Book Review: Peter Turchin – War and Peace and War

This in about History, and tagged , , , , , , was written by on April 8, 2010 . 21 Comments

Then you might get something like Peter Turchin’s War and Peace and War, which I’ve finally read on the recommendations of Kolya and TG. Ranging from Ermak’s subjugation of the Sibir Khanate to the rise of Rome, Turchin makes the case that the rise and fall of empires is reducible to three basic concepts: 1) […]

Cliodynamics: Mathematizing History

This in about History, and tagged , , , , , , , was written by on December 4, 2009 . 5 Comments

One of the most interesting emerging sciences today, in my opinion, is cliodynamics. Their practitioners attempt to come to with mathematical models of history to explain “big history” – things like the rise of empires, social discontent, civil wars, and state collapse. To the casual observer history may appear to be chaotic and fathomless, devoid […]