Reading · Summation by Auren Hoffman

Here are five links worth reading…

The dawn of the post-literate society by James Marriott
The revolution in mass literacy reshaped the 18th century and gave rise to democracy. We’re in the middle of a “screen revolution” which could be even more consequential.

The Right to Bear Technology by Katherine Boyle
Silicon Valley’s origin story as the innovation lab for midcentury defense contractors is deeply tied to the Second Amendment, the only constitutional protection for a specific technology.

46ers, 55ers, 81ers, and today

October 26, 2025

if you want to know what the most ambitious 20-year-olds today will be doing in 20 years, just look at the zeitgeist of now.

The Lesson of 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin
“Debt is the almost singular through line behind every major financial crisis,” and debt is starting to look dangerous.

Venturehouse Group Found Mark Ein on World of DaaS pod
Mark Ein, who helped build six billion-dollar companies, argues that investing across different industries creates advantages because lessons from one sector can unlock hidden value in another.

Malaysia: Truly Asia by Noah Smith
Malaysia quietly became a semiconductor powerhouse exporting $74 billion in chips annually (nearly double the U.S. despite having just 35 million people) while successfully creating a peaceful, diverse society by constructing an entirely new racial identity to unify multiple ethnic groups.

What I’ve Learned About Toddlers by Tim Urban
Two years after his first child, Tim shares some reflections on life with a toddler. “You can be simultaneously completely obsessed with and dramatically bored by the same person.”

Bonus (Optimistic): Sharpie Found a Way to Make Pens More Cheaply—By Manufacturing Them in the U.S. by Natasha Kahn
How Newell Brands onshored the manufacturing of Sharpie pens to a 37-year-old factory in Tennessee, while enhancing quality and without raising prices.

Bonus (Useful): 21 Facts About Throwing Good Parties by Angela Chen
A straightforward tactical manual for the vital public service of throwing parties. If you’ve never thrown a true party (or a good one), this is a great place to start.

More reading links at https://twitter.com/AurenReads