David Wengrow critically examines the authors' attempt to challenge standard narratives of human prehistory. The reviewer praises the book's wealth of archaeological evidence but criticizes its political bias. The review explores the book's key arguments about the diversity of prehistoric societies, the non-revolutionary nature of agriculture, and the 'indigenous critique' of Western civilization. It also discusses the book's treatment of the 'Sapient Paradox' and proposes an alternative hypothesis about prehistoric social organization based on 'raw social power'. The review concludes by drawing parallels between this prehistoric 'Gossip Trap' and modern social media dynamics. Shorter summary

A review of 'The Anti-Politics Machine' by James Ferguson, discussing its critique of development projects and implications for Effective Altruism. Longer summary

This post reviews 'The Anti-Politics Machine' by James Ferguson, which critiques development projects in Lesotho. The reviewer highlights two key ideas: the concept of 'development discourse' that leads to misinterpretation of local contexts, and the 'anti-politics machine' critique of technocratic decision-making. The review discusses how these ideas apply to modern development economics and Effective Altruism, suggesting the need for more qualitative research, emphasis on local context, and consideration of political implications in charitable work. Shorter summary

The review analyzes Robert Ellickson's 'Order Without Law', which argues that close-knit communities often develop welfare-maximizing social norms that supersede formal laws. Longer summary

This book review examines 'Order Without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes' by Robert Ellickson, which explores how social norms often supersede formal laws in close-knit communities. The review provides a detailed analysis of Ellickson's main hypothesis: that members of close-knit groups develop norms that maximize aggregate welfare in their everyday interactions. It discusses various case studies, including cattle ranchers in Shasta County and whalers, and critically examines the strengths and limitations of Ellickson's arguments. Shorter summary

Scott reviews Julian Jaynes' controversial theory that ancient people lacked consciousness and instead heard hallucinated voices of gods, critiquing some aspects while finding value in the idea of theory of mind as culturally constructed. Longer summary

Scott reviews Julian Jaynes' book 'The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind'. The book argues that ancient people lacked theory of mind and instead heard hallucinatory voices they interpreted as gods giving them commands. Jaynes traces the development of consciousness through ancient texts, showing how mental processes were described differently before and after this shift. Scott critiques some aspects of Jaynes' theory but finds value in the idea that theory of mind is culturally constructed and can vary significantly between groups. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the hypothesis that sexual purity taboos evolved to prevent STI spread, considering historical STI prevalence and cross-cultural taboos. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the hypothesis that cultural evolution created sexual purity taboos to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). He discusses the historical prevalence of STIs, particularly syphilis, and examines common sexual purity taboos across cultures. The post considers both STIs and false paternity as potential drivers of these taboos, weighing evidence for each. Scott also investigates taboos on homosexuality, discussing their variation across cultures and potential links to STI transmission. While he concludes that STIs likely played a role in the evolution of these taboos, he acknowledges that the evidence is circumstantial and more research is needed. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander shares and comments on excerpts from Joseph Henrich's 'The Secret of Our Success', exploring cultural evolution and its impact on human societies. Longer summary

This post highlights various passages from Joseph Henrich's book 'The Secret of Our Success', covering topics such as cultural evolution, gene-culture coevolution, social norms, and the development of human cognition and technology. Scott Alexander provides commentary and analysis on these excerpts, drawing connections to other ideas and contemporary issues. Shorter summary

Scott reviews 'The Secret of Our Success' by Joseph Henrich, which argues that culture, not raw intelligence, is key to human success and explores the evolutionary basis for cultural transmission. Longer summary

Scott reviews Joseph Henrich's book 'The Secret of Our Success', which argues that culture, not raw intelligence, is the key to human success. The book explores how humans evolved to transmit culture with high fidelity, how cultural practices often contain hidden wisdom that individuals can't easily figure out on their own, and how reason can sometimes lead people astray from beneficial cultural traditions. Scott finds the book's arguments compelling and sees it as an important contribution to understanding the value of tradition. Shorter summary

An explorer tries to save himself from cannibals by claiming he can blot out the sun during a partial solar eclipse, leading to humorous misunderstandings and frustration. Longer summary

This post is a fictional story about an explorer who tries to convince a tribe of savages not to eat him by claiming he can blot out the sun. He attempts to demonstrate this using a pinhole projector during a partial solar eclipse, but the savages are skeptical due to the subtlety of the effect. The explorer struggles to explain the phenomenon and becomes increasingly frustrated. Eventually, the chieftain agrees to let him go if he makes the sun return. The explorer leaves but returns shortly after, preferring to be eaten rather than face the traffic on the road out. The story is a humorous take on the challenges of communicating scientific concepts across cultural barriers and the sometimes underwhelming nature of natural phenomena. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander discusses the challenges of community growth, relating his experiences with micronations and rationalist groups to theories about natural group size limits. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on his experiences with micronations and the Bay Area rationalist community, noting that both faced difficulties in growing beyond a certain size. He connects these observations to Samo's research on Dunbar's number and its potential extensions. The post explores the idea of natural group size limits at different scales (e.g., 12, 150, 1000, 90,000 people) and how these might relate to social structures like families, clans, tribes, and city-states. While Scott expresses skepticism about the universality of these exact numbers across different contexts, he acknowledges the apparent difficulty many communities face in growing beyond certain thresholds. Shorter summary