Thursdays are all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. Wherever possible, free links for premium sites are used. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at why AI will not wipe out jobs.
Quote of the Day
"There’s simply no way to watch 'The Pitt' and feel good about the way society is currently functioning. Which is the point."
(Sophie Gilbert)
Books
- Five insights from Kenneth Rosen's new book, "Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic." (nextbigideaclub.com)
- An excerpt from "Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling" by Danny Funt. (vanityfair.com)
- An except from "The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans" by Maya Shankar. (thequietlife.net)
- An excerpt from "Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy" by Chris Duffy. (lithub.com)
Biotech
- A research paper on how to invest in biotech. (mailchi.mp)
- We are in the golden age of vaccine development. (worksinprogress.co)
Government
- There is a reason why we rely on the government to do shared tasks like tracking the weather. (theatlantic.com)
- ICE is seemingly everywhere because spending has surged. (phenomenalworld.org)
- We are only going to notice the hollowing out of the federal workforce over time. (theatlantic.com)
Agriculture
- Food stockpiling had been in decline for decades. Not any more. (giftarticle.ft.com)
- How songs about agribusiness took over Brazilian country music. (thedial.world)
Longreads
- Why the narrative around AI wiping out entry-level jobs isn't valid just yet. (agglomerations.substack.com)
- SpaceX's Starship explosion put multiple commercial jets at risk. (propublica.org)
- A. Laubin LLC is the last American maker of oboes. (nytimes.com)
- Why interest in John le Carré's work persists. (newstatesman.com)
- How did TVs get so cheap? (construction-physics.com)
