Kookie reviewed Binding Chaos by Heather Marsh
Both too detailed and too shallow
3 stars
This book gives a wonderful introduction into the problems of modern society to people who may not be aware of some of the shortcomings of representative democracy, monetary markets, nation states, and community governance.
A lot of the ideas that Heather brings forth are based on anarchic principles of self governance, with the acknowledgment of limitations of true flat organisations (for example based on difference in experience and expertise), and proposes models to account for these differences that don't lead to "hidden oligarchies".
Where I find her analysis extremely lacking are in relation to human psychology (both existing and utopian), the relegation of labels as something undesired instead of as a byproduct of language, and analysis of markets that replace wealth with a kudos system that leaves almost no room for rehabilitation.
Furthermore she proposes mechanisms of shunning, with optional prison sentences without an analysis of why prisons are fundamentally …
This book gives a wonderful introduction into the problems of modern society to people who may not be aware of some of the shortcomings of representative democracy, monetary markets, nation states, and community governance.
A lot of the ideas that Heather brings forth are based on anarchic principles of self governance, with the acknowledgment of limitations of true flat organisations (for example based on difference in experience and expertise), and proposes models to account for these differences that don't lead to "hidden oligarchies".
Where I find her analysis extremely lacking are in relation to human psychology (both existing and utopian), the relegation of labels as something undesired instead of as a byproduct of language, and analysis of markets that replace wealth with a kudos system that leaves almost no room for rehabilitation.
Furthermore she proposes mechanisms of shunning, with optional prison sentences without an analysis of why prisons are fundamentally flawed and unethical in any society, and that no "good implementation" of this "rehabilitation mechanism" exists.
In the end, the book left me feeling uninspired. And while I would still recommend it to someone to learn more about the basics of global collaboration tools, I am left wondering what a more reality-grounded exploration of these ideas would look like...