Category Archives: Politics

Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Harry Katz

On the surface, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia is a memoir of the years 2001 to 2010 when the author, Peter Pomerantsev, lived and worked in Russia.  In reality, the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

On Tyranny

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Harry Katz

I’ve lived my whole life in democratic countries. I’ve never experienced what it’s like to live under a dictatorship, thankfully. But these days, I’m worried. Democracy here in the US and around the world seems more fragile that it used … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Economic Weapon

Posted on April 3, 2022 by Harry Katz

This book could not be more timely. Published one month before Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War is about the origins, evolution and uses of economic sanctions during … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Notes on the Invasion of Ukraine

Posted on February 27, 2022 by Harry Katz

I read because it helps me make sense of the world. I blog because it helps me distill what I’ve read, and hopefully it helps others make sense of the world too. The events of the past week make all … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Reflections | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Books are just too dangerous

Posted on December 12, 2021 by Harry Katz

Last week I read a beautiful opinion piece by Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri about the power of books. For context, there’s been an unprecedented rise in efforts by conservatives in the United States to ban books from schools and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Politics | Tagged | 1 Comment

Dying of Whiteness

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Harry Katz

There are two main ideas in Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland: Right-wing policies implemented by Republican administrations attract supporters because they align with a fundamental desire of many white voters to preserve … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Health and wellness, Law and justice, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Why We’re Polarized

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Harry Katz

Ezra Klein says polarization is the “master story” that explains why US politics is so toxic and dysfunctional these days. His book Why We’re Polarized aims to help us make sense of it all. I don’t know how I missed … Continue reading →

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Why Nations Fail

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Harry Katz

Why are some countries rich and others poor? Why, despite the passage of nearly two hundred years since the Industrial Revolution, are some countries still struggling to provide basic necessities while others indulge in conspicuous consumption? Why Nations Fail: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Economics, History, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Twitter and Tear Gas

Posted on September 12, 2021 by Harry Katz

The brutal murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020 sparked widespread protest across the US. In Seattle, where I live, demonstrations centered in an area called Capitol Hill. For nearly a month protesters occupied … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Computers and Internet, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Invisible Women

Posted on August 15, 2021 by Harry Katz

I strongly recommend Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men to half the people of the world – the male half. Women may not need to read this book as much because they are, unfortunately, living it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Health and wellness, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments