How to avoid getting lost reading Scott Alexander and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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Sep 13, 2024
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Your Book Review: Nine Lives

64 min • 8,314 words • Comments pending
A review of 'Nine Lives', a memoir by ex-jihadist turned spy Aimen Dean, offering insights into al-Qaeda's operations and the challenges of counterterrorism. Longer summary
This review discusses Aimen Dean's memoir 'Nine Lives', which details his experiences as a jihadist turned British spy infiltrating al-Qaeda. The review highlights key insights from the book, including the motivations behind jihadism, the role of religious prophecies in terrorist strategies, the challenges of intelligence work, and Dean's perspective on countering radicalization. It also touches on the book's implications for understanding terrorist organizations, their tactics, and the complexities of counterterrorism efforts. Shorter summary
Sep 06, 2024
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Your Book Review: The Pale King

56 min • 7,219 words • Comments pending
A review of David Foster Wallace's 'The Pale King', examining its themes, the author's style and personal struggles, and the reviewer's evolving perspective on Wallace's work and legacy. Longer summary
This book review discusses David Foster Wallace's unfinished novel 'The Pale King', focusing on its themes, Wallace's writing style, and his personal struggles. The review explores Wallace's attempt to transcend postmodernism, his critique of consumer culture, and his vision for a more sincere and morally engaged society. It also delves into Wallace's mental health issues, his suicide, and the posthumous controversy surrounding his personal life. The reviewer reflects on their own journey with Wallace's work, from initial admiration to eventual disillusionment, while still acknowledging the value and limitations of his literary contributions. Shorter summary
The review examines W.E.H. Lecky's book on the rise of rationalism in Europe, praising its scholarship and insights into the gradual shift from medieval to rational thinking. Longer summary
This review discusses W.E.H. Lecky's 'The History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe', a book that explores the decline of medieval beliefs and the emergence of rationalism in Europe. The reviewer provides context with an anecdote about a 19th-century 'demonic possession' case, then details Lecky's life and the book's creation. The review outlines the book's main thesis: that rationalism triumphed not through logic, but through gradual social, political, and industrial influences. The reviewer praises the book's scholarship, fascinating facts, and diverse historical figures, recommending it to readers interested in intellectual history. Shorter summary
Aug 23, 2024
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Your Book Review: The Complete Rhyming Dictionary and Poet's Craft Book (1936 Edition)

34 min • 4,296 words • Comments pending
A review of Clement Wood's 1936 'Complete Rhyming Dictionary and Poet's Craft Book', discussing its historical context and value as a resource for aspiring poets during a transitional period in poetry. Longer summary
This review discusses 'The Complete Rhyming Dictionary and Poet's Craft Book' by Clement Wood, published in 1936. The reviewer explores the book's historical context, its approach to poetry, and its relevance in the transition between classical and modern poetry. The book is presented as a valuable resource for aspiring poets, offering both a guide to traditional forms and an introduction to newer styles like free verse. The review highlights the book's strengths in curation, its balanced perspective on poetic evolution, and its usefulness as a training tool. The reviewer also discusses the changing landscape of poetry in the early 20th century and how Wood's book captures this transitional period. Shorter summary
Aug 16, 2024
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Your Book Review: Silver Age Marvel Comics

98 min • 12,624 words • 460 comments • 116 likes • podcast
This review examines the importance of Silver Age Marvel Comics (1961-1965) as modern mythology, discussing their innovations and impact on comic book history. Longer summary
This review explores the significance of Silver Age Marvel Comics (1961-1965), discussing their role as modern mythology, their innovations in storytelling and character creation, and their impact on comic book history. The author analyzes Stan Lee's contributions, the Marvel Method of comic creation, and the establishment of the interconnected Marvel Universe, while also acknowledging the era's limitations in terms of gender representation and storytelling complexity. Shorter summary
Aug 09, 2024
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Your Book Review: How the War Was Won

43 min • 5,480 words • 502 comments • 329 likes • podcast
A review of 'How the War Was Won' by Phillips Payson O'Brien, which argues that Allied air and sea power, not land battles, were decisive in World War II. Longer summary
This book review discusses 'How the War Was Won' by Phillips Payson O'Brien, which presents a novel perspective on World War II. The book argues that Allied air and sea power, rather than land battles, were the decisive factors in winning the war. O'Brien focuses on production and logistics, showing how Allied efforts disrupted Axis capabilities to produce and transport military equipment. The review highlights key points such as the ineffectiveness of individual battles, the importance of non-operational losses, and the impact of oil shortages on Axis forces. It also touches on the morality of strategic bombing and offers some criticisms of the book's focus on personnel discussions. Shorter summary
Aug 02, 2024
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Your Book Review: Two Arms and a Head

75 min • 9,621 words • 568 comments • 222 likes • podcast
A review of 'Two Arms and a Head', a paraplegic's memoir and argument for physician-assisted suicide, exploring the book's content and the broader debate around Medical Assistance in Dying. Longer summary
This review examines 'Two Arms and a Head', a memoir and suicide note written by Clayton Schwartz, a philosophy student who became paraplegic after a motorcycle accident. The book details the physical and emotional devastation of paraplegia, argues for the legalization of physician-assisted suicide, and criticizes society's approach to disability. The review also explores the current state of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and the arguments against it from disability rights organizations. Shorter summary
Jul 26, 2024
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Your Book Review: Real Raw News

66 min • 8,560 words • 565 comments • 197 likes • podcast
The review analyzes Real Raw News, a popular conspiracy theory website, examining its content, appeal, and implications in the context of modern media consumption and AI technology. Longer summary
This book review analyzes the website Real Raw News, a popular source of conspiracy theories and fake news stories centered around Donald Trump and his alleged secret war against the 'Deep State'. The reviewer examines the site's content, its narrative techniques, and its appeal to believers, drawing parallels to comic book lore and discussing the psychological needs it fulfills. The review also considers the broader implications of such conspiracy theories in the age of AI-generated content. Shorter summary
Jul 19, 2024
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Your Book Review: How Language Began

92 min • 11,862 words • 677 comments • 211 likes • podcast
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
Jul 12, 2024
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Your Book Review: The Family That Couldn’t Sleep

86 min • 11,174 words • 140 comments • 149 likes • podcast
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
Jul 05, 2024
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Your Book Review: Don Juan

29 min • 3,682 words • 98 comments • 81 likes • podcast
A verse review of Lord Byron's 'Don Juan', analyzing its plot, style, and themes while mimicking Byron's poetic form. Longer summary
This review analyzes Lord Byron's epic poem 'Don Juan', written in ottava rima. The reviewer summarizes the plot, highlighting Byron's departures from the traditional Don Juan legend, and discusses the poem's style, themes, and historical context. The review is itself written in verse, mimicking Byron's style and incorporating numerous literary and historical references. It concludes with reflections on Byron's life and the poem's potential message about agency and adventure. Shorter summary
Jun 28, 2024
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Your Book Review: Dominion

52 min • 6,728 words • 311 comments • 173 likes • podcast
In 'Dominion', conservative Christian Matthew Scully makes a comprehensive case for animal welfare, critiquing practices like factory farming and hunting from religious, ethical, and scientific perspectives. Longer summary
Matthew Scully's 'Dominion' is a comprehensive exploration of animal welfare from a conservative Christian perspective. Scully, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush, argues that humans have a moral obligation to show mercy to animals based on religious, ethical, and scientific grounds. He critiques various practices including factory farming, hunting, and animal experimentation, while also engaging with philosophical arguments about animal consciousness. The book combines personal experiences, biblical interpretation, and criticism of both conservative and liberal approaches to animal rights. Shorter summary
Jun 21, 2024
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Your Book Review: Autobiography Of Yukichi Fukuzawa

40 min • 5,198 words • 135 comments • 303 likes • podcast
The review examines Yukichi Fukuzawa's autobiography, highlighting his role in modernizing Japan and his humorous, insightful account of 19th century Japanese society. Longer summary
This review discusses the autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa, a prominent figure in 19th century Japan whose face appears on the ¥10,000 note. The reviewer describes Fukuzawa's life, from his childhood as a low-ranking samurai to his role in modernizing Japan during the Meiji Restoration. The autobiography is praised for its humor and insights into Japanese society during a time of great change. Fukuzawa's experiences learning Dutch and English, his travels abroad, and his efforts to spread Western knowledge in Japan are highlighted. The review concludes by considering how Fukuzawa's approach to cultural arbitrage might be applied to addressing Japan's current challenges. Shorter summary
May 21, 2024
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Book Review: The Others Within Us

59 min • 7,565 words • 573 comments • 250 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander reviews a book on Internal Family Systems therapy that controversially claims some mental health issues are caused by literal demons. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews 'The Others Within Us', a book by Robert Falconer about Internal Family Systems therapy and its controversial approach to dealing with 'demons' or malevolent spiritual entities in patients' minds. The review explores the book's claims, the history of IFS therapy, and the potential implications of treating mental health issues as spiritual possession, while also providing a skeptical, materialist interpretation of the phenomena described. Shorter summary
May 17, 2024
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Choose Book Review Finalists 2024

7 min • 889 words • 210 comments • 48 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander seeks help in selecting finalists for the 2024 Book Review Contest by asking readers to rate entries from a pool of 150 reviews. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the start of the process to narrow down 150 book review entries to about a dozen finalists for the Book Review Contest 2024. He provides links to six Google Docs containing the entries, organized alphabetically, and asks readers to help by reading and rating reviews using a provided form. Scott emphasizes the importance of not reading reviews in order to ensure a more even distribution of votes. He mentions a random review chooser script and provides a deadline of June 1 for voting. The post also includes instructions for authors to check if their reviews are included and how to address any missing entries. Shorter summary
May 01, 2024
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Book Review: The Origins Of Woke

59 min • 7,641 words • 1,288 comments • 266 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander reviews 'The Origins of Woke', finding its critique of civil rights law informative but skeptical of its claim that such laws caused wokeness. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews Richard Hanania's book 'The Origins of Woke', which argues that civil rights law is the source of modern woke culture. The book provides a critical overview of civil rights legislation, focusing on affirmative action, disparate impact, and harassment law. While Scott finds the critique of civil rights law informative, he is skeptical of the book's central claim that this legislation is the primary cause of wokeness. He notes that the book fails to explain the recent surge in woke culture and omits discussion of other potential factors. Scott suggests the book may be primarily aimed at influencing conservative policymakers rather than providing a comprehensive academic analysis. Shorter summary
Mar 28, 2024
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Practically-A-Book Review: Rootclaim $100,000 Lab Leak Debate

142 min • 18,357 words • 905 comments • 369 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander reviews a $100,000 debate on COVID-19 origins, where the zoonotic hypothesis unexpectedly won against the lab leak theory. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews a debate on the origins of COVID-19 between Saar Wilf, who supports the lab leak hypothesis, and Peter Miller, who argues for zoonotic origin. The debate was part of a $100,000 challenge by Wilf's Rootclaim project. Miller won decisively, with both judges ruling in favor of zoonotic origin. Alexander analyzes the debate format, arguments, and aftermath, discussing issues with Bayesian reasoning, extreme probabilities, and the challenges of resolving complex scientific questions through debate. Shorter summary
Mar 02, 2024
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Book Review Contest Rules 2024

5 min • 531 words • 99 comments • 75 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander announces the 2024 Book Review Contest, detailing submission guidelines, prizes, and a new focus on including nontraditional book categories. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the 2024 Book Review Contest, inviting readers to submit reviews of books. The contest has no strict word count requirement, but previous successful entries were between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Entries should be submitted through a Google Form, with the actual review in a separate, unlocked Google Doc. The contest aims to be as blind as possible, so reviewers should not include identifying information in their review. Prizes range from $500 to $2,500, with additional benefits for winners and finalists. This year, about 25% of finalist slots will be reserved for reviews of books from nontraditional categories like fiction, poetry, or pre-1900 works. The submission deadline is May 5th. Shorter summary
Nov 17, 2023
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Book Review: I See Satan Fall Like Lightning

34 min • 4,357 words • 591 comments • 199 likes • podcast
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
Sep 19, 2023
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Book Review: The Alexander Romance

42 min • 5,416 words • 192 comments • 140 likes • podcast
A review of 'The Alexander Romance', comparing its fantastical tales of Alexander the Great to modern superhero comics. Longer summary
This post reviews 'The Alexander Romance', a collection of legendary tales about Alexander the Great that were popular for over a thousand years. The review describes the fantastical and often contradictory stories in the Romance, including Alexander's magical birth, his encounters with mythical creatures, and his journey to the edges of the world. The author compares the Romance to modern superhero comics, noting similarities in structure, inconsistencies, and cultural adaptations. Shorter summary
Sep 15, 2023
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Book Review Contest 2023 Winners

16 min • 1,951 words • 248 comments • 160 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander announces the winners and finalists of the 2023 Book Review Contest, providing details about the reviews, authors, and prizes. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the winners of the 2023 Book Review Contest, listing the top three winners, finalists, and honorable mentions. He provides details about the prizes, brief descriptions of the winning reviews and their authors, and mentions plans for another contest next year. The post also includes information on how participants can check their scores and thanks those who helped organize the contest. Shorter summary
Sep 13, 2023
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Book Review: Elon Musk

81 min • 10,417 words • 985 comments • 317 likes • podcast
Scott reviews Ashlee Vance's 2015 Elon Musk biography, analyzing Musk's personality, work ethic, and business strategies to understand his successes and controversies. Longer summary
This book review analyzes Ashlee Vance's 2015 biography of Elon Musk, examining Musk's personality, work ethic, and business strategies. The review explores Musk's engineering abilities, management style, and the reasons behind his companies' successes despite controversial decisions. It discusses Musk's intense focus, his tendency to set unrealistic timelines, and his impact on employees. The review also touches on Musk's social skills, his approach to PR, and speculates on his future success with Twitter/X. Shorter summary
Sep 08, 2023
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Vote In The 2023 Book Review Contest

3 min • 338 words • 81 comments • 59 likes • podcast
Scott Alexander opens voting for the 2023 Book Review Contest, detailing the ranked choice voting process and listing the finalists. Longer summary
Scott Alexander announces the voting process for the 2023 Book Review Contest, explaining that it will use ranked choice voting where voters select their top three favorites. He provides a link to the voting form, lists the 16 finalists, and mentions a prediction market for the contest outcome. Shorter summary
Sep 01, 2023
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Your Book Review: Zuozhuan

54 min • 6,998 words • 132 comments • 124 likes • podcast
The review examines 'Zuozhuan', an ancient Chinese historical text, exploring its content, context, and relevance to understanding societal transformation. Longer summary
This review explores the ancient Chinese text 'Zuozhuan', a commentary on the 'Spring and Autumn Annals', covering the political and social upheavals of the Spring and Autumn period (771-476 BCE). The author delves into the historical context, the text's structure and content, and its relevance to understanding societal collapse and transformation. The review highlights the text's rich narratives, complex characters, and its value in providing perspective on living through tumultuous times. Shorter summary
Aug 25, 2023
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Your Book Review: Why Nations Fail

45 min • 5,751 words • 341 comments • 125 likes • podcast
A critical review of 'Why Nations Fail' that examines the authors' academic work and methodology, while questioning the book's quality and practical implications. Longer summary
This review critiques 'Why Nations Fail' by Acemoglu and Robinson (AR), arguing that while the book itself is not very good, AR's academic papers present a more compelling case for their thesis that political institutions are the main determinant of economic growth. The reviewer explains AR's methodology using instrumental variables, discusses their evidence and criticisms, and ultimately concludes that even if AR are correct, their extremely long-run focus may not be very useful for practical policymaking or development efforts. Shorter summary