March Reading Recommendations!

TL;DR

Book recommendations and reflections on making invisible assumptions visible.

Transcript

hello everybody oli here time for some more reading recommendations from my bookshelf and I'll also be telling you about how you can get even more free education from today's sponsor the great courses plus more on that in a bit the first book I have to recommend to you is Graham Greene's the quiet American I don't read a lot of fictions there was a... Read More

Key Insights

• 🇦🇸 Graham Greene's "The Quiet American" explores the invisible ideological assumptions underpinning American involvement in Vietnam before the American invasion.
• 💨 Lisa-Marie Cacho's "Social Death" exposes the ways in which certain groups of people are criminalized for actions that are not punishable when carried out by others.
• ❓ Slavoj Zizek's "Violence" is critiqued for its problematic aspects, including instances of casual racism and inconsistent arguments.
• 😒 The use of imagery in both Graham Greene's and David Hockney's works allows for the imaginative exploration of details and the filling in of gaps.
• 🧡 The Great Courses Plus offers a wide range of educational videos, covering topics from science to photography and cooking.
• 🗯️ The philosophy of human rights can legitimize state-based violence and contribute to the criminalization of certain populations.
• 😑 The author expresses gratitude for the books received as gifts and provides a link to an Amazon wish list for those interested in supporting the show's research.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is "The Quiet American" about?

"The Quiet American" is about a young American spy in Vietnam who is unaware of the true consequences of his mission, which involves killing people in the name of American corporate expansionism.

Q: What is the central distinction made in "Social Death" by Lisa-Marie Cacho?

Lisa-Marie Cacho explores the distinction between behavior that is technically illegal but not deserving of punishment, and behavior that is criminalized only when certain groups engage in it.

Q: What is criticized about "Violence" by Slavoj Zizek?

"Violence" is critiqued for containing instances of casual racism, contradictory arguments, and a lack of engagement with those directly involved in real world events.

Q: What other books are recommended instead of "Violence"?

Instead of "Violence," the content creator recommends a list of alternative books that cover similar topics and have been praised for their insights and quality of writing.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The first book recommendation is "The Quiet American" by Graham Greene, which explores the invisible ideological assumptions behind American corporate expansionism in Vietnam.

• The second book recommendation is "Social Death" by Lisa-Marie Cacho, which examines how certain actions can be criminalized only when certain groups of people engage in them.

• The third book mentioned is "Violence" by Slavoj Zizek, which is critiqued for its casual racism and inconsistent arguments.