shal
315 ratings (3.31 avg)
56 reviews

#80 best reviewers

shal

Add friend
Sign in to Goodreads to learn more about shal.


Astounding: John ...
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
The Dutch Republi...
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
See all 5 books that shal is reading…
Loading...
Luke Burgis
“engineering desire, is the approach of Silicon Valley, authoritarian governments, and the Cult of Experts. The first two use intelligence and data to centrally plan a system in which people want things that other people want them to want -- things that benefit a certain group of people. This approach poses a serious threat to human agency. It also lacks respect for the capability of people to freely desire what is best for themselves and for the people they love.”
Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

V.S. Naipaul
“Tolstoy, in the last year of his life, said of Gandhi, whose work he followed and with whom he exchanged letters: ‘His Hindu nationalism spoils everything.’ It was a fair comment. Gandhi had called his South African commune Tolstoy Farm; but Tolstoy saw more clearly than Gandhi’s English and Jewish associates in South Africa, fellow seekers after the truth. Gandhi really had little to offer these people. His experiments and discoveries and vows answered his own need as a Hindu, the need constantly to define and fortify the self in the midst of hostility; they were not of universal application.”
V.S. Naipaul, India: A Wounded Civilization

Luke Burgis
“We’re more threatened by people who want the same things as us than by those who don’t.”
Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

Joseph Henrich
“Monogamous marriage changes men psychologically, even hormonally, and has downstream effects on societies. Although this form of marriage is neither “natural” nor “normal” for human societies—and runs directly counter to the strong inclinations of high-status or elite men—it nevertheless can give religious groups and societies an advantage in intergroup competition. By suppressing male-male competition and altering family structure, monogamous marriage shifts men’s psychology in ways that tend to reduce crime, violence, and zero-sum thinking while promoting broader trust, long-term investments, and steady economic accumulation”
Joseph Henrich, The Weirdest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous

Luke Burgis
“It’s easy to be an armchair contrarian. It’s hard to take contrarian action: to question the dominant narrative, to be honest with yourself, to tell the truth even when the immediate outcome is pain”
Luke Burgis, Wanting: Mimetic Desire: How to Avoid Chasing Things You Don't Truly Want

1139 Science and Inquiry — 4516 members — last activity 17 hours, 13 min ago
This Group explores scientific topics. We have an active monthly book club, as well as discussions on a variety of topics including science in the new ...more
501 The Brain and Mind — 4491 members — last activity May 17, 2026 04:52AM
This is a group for readers to recommend and discuss books related to real and/or artificial brains. Categories include but are not limited to: neuros ...more
12469 The Personal MBA — 249 members — last activity Aug 04, 2025 08:45AM
This is a group dedicated to the Personal MBA program detailed here: http://personalmba.com/
48322 Science Fiction Aficionados — 2595 members — last activity May 27, 2026 07:31AM
Welcome to Sci Fi Aficionados. We love all things science fiction, with an emphasis on the classics of the genre. Members are welcome to discuss all t ...more
4105 TV We've Just Watched — 585 members — last activity Jan 26, 2025 12:08PM
A place to give your recent impressions of a TV show you just watched, a series you love or one you've just discovered. ...more
More of shal’s groups…
year in books
Jim Fon...
1,248 books | 5,001 friends

Lyn
Lyn
2,158 books | 5,001 friends

Rohit E...
751 books | 996 friends

Clif Ho...
1,860 books | 608 friends

Andy
4,119 books | 822 friends

Rakesh
2,010 books | 766 friends

Always ...
1,775 books | 1,647 friends

Harald G.
1,353 books | 89 friends

More friends…
Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner
History of Language
68 books — 30 voters
Groot by Jeff LovenessI Am Groot by Christopher HastingsGuardians of the Galaxy by Dan AbnettRocket and Groot by Tom AnglebergerRocket Raccoon and Groot by Bill Mantlo
The Best of Groot
12 books — 2 voters

More…



Polls voted on by shal

Lists liked by shal