Reading Roundup: Heating Oil Fraud, Ancient Fire & Ice Volcanoes
Micro-reviews from my recently-read pile: ancient marriage politics, Mediterranean dyes, Hittite architecture & whales throughout the ages.
Tagged: infrastructure
Reading Roundup: Women, War & Weird Beliefs
Micro-reviews of media I consumed recently, articles about powerful women in history, and reflections on travelogues and war.
Reading Roundup: Unconventional Gods & Elitist Fashions
A wide-ranging reflection on what I learned in January, mostly about the history of fashion, ancient infrastructure, economy and war.
Civilizations Thrive in Adverse Environments
Throughout history, humans have eked out homes in the most adverse places, surviving despite challenges that seem insurmountable.
Transporting Information: Sending Messages in Low Tech Societies
History contains thousands of years of inspiration for creating systems for sending in fiction, from Persian couriers to African drums.
Beyond Rome: Infrastructure in Ancient Civilizations
There’s an idea floating around that roads, aqueducts, and other large-scale civil engineering projects required Roman-era engineering. This is a false narrative. A fantasy world doesn’t need iron-age technology to...
Interview with Bruce Castle
This month I had a chance to speak with Bruce Castle, the low-key Indie author of a deeply underrated tale with a lot of interesting structural elements underpinning the story. A Tale of...
Baltimore vs NYC: Immigration & Trade
I used to hate cities. Then I learned how much immigration & trade defined the urban experience. That Baltimore Upbringing, Yo. I grew up in Baltimore, and if you’ve paid...
