Mr. and Mrs. Psmith’s Bookshelf

BRIEFLY NOTED: Further Arguments Against Jared Diamond

I was one-shotted in my teens by the way Guns, Germs, and Steel ✨explained everything✨ and I’ve been chasing that dragon ever since.

Nov 3 • 

Jane Psmith

134

59

14

October 2025

GUEST REVIEW: Alexander to Actium, by Peter Green

Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age, Peter Green (University of California Press, 1993).

Oct 20 • 

Blake Neff

157

43

31

BRIEFLY NOTED: Summer Reading

My output this summer was small measured in number of posts, but large measured in number of words.

Oct 6 • 

John Psmith

166

31

22

September 2025

JOINT REVIEW: Class, by Paul Fussell

Class: A Guide Through the American Status System, Paul Fussell (1983; Touchstone, 1992).

Sep 22 • 

Jane Psmith

 and 

John Psmith

359

152

75

REVIEW: Storia do Mogor, by Niccolao Manucci

Storia do Mogor; or, Mogul India 1653-1708 (vols. 1 and 2), Niccolao Manucci, (trans. William Irvine, John Murray, 1907).

Sep 8 • 

John Psmith

196

16

27

August 2025

REVIEW: Cuisine and Empire, by Rachel Laudan

Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History, Rachel Laudan (University of California Press, 2015).

Aug 25 • 

Jane Psmith

78

17

9

June 2025

REVIEW: Leap of Faith, by Michael J. Mazarr

Leap of Faith: Hubris, Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy, Michael J.

Jun 30 • 

John Psmith

263

64

57

REVIEW: Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1, by the Cambridge School Classics Project

Cambridge Latin Course: Unit 1, 4th Ed., The Cambridge School Classics Project (Cambridge University Press, 2001).

Jun 2 • 

Jane Psmith

101

40

9

May 2025

REVIEW: The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers, Ben Horowitz (Harper Business, 2014).

May 5 • 

John Psmith

155

19

18

April 2025

REVIEW: Road Belong Cargo, by Peter Lawrence

Road Belong Cargo: A Study of the Cargo Movement in the Southern Madang District, New Guinea, Peter Lawrence (Manchester University Press, 1964).

Apr 21 • 

Jane Psmith

252

54

40

REVIEW: Believe, by Ross Douthat

Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, Ross Douthat (Zondervan, 2025).

Apr 7 • 

John Psmith

117

112

21

March 2025

REVIEW: Cræft, by Alexander Langlands

Cræft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts, Alexander Langlands

Mar 24 • 

Jane Psmith

71

24

8