9 Comments
Sep 20, 2022·edited Sep 20, 2022Liked by Dwarkesh Patel

"(....) 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.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for pointing this out! Fixed

Expand full comment
Sep 19, 2022Liked by Dwarkesh Patel

Great interview, some transcription errors --

Xcalack -> Tlaxcala

Paul Maurice -> Palmares

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for pointing this out!

Expand full comment
Sep 16, 2022Liked by Dwarkesh Patel

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.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks Henk! Glad you enjoyed. I'll check out those books, appreciate the rec!

Expand full comment

This was so freaking good. My reading list just got soooooo long.

Expand full comment

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

Expand full comment

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/

Expand full comment