07 March 2013
A very interesting book - it explains the big picture of history; how to interpret what is known about history in terms of the following metrics: Extraction of energy; Social complexity; ability to wage war; how to explain the ups and downs (i.e. periodic breakdown of society - like in the story Nightfall by I. Asimov );
Another Asimov analogy - this book reminds me of the kind of reasoning that was behind psychohistory - the fictional science in the Foundation series.
I would have thought from the title that the book is arrogant western crap; no it isn’t , just the opposite.
more on the fictional Psychohistory
In another fascinating development, it turns out there is a new area of study that does mathematical modeling of historical dynamics Cliodynamics . Science fiction is turning into science, fascinating.