What we’re about
Do you like to read books on history, politics, or economics--preferably a mix of all three? You don't have to be an expert, just someone who likes good conversations and stimulating reading. There are a lot of great books out there to geek out on. Let's have a chat about them with like-minded people over a beer.
Upcoming events
1
Let's read "The Land Trap"
Lucky Labrador, 915 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR, USLet's read The Land Trap: A New History of the World's Oldest Asset by Mike Bird (Powell's, Amazon, Audio). Just a note, after checking with the group last time, for the winter we'll move back inside. Lucky Lab on SE Hawthorne should have enough space for us--I called and confirmed.
FT review:
Bird’s account ranges from Babylonian land grants to the recent Chinese land speculation — the “biggest bubble in history”, the fallout from which is still playing out. He weaves phases of economic development together with waves of interest in land reform — from the turn-of-the-20th century campaign for a universal land tax inspired by American journalist Henry George, through Wolf Ladejinsky’s work on land reform in post-second world war Asia, to Hernando de Soto’s more recent push for formalising land titles in Latin America. Bird manages to be wide-ranging in time, space and scope, while keeping the pace and wrapping up at a digestible length. Both newcomers to his theme and those familiar with the history will find eye-opening anecdotes here.
Book description:
"In The Land Trap, Mike Bird—Wall Street editor at The Economist—reveals how this ancient asset still exerts outsize influence over the modern world. From the speculative land grabs of colonial America to China's real estate crisis today, Bird shows how fortunes are built—and destroyed—on the bedrock of land.
Tracing three centuries of history, Bird explores how land quietly became the linchpin of the global banking system, driving everything from soaring housing prices to rising geopolitical tensisons. As governments wrestle with inequality and land grows ever scarcer, The Land Trap offers a powerful new framework for understanding the hidden force behind today's most urgent challenges.
This is the book for anyone who wants to see beyond markets and money to the real game being played on a foundation as old as civilization itself. Timely, provocative, and essential, The Land Trap will change how you see the ground beneath your feet."24 attendees
Past events
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