Comments on: 23 Things They Don’t Tell You about Capitalism, Ha-Joon Chang

By: Tasha B. (heidenkind)

Tasha B. (heidenkind) — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 02:43:00 +0000

If you have Netflix you should watch Inside Job (if you haven’t already). It’s one of the best explanations of not only the housing crisis and economic depression during Bush’s presidency, but a look at how finance and Washington are entertained.

By: Katie @ Doing Dewey

Katie @ Doing Dewey — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 01:48:00 +0000

I completely agree with you about how anything can become interesting if you know enough about it! This is basically how I envision the process of getting a PhD actually. You learn more and more about a topic until there are some obscure questions you’re dying to find the answer to 🙂

By: Alley

Alley — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 01:39:00 +0000

I like those stages of interest and the idea that you’re one good story away from being pulled into something, whatever the topic. I mean, my brain very much does not care about sailing or football and is actively trying to counter that idea that it could get into these things BUT WHO KNOWS

By: Jenny

Jenny — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 20:11:00 +0000

The only thing I was ever bored by in high school was the Knights of Labor, but I expect union history is actually fascinating.

Currently the only thing I am bored by (to tears) is watching other people play video games.

By: Stefanie@SoManyBooks

Stefanie@SoManyBooks — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 17:57:00 +0000

I used to think economics was dull as dirt too but then I read a few books about it last year and now it is super interesting and I am feeling completely betrayed by the government on so many levels. It’s a big topic and I have been picking away at it from different angles and feel like I still know hardly anything. But if you decide to geek out on it and need someone to geek out with/to who won;t say, Jenny please stop, you know how to find me 🙂

By: A.M.B.

A.M.B. — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 20:19:00 +0000

“What I have discovered on this quest is that it is possible to become interested in just about anything.”

I love your attitude! I’m going to share a couple of quotes from this post with my kids. They need a little encouragement when it comes to learning subjects they think are “boring.”

By: MumsyNK

MumsyNK — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 18:39:00 +0000

Insect/vermin extermination can be fascinating, but it turns out practitioners of same are likely to have imbibed a large quantity of vermin mythology. Difficult!

By: Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)

Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 17:34:00 +0000

When you know everything about economics, write up a reading list so I can learn everything too. Economics and statistics are the two things I didn’t take in college that I most wish I’d studied. And Spanish, but that’s kind of a distant third.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:46:00 +0000

And this is why I want to be a perpetual college student, auditing as many classes as I can. It is also why I read so eclectically. The world is full of fascinating stuff. Even the things that seem boring or unintelligible at first.

By: JeanPing

JeanPing — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 13:42:00 +0000

Absolutely everything is interesting once you really see it. I’m constantly amazed at how the world is just stuffed with things that seem to be not that interesting, until you get inside and it turns out to be a whole universe. Irish dance was like that when my kid got into it. Or sure, economics, which I’ve kind of figured that if I can understand everything in that funny Keynes/Hayek rap battle video, I’m probably doing OK. Which isn’t true at all, obvs.

IIRC, Republicans have traditionally been for globalization of markets and against tariffs/protections, on the grounds that globalization gets everybody closer to a freer market (by capitalizing on cheap labor in other countries, which eventually get enough jobs to raise wages). Not true any longer, but that used to be the rationale.