Chudi Mbanefo > Recent Status Updates

The stage has been set for the actual onset of neoliberalism. The New Deal order created moderate prosperity for many, raising the economic floor that citizens could fall to. By the same vein, it capped the economic ceiling people could reach. By the 70s, this stacked on top of a recession and energy crisis gave rise to a demand market deregulation and govt trimming. Curious to see how Raegan gets this all rolling.

I'm eating up this story. These Facebook execs are sometimes even more callous and frivolous than the caricatures of the startup-y tech execs I have in my head.. and I'm only in 2012! Striking quote that talked about the global growth team, specifically, "that cheerful recklessness combined with passivity, that forward motion without introspection, that's what [the growth team] was."

Interesting start to the book. The social contract of the American city has been violated. What used to be a beacon of social mobility is now an expensive idea that costs more than it’s worth.

Quick, punchy chapters make the narrative of the chips race of the early Cold War very engaging. The author respects the reader by breaking down how each step in the semiconductor’s evolution was achieved. Some of these excerpts need to be reread a few times for clarity (I’m no physicist or engineer!), but it adds to the marvel of these achievements understanding just how ingenuous these developments are.

This is becoming a tough read… a lot of detail on random skirmishes in the war, but there’s no development of the main character or his relationships. The fortune teller side of the story has gone nowhere, leaving me with the same questions 70 pgs later. I’m feeling led on with little hope of getting payoff.

Taking a break for a while. If it doesn’t pick up when I try to jump back in, it’ll be a DNF

Finished Part 1 and I’m invested! Kunle feels bland, but the book builds a sense of untold lore that keeps me reading, looking for glimpses of his capacity for might and glory. That said, beyond the prophecy, the mystical elements that occasionally break up the chapters feel a bit confusing. Still, I’m intrigued and curious to see how it all comes together now that the stage is set for what’s next.

Finished Bolivar’s first tour through Colombia and Venezuela—bold tactics, river crossings, and Andean traverses to liberate his country, only to end in exile. It’ll be fascinating to see how his strategy evolves on return. The author is heavy-handed in critiquing Bolivar’s war crimes—brutal and excessive, for sure—but doesn’t apply the same scrutiny to Spanish generals who provoked them.

Dr. John Delony writes like he talks, which is great because I really like listening to his show.

The book breaks down many generally accepted cultural norms in the US and West, like “I can save myself.” Seeing these scripts that I’ve followed and even made life plans around laid out plainly is sobering. They often leave us unfulfilled. I’m excited for part 2, where more attuned stories offer a better path.

My interest in Simón Bolívar began with the Colombian Netflix series about him. While entertaining, the early chapters of this book reveal the many liberties taken in the show, such as reversing the death order of his parents.

Francisco Miranda’s adventures thru Europe are interesting, teasing the complementary of his persona to Bolivars and setting up their eventual collaboration in the liberation effort.

Henríquez does a great job of pivoting between the worldviews of different characters sharing the same scene. Everyone feels grounded and real, in large part to their life experiences that skew their perspective and give context to the biases they have.

Henríquez does a great job of pivoting between the worldviews of different characters sharing the same scene. Everyone feels grounded and real, in large part to their life experiences that skew their perspective and give context to the biases they have.