Genghis Khan

I recently read Jack Weatherford's Genghis Khan and the Quest for God and Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Weatherford points out Genghis Khan out for his own contribution to religious freedom. Also, his dynasty has a long reach.

First, many Chinese-appearing artifacts are Mongol appropriations of Chinese work. To fit in, Genghis and his followers would have artwork make in Chinese style garb. They would also take names that appeared more Chinese.

Second, Genghis Khan's numbers of vanquished foes were great but likely exaggerated to reflect the times. Many militaries kept greatly exaggerated numbers at the time, but Khan's numbers (even if exaggerations) were larger than others. This may reflect a larger truth.

Third, Genghis Khan appropriated both religious belief, cultural ties, and followers that were great craftsman. One of Khan's generals and closest confidants was a man who had shot one of Genghis Khan's horses through the neck. Khan liked what worked, and gained literature and culture through hiring vanquished men.

These books taught me a great many things about the time and culture of the Mongols.

Freedman's Strategy: A History

I highly recommend Sir Lawrence Freedman's Strategy: A History. It debates what strategy is, exactly, by moving from game theory, business, and war studies. It does this in a lengthy 630 page treatise, but does not stay away from Foucault and Pareto's contributions. I feel like I knew a lot, as a student of strategy, but the book definitely treats it well. The book also starts with the Iliad and moves forward, so no student of history will be left with dissatisfaction.

It used rudimentary diagrams of the Prisoner's Dilemma and explained the Nash Equilibrium as well as I have understood it. I am not mathematician, of course. Yet, I highly recommend this book.

Uncertainty in Societies

I am reading Ted Kaczynski's new book Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How. Yes. That Ted Kaczynski.

I noticed in a Facebook post yesterday that few leaders are as powerful as they seem.

This was from an observation in the book. Another observation is that you cannot accurately predict our society while being part of it. This uses a different law, but has kinship with Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. An outside actor can more accurately predict a society's destiny, yet it is impossible because of globalization. So, I have only read the first chapter and preface. I'll share other insights as I get further along.

I am noting that I received this book in exchange for an honest review, and I will be posting the total review on Goodreads and Amazon later.

Family visiting

So, I am getting to know my wife's family better. I am becoming more comfortable with them. This is not just the in-laws, but my wife's extended family that lives elsewhere.

I feel that I have to use principles normally associated with "Game" (dating stuff) to keep people interested. It is normally like me to keep to myself. To keep from being introverted to a terrible closed position, I have to use principles from books or podcasts on dating.

I am able to keep people interested in my conversations more this way. I obviously tweak each idea for non-sexual, no kino reasons.

I feel like this is working towards making my marriage better and making my relationships with her extended family better. This has been a fun week.

I am not being seen as much the outsider as I once was. I am now keeping the comfortable distance with my wife's family, which also helps with my wife. Of course, "game" principles help with my wife. I hope you guys are having a great week.

Feeling motivated

Last night, while teaching, I had some students telling me they liked the way I teach. Unfortunately, I am taking time off from teaching to complete the final part of my doctorate.

I enjoy teaching but feeling rather motivated right now.

The sale on my book goes until early July. Get it if you are interested, or try Red Teaming for Renegades, my other work.

They are pamplet length books, but might be of some value to you.

I am getting back to blogging and mTurk work regularly. I enjoy doing the surveys on Mechanical Turk to make a few more bucks every month.

Sale tomorrow

Starting tomorrow, my book Goals-based Homeschooling, will be on sale on Amazon.com. I'll include a banner at the bottom. If you are interested in what goals to start when homeschooling or homeschooling in general, it may be a good time to pick it up.

No news on the car-front. I'll be getting it worked on sometime around the first, but I have honestly been enjoying walking. That is true, even though it has been somewhere around 115 F where I live.

Well, grading to do. So, pick up that book tomorrow. Or grab it on Kindle Unlimited.

Donovan is spot-on

Jack Donovan's Becoming a Barbarian is amazing.

I am not finished, but will be sharing more insights from this book in future posts.

He writes about our system of tolerance and how it has turned into moral universalism. Everything, according to this universalism, is okay as long as no one is offended.
We ignore signals put out by people's body language and dress because judging people by their looks is wrong.

Donovan disagrees.

We should build tribes that we invest in, which I've posted about elsewhere. This investment shows who we should care about, instead of outrage journalism. The news should not inform who we should care about. Faith and philosophy should dictate that.

Our tribes, including our families, are build to extend our legacy and way of thought and living.

I'll share more when I am further along. Pick it up on Amazon.

Review for Ikigai

I wanted to recommend a book. I am not posting it on my Kindle page because I was not exactly sure the best way to recommend this.

Ikigai is an amazing book by Sebastian Marshall. He blogs at sebastianmarshall.com.

It takes history, strategy, and philosophy and blends it into a personal improvement site. At the time I was looking for it, it was not on Kindle Unlimited. Yes, that means you'll have to put up the money for it.

It was an amazing book telling how to begin setting up a personal ethical system and improve yourself. I was recommended to it by Tynan, who blogs at tynan.com. Tynan was "Herbal" in the Neil Strauss book, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists.


I especially liked some of the recommendations in it. I'll be checking out some more of them myself. I'll let you know if any are especially illuminating.

Let me know if you decide to pick it up and exaclty what you think. Cheers.

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