First Derivative [68] newsletter
first Derivative [68]
2.19.2019
Yes! After a 6 month hiatus I'm happy to present to you the first edition of fD in this year of 2019. A lot has happened over that time. I moved to Los Angeles and started a new job in the fall, which explains much of the break. But I needed the break too. It's made me appreciate all the more, why I was sending out fD in the first place. Although I don't have as much time to read (and sadly, think), I've had a growing feeling that I needed it to return, a testament to the fulfillment it brings me and, I hope, value to you.
I've kept the the notes on this issue light, in order to get me over the hump of sending one out at all. Half of these are reads from August and the other half more recent reads. Going forward, I'm aiming to publish bi-weekly, though finding a regular rhythm will take some time.
If this is your first issue, stick around for more good stuff coming up. I expect this year will feature more media and entertainment given where my attention is at but overall I'll still cover the same eclectic mix of philosophy, politics, tech, world affairs, and economics.
But on the entertainment note, here's my top 10 of the movies I saw in 2018 (my top 10 movies that came out in 2018 coming soon). You can keep track of what I'm watching and what I think here on Letterboxd (great app, highly recommend).
Enjoy! As always, feedback welcome (you can just reply to this email)
—TK
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🎧 Patriotism and the Unknown Soldier
by Phil Klay and Jacob Siegel (Manifesto!)
The Eclipse of Catholic Fusionism
by Kevin Gallagher (American Affairs)
The Souls of Yellow Folk
by Ben Jeffery (The Point)
🎧 What You Learn About Business Deals After: 12,000 Deals Reviewed, 1,500 Deep Dives, 125 Site Visits, and 7 Portfolio Companies
with Brent Beshore and Patrick O’Shaughnessy (Invest Like the Best)
The Secrets of Lyndon Johnson’s Archives
by Robert A. Caro (NYer)
Robert A. Caro is a national treasure. Full stop. Highly recommend tackling his LBJ biography if you haven't already—TK
Competition Is Dying, and Taking Capitalism With It
by Jonathan Tepper (Bloomberg)
“When the left and rightspeak of capitalism today, they are telling stories about an imaginary state. The unbridled, competitive free markets that the right cherishes don’t exist today. The left attacks the grotesque capitalism we see today, as if that were the true manifestation of the essence of capitalism rather than the distorted version it has become.”
A Suspense Novelist’s Trail of Deceptions
by Ian Parker (NYer)
Zillow Wants to Flip Your House
by Patrick Clark (Bloomberg BW)
The Nature of Sex
by Andrew Sullivan (NYMag)
The Dawn of the Little Red Phone
by David Bandurski (China Media Project)
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ABOUT fD
fD is a newsletter on what I think matters. I highlight signals, insights, and deep trends in ideas, technology, politics, economics, foreign affairs, culture, philosophy, and more. My goal is to give you content that will still matter beyond the present moment.
I hope you enjoy. Ask me anything here or just respond to this email—TK