Is There a Science to History? A Review of “War and Peace and War” by Peter Turchin

Can the cyclical nature of history be explained through science? Ecologist Peter Turchin attempts to do just that in his book “War and Peace and War: The Rise and Fall of Empires.” Turchin argues that imperiogenesis (the birth of empires) occurs on the fringes of civilization, where members of one society interact with members of another. This interaction causes a higher level of asabiya (a term coined by 14th century Arab historian Ibn Khaldun), or the level of social connectivity among groups. People living on these metaethnic frontiers recognize the cultural differences from the other society, thus feeling a stronger bond with fellow compatriots also living on the frontier.

Sound like an “us versus them” argument? Absolutely. Any casual scholar will recognize that history is filled with societies demonizing their rivals in order to subjugate their power and obtain their goals. Turchin, however, makes the argument that cycles of imperiogenesis and imperiopathosis (the decline and eventual death of empires) occur like clockwork. Is this so? Since this book is written with the general reader in mind, the mathematics have been omitted. Still, Turchin cites examples of where imperial decline coincides with decreasing levels of asabiya. The rise of competing aristocrats and their inability to unify against external threats led to the collapse of the Roman Empire. Asabiya led directly to the strength and ascendancy of the Roman Empire. Conversely, the decline of asabiya weakened Rome’s prominence.

Does this theory explain most empires? Turchin’s argument is convincing but I’m undecided as to whether it defines all empires. The British Empire, for example, was the largest empire in the world yet it was nowhere to be found. Instead Turchin discusses the birth and growth of the United States, where the asabiya of frontiersman expanded American borders well into Native American territory and across the continent.

In all, Peter Turchin’s “War and Peace and War” illustrated how the internal affairs of civilizations affect their expansionist ambitions. Highly recommended.

Where Do Ethics Fit In Today’s Classroom?

Talk to any professional educator in the United States today and you will hear endless gripes about underperforming students, helicopter parents, and unsympathetic and detached administrators. What is noticeably lacking (at least noticeable to me, anyway) in this discourse is a vital question: In a technologically hyper-connected 21st century, where does morality fit and, how does one achieve–as what the ancient Greeks called–the good life?

Tensions between teenagers and adults are timeless. Ancient Roman parents quipped about their undisciplined and spontaneous teenage children just as their American counterparts do. The increased relationships between parent and child, however, have never been closer. Moms and dads are more likely to act less “authoritarian” and more “collaborative;” in other words, parents are more likely to be their children’s best friends. Just like the show “Gilmore Girls”, where mother Lorelai and and daughter Rori share every thought and whim, parents have developed a much closer bond with their offspring.

Is this new bond healthy? Today’s teenagers, however, are less likely to act like the responsible Rori but parents are more likely to blindly defend their child. After all, today’s parents grew up not to trust anyone over 30; teachers were seen as antiquated curmudgeons who were concerned more with discipline than education. More than any other generation, today’s parents best understand teenage desire for rebellion.

Teenagers also understand teen angst but instead of serving as a collaborative point its a stumbling block. Part of adolescence is rebelling against authority and in the classroom teachers represent that authority. Parents today can relate to their children because they grew up with James Dean, Holden Caufield, and David Lee Roth. It’s what I’d like to refer to as “I tortured the teacher, I turned out okay” syndrome. But did those parents turn out okay?

Anyway, I’ve digressed. With all the focus on standardized testing and mastering content, how do we get our students to understand what it means to be ethical? What is the “right thing” in 2008? Have ethics changed or do they remain timeless? Does advanced communication–where an individuals can instantly communicate with one another–break down barriers that would lead to conflict, or do they speed up the process? Does a 21st century educational system need to require an independent ethics curriculum or should ethics be inserted throughout coursework? These are questions that I’ll seek to explore in further blog installments.

Student Teaching History in American Suburbia

It’s been awhile since I’ve last updated this blog. From January to early May, I’ve been consumed with the transformative exercise known as student teaching. At a fairly white, suburban high school in culturally-deprived northern New Jersey, I taught American history to juniors, seniors (my high school was unique in that it required a fourth year of social studies whereas the state only requires three) and–in my elective course called American History Through Film–sophomores and even freshman. So its fair to say that I experienced a well-rounded student teaching internship.

Initally student teaching can be brutal. As a not-yet-rookie teacher (education professionals still contend that the first year of teaching is the most difficult) you don’t know what you are doing. You try some things and they either work or they don’t. One particular physics teacher gave me some pertinent advice: “If you’re able to execute one good lesson a week, you’re ahead of the game.”

I’m not sure if I delivered a good lesson each week. Perhaps I did, but I certainly survived with a more fundamental grasp of what it’s like teaching in today’s public schools.

If I were to advise education majors who are about to emark in student teaching, I would give the following advice:

1. Plan, Plan, Plan. And then Plan. This cannot be stressed enough. My cooperating teacher decided to throw me into the fire quickly; consequently I did not have enough time to create any new ideas. I found myself planning the night before, especially into the wee early morning hours.

2. Be Flexible to Deviate from Said Plan. You have to plan just so you can deviate from it. And you will deviate from it. Students will ask you questions and you might go off on a sidebar. You might realize that the beautifully created activity takes more than the 40 minutes for which you planned.

3. Seek Advice From Everyone Who Will Give It. I was lucky to have such a welcoming and inspirational social studies department. Everyone was tremendously supportive and offered advice whenever I asked for it. Seek out other members from your department. Also consult teachers from other disciplines–I asked for help from English to Spanish to physics teachers.

4. Don’t Take This Too Seriously. This is advice that for the great majority of my fifteen-week experience I didn’t follow. It wasn’t until after spring break that I found that I could relax. Once I became comfortable in the classroom environment, it was time to go! Enjoy the kids and they will enjoy you back! Relax! Have fun! Experiment. This is where you can discover yourself as a teacher.

In later installments I’ll be writing more on this subject but now that my student teaching experience is finished I’m off to find a job. Wish me luck!

 

 

 

Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men from Mars

Thank God Lucasfilm and Spielberg decided not to go with this title. Still, the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise involves–you guessed it–extraterrestrials. Originally Lucas wanted the swashbuckling archaeologist battling Martians a la cheesy 1950s pulp fiction. Spielberg and Ford said no. Who could blame them?

Through our well-established connections among the Protestant elite (not really), Melissa and I saw “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” at an early screening in our local theater. Not bad, actually; the film was better than I expected. Yes, Harrison Ford looks ancient. Yes, Shia LeBeouf doesn’t really carry the bad-boy persona well. However, the plot lines and the action sequences were top-notch. It was fun reliving the Indy Jones universe, even though its set in the late 1950s and the evil Nazis have been replaced with evil Commies. Cate Blanchett plays Irina Spalko, Dr. Jones’ nemesis and Soviet badass in her quest for the Crystal Skull. Karen Allen reprises her role as Marion Ravenwood, Indy’s original heartthrob in “Raiders of the Lost Ark“.

Kudos to Spielberg for successfully bringing back that campy-but-not-overdone feel to the Indy franchise and putting together a film that is (probably) Indiana Jones’ farewell cinematic finale.

I’m Back But I Haven’t Returned From the Dead

It’s been quite awhile since my last post but I’ve returned! Here’s what kept me busy these past several months:

student teaching!

From mid January to early May, I’ve spent an exorbitant amount of time student teaching in a northern New Jersey suburban high school. I taught American history and an American history through film course. It was both an exhilarating and challenging experience. Now I’m in the process of looking for a job. Wish me luck!

By the way, I expect to update this blog more frequently now that I have the time to do so.

Wish me luck!

Taking the First Step In Budgeting Your Trip

A quick search on the web reveals many sites that are dedicated to long-term, ’round the world travel. Now most of us aren’t planning a massive sojourn such as this, but the article inspired me to start calculating the costs of the next trip I’m planning: the summer Italian honeymoon.

Unless you’re Bill Gates, cost will always be a factor in planning your trip. So, after you’ve decided on a destination and duration, I recommend taking an inventory of your anticipated expenses. Open up your favorite word processor or spreadsheet program and make a list of all the places at which you want to stay, the sites you wish to see, and the food and drink you wish to consume. Tally up your costs, airfare, and any pre-trip purchases (books, gear, and rail-passes) and voila–you’ve established your preliminary budget.

Either this exercise will relieve you of your monetary worries or open your eyes to cut costs. I recommend listing not one but multiple places of accommodation so you can easily compare prices. If your anticipated spending exceeds your funds, perhaps cutting back on expensive dinners or downgrading to a cheaper B&B will suffice.

As for me, I’m trying to cram a two-week Italian honeymoon with a decent budget without a) overnighting in airports or seedy street alleys and b) not busting the bank. My wife-to-be and I want to at least experience Italy’s big three destinations: Rome, Florence, and Venice. I’d especially like to encounter the ruins at Pompeii and the Roman Coliseum. My fiance is an art history buff so she’ll appreciate the art galleries in Florence. And I’m sure we’ll both embrace Venice as we romantically glide through the city’s narrow canals. Indeed, budget planning is in order.

Or, one can simplify the process by enrolling in those tour packages. Though I think half the fun is in planning the trip on our own terms.

How to Practice Optimism

Sonja Lyubomirsky’s The How of Happiness provides some excellent advice on improving positive moods. A social psychologist, Lyubomirsky writes with authenticity and with logical prose more fitting of a scientific journal than a New Age spiritualist. Still, her exercise are backed by scientific study to help improve individual happiness. Here are three of them:

Create an ideal lifestyle diary

Every day, take 20-30 minutes (even less if you’re time-strapped) to think of your ideal future. What does your life look like 5 – 10 years down the road? Research indicates that people who regularly conduct this simple exercise become more optimistic, which then lead to happier lives. Is it hokey? Yes, a little. Do you want to improve your positive thinking? If yes, then do it. If you’re too self-conscious, then keep it a secret.

Keep goals and subgoals

An outgrowth of the ideal lifestyle diary is to periodically list your goals and subgoals. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10? Okay, that’s pretty far off but what can you do today to strengthen those goals? What action can you take now? In a sense, combining your thoughts of the future with your capabilities in the present is a similar message advocated by Eckhart Tolle.

Identify negative thoughts

Negative thoughts can kill your optimism and your goals. Learn to recognize when you’re thinking them. Lyubomirsky recommends dumping coinage in a jar every time you think a negative thought but I recommend the rubber band method. Keep a rubber band tight around your wrist. Every time a negative thought pops in your head, pull back on the band as hard as you can and let go. Hurts, right? Hopefully the pain will motivate you to keep the negative thoughts out of your mind.

The Best Possible Self Through Writing

I’m currently reading The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. Unlike previous personal development books that I’ve read, this one is penned not by a spiritual leader but by a social psychologist. Blending New Age principles with scientific study, Lyubomirsky shows that up to 40% of our happiness can be controlled by our own thoughts and perceptions.

I’ll post a more-detailed book review in the near future, but one of the most intriguing studies Lyubomirsky and her colleagues discovered is that the more someone wrote about his or her future in a positive light, the happier that person will become. By spending only 20 minutes each day over the course of several weeks you can improve your happiness simply by jotting down your fantasies or dreams.

Having said that, I recommend that all who read this should, as part of one’s daily routine, jot down your ideal future. Your notes could be in a journal, a notepad, or even in a blog (hey look at me!). If we aim at positive well-being and an enlightened mindset, we might just hit it.

Embracing Yourself in the Present: A Review of “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle

The source of suffering, according to Eckhart Tolle, is the ego. It contextualizes everything in terms of past and future. People tend to determine themselves based on their previous experiences and interactions, and define their future with those in mind. Tolle states that the key to escaping from this madness and entering enlightenment is to embrace the power of Now, by surrendering to what is in the moment. By fully engaging in the Now, you separate yourself from your ego and feel the absolute present. After all, time, Tolle says, is an illusion (there is no future or past, only Now) and timelessness is the true existence.

In 193 pages, Tolle provides wisdom reminiscent of eastern philosophies and shows us how to reach inner peace. Though brief, I couldn’t help but feel this book was too long for its message. I felt the author kept beating me over the head with his message of embracing the present, shutting off the egotistical mind, and adopting inner peace and salvation through stillness and inner peace. Even with its repetitive prose, I am still not one-hundred-percent certain exactly how I should embrace the Now.

Nonetheless, Tolle’s The Power of Now is a worthy read for those of you who feel frustrated with the gaps between what “should be” and “what is not.” Maybe it will help you reach one step closer to enlightenment. Then again, maybe not.

How to Carve Your Halloween Pumpkin

My experience carving pumpkins is at best limited, so I was a bit skeptical when my fiancé brought home a pumpkin carving kit. For the past few years, she as been making faces out of the plump fall fruit with her mother, but now that we share the same residence it was my turn to play Michelangelo. Below I’ll explain how one should take the knife to the round orange ball.

Step 1: Pick up your ingredients

A list of required goodies is in order. Pick up your basic pumpkin carving kit at your local supermarket or big box retailer (I think we purchased ours at Cost Cutters). It should include a special carving knife, a scooper to remove the pumpkin guts, a long narrow tool to poke holes, a little wheel with spokes on it for tracing, and some patterns on thin paper. You also need a pumpkin (duh), some paper towels, and a trash can for cleanup.

Step 2: Clean your pumpkin

Next, wash the pumpkin with cool tap water. Chances are you picked your pumpkin from a patch so it’ll probably be a little dirty. Then dry off the pumpkin using paper towels or a rag.

Step 3: Scalp your pumpkin

Using the carving knife (or a more durable knife from your kitchen), cut around the top to create a lid. Make sure it’s big enough so you can get your hands in there to scoop out the pumpkin innards, but not too big as it may interfere with the sides of the pumpkin.

Step 4: Gut your pumpkin like a fish

Well, not like a fish but like a pumpkin! Lift the recently-carved lid off the top of your pumpkin and, using your handy pumpkin scooper (technical term, I know), plow out the guts. It’s yucky and messy so try to dump as much as you can in the trash. I found that the scooper that came with our kit was too small so I used my bare hands.

Step 5: Mask your pumpkin

Pick the pattern of your liking and tape it to the side of the pumpkin. We taped ours to the side that had the largest surface area so we had room to work with. But so long as the pattern fits, you should be fine.

Step 6: Poke little holes in your pumpkin

Using the spoke-wheel-thingy (another technical term), trace the pattern on the sheet of paper over the pumpkin. Press hard so the holes poke through the skin. You should see traces of punctured holes through the paper. After tracing all of the lines, remove the sheet of paper.

Step 7: Carve!

See the holes, now carve! Take your carving knife, hold at a 90-degree angle next to the outer perimeter of the pumpkin walls, and pierce anywhere around the line. Saw up and down until you’ve finished all the lines.

Step 8: Take a Bow

Congratulations, you’re almost done. Now take a lighted candle, stick it in the center, and turn off the lights. Enjoy your Halloween pumpkin in all its spookiness!