Oh, it’s very interesting, I didn’t know this book. I will definitely read it
I just finished 1984. I had read it in high school, like 25 years ago.
I found this re-read to be more important to me, as an adult. Also the frightening thing was how relatable it has become. A hard reminder that surveillance is not the only way the world can be Orwellian. The classes, defined by hard distinction seemed relatable but blurred years ago. Now in 2025, the grinding and misdirection via preoccupation of the middle class, and the entertainment of the hoi polloi to keep them complacent felt very much of the times.
2 Likes
The importance of “7-minute hate” to media, pols, the cults that keep them in power.
1 Like
I just finished, “The Choice” by Russ Roberts. He’s a professor and podcaster. The book is a novel that remagines “A Christmas Carol”, but with the ghost of David Ricardo visiting a factory owner in 1960s America who wants to place tariffs on imports. The book is very short (100 pages) and reads easily. I used to believe in tariffs and quotas, but after visiting China, I was disillusioned of that. This book took everything that I thought was wrong with free trade and blows holes in it. However, in the final chapter, he does admit that bad things will happen to some people with free trade. Some communities will be left behind, but then again, some communities have been left behind because of laws (pro-union factories moving to “right to work” states) and others because of technological change (Cray Computer closing because there is no market for mainframes). We need to make the same choice with trade.
The link is to Amazon, but I found very cheap copies on good reads website.
That sounds interesting. “An economic fable”. Somewhat hard to find the book, not available at my library.
However this author apparently has some entertaining videos too: https://youtu.be/d0nERTFo-Sk
