1873
<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFwSkBBVIJFSS55Wd3EhDd4XlUlXRm8J3Y2cysYa_3yZV7upgzj1-JTS43VpIUQq56FANaFTixt8neFbmq7viDY8sqvKO5Yf3Nm5OicBlxUt6YENPe7eLDV1TyB4mlbEBedT-2-6BOhvk4Br3kl4KheF-pEaHP6yEFMOBZdIAsA5mQpzGD-OwF" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFwSkBBVIJFSS55Wd3EhDd4XlUlXRm8J3Y2cysYa_3yZV7upgzj1-JTS43VpIUQq56FANaFTixt8neFbmq7viDY8sqvKO5Yf3Nm5OicBlxUt6YENPe7eLDV1TyB4mlbEBedT-2-6BOhvk4Br3kl4KheF-pEaHP6yEFMOBZdIAsA5mQpzGD-OwF=w153-h230" width="153" /></a>I just finished reading Liaquat Ahamed's new book, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/306461/1873-by-liaquat-ahamed/" target="_blank">1873</a>. It is excellent. The book examines the global financial crisis of 1873 and its aftermath, especially the role of railroads, international bond markets, deflation, and the debate over bimetallism. I found the period especially fascinating because I had read less about it than about other eras of world history. The discussion of railroads struck me as resonant with the current AI boom--a transformative technology that nonetheless attracted numerous hucksters and left some people with large losses.</p><div><p></p><div class="contrib-wrap" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Fort-Book, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 24px 0px 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"><h2 class="contributors isbn-related 9781594204173 show" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: none; font-family: Fort-Book; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"><span class="contributor" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; padding-bottom: 12px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;">By <span class="ws-nw role-A" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/96819/liaquat-ahamed/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: Fort-Medium; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"></a></span></span></h2></div></div>