I’ve been running a book club this year. We’re starting book 3 and discussing book 2 now.

I’ve been running a book club this year. We’re starting book 3 and discussing book 2 now. https://contraptions.venkateshrao.com/p/modernity-viewed-from-the-other-end

I loved this horse book, great pick! Relevant tweet:

@Altimor The industrial revolution was massively delayed. It should have started around 300 AD, and we'd have colonized the whole solar system by now. But the empire was just slightly too broken.

Was Industrial Revolution possible in 300 AD? Lots missing: Didn't know how to make cheap quality steel. Didn't know how to harness a horse properly for agricultural activities. _Escape from Rome_ argues collapse of Empire was necessary institutional precondition for IR. https://t.co/CcQf42dyPC

Vlad Tarko 🌐 🏗️ 🚀

Delver at contraptions.venkateshrao.com, running summerofprotocols.com, host of /gloom ☀️

I loved this horse book, great pick! Relevant tweet: https://x.com/vladtarko/status/1893516532640350695?s=46&t=MxjKGZ0xcO_edQX0W4Soig