#142 - The Dictator's Handbook by Swampside Chats
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We go on yet another forced march, this time we learn the rules of the game from "The Dictator's Handbook," by Bruce Bueno De Mesquita and Alastair Smith.

Great discussion about a bleak book that's basically the PUA guide to politics, it seems, with an outlook that the hosts have (extremely qualified) respect for.

  • aramettigo [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Yeah, I'm open to that being the case.

    But why were the hosts on the pod making such a big deal about the book then? was kind to surprised to see it came out in 2011, translated to chinese in 2014. I'm really gonna have to read it lol.

    • comi [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I got the sense it was heavily mathed out, which is always a weakness of nerds, lol:) I suspect it showed that there is game theory equilibrium of such system (which can one easily observe in usa, but whatevs)

      • aramettigo [none/use name]
        ·
        3 years ago

        heavily mathed out, which is always a weakness of nerds

        :michael-laugh: true that. I wonder if the book was controversial when it came out.