The genre of sociology of knowledge is filled with often fantastic tales of adventure drawn from science and industry. Society is facing an enduring problem that has finally reached is pique. All the wise men are gathered, reflecting on the Gordian knot. Meanwhile, through a concatenation of events a virtual unknown from a nameless hamlet emerges to rescue humanity. The Kuhnian story is a classic in the genre. However, we're left with potentially empty theme. Too much emphasis on the machinations of History erases the human actor (see also: War and Peace by Tolstoy).
But what if ideas create their own demand? That's the elementary thesis that these two authors offer. The shift from a concentration on the typical architecture that has built the cathedral of the sociology of knowledge from things to the intangible is as profound as it is desperately needed in our material age. Their opening and closing argument lay great emphasis on mankind's gift for a transcendent vision. The vision, driven by a consuming passion to press the boundaries of our literal frontier outward is not one than can be explained in a Mertonian manner. What makes a bold vision emerge and a bubble fill is a visceral yearning for a new experiential range. That passion cannot be explained with a typical regression model filled with economic inputs or stochastic historical events; it demands a sentient human actor consumed with an idea (that intangible non-material factor). And yes, that idea may indeed be inspired by search to see the face of God.
The toughest sell in the book is their running headlong into a defense of bubbles. Not to fear, they kindly offer a few identifiers to help the reader differentiate those that are pregnant with opportunity from those that are (at best) barren. Take their advice and avoid the temptation to buy the dip. Take the risk of joining Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen on an intoxicating adventure with this enthusiastic vision.
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From the Publisher
Praise for Boom
The alternative history of our age.
“The dot-com bubble looked like the peak of delusion, but the truly deluded were those who wanted to indefinitely defer the future. Everyone knows bubbles can disguise madness as wisdom; read this book for the alternative history of our age.”
—Peter Thiel, investor and author of Zero to One
For those who seek to build the future.
“Boom makes the case that humanity's greatest risk is not climate change or misaligned superintelligent Al but not making enough progress. A must-read for those who seek to build the future.”
—Marc Andreessen, cofounder of Netscape and Andreessen Horowitz
Bubbles can drive progress.
"When is it that temporary bubbles can help drive forward progress? This happened with the railroads, with the internet, and it is likely to happen with AI. Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber have produced some essential reading on a very important and also understudied topic."
—Tyler Cowen, author of The Great Stagnation and professor of economics at George Mason University
About the author
Byrne Hobart is an investor, consultant, and writer. He is the author of The Diff, a daily newsletter covering inflection points in finance and technology. He is also a founding partner at Anomaly, a frontier tech investment firm.
About the editor
Tobias Huber is a writer and investor. He is a founding partner at Anomaly, a frontier tech investment firm. He has a background in philosophy and holds a doctor of science degree from ETH Zurich.
About the publisher
Stripe Press publishes ideas for progress in science, technology, and economics. Our collection includes new ideas from emerging and established thinkers and industry leaders, as well as reimagined editions of enduring works. We curate our titles for a global audience of builders and practitioners who are shaping the future of policy and industry.
Stripe Press is based in South San Francisco, with team members across the US and in London. We are a part of the global payments infrastructure company Stripe.
Recent titles by Stripe Press:
- Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles T. Munger and Peter D. Kaufman
- Scaling People by Claire Hughes Johnson
- Pieces of the Action by Vannevar Bush
Top reviews from other countries
- Federico Quiros MalagonReviewed in Mexico on November 27, 2024
A must read for anyone interested in being a part of building the future
