I'll say this for the Jared Diamonds of the world though... it's worth reading 1-2 such books when you're in college just to expand your mind so you can think at larger scales. I did like Guns, Germs and Steel when it first came out. I benefitted before I discovered its flaws.
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Would love to read your thoughts on where GGS is strong vs flawed, and how (if) it fits into your current framework. Good place to start, or nothing public yet?
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Doesn't really matter. Pick the nearest convenient one. They're all about as nonsensical, but all work the trick of mind expanding.
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Does this map onto hedgehogs vs. foxes? I.e. you should mostly be a fox but good to run with a hedgehog or two so you don't become too vulpine . . .
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Lol. A winded way of saying you outgrew these pop-sci books.
Would you say the same about, say, ‘Metaphors we live by’ 20 years down the line? :)
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I think the win is not in reading GGS, it's in reading books containing ambitious ideas before they become mainstream. Once mainstream the ideas should be part of your mental toolkit and reading the book gives you little extra. GGS is now throughly mainstream.
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