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The Pragmatist's Guide #4
The Pragmatist’s Guide to Crafting Religion: A playbook for sculpting cultures that overcome demographic collapse & facilitate long-term human flourishing
Humanity consists of coevolving software (our religion and culture), firmware (our hardcoded proclivities, such as language acquisition), and hardware (our brains). Ripping out a third of the equation has led to innumerous unintended—and typically negative—consequences. This book offers a guide to rebuilding or fortifying this increasingly neglected aspect of the human condition. Specifically, The Pragmatist’s Guide to Crafting Religion serves as a playbook for those looking to strengthen traditional cultures in the face of collapsing birth rates or craft entirely new cultures designed to impart strategic advantages to adherents. Should You Read This Book?
483 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2023
40 people are currently reading
6646 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 3, 2023
I didn't agree with everything said in the book, but there are a lot of good ideas here that can be replicated in your own home.
July 12, 2023
It's a generally fascinating and interesting book. I am not one to read much about religion; however, this was really different to me. The book challenges conventional perspectives on religion and offers a fresh approach to address various issues. The author looks into practical strategies that are truly mind-opening.
I usually do not like reading about religion, but I do like to keep myself aware of what people think and what they say. I think this would be great as a podcast or an audiobook.
If you're interested in exploring religion, culture, and long-term societal flourishing, this book is a definite must-read. It's a compelling and thought-provoking journey that will expand your understanding of these subjects.
I usually do not like reading about religion, but I do like to keep myself aware of what people think and what they say. I think this would be great as a podcast or an audiobook.
If you're interested in exploring religion, culture, and long-term societal flourishing, this book is a definite must-read. It's a compelling and thought-provoking journey that will expand your understanding of these subjects.
July 17, 2023
Here’s my review of this book I just finished, The Pragmatist’s Guide to Crafting Religion by Malcolm and Simone Collins. Man, it's a game-changer! It's like they're saying, "Hey, you! Yeah, you! You've got the power to shape your own belief system. How cool is that?"
This isn't your typical guidebook. It's more like a treasure map to your own spiritual journey. You're not just reading; you're exploring, digging deep into the world of faith and spirituality. It's not about following a set path; it's about carving your own. And the Collins duo? They're not here to spoon-feed you answers. They're here to make you think, to question, to introspect. It's refreshing, really.
So, what's the big takeaway here? Well, it's that creating your own religion isn't just some whimsical idea. It's a profound, life-changing process. And this book? It's like your compass, guiding you through this journey with insightful commentary, practical advice, and some real brain-teasing questions. Who would've thought critical thinking and religion could go hand in hand, right?
This isn't your typical guidebook. It's more like a treasure map to your own spiritual journey. You're not just reading; you're exploring, digging deep into the world of faith and spirituality. It's not about following a set path; it's about carving your own. And the Collins duo? They're not here to spoon-feed you answers. They're here to make you think, to question, to introspect. It's refreshing, really.
So, what's the big takeaway here? Well, it's that creating your own religion isn't just some whimsical idea. It's a profound, life-changing process. And this book? It's like your compass, guiding you through this journey with insightful commentary, practical advice, and some real brain-teasing questions. Who would've thought critical thinking and religion could go hand in hand, right?
December 26, 2023
One of the best reads I had for a while. The two offer new viewpoints which are often very unique. I think they are right with most of their problem assesement, and I think their guide is a good idea to prepare for that and to ensure the survival of our race.
The problem is following: They are libs and so are definitely not on our side but we still can use their methods and guides to ensure our victory in the comming societal collaps. So I think every right winger should read this books., just make sure to read it critically and filter out the lib ideology
It is really sad that they are not on our side because then the book could have been glorious.
The problem is following: They are libs and so are definitely not on our side but we still can use their methods and guides to ensure our victory in the comming societal collaps. So I think every right winger should read this books., just make sure to read it critically and filter out the lib ideology
It is really sad that they are not on our side because then the book could have been glorious.
September 17, 2023
It is a fascinating read, essentially a book about culture, the interplay of culture and time and an idea for how to craft a lengthy and time-pervasive culture, I certainly don't agree with everything I read in the book and a lot of the content is quite "Out there" although I love coming across new ideas and people who are pushing the boundaries which the Collins' certainly are!
April 20, 2023
The Collins’ identify the problem with declining global fertility rates but their solution is greatly lacking.
March 7, 2025
This is a complex book to review.
It is extremely ambitions and unburdened by shame or fear of being considered weird. It is thorough and well-researched on topics I would never spend the time, like cultural norms of 'hard cultures' (mostly strict religions). It explores a worldview that I would never have considered (fertility rates being important to sustain a culture or country). It's full of great takes and ideas that are not strictly related to the main topic but extremely useful. For example, the section about whether to trust experts online is absolutely brilliant.
The book depends on one big assumption: pronatalism is right. This is already dangerous, as books (and people) that have one big idea and build their worldview around it are less likely to test their ideas, and as such, more likely to be wrong. Evidence: the book superforecasters collects some.
There's lots written about pronatalism, and yet some questions still remain in my mind. It's not clear what pronatalists claim, even though there are rivers of ink over it. This is already a bit suspicions.
Here's my take on what pronatalism could mean:
- To keep society afloat (as it is structured right now), you need a working part of the population that sustains a non-working part (retirees, groups at risk, etc)
- You need a certain % of the population to be productive to a certain degree X. You can either increase the % of the population, or the productivity per person
- Big changes in productivity per person are rare historically, even when new technologies promised it. AI might be the exception, but history is on the side of 'productivity is hard to change'
- Below a certain %, society stops functioning (low tax collection, etc; they explain it well in the Detroit case)
- because youth correlates with being in that % of productive citizens, you need young people in society; ergo, children
- If society stops having children, eventually it stops being sustainable
This is fairly reasonable, and I think everyone alive would agree with that line of reasoning.
But pronatalism, at least the variety the Collins profess, ges farther. There are other claims that I'm not so sure about:
- Once a nation goes below replacement rate (2.1 children per woman) it never goes back above it. There are some exceptions in history, Albania after USSR collapse, US during baby boom.
- A society below replacement rate will collapse economically, it's a matter of time. Collapse! They use Detroit as an example of collapse. No evidence on how Detroit is a good example
- What is the right number of people on earth? Are there any mechanisms to get there, and to stay there? Or should humanity grow exponentially, conquering other planets?
- What is this collapse they are talking about? How does it look like? Is it progressive and boring, survivable? Is it a cliff, like Venezuela?
The book is chock full of 'just so' explanations. Which is understandable because they are dealing in antropology, etnography, sociology, and genetics... where often you cannot make experiments to test your theories.
The book has some contradictions:
- They disregard science/academia as being infected by 'the supervirus', yet they use plenty of data and experiments from academia when it fills a hole in the explanation they are building
- They claim productivity will not increase (so a stronger economy needs a growing population), yet they expect AIs to reach general intelligence and prepare their children to be better than the previous generation (that is more productive), so they have at least two options to believe in productivity increases
At some point, the book has suprematist touches; it's not white suprematist, is 'my family' suprematist, which is very interesting. They believe their culture is superior to any other, which is something we don't have evidence to assert right now (give it at least 2 generations!)
So all in all, interesting but not moving my thinking enough with the evidence they provide. I'm a pronatalist as in the description I wrote here, but not the way the Collins seem to argue (which includes statements that border the 'not all people should reproduce' kind)
It is extremely ambitions and unburdened by shame or fear of being considered weird. It is thorough and well-researched on topics I would never spend the time, like cultural norms of 'hard cultures' (mostly strict religions). It explores a worldview that I would never have considered (fertility rates being important to sustain a culture or country). It's full of great takes and ideas that are not strictly related to the main topic but extremely useful. For example, the section about whether to trust experts online is absolutely brilliant.
The book depends on one big assumption: pronatalism is right. This is already dangerous, as books (and people) that have one big idea and build their worldview around it are less likely to test their ideas, and as such, more likely to be wrong. Evidence: the book superforecasters collects some.
There's lots written about pronatalism, and yet some questions still remain in my mind. It's not clear what pronatalists claim, even though there are rivers of ink over it. This is already a bit suspicions.
Here's my take on what pronatalism could mean:
- To keep society afloat (as it is structured right now), you need a working part of the population that sustains a non-working part (retirees, groups at risk, etc)
- You need a certain % of the population to be productive to a certain degree X. You can either increase the % of the population, or the productivity per person
- Big changes in productivity per person are rare historically, even when new technologies promised it. AI might be the exception, but history is on the side of 'productivity is hard to change'
- Below a certain %, society stops functioning (low tax collection, etc; they explain it well in the Detroit case)
- because youth correlates with being in that % of productive citizens, you need young people in society; ergo, children
- If society stops having children, eventually it stops being sustainable
This is fairly reasonable, and I think everyone alive would agree with that line of reasoning.
But pronatalism, at least the variety the Collins profess, ges farther. There are other claims that I'm not so sure about:
- Once a nation goes below replacement rate (2.1 children per woman) it never goes back above it. There are some exceptions in history, Albania after USSR collapse, US during baby boom.
- A society below replacement rate will collapse economically, it's a matter of time. Collapse! They use Detroit as an example of collapse. No evidence on how Detroit is a good example
- What is the right number of people on earth? Are there any mechanisms to get there, and to stay there? Or should humanity grow exponentially, conquering other planets?
- What is this collapse they are talking about? How does it look like? Is it progressive and boring, survivable? Is it a cliff, like Venezuela?
The book is chock full of 'just so' explanations. Which is understandable because they are dealing in antropology, etnography, sociology, and genetics... where often you cannot make experiments to test your theories.
The book has some contradictions:
- They disregard science/academia as being infected by 'the supervirus', yet they use plenty of data and experiments from academia when it fills a hole in the explanation they are building
- They claim productivity will not increase (so a stronger economy needs a growing population), yet they expect AIs to reach general intelligence and prepare their children to be better than the previous generation (that is more productive), so they have at least two options to believe in productivity increases
At some point, the book has suprematist touches; it's not white suprematist, is 'my family' suprematist, which is very interesting. They believe their culture is superior to any other, which is something we don't have evidence to assert right now (give it at least 2 generations!)
So all in all, interesting but not moving my thinking enough with the evidence they provide. I'm a pronatalist as in the description I wrote here, but not the way the Collins seem to argue (which includes statements that border the 'not all people should reproduce' kind)
December 19, 2025
Me resulta bastante difícil calificar este libro: se vende como un "cambio de juego" que puede otorgar al lector el poder de diseñar su propio sistema de creencias en lugar de seguir caminos preestablecidos, y como una "hoja de ruta" para el autodescubrimiento y el pensamiento crítico aplicado a la religión. Y tiene mucho de eso, pero también incide muchísimo en la ideología bastante extrema de los autores, con algunas propuestas demasiado extremas o fuera de la realidad.
La obra propone un enfoque pragmático y secular para asegurar la supervivencia humana ante el colapso demográfico actual. Y quizás eso es lo que me atrajo al principio, la visión de que las bajas tasas de natalidad actuales de muchos países (o culturas, como prefieren llamarlo ellos) son un enorme problema para el futuro de nuestras sociedades, o de la humanidad en general.
Los autores proponen una "solución" dando ideas prácticas que pueden replicarse en ámbito familiar para fortalecer una cultura propia (o una religión propia, porque los autores usan casi indistintamente una y otra, quizás por la similitud en inglés de "cult" -culto, o religión- y "culture" -cultura-).
Los autores exploran cómo diferentes tradiciones, desde el calvinismo hasta el judaísmo, han logrado transmitir valores y mantener altas tasas de natalidad frente a lo que denominan un "supervirus" cultural de modernidad estéril. Y ahí es donde empiezan todas las partes que me han hecho torcer el morro, porque defienden sin pudor lo que les parece superior, como el pronatalismo, la selección de embriones, las sociedades secretas, la destrucción de la identidad individual para integrarse en una identidad familiar y luego cultural, y muchas otros conceptos bastante polémicos o incluso a veces ofensivos.
Este "manual" parece ser como recibir un kit de herramientas para construir tu propia casa, a través del diseño de rituales, sistemas de emparejamiento y educación, para buscar que tu familia prospere de manera intergeneracional, enfatizando la importancia de la fidelidad cultural y sobre todo de asegurar la multiplicación de tu descendencia.
En cuanto a la religión, como digo los autores la mezclan continuamente con la cultura, pero aprovechan para hacer un análisis de lo que (otra vez, según ellos) son religiones "superiores", como el Judaismo, los Mormones, o el Calvinismo. A pesar de ese análisis, aseguran que no buscan una religión "verdadera" en el sentido teológico, sino una que funcione como un "reactor cultural" capaz de preservar la sapiencia y la diversidad frente a lo que ellos llaman el "supervirus cultural" moderno. Y eso es otra de las cosas más controvertidas de su declaración, la existencia de una forma única y virulenta de "virus cultural" ue se propaga a través de las culturas y organizaciones, alterando su comportamiento y prioridades. Este virus se propaga bajo la promesa de minimizar el sufrimiento emocional colectivo, y da lugar a culturas "blandas", volviéndolas frágiles y susceptibles al colapso. Identifican claramente y sin pudor esas culturas blandas con el movimiento Woke, la cultura Pop, el progresismo, y la izquierda. Una vez más, declarando la superioridad de las culturas "duras" que ellos representan por su mayor probabilidad de supervivencia en el largo plazo, al tener mayor tasa de natalidad y una menor "tasa de deserción" (los que abandonan esa cultura para adoptar otra).
En definitiva, un libro que te da que pensar en la utilidad de diseñar tu propio esquema de creencias desde un punto de vista práctico, entretenido y estimulante en algunas partes, pero muy extremista y utópico en sus propuestas, y un tanto supremacista en sus creencias.
La obra propone un enfoque pragmático y secular para asegurar la supervivencia humana ante el colapso demográfico actual. Y quizás eso es lo que me atrajo al principio, la visión de que las bajas tasas de natalidad actuales de muchos países (o culturas, como prefieren llamarlo ellos) son un enorme problema para el futuro de nuestras sociedades, o de la humanidad en general.
Los autores proponen una "solución" dando ideas prácticas que pueden replicarse en ámbito familiar para fortalecer una cultura propia (o una religión propia, porque los autores usan casi indistintamente una y otra, quizás por la similitud en inglés de "cult" -culto, o religión- y "culture" -cultura-).
Los autores exploran cómo diferentes tradiciones, desde el calvinismo hasta el judaísmo, han logrado transmitir valores y mantener altas tasas de natalidad frente a lo que denominan un "supervirus" cultural de modernidad estéril. Y ahí es donde empiezan todas las partes que me han hecho torcer el morro, porque defienden sin pudor lo que les parece superior, como el pronatalismo, la selección de embriones, las sociedades secretas, la destrucción de la identidad individual para integrarse en una identidad familiar y luego cultural, y muchas otros conceptos bastante polémicos o incluso a veces ofensivos.
Este "manual" parece ser como recibir un kit de herramientas para construir tu propia casa, a través del diseño de rituales, sistemas de emparejamiento y educación, para buscar que tu familia prospere de manera intergeneracional, enfatizando la importancia de la fidelidad cultural y sobre todo de asegurar la multiplicación de tu descendencia.
En cuanto a la religión, como digo los autores la mezclan continuamente con la cultura, pero aprovechan para hacer un análisis de lo que (otra vez, según ellos) son religiones "superiores", como el Judaismo, los Mormones, o el Calvinismo. A pesar de ese análisis, aseguran que no buscan una religión "verdadera" en el sentido teológico, sino una que funcione como un "reactor cultural" capaz de preservar la sapiencia y la diversidad frente a lo que ellos llaman el "supervirus cultural" moderno. Y eso es otra de las cosas más controvertidas de su declaración, la existencia de una forma única y virulenta de "virus cultural" ue se propaga a través de las culturas y organizaciones, alterando su comportamiento y prioridades. Este virus se propaga bajo la promesa de minimizar el sufrimiento emocional colectivo, y da lugar a culturas "blandas", volviéndolas frágiles y susceptibles al colapso. Identifican claramente y sin pudor esas culturas blandas con el movimiento Woke, la cultura Pop, el progresismo, y la izquierda. Una vez más, declarando la superioridad de las culturas "duras" que ellos representan por su mayor probabilidad de supervivencia en el largo plazo, al tener mayor tasa de natalidad y una menor "tasa de deserción" (los que abandonan esa cultura para adoptar otra).
En definitiva, un libro que te da que pensar en la utilidad de diseñar tu propio esquema de creencias desde un punto de vista práctico, entretenido y estimulante en algunas partes, pero muy extremista y utópico en sus propuestas, y un tanto supremacista en sus creencias.
February 10, 2024
What words can I muster up for this book?
Malcolm and Simone Collins have summoned from their collective conciousness a masterpiece on family, religion and culture (or cultivar) craft. Every word in the text brimming with information so simple and so direct and applicable that surely even an imbecile could delight in it. Yet the book was often so remarkably profound and often abstract to such a point that it serves as a phenomenal object to completely fulfil the ingrained desire of learned men to play with novel ideas.
Almost every chapter or rather audio file of the audiobook (as is the medium I became intimately acquainted with) is brimming with interesting ideas largely unengaged with by many mainstream outlets and circles. I often found myself thinking "Why on earth am I now hearing about this? Why hasn't anyone been discussing this?" intermixed with thoughts such as "That is a remarkable way to fortify x's culture" or "Ofcourse, that would be the outcome of x's cultural feature."
This book not only divulged many ways to contruct intergenerationally durable cultivars but better that is it actually clearly explained philosophical reasons for doing such. It provided a lake of hope to men dying of the thirst of nihilism in today's moden world. That the human race is worth preserving; that we are called upon preserve, protect and strengthen our fellow men; that we WILL prevail against the progressive super virus that so terribly afflicts us has done wonders to improve my outlook for the future, improved my commitment to altruism and expanded my conceptualisation of what it means to me mankind especially in the age of gene editing and the coming liberation of man from his frail, sickly form. But let us dwell on that another time.
What more can I truly say. To be speechless is to be "unable to speak." In such a case then, I am not speechless. I am "speechfull", I have so much more to say like a prisoner just recently freed from the talons of the Third Reich now able to freely roam throughout the Germanic hinterland overflowing with words for his experiences as decribed by the likes of Dr. Victor Frankl. I have for the first time in my life in a VERY long time been able to cast my eyes upon the light at the end of the tunnel and realise that myself and others supportive of the cause can duly influence the future away from total annihilation of all and assist with engineering the solution for a better world. My tongue beseeches me to continue but my heart has compassion for your time.
I will end this novella of my own on the following. Reading this book has revolutionised the way I view myself and my duty to this world, and my future manufactured family. It has inspired me and provided me with the tools to survive in the post scarcity, fertility desert á la Mad Max that we live in and to eventually thrive. Although I had accessed this for free due to the bountiful generosity of Malcolm and Simone Collins, even at full price I would completely recommend it. I intend now to read all of their literature continuing with The Pragmatist's Guide to Governance and other resources they mentioned such as Albion's Seed. Thank you ever so much for reading this. All the best to you.
Malcolm and Simone Collins have summoned from their collective conciousness a masterpiece on family, religion and culture (or cultivar) craft. Every word in the text brimming with information so simple and so direct and applicable that surely even an imbecile could delight in it. Yet the book was often so remarkably profound and often abstract to such a point that it serves as a phenomenal object to completely fulfil the ingrained desire of learned men to play with novel ideas.
Almost every chapter or rather audio file of the audiobook (as is the medium I became intimately acquainted with) is brimming with interesting ideas largely unengaged with by many mainstream outlets and circles. I often found myself thinking "Why on earth am I now hearing about this? Why hasn't anyone been discussing this?" intermixed with thoughts such as "That is a remarkable way to fortify x's culture" or "Ofcourse, that would be the outcome of x's cultural feature."
This book not only divulged many ways to contruct intergenerationally durable cultivars but better that is it actually clearly explained philosophical reasons for doing such. It provided a lake of hope to men dying of the thirst of nihilism in today's moden world. That the human race is worth preserving; that we are called upon preserve, protect and strengthen our fellow men; that we WILL prevail against the progressive super virus that so terribly afflicts us has done wonders to improve my outlook for the future, improved my commitment to altruism and expanded my conceptualisation of what it means to me mankind especially in the age of gene editing and the coming liberation of man from his frail, sickly form. But let us dwell on that another time.
What more can I truly say. To be speechless is to be "unable to speak." In such a case then, I am not speechless. I am "speechfull", I have so much more to say like a prisoner just recently freed from the talons of the Third Reich now able to freely roam throughout the Germanic hinterland overflowing with words for his experiences as decribed by the likes of Dr. Victor Frankl. I have for the first time in my life in a VERY long time been able to cast my eyes upon the light at the end of the tunnel and realise that myself and others supportive of the cause can duly influence the future away from total annihilation of all and assist with engineering the solution for a better world. My tongue beseeches me to continue but my heart has compassion for your time.
I will end this novella of my own on the following. Reading this book has revolutionised the way I view myself and my duty to this world, and my future manufactured family. It has inspired me and provided me with the tools to survive in the post scarcity, fertility desert á la Mad Max that we live in and to eventually thrive. Although I had accessed this for free due to the bountiful generosity of Malcolm and Simone Collins, even at full price I would completely recommend it. I intend now to read all of their literature continuing with The Pragmatist's Guide to Governance and other resources they mentioned such as Albion's Seed. Thank you ever so much for reading this. All the best to you.
May 31, 2023
‘Exploring the value of cultural and religious traditions’ - Profound and entertaining!
Authors Simone and Malcolm Collins as a couple promote ‘pronatalism,’ the idea of having more children to combat ‘fertility collapse.’ They founded The Collins Institute, working with Teach for America’s Reinvention Lab helping visionary entrepreneurs and leaders reinvent or dramatically improve the American education system. Their Pragmatist’s Guide series challenges readers to pause, think, consider, and motivate change - personally and culturally. This fifth volume opens with a ‘warning’ - ‘This book will be wildly offensive to most people…Within it you will find a heavily annotated playbook for constructing a cultural/religious framework optimized to preserve (rather than erase) the individual traditions, values, and worldviews of those who join while maximizing autonomy and individual efficacy…useful to those who want to build a family culture that is intergenerationally durable.’
Given that excitement generating ‘warning,’ the authors survey morality, spirituality, cultural language, sexuality, dating, marriage contracts, gender roles, etc, focusing on the now social media hyped falling birthrate and consequences as affected by culture. ‘Biological evolution provides some basic coding, much like a low-level programming language might for a given hardware, whereas cultural evolution manipulates the high-level, object-oriented code that lets us program highly nuanced behaviors.’ The content is turgid at times, but at all times spiced with wry wit and humor, a factor that makes reading the book intoxicating and magnetizing. Both intelligent and stimulating, this book is a must read for all those who ponder evolutionary progress. Highly recommended.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book
Authors Simone and Malcolm Collins as a couple promote ‘pronatalism,’ the idea of having more children to combat ‘fertility collapse.’ They founded The Collins Institute, working with Teach for America’s Reinvention Lab helping visionary entrepreneurs and leaders reinvent or dramatically improve the American education system. Their Pragmatist’s Guide series challenges readers to pause, think, consider, and motivate change - personally and culturally. This fifth volume opens with a ‘warning’ - ‘This book will be wildly offensive to most people…Within it you will find a heavily annotated playbook for constructing a cultural/religious framework optimized to preserve (rather than erase) the individual traditions, values, and worldviews of those who join while maximizing autonomy and individual efficacy…useful to those who want to build a family culture that is intergenerationally durable.’
Given that excitement generating ‘warning,’ the authors survey morality, spirituality, cultural language, sexuality, dating, marriage contracts, gender roles, etc, focusing on the now social media hyped falling birthrate and consequences as affected by culture. ‘Biological evolution provides some basic coding, much like a low-level programming language might for a given hardware, whereas cultural evolution manipulates the high-level, object-oriented code that lets us program highly nuanced behaviors.’ The content is turgid at times, but at all times spiced with wry wit and humor, a factor that makes reading the book intoxicating and magnetizing. Both intelligent and stimulating, this book is a must read for all those who ponder evolutionary progress. Highly recommended.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book
January 4, 2024
Simone and Malcolm Collins, a well-known couple in the pro-natalist community, present an ambitious, thought-provoking framework for building a new religion—what they call “cultivar” in their book. This framework aims to promote pro-natalism and human thriving in the transhumanistic future, despite the title suggesting a return to tradition. The authors are well-informed by science and embrace an evolutionary perspective.
The book covers a wide range of topics and displays extensive research. It is as if a very precocious kid trying to solve all the pains and evils in the universe; the amount of research involved is impressive to say the least, especially given that this appears largely a solo effort by Malcolm. However, the authors’ young age and lack of real-life experience in practicing what they preach raise questions about the feasibility of their proposed “pragmatic” approach. The complexity and thoroughness required for such a lifestyle may render it questionable. The effort could be seen as another American-style Utopianism that ultimately lacks a lasting impact.
Despite these concerns, I found the book intriguing and useful for contemplating the nature of pro-natalist living in our current era, which seems to be trending toward anti-natalistic nihilism. I would rate the book four stars or higher for its quality in addressing this topic. I deduced a point due to the authors’ overreaching ambitions and their lack of practical experience to back up their ideas.
The Audible version of the book, narrated by Malcolm himself, does not possess professional recording quality, highlighting the value of professional voice actors. However, the audio is still enjoyable, and Malcolm’s tangents and expansions provide supplementary information at certain points.
The book covers a wide range of topics and displays extensive research. It is as if a very precocious kid trying to solve all the pains and evils in the universe; the amount of research involved is impressive to say the least, especially given that this appears largely a solo effort by Malcolm. However, the authors’ young age and lack of real-life experience in practicing what they preach raise questions about the feasibility of their proposed “pragmatic” approach. The complexity and thoroughness required for such a lifestyle may render it questionable. The effort could be seen as another American-style Utopianism that ultimately lacks a lasting impact.
Despite these concerns, I found the book intriguing and useful for contemplating the nature of pro-natalist living in our current era, which seems to be trending toward anti-natalistic nihilism. I would rate the book four stars or higher for its quality in addressing this topic. I deduced a point due to the authors’ overreaching ambitions and their lack of practical experience to back up their ideas.
The Audible version of the book, narrated by Malcolm himself, does not possess professional recording quality, highlighting the value of professional voice actors. However, the audio is still enjoyable, and Malcolm’s tangents and expansions provide supplementary information at certain points.
July 12, 2023
The Pragmatist’s Guide to Crafting Religion" by Malcolm and Simone Collins I would say was a transformative experience for me. The authors have crafted a thought-provoking exploration into the realm of personal belief systems, challenging the reader to question, analyse, and ultimately craft their own religion. Yeah, I know!
The book is not just a guide, it's an invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Reading this made me feel like I was on a personal quest, navigating through the complexities of faith, belief, and spirituality. The authors' pragmatic approach resonated with me, as they encouraged critical thinking and personal introspection rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all solution.
The conclusion I came to after reading this was that crafting one's religion is a deeply personal and transformative process. This book serves as a valuable guide on this journey, providing insightful commentary, practical advice, and thought-provoking questions. Critical thinking isn’t something you would usually associate with religion, so this is of course a very different perspective.
The book is not just a guide, it's an invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Reading this made me feel like I was on a personal quest, navigating through the complexities of faith, belief, and spirituality. The authors' pragmatic approach resonated with me, as they encouraged critical thinking and personal introspection rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all solution.
The conclusion I came to after reading this was that crafting one's religion is a deeply personal and transformative process. This book serves as a valuable guide on this journey, providing insightful commentary, practical advice, and thought-provoking questions. Critical thinking isn’t something you would usually associate with religion, so this is of course a very different perspective.
June 15, 2023
The Pragmatist’s Guide to Crafting Religion: A Playbook for sculpting cultures that overcome demographic collapse & facilitate long-term human flourishing (The Pragmatist's Guide 5) Book 5 of 5: The Pragmatist's Guide | by Simone Collins and Malcolm Collins. Simone and Malcolm Collins delve into a pressing question of our era: how can we preserve cultural and religious practices for a brighter tomorrow? Alarming societal norms, including declining fertility rates, threaten our institutions and may lead to economic collapse. The Collins' research reveals surprising predictors of above-replacement fertility levels, such as tribalism and dogmatism, posing challenges to Western liberalism. They discuss various cultural types and highlight the threat of a "supervirus" that undermines institutions. Engaging personal anecdotes, pop culture references, and exploration of diverse aspects of culture make this an essential read. Brace yourself for their audacious vision of the future. Highly recommend it for an incredibly thoughtful and interesting read.
October 6, 2025
This book is a highly engaging look at creating intergenerationally successful cultivar (combination of religion\culture). This book covers almost all aspects of culture and critically and elegantly weaves a narrative about how cultures darwanisticly compete against each other. The authors are also transparent about their cultivar's worldview, and expects you to be intelligent enough to decipher its truth for yourself. The authors encourage you to join them in creating intergenerationally successful culture for yourself. Within the modern environment of degeneration this book is supremely valuable to those seeking to create a generative culture on the other side of modern cultural degeneracy. However, keep in mind that this book will offend many people, especially those not accustom to engaging with novel ideas. I'm personally a Pentecostal Christian, and this book is actively against many things that my cultivar does, this doesn't mean that this book isn't valuable. If you read this book you need to think for yourself, if you don't, you'll hate it for sure.
December 6, 2023
This will probably turn out to be the most influential book I've read thus far, and it's really changed my perspective on the meaning of family. The book covers so many topics that it's hard to to it justice with a description, but "applied Albion's Seed" is a good start. That being said, the book doesn't just cover religion— it also covers relationships, technology, governance, and more. The writing is incredibly engaging and does a great job of addressing your concerns as they arise (and trust me, there are enough blazing hot takes in here that they will). I would recommend it to anyone, or at least anyone who enjoys having their viewpoints challenged.
June 18, 2023
The blurb intrigued me, but I don’t entirely know how I feel about this book yet. I think I’ll probably end up re-reading it, and letting my brain mull over everything presented a bit longer. It is well-written, and presented decently, but the concepts are a bit odd to me. I’m giving this four stars because it was so well-written, and even though the topics get quite deep, it’s not very hard to read, even if I’m not entirely sure if I agree with everything said. I have a feeling the target audience for this is more conservative than I am, but I can’t find fault with the writing. Just be warned, if you lean more liberal, you may not enjoy reading this.
July 23, 2023
This book is interesting because it challenges the existing paradigm…not by countering it with some rebellious concepts, but by making one think about how the world is (culturally) and where we can be. Its astonishingly unique concept allows those with an open mind to consider the world and our role in it and how we can grow that culture (or religion) to strengthen our fundamentals and society at their core. It’s an exceptional way to think of how we foster community and what can (and does) impact us.
The fact that there is a whole series written like this is fantastic. Worth reading! After all, it might change your whole perspective, “[we’ve already hit the iceberg].”
The fact that there is a whole series written like this is fantastic. Worth reading! After all, it might change your whole perspective, “[we’ve already hit the iceberg].”
October 23, 2023
The book provides plenty of do's and don'ts for those who want to carry certain values through future generations of their descendants.
I have very much enjoyed reading about various quirks and features of different cultures in the context of their survival. I want to thank authors for getting personal and telling in details about their own way of crafting a culture. The obsession with Quakers and all the shortcomings of their culture is almost comical, but at the same time it adds spiciness and makes the authors so much more alive and relatable.
Overall great read. I recommend.
I have very much enjoyed reading about various quirks and features of different cultures in the context of their survival. I want to thank authors for getting personal and telling in details about their own way of crafting a culture. The obsession with Quakers and all the shortcomings of their culture is almost comical, but at the same time it adds spiciness and makes the authors so much more alive and relatable.
Overall great read. I recommend.
July 13, 2025
Interesting way to construct a way of life.
The Collins did a fantastic job in providing an interesting perspective on life and how to construct aspects of family, social, and societal constructs utilizing tools, ways, and means that are both traditional and unconventional. If you want a different perspective on the norms of our current constructs this is the book to read.
The Collins did a fantastic job in providing an interesting perspective on life and how to construct aspects of family, social, and societal constructs utilizing tools, ways, and means that are both traditional and unconventional. If you want a different perspective on the norms of our current constructs this is the book to read.
January 4, 2024
Fascinating. Couldn’t stop reading. Lots of food for thought and interesting takes even if you won’t agree with a lot. Highly recommend!
August 8, 2025
Very interesting perspective on culture and religion and how they impact society. Glad to have come across this series.
November 22, 2025
Not necessarily everything discussed in the book needs to be agreed upon but definitely worth giving a thought.
The Pragmatist's Guide to Crafting Religion by Simone and Malcolm Collins offers a thought-provoking exploration of the value of cultural and religious traditions. The authors skillfully argue that neglecting this aspect of the human condition has resulted in unintended and often harmful consequences. Their book serves as a playbook for fortifying traditional cultures in the face of declining birth rates or creating new cultures that provide strategic advantages to adherents. The authors promote pronatalism and inspire readers to pause, think, and motivate change on both personal and cultural levels.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
The Pragmatist's Guide to Crafting Religion by Simone and Malcolm Collins offers a thought-provoking exploration of the value of cultural and religious traditions. The authors skillfully argue that neglecting this aspect of the human condition has resulted in unintended and often harmful consequences. Their book serves as a playbook for fortifying traditional cultures in the face of declining birth rates or creating new cultures that provide strategic advantages to adherents. The authors promote pronatalism and inspire readers to pause, think, and motivate change on both personal and cultural levels.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
January 29, 2024
The Pragmatist’s Guide to Crafting Religion by Malcolm Collins and Simone Collins is a piece of work meant as a guide on how to build a better culture/religion that is evolutionary and "intergenerationally durable". One of the aspects that I found interesting is that, although the authors talk about various subjects concerning our culture, they mainly focus their attention on the decline of fertility that happens all around the world, to the detriment of others’ beliefs and assessments of these events, where the decline of population is seen as a must for the prosperity of the earth. I liked how the authors covered so many topics, from Soft culture to morality, and I liked the one on "the importance of preserving cultural diversity." I appreciated their strong view, and I did not feel offended, although they warned the reader about this aspect.
July 16, 2023
Pragmatism is one hell of a drug.
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