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Profound storytelling, anti-conservative bias

Revisado: 07-17-22

The descriptions of how dramatically life has changed for ordinary Venezuelans is a poignant warning about creeping totalitarianism. It’s a surprisingly honest on-the-scene account from a New York Times journalist in that respect. The chapters on the blackouts and the neglect of the grid that led to them are phenomenal. But Neuman's bias becomes evident, and eventually strains comprehension. It starts with criticism of Trump's stumbling efforts to exert pressure after decades of shoulder-shrugging. That is somehow spun into an unlikely narrative about how the horrific collapse of the economy and society actually culminates in the Republican ideal of having no government or public services. Then comes the feeble and predictable "it's not REALLY socialism" trope. Yeah, it never is.

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Ray of light in the dark

Revisado: 01-18-22

You know how sometimes you have a feeling things just aren’t right, but can’t quite put your finger on it? Ben lays out the data points and then connects the dots. It’s the long-lost art of using logic and reason.

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Very relevant today

Revisado: 06-23-21

With so many competing narratives on the causes of inflation, this book gives us phenomenal insights into the actual events leading to Germany’s hyperinflation. Some aspects are eerily familiar to today’s reader. The narrative manages to cover fiscal policies, and the political and social context, while keeping the reader engaged through good storytelling and details of real-life experiences of Germans of all types.

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Frightening implications

Revisado: 06-23-21

Initially, I was impressed with the methods put forward to defeat dictatorial regimes. But further into the book, it became clear the author would be smitten to also bring down legitimately elected democratic governments, simply because he doesn’t like the current leader. Is that really what we want? To destroy democracy and give control to whatever group can coerce everyone else to the point of submission?

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esto le resultó útil a 12 personas

Liberal Slant in Plot

Revisado: 06-21-20

Although there are intereting insights early in the book about how tech will change our lives in the future, the story devolves into a cheap political thriller with a cliche cast of villains who are nothing more than straw-man characatures from today's political discourse. Given that technology and automation are issues that cut across political boundaries, the writers' political bias is all the more noticeable as they weave uneccesary social commentary into the plot and give a historical backstory of American politics that seems to be from the MSNBC version of recent events. More disappointingly, the writers don't take opportunities to engage in real discourse about how we might blunt the effects of automation on society. Instead, they give us cheap emotional tricks to build our sympathy for the hero and their political view.

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esto le resultó útil a 40 personas