I read in pairs, and this time it has been really wonderful. ‘Seeing like a State’ and ‘The Anarchy’ have been an incredible match and felt like brain cross-fit.

It’s Seeing Like a State and it is a very good book for understanding why centralized control schemes fail in the face of living complexity and ultimately kill the things they intend to control

'Seeing like a State' is a good starting point on this topic. Easy to read and very eye opening: [link] The opening chapter on scientific forestry is fascinating. On why we humans are incapable of even something seemingly "simple" as making our own forests.

Seeing like a state is a very important book IMO Thesis in brief: in order to measure and centrally manage, things must be "legible" (able to be recorded in some reasonably compressed way). ...

But now I've read it, and it's great. (If you're busy, read Scott Alexander's review instead: https://t.co/rOTUVJchkU )

Overall I did like this book. I’m not really sure what I got from its thesis, but maybe that was appropriate. Seeing Like A State was arranged kind of like the premodern forests and villages it describes; not especially well-organized, not really directed toward any clear predetermined goal, but full of interesting things and lovely to spend some time in.