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I loved this interview, thanks to both of you. Btw I found it through MR. which is the best pubilicty any podcast and blog could ask for.
I am going to try to read some of the books mentioned. Os Sertoes sounds really interesting. I read Civilisations by Laurent Binet, mentioned by Charles, and it is a great read. Everything is upside down: Charles V is held hostage by the Aztecs ; all of Europe is converted to Sun worship ; first the Aztecs invade Europe and after a few years the Incas, and they begin to compete for power etc. Definiely recommended.
> we know pretty much what happened to all those trees. Easter Island is this little speck of land, in the middle of the ocean, and Dutch guys come there and it's the only wood around for forever, so they cut down all the trees to use it for boat repair
No, Jared Diamond was trying to figure out why the trees were already gone before Europeans arrived. He thought the natives cut them down, but actually it was the rats that the human settlers brought to the island that ate the seeds of the trees. I was complaining about Diamond getting that wrong over a decade ago:
I've enjoyed some of James C. Scott's books, but genetics does not support his idea that ethnic groups are fictions created by fugitive peoples.
On the imperial motivation for England to colonize the New World, it is arguable that the UK defeated Germany in two world wars because of the settler colonies they established before Germany united.
The suggestion that journalists switch places with podcasters raises the issue of The Real Problem:
Great interview. Very interesting questions, that also served as a broad introduction (for me) of his works. One of my favorite essays in the last few years was written by him: https://orionmagazine.org/article/state-of-the-species/
"(....) when Germany became a nation and one of the first things the Dutch said was (....)".
A transcription error ? The inhabitants of Germany are the Germans, not the Dutch. The Dutch inhabit The Netherlands also called Holland.
Great interview, some transcription errors --
Xcalack -> Tlaxcala
Paul Maurice -> Palmares
I loved this interview, thanks to both of you. Btw I found it through MR. which is the best pubilicty any podcast and blog could ask for.
I am going to try to read some of the books mentioned. Os Sertoes sounds really interesting. I read Civilisations by Laurent Binet, mentioned by Charles, and it is a great read. Everything is upside down: Charles V is held hostage by the Aztecs ; all of Europe is converted to Sun worship ; first the Aztecs invade Europe and after a few years the Incas, and they begin to compete for power etc. Definiely recommended.
This was so freaking good. My reading list just got soooooo long.
It's Palmares, not Palmeres.
People kept speaking Latin after the Roman empire collapsed, but it was still definitely a collapse:
https://acoup.blog/category/collections/fall-of-rome/
> we know pretty much what happened to all those trees. Easter Island is this little speck of land, in the middle of the ocean, and Dutch guys come there and it's the only wood around for forever, so they cut down all the trees to use it for boat repair
No, Jared Diamond was trying to figure out why the trees were already gone before Europeans arrived. He thought the natives cut them down, but actually it was the rats that the human settlers brought to the island that ate the seeds of the trees. I was complaining about Diamond getting that wrong over a decade ago:
https://entitledtoanopinion.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/if-you-cant-say-anything-bad-about-jared-diamond/
I've enjoyed some of James C. Scott's books, but genetics does not support his idea that ethnic groups are fictions created by fugitive peoples.
On the imperial motivation for England to colonize the New World, it is arguable that the UK defeated Germany in two world wars because of the settler colonies they established before Germany united.
The suggestion that journalists switch places with podcasters raises the issue of The Real Problem:
https://www.overcomingbias.com/2020/11/the-real-problem.html
Great interview. Very interesting questions, that also served as a broad introduction (for me) of his works. One of my favorite essays in the last few years was written by him: https://orionmagazine.org/article/state-of-the-species/