Less than ten Books to get to know IPN

1. Introduction

Preface

The operative is to at least read the core material, that being the nine books, contained in this document. Generally, at IPN we preach to read two books per month, better one per week. To keep the mind constantly in a state of learning new ideas. You will thank us later. If you read the nine books and then go on with your own mind in what to pick to read, more power to you. Operatives can disagree here of course. It’s not like that the world is only containing open minds, people can choose to remain closed in their thinking relying on research of a couple of thousand books pointing to a selected few books as it is the case with IPN and call it a day. Anyhow, IPN hopes with the core material you gathered an interesting set of mental models and conceptual models to grasp reality. However, really get a hold of the core material otherwise it will be harder to grasp what IPN is up about and association with it, might be not be help full, even when the ideas and ideals we push forward at IPN are of your liking.

That being said some time tested truths which manifest themselves via tradition, when using an enlightenment lens to examine them first might emerge. One tradition we push forward, for instance, the tradition of having a free laisse-faire market since capitalism is the engine which fuels human prosperity. A separate reading list’s which follows up the history of economic theory within historical context can be provided if that point would be open for debate for the operative at hand. Please let us know in the comments.

Leading Up To

The base framework IPN wants bring people closer to using the ideas in core reading list in harmony. It’s a short introduction into a unique way of perceiving reality, which leads to interesting conclusions and assumptions about reality and human nature. This alone is a rather useful toolkit to have in one’s mind. These concepts hopefully can spark a small debate in the public about its application or use of thereof. This list alone if applied regularly when consuming news for instance, is a way of cut through the disinformation which the sad state of affairs within the West as of now. The combination of reading up on philosophical history within context of rational thinking, moral thinking, group thinking eluding on human nature, risk perception and forecasting is a unique combination worth considering. As well getting to know how the most prestigious ones of any given group or society organize. Sitting in the middle of the web of ideas is the spider which is spinning complex System Theory. In case you want to put the learned knowledge on a more thorough ground and foundation via scientific means. You then might consider IPN’s goal of a Golden Age marked by primordial peace, harmony, stability and prosperity and its feasibility or lack of thereof. Hoping that one sees the beauty of emergence over scale and self-organization over time with a leaderless bottom up approach which IPN tries uphold. Even though the last book of the reading list tells us this will be a fruitless attempt. You could also test one of IPNs many slogans like “reality has a right wing bias” and see for yourself that there is plenty of reasons available to wrap your head around this as a fact.

Rationality and Swarm Mentality

Often, you aren’t rational and so is everybody else as a default. Learning to think rationally takes time and patience, it’s not bestowed upon mankind as a given. Clear reasoning is comparable to learning a whole new language. If you aren’t constantly studying and hunting for lazy thinking based on cognitive heuristics and biases, you are quite lost. Though if taken care of consciously you end up lonely. You will realize that in your social groups your frequent it’s rather unusual to point these inconsistences out. The ideashavepople.net platform can hopefully serve as place where likeminded people who want to train themselves in clearer thinking can gather. There are a set of rules which guide human organization and perception individually as well as on a group level. The group level being always in the background, giving us the ability to act as a bee swarm in unison at times, with around 10% influence upon our minds. As well our perception of ourselves as an individual in most Western countries up to 90%, not so in other areas of the world. Asia for instance to a lesser extent.

Group Dynamics at Play

We can distinguish three separate groups of moral outlook within humans, which are expanding your irrationality further. These three groups, The Left, The Libertarians and the Conservatives are basing their morals on six foundations. The Left careering about two of them, the Libertarians one and the Conservatives all six. This gives Conservatives and edge over perceiving reality more as it is, rather then it ought to be, at times though not always. We take into account that group dynamics, play a far greater role then assumed normally. Introducing us to deep insight how a social dominance hierarchy, neural nets, superorganisms and memes shape the world around us. Take any given society for instance, it’s a large superorganism, it stands in competition with neighboring swarms of people. Its success depends upon which moral tribe has the most say politically, each forming a smaller superorganism within the society. With routes to neighboring countries. The current state of the West for instance is largely culturally left-leaning and with a strong economic bend towards the Free Market. This however is just an analysis of the current order, the first three books of the nine book long reading list, can also simply help you navigating through sensibilities better to get more out of business contacts or networking events. Application in daily life, news media consumption and political analysis is advised.

Leading up to complex System Theory

The previously described set of rules and insights are best captured and understood via the reference towards complex System Theory. This theory alone can help you, understanding every problem you encounter on a way deeper level. Society demanded specialists for decades and now generalists are in dire need to help solve complex problems. Complex System Theory is your quickest route to become a generalist as well. The theory which is presented is embedded in popular science themed slow introduction towards it within this reading list. To draw intention via a narrative, one could also straight go for understanding the following conceptual concepts Game Theory, Collective Behavior, Networks, Evolution and Adaptation, Pattern Formation, Systems Theory and nonlinear Dynamics. Then moving on with the freshly gathered insight and looking at problems to analyze with these tools. Right now, there are within the social and political sciences, forecasting, acceptance of human nature and risk evaluation the wrong set of ideas informing our elite and their decision making.

Establishing reference knowledge

To make your judgement of these set of ideas more informed, if they are wrong or right on a deeper level, you ought to know the history of philosophy a bit better and well fill in the blanks through reasoning yourself. Ask yourself after the history of philosophy, if you might consider simply further studying what IPN has prepared for you, rather than figuring out the gaps for yourself. IPN could have started its more public engagement a half decade earlier, by simple accepting: No we don’t have the time to figuring out all for our own. Read a lot or learn the cognitive biases and heuristics inside and out, or both but please don’t just indulge into uninformed wandering of the mind like a thought addict after finishing the nine book long list. Act upon the insight and in cooperate it into your life. There have been enough great ideas before you, like the intellectual tradition of the Macaveillians for instance, knowing them rather than rediscovering them is what the preferred course of action.

Study the Elite, become the Elite

We are ending IPN’s introduction to its core philosophy with a deeper look at how elites of any given social group form. Minding you that the study of the elite has, its own set of rules and only a small set of thinkers, talk about them on a meaningful level. The study of how elites operate puts the idea of the superorganism back into the front row. Leaving you with grasp of how humans live, organize and come into being. Largely by forces they aren’t aware of, or which are exploited, by higher level officials of any swarm forming behind a set of ideas and people who carry them out. That’s also how the name was conceived by IPN, Ideas Have People, not vice versa. After you read the nine-books you will slowly see through one mirror a strong fire burning. This fire is hard to point to, most of what the leader of the IPN, Able D. B. Paryon, is up to right now is putting up a few more mirrors to slowly show what he discovered by reading a couple of thousand books. Building up a crowd which eventually becomes its own superorganism over time. The ideashavepeople.net platform has as of now already the capability for group action and intelligence gathering, to get more out of life in a concentrated group effort via networking, business activities within investment and startups, political engagement, grasping objective reality via complex System Theory and self-mastery. Though first the common language of our swarm has to develop, the IPN philosophy and concepts eluding on it, must enter the public debate. Drawing more attention to IPN and its philosophy, also helping us adapting our concepts in an adaptive way marked by antifragility. Having correctives is always important, the public, field experts, complex System Theory and well the operative at hand reading this document. Write us a structured argument ideally via a PDF at our E-Mail-Address or use more easier route and comment below, we put it into our documentation system and see, where it leads.

Publishing Level One and Two

Mind you that over time the over 60 book long reading list will be presented via video-content, starting of course with initial nine books to gather a bit attention and lay down the ground concept. Fueling a chain of video-content, articles and lexicon entries providing an easier entry towards IPNs philosophy. Marketed throughout Social Media with all content trying to generate leads, via subscription’s, to fuel the ideashavepeople.net platform capital reserves. So you could read the nine books and then wait, for the in depth book discussion which will be provided in word, picture and video. Still the decision was made, that the level two framework of the IPN philosophy, should be included upfront. Simply to give early adopters more influence over where things are going within the network, philosophically and ethically. In order to pick proper guiding principles which, take roots like a tree growing through the earth leading up giving a tree strength to withhold any strong wind blowing later one from the powers that be, be that in business, politics or research. This document is more for operatives which might could play a large role within IPN, if of course they so choose by receiving the roadmap for next dozen or so months. In terms of publication via the ideashavepeople.net platform connected social media channels. Expand the knowledge via suggestions of books, courses and contacts to rework IPNs philosophy since though in the making for over a decade not at the level it could be. Overtime with IPN painting a clearer picture, we intend to contact a couple of hundred scientists, to persuade to join, to receive critique, to network and to further set up IPNs philosophy on a more scientific ground.

2. Less than ten books to get to know IPN (Level 1, Novice)

One paragraph summery

System 1, intuitive and quick in response is always ad odds with System 2 conscious effort of grasping objective reality. This is expanded via the moral foundations which guide our perception of how things ought to be, this feeds into System 1. Following up with the idea, that there are organizing principles which use moral foundations and often System 1 not 2, to deploy individuals in their duty for a superorganism, which bears a life on its own. With its own neural net and set of ideas, memes, which glue the masses together for a unified goal. Also introducing a dominance hierarchy and taking plenty of care to turn on your 10% bee swarm mentality every human carries with them. We then have look via complex System Theory in how this carried out in objective reality starting to organize some tools from the scientific community to get a better overview. Considering that in the social and political sciences, forecasting and risk evaluation, we have major deficits within the West. Rounding up the small intellectual journey with putting all we gathered in the context of the great ideas of philosophy. Ending with unique philosophical approach to capture better how to organize the elite, which always appears when humans start to organize around a cause or idea.

Get a hold on these books (see their covers in our Gallery)

1. Thinking Fast and Slow
   • Reasoning well is a hard earned language acquired over time.
   • Introduction to System 1 and System 2 thinking.
2. The Righteous Mind
   • To teach you that there are three basic human tribes in terms of morality expanding on System 1
   • Stating the notion that we are 90% individual and 10% group animal.
   • Introduction towards Moral Foundations Theory
3. The Lucifer Principle
   • How human society organizes itself.
   • Introduction into Group Dynamics
4. Principles of Systems Science (Complex System Theory)
   • Our corrective scientific lens we use to look upon intelligence gathered.
   • Generalist outlook capturing objective reality in a more nuanced way.
5. The Blank Slate
   • Discussing one of the most common misconception of human nature which influences mainstream politics within the West.
   • Dissecting certain myths about human nature
6. Incerto
   • A modest critique on contemporary Risk Management
   • A modest roadmap on how to gain rather than lose from large-tale events
7. Expert Political Judgement
   • Turns out the most political experts give us useless forecasting.
   • Introduction to a thinking style, which helps capturing objective reality better
8. The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition
   • Get to know what, the wisest of their time contributed towards mankind.
   • Within the context of superorganism, knowing their first principles is always well advised.
9. The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom
   • Trying to analyze the powers-that-be a bit better.

Levels of interest

That’s it. After long consideration the founder Able D. B. Paryon tried to find the smallest amount of books, which give the operative at hand, the largest clue of what IPNs philosophy is about. Trying to help you think first your life philosophy through via a unique approach at capturing objective reality more reliably. IPN would be pleased to have people thinking things through solely based on these nine books, that’s however not to say that the ones which want to study deeper context around the core reading list are not also highly appreciated. Probably only a tiny fraction will have interest into the reading list which goes from the original nine, to deeper context to an even deeper context. Third level interest is coming probably from men of ideas or words, which IPN also wants to help find their answers. IPN hopes with providing these routes that being of a novice via level one, a quick a rough overview, the route of a scholar via level two, a more thorough outlook and the route of a men of ideas or words via route three, a maze of context and nuance, to have established enough reference knowledge to guide our thinking into the direction if wisdom.

3. A 62 book long in depth investigation into IPN’s philosophy and intellectual outlook (Level 2, Scholar)

First things first

Every major book comes with a few suggestions of further reading without going into much detail or explanation about their scope, in a later version of the document this will be probably revised. For now, just keep in mind each of the nine books you are advised to read there is more than meets the eye. Though if you want to pick up this deeper context over time or reading directly up on it depends on the operative at hand. IPNs founder Able D. B. Paryon thinks the initial nine books can when read and reflected upon most certainly spark interest in reading through the rest of the list, to instill a robust education of IPNs philosophy upon the operative.

Starting to become a generalist

With this reading list you will get the tools to sharpen you thinking to stand out of the crowd. Your perception of reality will lighten up via the slow realization that most of what is read in the news and contemporary books revolves around our more primitive instincts informed by System 1. Moving on to nail down what happens when individuals join groups. Then elaborating on hidden motives driven by evolution, we display without much thought. Nailing home, the group and individual differences once more while also elaborating on the three moral tribes we have. Going on than to explore what Group Dynamics are. Reading up on two historical examples, where Group Dynamics went astray. Then capturing a successful group effort of one of the moral tribes and putting their ideas into the context of the time. Introducing you to large scale conflicts happening right now and The Last Men of History. Warfare receives special attention, followed up by Narrative Warfare and Regime Change. Taking an interesting game theoretical approach into account. To then move on exploring what belief is with a closer look at pattern seeking behavior. Followed up by an introduction how powerful narratives can be and ways to create ones. Looking close at failed state planning, as an important reminder for decentralized power. Then finally arriving at a course study book as an introduction towards complex System Theory. Afterwards exploring evolution and in how many places the theory applies. Then moving on exploring the human nature a bit better, examine how violence has its biological routes. Moving on to have look at Human Diversity and contemporary leftist thought. Identifying the breakdown of social structure within the West. To than learn something about risk management and investment in general. Followed up by a critique on political expert and an introduction to a way of thinking which helps to predict the future more accurate. Having a look at why some nations succeed and some not, to then close with roundup of philosophical overviews and a look at the great psychological ideas throughout history. Ending with an interesting approach to capture better what and why the elite is doing what they are doing. Followed up by an analysis of how the elite is currently organized within the West. Ending with two books on how to change one’s lifestyle and a third one with what elite groups rely upon in terms of common goals.

If you have read through this journey, you will end up with firm grasp of how the world functions without much detours straight to the point where you can apply the knowledge to your own advantage in your life. If you decide then to join IPN or build something on your own, we don’t mind as much. Shoot us a message in any of the cases, we would love to see what results you are getting or projects perusing with our unique set of ideas we entertain at IPN.

Cognitive Biases and Heuristics via Thinking Fast and Slow

The 2011 book by Daniel Kahnemann and Amos Tversky. Introducing you to so called System 1 and System 2 thought. System 1 being fast, instinctive and emotional. System 2 being slower, more deliberative and more logical. Take for instance prospect theory, loss and gains are perceived in an asymmetric manner. It’s called loss aversion and a part of System 1 thinking. For most people a loss of a 1000€ would outweighed by gaining quite a bit more back then what was lost. This effect was not taken into account by expected utility theory, modeling decisions as perfectly rational agents and so prospect theory called for the proper description of actual people and their behavior in applied economics. The book serves as an introduction via a convenient narrative into System 1 and System 2 thinking. The slow realization that often, humans are irrational in their decision-making process is hard truth to grasp and incorporate in life. Point being that there are well over a hundred cognitive biases and learning efficiently apply System 2 thinking is more like learning a new language. To see where our System 1 thinking leads us, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About The World And Why Things Are Better Than You Think should be considered. Another detour would be Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning from The Great Courses Series. A further expansion via Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientfic Guide To Critical Thinking Skills could be considered as well. Principles by Rad Dalio can show how to actively work upon your own framework of first principles can lead to tremendous results.

Group Dynamics via Mob, Messiahs and Markets

Want to go a level deeper go for “Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets: Surviving the Public Spectacle in Finance and Politics” laying the foundation of getting the idea that thinking is clouded into System 1 area via many routes. One of them being the precise difference between thinking for oneself and then discovering that within the crowed acting rather differently. Plenty of evidence which advice you to swim against the crowd to increase your odds.

Hidden Motives via the Elephant in the Brain

“The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life” further eluding on the point that we indulge in animal behavior, signaling, social norms and especially self-deception. Not only do we have hard time reasoning. We also have plenty of reasons, to be not honest towards even ourselves and our motives when displaying many behaviors. Thus, the picture we paint of ourselves in our hand further running astray from thinking clearly. Stuck in System 1 if constant effort isn’t applied. Then even when thought through in System 2. We go on to be different in groups and about all of this we would rather prefer to lie to ourselves when thinking things through for our emotional well-being. Well, that’s why we are flawed human beings. Worth also noting here is the book Grandstanding by Justin Tosi and Brandom Warmke which adds further nuance on how we can change when switching to a public mode of communication. Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do explores the theme further.

Moral Foundation Theory via The Righteous Mind

The 2012 book “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion” by social psychologist Jonathan David Haidt brings in a popular scientific way the reader more closely to Moral Foundations Theory. Sure US-Centric, though within the West sooner or later everyone dances to the tune of the hegemon, Haidt has a deeper look at how our moral understanding functions. Turns out we are 10% bee swarm and 90% individuals. Gathering around six moral foundations. These spring into action if asked a series of questions concerning the issues of the day, which then can be evaluated. There are two tribes which are revolving around a smaller set of moral foundation and one tribe around a larger set of moral foundations. Within other books often there is a debate if, using less foundations are the true enlightened way or using more. While all Haidt’s metaphor suggest an eye-to-eye level communication within the tribes, it turns out that only the last tribe. The one which uses all foundations is actually also capable of getting the other side, while organizing often against those foundations since they capture an incomplete and nuance lacking, simplistic view of the world. One would be well advised to get to know the other tribes a bit better and if you found yourself in one of the camps, lacking all the moral foundations, try to educate yourself with IPN or any other source about how the world can be differently perceived. To go further into detail read up upon Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us. Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think, thus factor only two moral tribes into account, though it can but off the edge in slowly grasping the moral foundations theory better. Maybe Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion can help you think your moral foundations more objectively through.

Group Dynamics via The Lucifer Principle

Howard Bloom wrote “The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History” which argues that social groups, not individuals are the primary “unit of selection” on genes and human psychological development. Introducing the reader to five key concepts, we are emerged in self organizing systems e.g. Genes. These genes create self-replicating clusters of ideas called Memes. These Meme’s form then a group-instinct so called neural networks. Also introducing a dominance hierarchy within all the individuals contained in the superorganism. Very interesting look to have upon the world using these concepts. The author has been threatened by Islamic groups who objected to aspects of the book and calls for boycotts have been made. One could explore the usage of the individual via the superorganism with On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace. The One Percent Doctrine could show how a set of ideas, can suddenly change a whole superorganism. The House of Government would show you how the mems are spun and tied together. The Secret of Our success will further explain the importance of culture.

Successful group effort via The Marginal Revolutionaries

A group history of the Austrian School of Economics, from the coffeehouses of imperial Vienna to the modern-day Tea Party. A movement that has had a vast impact on economics, politics, and society. This might be a surprise however Thomas Kuhn’s, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, can help put The Marginal Revolutionaries in better perspection. To have an overview what the intellectual climate was during their efforts read up upon European Thought and culture in the 20th Century.

Large scale conflicts via The Clash of Civilization’s

The geo-politician Samuel P. Huntington explores the upcoming conflicts on a civilizational scale rather then on a country level, as a response toward The End of History and the Last Men by Francis Fukuyama which is most certainly worth a read as well. Fukuyama tries to set us what kind of men, will rise up to lead us to conflicts on a civilizational scale Huntington describes. Another interesting look would be considering the power vacuum described in The End of Power.

Warfare via several sources

Start with this timeless classic The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. Or the timeless german classic On War by Carl von Clausewitz should be read and studied in detail among Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as a chinse timeless classic. Mind you, that you are well advised to read up upon Unrestricted Warfare by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui as well, though before you do so you should get yourself familiar with 4th Generation Warfare Handbook and The Handbook of 5GW. The Complexity of Modern Asymmetric Warfare putting forward Manwaring's multidimensional paradigm offers military and civilian leaders a much needed blueprint for achieving strategic victories and ensuring global security now and in the future. It combines military and police efforts with politics, diplomacy, economics, psychology, and ethics. Also get a hold of World History of Warfare if you can.

Cultural warfare, non-kinetic means and regime change via several sources

Cold Warriors: Writers Who Waged the Literary Cold war is a good head start in understanding an important aspect of great power politics. Covert Regime Change Americas Secret Cold War looking upon three major questions: What motivates states to attempt foreign regime change? Why do states prefer to conduct these operations covertly rather than overtly? How successful are such missions in achieving their foreign policy goals. Stealth War showdown between China and US. Weapons of Mass Migration is also a important book to consider.

Introduction towards Game Theory via Finite and Infinite Games

The quick read by James Carse takes some time to stomach and if you take the time and read it a second time you still discover insight you have missed. Aphorisms and not mathematics hopefully can serve as an interesting introduction towards game theory for you.

Exploring belief rationally via The Believing Brain

Michael Shermer explores how narratives turn to an architecture of belief systems. Putting forward patternicity and agenticity as two ideas to picture ourselves grasping reality. Seeing a pattern, often where are none, then also seeing agents within these patterns. Introduction of complex System Theory can really help here if the operative at hand as the tendency of going down this route. The Pattering Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning and Men Search for Meaning can further explore the topic of belief to an satisfying overview.

The power of narratives via Narrative Economics among others

Nobel Price-winning economist Robert J. Shiller analyses within “Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral And Drive Major Economic Events”. He puts forward “narrative economics” hoping to vastly improve our ability to predict, prepare for, and lessen the damage of financial crises, recessions, depressions, and other major economic events. Storytelling and the Sciences of Mind as well as The Science of Storytelling, among The Seven Basic Plots to get an idea about narratives. Writing Ficition 10th Edition.

Statism and its discontents via Seeing like a State among others

James C. Scott explores the many ways within the 20th century of grand utopian scheming which simply brought death and disruptions to millions upon millions. There is certain tragic in the notion that well-intentioned plans for improving the human condition go tragically awry. Different large-scale authoritarian plans in a variety of fields are examined. The book identifies four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society by the state; a “high modernist ideology” that places confidence in the ability of science to improve every aspect of human life; ay willingness to use authoritarian state power to effect large-scale interventions; and a prostrate civil society that cannot effectively resist such plans. A spontaneous Order and State Capitalism give both interesting context around the discovery of big plans by states usually just burning through resources.

Complex System Theory via Principles of Systems Science

By George E. Mobus and Miacheal C. Kalton two field experts within the scientific field of complex System Theory wrote here a book which introduces one to the field. To get an overview and an idea how there are different ways of perceiving objective reality in a more generalized way. Sooner or later you should get definitely a hold of the key concepts. Game Theory, Collective Behavior, Networks, Evolution and Adaptation, Pattern Formation, Systems Theory and nonlinear Dynamics. This is an excellent start for this endeavor.

Introduction to Evolution via Evolution of Everything

Matt Ridley in Evolution of Everything brings your forward quite a few areas where you probably did not suspect evolution influencing the results. The book beautifully captures bottom-up order and it’s enemy the top-down twitch the endless fascination human beings have with design rather than evolution. Always directing and not emergence. Ridley draws from science, economics, history, politics, and philosophy tackling the one or other convention assumption that major scientific and social imperatives are dictated by those on high, whether in government, business, academia, or morality. The most important achievements develop from the bottom up. Patterns emerge, trends evolve.

Stressing the influence of nature via The Blank Slate

Steven Pinker’s 2002 book “The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature” dives into the notion that no, humans aren’t malleable as much as we hope. There are clear problems within the social sciences and we would be well advised to pick up a the one or other evolutionary psychological insight. Pinker takes on the idea of the blank slate, that the mind has no innate traits. The idea of the noble savage, that people are good and corrupted by society. As well as the ghost in the machine, that each of us has a soul that makes choices freed from the constraints of biology. A good proportion of the book deals with for fears stemming from dropping the three concepts mentioned earlier. Fear of inequality, imperfectability, determinism, and nihilism. The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime can be seen as a proper extension of reading up upon the concept of The Blank Slate.

Exploring the possible influence of nature via Human Diversity

“Human Diversity: The Biology of Gender, Race and Class” by Charles Murray is controversial for very good reason, in polite society the topics discussed in the books are shunned and when talked about on a meta-level if the discussion on this matter shall be even allowed.

Contemporary leftist thought via Madness of Crowds

Douglas Murray’s “The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam” is next to “The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity” worth a read. The former exploring current migration trends and questions about living together. The latter is rather a overview of the most recent mainstream barrage of far-left talking points via many established outlets which got slowly undermined by subversive activities. Madness of the Crows is crazy enough already if you realize yes, this the current state of the West. Only to slowly realize that the left successfully managed to even give up on the notion that border should exist.

Demoralization and social capital via Bowling Alone

Robert D. Putnam has a look at the US, finding a lack of social capital within the country. The trends can more or less be translating within the context of the rest of the West. Western men get’s more isolated by the day in recent decades, only to turbo-charge that development within the on going pandemic.

Risk Management via Incerto

Nassim Nicholas Taleb wrote a couple of books, the series being called Incerto, regarding one major idea he pursued within is intellectual carrier. He basically advocates for what he called “black swan robust” society, meaning that a given society ought to withstand difficult-to-predict events. Proposing what he calls “antifragility” the ability to gain from this event’s rather than being crushed by them like in the late-2000s financial crisis which he for saw.

Finance via Security Analysis and Trend Following among others

Written in 1934 by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd now in the Sixth Edition with a foreword by Warren Buffet introducing you to what made Buffets the men he is today and giving him a set of ideas to expand a bit well successfully invest like rarely others have done. The book itself is gold standard in terms of value investment and should not be missed by anyone trying to understand the economy. Well since you should not relate on the state to give you a pension, following that you are well advised to read this book or Trend Following. Trend Following by Michael W. Covel show’s you how you can protect your capital via a simple strategy of following the crowd with all their ideas. To put things into perspective on could then go on to read How I made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market. Another book is advised to reading Build a Rental Property Empire 5th Edition by Mark Ferguson. If one chose to, would could also consider reading the Skyscraper Curse, for a rough guidance when investing. Also the historical account of Reminiscens of a Stock Operator, I really don’t want to miss out. If you want to get to know the finance crises of the late 2000s in a more detailed way go for The Greatest Trade Ever and then for The Big Short. The Index Revolution might also be of interest for you.

Prediction Models via Expert Political Judgement among others

Philip E. Tetlock wrote actually two noteworthy books “Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It How can we know?” formulating the base problem and with “Superforcasting: The Art and Science of Prediction” a pragmatic solution to the posed problem. Tetlock gathered from 284 experts, 28.000 predictions and checked up upon over time. The field experts where coming from many persuasions government officials, professors, journalists, hell even having Marxists next to free-marketers. The ones with the highest profile in news media, where especially bad. Though the average guesses of the rest have been also not noteworthy. The outliers how ever had something in common and Tetlock brings you this point closer in Expert Political Judgement to then go on and try to put into an even more pragmatic approach in his follow up book “Superforcasting”. Go for the Predictionees” Game for further context for what to expect from these kind of ideas.

Modern Statehood via Why Nations Fail

Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson wrote The Narrow Corridor, putting forward the idea that there is delicate balance society and state need to aspire to for every one to life in relative freedom and affluence. Why Nations Fail on the other hand brings our understanding into being why some societies get rich, while others stay poor. Then turning around and having a look at The Political Theory of Neoliberalism as the current dominating factor within the West and therefore with what is set out in the Narrow Corridor. Free Private Cities on the other hand gives us a fresh new approach on how the future of the state could look like if the freedom loving tribe would organize a bit better. Narconomics explores the conditions states with production of procreational drugs find them self’s into.

Philosophical Context via The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition

This audiobook which comes with a very detailed PDF from the Vendor the Great Courses Series which is great source for expert knowledge on the many fields they cover, from the most prestigious thinkers available. After leftist’s marched through the universities kicking out the Western cannon in many US-Universities, the company fit in the demand of people wanting to get to know a thing or two. Seldom got disappointed by any of their products, while this is especially good. Though in the end any other historical narrative bringing you closer to how far we have come within the West with our modes of thinking will suffice. Another book which might be of interest could be After Virtue. To start building a bridge how philosophy can translate itself into economics, read An Economic History of the World since 1400. Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition will definitely prove useful as well for the operative at hand. Religion translates to Philosophy translates to Psychology. We covered belief earlier, stressed with this block philosophy and round up the edges via The Great Ideas of Psychology. Letting the entire history of Psychology unfold puts everything in a broader perspective.

Political Realism via The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom

James Burnham Trotskyist turned conservative, wrote a rather neat philosophical approach trying to capture better how power manifests itself. You are most certainly missing out if you don’t read this one, which will be last book to bring you close to the IPN philosophy. Mind you the way Burnham captures the powers that be, could be seen a bit outdated over the emergence of a more and more networked power structure within the West. Though this is all but a minor detail which will be discussed on a future date. If you like this pick, do also consider to pick up “Suicide of the West: An Essay on the Meaning and Destiny of Liberalism” the 1964 classic contains special insight to this very day.

The elite organization within the West via The Square and the Tower

Niall Ferguson takes us with The Square and the Tower: Networks, Hierarchies and the Struggle for Global Power to an interesting place within perception or analysis of the elite, they by now mostly organize via networks and that’s and interesting thought to think through so don’t miss out here you can learn quite a bit more about the West then upon yearlong consumption of news. Many of the books here shall bring you on the road to go through complex System Theory on an academic level and this book brings a neat narrative to start the network part of the theory.

Lifestyle Change via Atomic Habits

At IPN we will remind you occasionally, to pick yourself together and do something with your life. As in picking up reading as habit. At least two books per month, ideally more than one book per week. Within this document, we hope to provide you a firm basis in generalist outlook to not get lost when suddenly letting more ideas than most people are used to. Atomic Habits by James Clear does not only help picking up reading, but any other habit you want to acquire. Eventually going for Robert Greens Mastery to see what is necessary to build one self-up.

Group dynamics of the elite via The Culture Code

Daniel Coyle puts forward within The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups what is necessary to pull together a team of highly functional individuals forming a group which is then greater than the sum of its members. Build Safety via boding together, sharing a sense of belonging and the foundation for risk´-sharing, open communication, and learning. Sharing vulnerabilities via honest feedback, embracing uncomfortable truths and share risks. This builds trust and cooperation. Establish purpose via a strong culture of stories, language, and behaviors to reinforce their purpose and shared values. Remind people constantly about the direction they’re going, what they stand for and where to focus their efforts. Strong groups explicitly name their values, priorities and goals, then reinforce them through countless signals, so people are absolute clear on where they want to be, and are clearly guided through their internal mechanisms.

4. (Level 3, Men of Words)

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