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Mercenaries in Medieval and Renaissance Europe by Hunt Janin and Ursula Carlson Book Review

It isn’t often that I bother to leave a negative review. For the most part, I close the book and move on. However, this is an interesting case. Mercenaries in Medieval and Renaissance Europe [Amazon link] by Hunt Janin and Ursula Carlson is a book I have had for

Locklin on the Big Five

Scott Locklin has a recent post up critical of the Big 5 theory of personality. I’ve said some nice things about the Big 5/OCEAN model ten years ago, but I cannot disagree with Locklin’s criticisms. Fundamentally, this kind of personality research seems to be going in the

The Long View 2008-03-17: St. Patrick's Day

Topical commentary on the events of the day from John J. Reilly. Saint Patrick's Day Financial Chaos, Now and Then: Regarding Now, I don't think I would add much to these comments by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of the Telegraph UK: Albert Edwards, global strategist at Societe Generale,

Tower of the Bear Yankee Republic #3 by Fenton Wood Book Review

The Tower of the Bear [Amazon link] is the point at which Fenton Wood’s Yankee Republic series veers into epic territory. Philo’s adventures from this point don’t just reference myth and legend; they become them. After Philo and Viridios staved off the incipient ice age in the

Five Million Watts Again

I first read Five Million Watts [Amazon link] almost exactly a year ago, but I didn’t review it until February of 2020. With the scientific assistance of Hans Schantz [Amazon link], Fenton Wood takes the electronic geekery up to 11 in the second volume of the Yankee Republic series.

The Long View 2008-03-13: Mamet & Hobbes; Decanting the Future; Basic Plots; Burleigh's Trilogy; Enceladus or Bust

John J. Reilly wrote some fascinating science fiction about gas giant moons, but it is rather unlikely that we would find life there, as there is very little energy available, even if there is liquid water and suitable chemicals. I like that story more for the Toynbee-style macrohistory. Mamet &

The Long View 2008-03-10: Tax Farming & Health Insurance; Obamalypse; Islam an Empty Vessel?

John J. Reilly was a long-time advocate of a single-payer healthcare system in the United States. His view was predicated upon healthcare being a public good, not a public right, and frankly acknowledging that it is a system of transfer payments from the young and healthy to the unwell. However,