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by gilrain 86 days ago
> connect various dots without going all dry

As long as you keep in mind that what you come away with are shallow, incomplete views of nuanced topics.

Unfortunately, many come away from these popular summaries believing 101-level knowledge makes them subject experts.
2 comments
contingencies 85 days ago
shallow, incomplete views of nuanced topics

Having studied (and written) histories myself, this sounds like an accurate description of histories in general. We don't need to make everything an encyclopedia. Sometimes it's fun to follow a conversational review of a breadth of material without getting in to the weeds. Kurlansky often includes personal anecdotes and has a good sense of where to dwell. This is what I appreciate in a writer: character and tact.

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IAmBroom 86 days ago
The same can be said for, well, 101-level class attendees.

People love to declare themselves experts on things; thus: the Expert Fallacy ("I know a lot about repairing carburators; let me tell you what is wrong with self-driving cars...")

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