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Sep 01, 2023
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Your Book Review: Zuozhuan

46 min • 6,998 words • 132 comments • 124 likes • podcast (42 min)
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 19, 2022
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Your Book Review: 1587, A Year Of No Significance

59 min • 9,067 words • 209 comments • 165 likes • podcast (63 min)
A review of Ray Huang's '1587, A Year of No Significance', examining the decline of the Ming dynasty through the lens of an apparently uneventful year. Longer summary
This book review examines '1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline' by Ray Huang. The reviewer details the book's exploration of a seemingly uneventful year in Ming dynasty China, highlighting how it exemplifies the systemic inertia and decline of the empire. The review covers key figures like the Wan-Li Emperor, Grand Secretaries Chang and Shen, and other notable individuals, while drawing parallels to other historical contexts and discussing the broader implications of the Ming dynasty's governance style and eventual fall. Shorter summary
Apr 28, 2022
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Highlights From The Comments On Xi Jinping

27 min • 4,185 words • 166 comments • 74 likes • podcast (28 min)
Scott Alexander compiles and summarizes reader comments on his article about Xi Jinping, covering various aspects of Xi's rule and Chinese politics. Longer summary
This post highlights comments on Scott Alexander's article about Xi Jinping, covering topics such as Xi's rise to power, censorship in China, anti-corruption efforts, and centralization of power. Commenters discuss the ideological nature of Communist leadership selection, the complexities of censorship in the internet age, and the effects of Xi's anti-corruption campaign. The post also includes miscellaneous observations on historical parallels, psychological analysis of Xi, and cultural differences in rule-following. Shorter summary
Apr 06, 2022
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Dictator Book Club: Xi Jinping

42 min • 6,432 words • 475 comments • 166 likes • podcast (48 min)
Scott reviews a book on Xi Jinping's rule, exploring China's government structure and Xi's rise to power, concluding that China's system failed to prevent authoritarianism. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews Elizabeth Economy's book 'The Third Revolution' about Xi Jinping's rule in China, but finds it doesn't answer his key questions about how Xi came to power. He explores China's government structure, the pre-Xi era, Xi's rise to power, and his actions as leader. Scott concludes that China's oligarchic system failed to prevent authoritarianism, increasing his confidence in democracy, though he's uncertain about attributing China's economic success solely to its government. Shorter summary