The World's Best Book Summaries
Are democracies safe as long as they respect the rule of law? What does history tell us? A major component of modern liberal democracies is the rule of law—the belief that the state is constrained by some higher standard of conduct. However, the rule of law is not a complete safeguard of democracy. Continue reading to learn about the limitations of the rule of law.
Why does inequality exist, and when did it start? Is inequality a necessary evil of any large, complex society? David Graeber and David Wengrow attempted to answer these questions by looking at historical and anthropological research. They found that our beliefs about the evolution of societies have been wrong. They discuss their findings in the book The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity. Keep reading for an overview of this thought-provoking book.
Why is the rule of law important to modern democracies? Where does it come from? A major component of modern liberal democracy is the rule of law. Francis Fukuyama explains where the rule of law comes from, how it affects the political order, and how its absence (or weakness) leads to authoritarianism. Read more for a discussion about the rule of law and its importance to society.
In political science, what’s a state? What are its distinct features? How is it different from a tribe? Francis Fukuyama argues that a stable democratic society requires a strong state. He identifies five characteristics that a state has: a strong central authority, a stratified class system, a complex religion, a composition based on territory, and the centralized and exclusive control of police and military forces. Let’s take a look at the definition and the features of a state, according to Fukuyama.
How were societies originally structured? How and when were governments first formed? In The Origins of Political Order, political economist Francis Fukuyama discusses the earliest social structures: families and tribes. He explains how their dynamics were an obstacle to the formation of states and thus influenced political development. Continue reading to learn about the origins of government.
How are the housing market and economy connected? What happens if the housing market crashes? Will there be another recession? As home prices drop and rumors of recession haunt headlines, concerns are mounting that we might be headed for a repeat of the Great Recession of 2007-2009. According to Naked Economics, modern markets are all interconnected, so the failure of one part of the economy can cause a domino effect. Read on to learn what the future holds for the U.S. housing market and the larger economy.
What does Richard Cooper mean by “red pill rage”? What truth does the red pill represent? In his book The Unplugged Alpha, Richard Cooper describes a phenomenon he calls “red pill rage.” By this, he means the anger some men experience when they swallow the red pill—the hard, cold truth about society and dating. Here’s why swallowing the proverbial red pill results in rage, according to Cooper.
Will Daylight Saving Time (DST) be permanent in 2023? Why are some states opting for permanent DST? Why do we still use DST? We’ve once again “fallen back” to the shorter, darker days of winter. With the autumn time change being dreaded by many, some argue that we should eliminate this practice and stay in Daylight Saving Time year-round. Read on to learn why we use Daylight Saving Time and if it will be permanent starting next year.
What exactly is “toxic masculinity”? In what ways can masculinity be toxic? According to Richard Cooper, there isn’t really such as thing as “toxic masculinity.” The idea that anything too masculine is harmful is a lie. Rather, it’s a lack of masculinity that is the problem. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of toxic masculinity and why it’s a lie, according to Cooper.
What is ranked-choice voting and how does it work? What benefits does ranked-choice voting promise voters? Ranked-choice voting is gaining popularity across the United States with advocates claiming it gives a voice to people who don’t feel represented by polarizing candidates. But the jury’s still out on whether it’s a step forward or backward for U.S. democracy. Keep reading to learn what ranked-choice voting is and how it works.