James Valliant and a few close friends joined me for dinner last Wednesday, and we discussed James’s latest book, Creating Christ: How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity, as well as his earlier book, The Passion of Ayn Rand’s Critics. I recently read Creating Christ and found it fascinating. The book’s basic thesis is that Christianity was…
Personal
A Visit with Eamonn Butler
Eamonn Butler recently visited my home, and we had a wonderful time discussing ideas. Eamonn is cofounder and director of the Adam Smith Institute (ASI), secretary of the Mont Pelerin Society, and author of many books, including works on the ideas of Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and Ayn Rand (his book on…
Good News Abounds
The world is not going to Hell. In fact, it’s moving towards “Heaven on Earth.” In recent decades, innovators and entrepreneurs have produced greater progress and abundance than ever before—and they continue doing so at an ever-increasing rate. A few stats: Extreme poverty in the world has been cut in half in 10 years –…
Philosophy Humor
Leonard Peikoff shared with me one of his favorite cartoons, which I love. Enjoy!
Metformin and Longevity
I’ve been reading and hearing about the benefits of Metformin, and recently a doctor whom I trust suggested that I watch the TEDMED talk by Dr. Nir Barzilai posted below. Dr. Nir Barzilai opens with a funny Woody Allen story and then presents some remarkable data about Metformin, aging, and life extension. The drug has…
Loving Life, Longevity, and The Kaufmann Protocol
Loving Life means loving your present life, having something to look forward to, and something to live for. I think some people just give up and die because they have nothing left to live for; nothing to look forward to. I have a goal to live happily and healthily until over 120. An integral part…
To Values, Success, and Happiness in 2020
New Year: My dear family and friends, it’s 2020! We’ve all heard a dozen times “Happy New Year.” I’d like to share my thinking regarding making 2020 a truly wonderful and happy year. One of my favorite, powerful statements comes from Ayn Rand’s, We The Living: It’s a rare gift, you know, to feel reverence…
Holiday Celebration 2019
Update (3/6/20): I’ve added a video compilation from the Holiday Celebration 2019. (Better late…) Enjoy! Over Thanksgiving weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting at my home a holiday party with music, magic, poetry, and friends. (See photos here.) Ivan Rutherford performed songs from various musicals, including “Les Misérables,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “West…
Liberty: What Is It? Why Is It Good? On What Does It Depend?
Craig Biddle and I wrote this essay, “Liberty: What Is It? Why Is It Good? On What Does It Depend?,” as a pamphlet for Students for Liberty to distribute at LibertyCon and other conferences. It’s a brief introduction to Ayn Rand’s views on liberty and how they differ from conventional views. If you’ve not yet read it,…
Ideas—an Evening with Vernon and Candice Smith
One of my joys in life is discussing important ideas with great thinkers. So I was delighted to have dinner at my home with Dr. Vernon Smith and his wife Candace, Dr. Bart Wilson and his partner Ryan Johnson, Todd Zywicki and his wife Jeri Curry, and Craig Biddle. I won’t get into everyone’s history…
