Thank you for motivating me to find it. It’s not Stephenson, it’s Accelerando by Charles Stross.
Ah. I thought that was strange. Well that’s one book I’ll be avoiding like the plague then.
-Jon
Here it is:
“He’s dealt with old-time commie weak-AIs before, minds raised on Marxist dialectic and Austrian School economics: They’re so thoroughly hypnotized by the short-term victory of global capitalism that they can’t surf the new paradigm, look to the longer term.”
The lesson here is, “Don’t trust Curt’s memory. Make sure he looks it up.”
Introduction to Logic by Harry Gensler
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
same here.
Finished Cola di Rienzo – he gets butchered and burned to death by the people because he went too far on the taxes and didn’t live up to his rhetoric. Of course the people just elect another guy. sigh
Now reading Wittgenstein’s 1939 lectures on the foundations of mathematics. Also bought the same day John Searle’s Mind: an Introduction.
I’ve been tempted to buy that.
I almost can’t believe what I’m reading. The story is creepily prophetic.
Stephenson’s The Diamond Age is actually a fairly promising description of an anarcho-capitalist society, without it ever being made explicit that it is this kind of society. It’s just a general context and is perfectly normal for the characters.
I’ve had that on my shelf for a while, too, but haven’t read it yet…probably won’t bother, now; Singularity Sky wasn’t too bad.
In Medieval Italy you can really see the birth of the modern state. Elected rulers, purges, mercenaries, public works. I just finished a book on The Medici a few months ago.
I have been studying everything medieval lately so now I am reading The Barbarian Conversion From Pagan To Christianity by Richard Fletcher.
The interesting thing I learned today was that the concept of a king fighting for God and particularly the Catholic church was started by Gregory of Tours in his writing of a book called The Ten Histories. It talked about the Merovingian king Clovis and his rejection of paganism, and of Arianism (non Catholic church) and that made him win every conflict he fought and expanded his territory.
Gregory of Tours also likely was the first one who portrayed Jesus as a long haired , bearded fellow…which was the look that Frankish Nobility had.
As I mentioned, the problem wasn’t with Stephenson, but with something “stephensonesque”. [:$]
Thanks for the pointer. I very much liked Cryptonomicon, I’ll give that one a try when I have a month or so of free time.
“History of Money and Banking” - Rothbard
“The Journals of Kierkegaard” - Kierkegaard
That’s correct. It’s also the emergence of “communes”, collective ownership, and guilds that control economics through the legal system. Basically for the benefit of those middle-class merchants… not the uh… proletariat.
It looks to be good from other stuff I’ve read by Searle.
Though, I did pay 20 dollars and am trying to decide if Borders bookstore is a market failure… if I like it no… if not yes.
I recommend you read The Making of Europe by Robert Bartlett. It focuses on the homogenisation of the politcal structure under the Franco-Normans and deals with things like Medieval conquest and settlers. It is perhaps the most eye opening book I have read this year.
I would also suggest Medieval Cities: Their Origins and the Revival of Trade by Henri Pirenne.
I read it long before discovering Austrian economics, but the description of the creation of wealth through trade, as well as sort of a re-iteration of Smith’s observation that the less interference in trade the greater the wealth created.
Abebooks.com has it listed starting at $1.36. I adore Abe Books. [8-|]
Wow…Thanks. I have never heard of abebooks.com before either. I will check those out.
Woah, much cheaper (on average) than amazon… looks like I can finish getting my book list within the next year, after all.
Thanks a lot 
You’re probably a lot of fun at parties.
Just kidding. I am continually impressed by your focus and seriousness. Honest.