i've recently read #2 Factfulness by Hans Rosling - easy read, fantastic book
i would probably read #1 by kahneman - because he's been around for a long time and i've heard him speak
if i felt comfortable with the subject then i'd go #5 by chatfield - because deep detail
#4 is short and direct so it might be a good audio book
I checked out the audiobook of Factfulness yesterday and damn that guy needs an editor. Or the publisher had him fluff it up. Each chapter so far could have been a really fun blog post but (on audio) it seems to loop back on itself (repetition isn't by definition bad, especially when delivering new material) and the guy reading it is taking his time, so I don't know if I will finish in this format. I almost ended up in a ditch a couple of times.
Plus it assumes the reader didn't get any of the "questions" right. Which is fine, for the first few, but he should give me credit for being at least as smart as a chimpanzee and stop acting like I'm going to be surprised by the big reveal that each chapter has formatted into it: that common knowledge on the question is wrong.
I have a bit of a quibble with him demanding statistical literacy, and then using pure numbers when they support his argument, and proportions when those work better.
The 4 "layers" (vs developed/developing 2 layers of civilization) is interesting but 3 chapters in and he's already defending it against people who must be telling him that it puts all of "us" in the same group as Saudi kings and Bill Gates etc. and so we shouldn't gripe so much; and/or he's making it seem 1,2,3 are so far removed from any poverty in the US that there is no poverty in the US. So anyway, in trying to make us/me feel better about things, he's sort of pissing me off. Even though he does a good job of addressing those problems people have challenged him on.
He just got into demographics/population and I did have to back it up and re-listen; I've read this explanation of where our population is headed and the fallacy of the straight line, but the audiobook of it was hard to follow the first time.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm absorbing enough of it that I'll spout some figures and philosophies from it at parties, so hey!
i've recently read #2 Factfulness by Hans Rosling - easy read, fantastic book
i would probably read #1 by kahneman - because he's been around for a long time and i've heard him speak
if i felt comfortable with the subject then i'd go #5 by chatfield - because deep detail
#4 is short and direct so it might be a good audio book
I checked out the audiobook of Factfulness yesterday and damn that guy needs an editor. Or the publisher had him fluff it up. Each chapter so far could have been a really fun blog post but (on audio) it seems to loop back on itself (repetition isn't by definition bad, especially when delivering new material) and the guy reading it is taking his time, so I don't know if I will finish in this format. I almost ended up in a ditch a couple of times.
Plus it assumes the reader didn't get any of the "questions" right. Which is fine, for the first few, but he should give me credit for being at least as smart as a chimpanzee and stop acting like I'm going to be surprised by the big reveal that each chapter has formatted into it: that common knowledge on the question is wrong.
I have a bit of a quibble with him demanding statistical literacy, and then using pure numbers when they support his argument, and proportions when those work better.
The 4 "layers" (vs developed/developing 2 layers of civilization) is interesting but 3 chapters in and he's already defending it against people who must be telling him that it puts all of "us" in the same group as Saudi kings and Bill Gates etc. and so we shouldn't gripe so much; and/or he's making it seem 1,2,3 are so far removed from any poverty in the US that there is no poverty in the US. So anyway, in trying to make us/me feel better about things, he's sort of pissing me off. Even though he does a good job of addressing those problems people have challenged him on.
He just got into demographics/population and I did have to back it up and re-listen; I've read this explanation of where our population is headed and the fallacy of the straight line, but the audiobook of it was hard to follow the first time.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm absorbing enough of it that I'll spout some figures and philosophies from it at parties, so hey!
Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton, Five Books' philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects five of the best books on critical thinking—and explains how they will help us make better informed decisions and construct more valid arguments.
Which have you read and which are you going to read next?
/SantasHelper
i've recently read #2 Factfulness by Hans Rosling - easy read, fantastic book
i would probably read #1 by kahneman - because he's been around for a long time and i've heard him speak
if i felt comfortable with the subject then i'd go #5 by chatfield - because deep detail
#4 is short and direct so it might be a good audio book
Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton, Five Books' philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects five of the best books on critical thinkingâand explains how they will help us make better informed decisions and construct more valid arguments.
Which have you read and which are you going to read next?
Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton, Five Books' philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects five of the best books on critical thinking—and explains how they will help us make better informed decisions and construct more valid arguments.
Here in this part of NC it's clear but breezy now. About 3 hours east of here they apparently had 100+ mph winds and some tornadoes overnight. Pretty serious flooding along the coasts of both Carolinas. The barrier islands, which are farther east and north of here, got clobbered this morning - flooding, no power. Residents of Ocracoke Island (ones who ignored the evacuation orders) are apparently stranded out there.
