EJ's Book: "The Postcatastrophe Economy" available now!!!

[pianodoctor]

Re: EJ's Book: "The Postcatastrophe Economy" available now!!!

Ordered it. Did EJ mention anything about a book tour and letting us know the itinerary? I hope to get an inscription.

[jpatter666]

Re: EJ's Book: "The Postcatastrophe Economy" available now!!!

I was also fortunate enough to get a prepublication copy. I too do not think it is for the masses, but I have lots of friends and family who have enough understanding of accounting, international trade and banking to learn a great deal from this book. It is not for those who have no basic understanding of these things. It is overall a very optimistic book. I certainly hope EJ's solution is what we end up with, but I certainly do not believe it is anywhere near a certainty. I will try to get my friends and family to read it.

jim

I've been reading the book along with my wife who has some knowledge of iTulip from me but doesn't read the site. So it's been interesting watching her reaction.

I'd have to split her reaction into three stages. The first section, regarding the history of the FIRE economy/Peak Cheap oil she was totally engrossed in (to be honest I picked up some connections here as well that I'd never made or maybe I missed some early articles!). Very clearly reasoned, well thought out with several "slap hand to the head moments" where you realize just how badly FIRE duped us all.

TECI she had more problems with. More of an investment theme (so perhaps not as relevant to her) and she kept hitting Wikipedia (or asking me) on some concepts. So more of a struggle to get through -- that's a section that probably needs to be re-read multiple times to get it to sink in.

Wrap-up was solid, the interest levels came back, although she made the comment (along with several others on this thread) that she saw no sign of TPTB heading in that direction. We're both getting cynical on that point.

[don]

Re: EJ's Book: "The Postcatastrophe Economy" available now!!!

I was lucky enough to get a galley as well, and am enjoying it a great deal. It's the basic iTulip themes through and through, but all cleaned up and with fewer graphs and a consolidated explanation of the various themes. I disagree that this is a book for the masses though. The language is simple and easy to read, but it's dense. There are a lot of paragraphs that would send you off to Investopedia if you didn't already have a basic working knowledge of international trade, currencies, and economics.

Two other very general comments...

1) To my mind EJ's grown more vocally populist/anti-establishment/FIREd up over the last couple of years but it seems much more an overt and consistent them in the book than here. He really has a go at the current system in the book through simple truth-telling. I suspect that he'll be labeled a radical and an enemy of the state, known to cavort with Communists, shortly.

2) It's a very (very) optimistic book in terms of where he's arguing we can/will eventually end up. I think it's at least as likely we'll end up burning illegal immigrants at the stake inside kerosene-splashed mosques while our fascist overlords cackle with glee and xenophobes stoke the fire with nitro-filled teabags as it is that we adopt sensible policies and take our country back from FIRE/corporate interests. I don't suppose that's ground that needs to be covered in a book designed as solution, but the possibility of things going injuriously off the rails isn't really addressed (so far anyhow). The book proceeds with the assumption that we'll get where we'd be best to go.

Overall though, it's much like iTulip. When I read EJ I usually have the sense that he's seeing things events more clearly than others, and sooner too. The book's no different. Most of it seems self-evident when he makes the case, but then you realize that no one else was on the truth of the thing in 2000 and that most people still aren't following along yet.

The book just arrived. Laughed out loud with your comments. Thanks!

[Jay]

Re: EJ's Book: "The Postcatastrophe Economy" available now!!!

I agree with you Jay, and wasn't advocating that he dwell on it. I tried to say as much above. I was just pointing out that the book assumes a positive direction and I was struck several times by the unbidden thought, "That will never happen in America, 2015."

Oh OK, my bad then. Sorry about misunderstanding your intentions.