Shows
Through ConversationsWhy Aesthetics Matter More Than Ever – Virginia PostrelIn this conversation, Virginia Postrel discusses the significance of aesthetics in communication, the evolving nature of glamour, and the impact of urban design on societal connections. She emphasizes the importance of dynamism in society and how creativity can flourish in the age of AI, ultimately advocating for a deeper understanding of beauty and culture in our rapidly changing world.Virginia Postrel is an American political and cultural writer. She is a recipient of the Bastiat Prize.Chapters00:00 Exploring Aesthetics in the Digital Age10:02 The Power of Glamour and Its Impact19:56 Urban Design and the American Dream29:59 Future Visions: Technology...2025-07-141h 03
The Vital CenterThe libertarian prophet of the abundance movement, with Virginia PostrelThe intellectual-political discussion of the so-called abundance movement typically is described as a debate taking place almost entirely on the left. But in fact many of its major themes were being discussed in right-leaning circles decades ago. Virginia Postrel, a libertarian thinker and journalist who was the former editor-in-chief of Reason magazine, anticipated much of the current discourse around abundance in her classic 1998 book The Future and Its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress. Even earlier, in 1990, Postrel was among the first to see that the most important ideological division that was emerging in American politics was...2025-07-011h 05
California Future SocietyDynamism, AI Job Loss, and California’s Resilience w/Virginia PostrelAuthor and thinker Virginia Postrel joins me to talk about California’s past, present, and future, from anti-growth politics to the rise of AI. We get into what dynamism really means, why creative destruction is inevitable, and how housing and regulation shape everything.00:00 Intro 03:58 California's Changing Landscape: A Historical Perspective 07:43 Political Shifts: The Republican Party's Decline in California 10:27 Change in the California Ideology 16:24 CA vs. TX 22:45 The Impact of AI 27:22 AI Displacing White Collar Jobs 30:50 We've Seen This Before 37:30 Lessons for California's Futur...2025-07-0145 min
AI Frontiers“We’re Arguing About AI Safety Wrong” by Helen Toner This post was cross-published on the author's Substack, Rising Tide. ____ Historically, the way we’ve dealt well with rapidly evolving uncertain processes is classical liberalism. -Dwarkesh Patel, X I wasn’t expecting a book from 1998 to explain the 2023-2024 AI safety wars, but Virginia Postrel's The Future and Its Enemies — which I picked up at the recommendation of libertarian AI policy wonk Adam Thierer — does a surprisingly good job. Postrel's book helped reframe something that had been bothering me. I think there's plenty to critique about AI safety ideas and...2025-05-1214 min
Project LiberalThe OG of Progress: Virginia PostrelIn this episode of the Project Liberal podcast, Max Marty and Tyler Harris engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Virginia Postrel. Virginia introduces her framework of dynamism versus stasis—a perspective that transcends traditional left-right political divides—and explores how this lens remains relevant for understanding today's political landscape. As the "OG of the Progress and Abundance movement," Virginia offers unique insights into how innovation, decentralized knowledge, and bottom-up experimentation drive human flourishing. Topics Discussed: * The core thesis of "The Future and Its Enemies" and how it anticipated today's political realignments* How the YIMBY housing move...2025-04-291h 37
Reading Revisitedep. 52: Bookish Bio of Joel J. MillerWelcome to Reading Revisited, a place for friends to enjoy some good old-fashioned book chat while revisiting the truth, beauty, and goodness we’ve found in our favorite books.Joel’s Top “5”The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (The Children of Men by P.D. James)The Samurai by Shusako Endo(Silence by Shusako Endo)The Aviator by Eugene Vodolazkin(Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin)The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle (The Day the Sun Died by Yan Lianke)Til...2025-04-2835 min
The Audio BrowserString theories Podcast: Many Minds (LS 41 · TOP 1.5% what is this?)Episode: String theoriesPub date: 2025-02-06Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationWhere would our species be without string? It's one of our most basic technologies—so basic that it's easy to overlook. But humans have used string—and its cousins rope, yarn, cordage, thread, etc.—for all kinds of purposes, stretching back tens of thousands of years. We've used it for knots and textiles and fishing nets and carrier bags and bow-strings and record-keeping devices. It's one...2025-02-121h 21
Faster, Please! — The Podcast⚡ My chat (+transcript) with Virginia Postrel on promoting a culture of dynamismBig changes are happening: space; energy; and, of course, artificial intelligence. The difference between sustainable, pro-growth change, versus a retreat back into stagnation, may lie in how we implement that change. Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I talk with Virginia Postrel about the pitfalls of taking a top-down approach to innovation, versus allowing a bottom-up style of dynamism to flourish.Postrel is an author, columnist, and speaker whose scholarly interests range from emerging technology to history and culture. She has authored four books, including The Future and Its Enemies (1998) and her most recent, The Fabric of Ci...2025-01-1729 min
The Remnant with Jonah GoldbergThe Silicon Valley SchismJonah Goldberg is joined by Virginia Postrel, the former editor of Reason magazine, best-selling author, and contributing editor for Works In Progress to discuss technocrat schadenfreude, selective dynamism, and Jonah’s Burkean sympathies. Plus: a discussion on the right-wing version of utopia and the myths of American nostalgia.Show Notes:—Virginia’s latest book, Fabric of Civilization—Virginia’s Substack—A Video Introduction to DynamismThe Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch...2025-01-011h 31
My Blog » demo14Download/Read EPUB The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion written By Virginia Postrel full pagesLink To Download : https://recomendedbook.com/?book=1416561110 To Download or Read The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion by Virginia Postrel Available versions: EPUB, PDF, MOBI, DOC, Kindle, Audiobook, etc. Reading The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion Download The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion […]2024-10-0500 min
The Best of Reason MagazineArtificial Intelligence Is Revamping Historical ResearchThis week's featured article is "The Future of AI Is Helping Us Discover the Past" by Virginia Postrel. This audio was generated using AI trained on the voice of Katherine Mangu-Ward. Music credits: "Deep in Thought" by CTRL and "Sunsettling" by Man with RosesThe post The Best of Reason: The Future of AI Is Helping Us Discover the Past appeared first on Reason.com.
2024-05-0712 min
When We're Not Hustling: Sex Workers Talking About Everything ButS1 E16: Build a City, Burn it Down with Ava AdoreAva Adore is a lifetime Chicagian who describes her city as a queer and affordable haven, but also talks about why she calls the Nevada desert her home for 6 weeks out of every year during Burning Man. We discuss what it's like to be a traveling escort, the principles of Burning Man, what has pulled her back every year since 2011, understanding herself in light of her late autism diagnosis, and so much more! Guest Recommendations: Books: Contemporary Prostitution: Study of a Social Question, by Leo Taxil, translated by Jack V Parker...2024-05-061h 09
The Lawfare Podcast: Patreon EditionChatter: Fabric, Dyes, Glamour, and International Affairs, with Virginia PostrelAuthor and speaker Virginia Postrel has spent many years researching and writing about, among other things, various aspects of the economics and societal context of fashion, glamour, and consumer choice. A few years ago her book The Fabric of Civilization tackled the history and global effects of fabric-making, dyeing, the clothing trade, and other textile-related activities. So when host David Priess had his curiosity piqued by some displays at the International Spy Museum related to silk, dyes, and espionage, he knew who to call.David talked to Virginia about the origins of string and of fabric, to...2024-04-181h 30
The Lawfare PodcastChatter: Fabric, Dyes, Glamour, and International Affairs, with Virginia PostrelAuthor and speaker Virginia Postrel has spent many years researching and writing about, among other things, various aspects of the economics and societal context of fashion, glamour, and consumer choice. A few years ago her book The Fabric of Civilization tackled the history and global effects of fabric-making, dyeing, the clothing trade, and other textile-related activities. So when host David Priess had his curiosity piqued by some displays at the International Spy Museum related to silk, dyes, and espionage, he knew who to call.David talked to Virginia about the origins of string and of fabric, to...2024-04-181h 30
ChatterFabric, Dyes, Glamour, and International Affairs, with Virginia PostrelAuthor and speaker Virginia Postrel has spent many years researching and writing about, among other things, various aspects of the economics and societal context of fashion, glamour, and consumer choice. A few years ago her book The Fabric of Civilization tackled the history and global effects of fabric-making, dyeing, the clothing trade, and other textile-related activities. So when host David Priess had his curiosity piqued by some displays at the International Spy Museum related to silk, dyes, and espionage, he knew who to call.David talked to Virginia about the origins of string and of fabric, to...2024-04-181h 30
The Permanent ProblemRethinking our vision for the future, with Virginia PostrelWhat determines our visions of the future, and how those visions change over time? How is politics shaped by conflicting visions of the future? What did the old mid-century vision of a Jetsons-style future get wrong -- and what did it get right that we are now struggling to rediscover? What are the roots of technological pessimism, and how can we encourage the growth of a culture that valorizes scientific and technological advance? On this episode of The Permanent Problem podcast, author Virginia Postrel (The Future and Its Enemies, The Fabric of Civilization, and more) joins the Niskanen Center's...2024-03-061h 02
The Kevin Rooke ShowThe Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made The World | Virginia Postrel | BM2→ The Fabric of Civilization: https://www.bookmarked.club/books/the-fabric-of-civilization
Sponsor
→ Stakwork: https://stacksats.how/stakwork
Summary
In this episode, Kevin interviews Virginia Postrel, author of 'The Fabric of Civilization,' about the role of fabric in history and its connection to technology, science, and trade. Virginia shares her journey of becoming interested in fabric and the inspiration behind her book. They discuss the concept of natural fibers and how they have been modified over time. They also explore the connection between weaving and math, as well as the impact of dye on the...2024-01-071h 53
The Reason Interview With Nick GillespieVirginia Postrel & Jim Pethokoukis: How To Get a Great FutureThis is a bonus episode, hosted by Reason Features Editor Peter Suderman. A few weeks back, at our Washington, D.C. HQ, he moderated a discussion with former Reason Editor in Chief Virginia Postrel (Reason archive here)and American Enterprise Institute Fellow James Pethokoukis about the future—why it matters, why it's misunderstood, and how we might get a better one.
Both have written extensively on the topic. Postrel is the author of many books, including The Future and Its Enemies. Pethokoukis is the author of the just-released The Conservative Futurist—How to Create the Sci-Fi World We W...2023-12-011h 03The Remnant with Jonah GoldbergDon’t Fear the FutureThe future has a lot of enemies these days, and most of them seem to agree that progress is behind us while nothing but disaster lies ahead. Today, AEI’s Jim Pethokoukis is back on the Remnant to challenge that idea. His new book, The Conservative Futurist, makes the case for a risk-taking, future-oriented American society driven by technological change. But what would such a society look like in practice? How could it come into being? And what makes futurism and conservatism compatible?Show Notes:- Jim’s page at A...2023-10-051h 13
English Academic Vocabulary Booster5356. 204 Academic Words Reference from "Virginia Postrel: On glamour | TED Talk"This podcast is a commentary and does not contain any copyrighted material of the reference source.
We strongly recommend accessing/buying the reference source at the same time.
■Reference Source
https://www.ted.com/talks/virginia_postrel_on_glamour
■Post on this topic (You can get FREE learning materials!)
https://englist.me/204-academic-words-reference-from-virginia-postrel-on-glamour-ted-talk/
■Youtube Video
https://youtu.be/Wm3-8dPq-no (All Words)
https://youtu.be/UhDmKWQsj44 (Advanced Words)
https://youtu.be/kyf3-jDsNvU (Quick Look)
2023-10-013h 05
ambrosiaasibookREAD/DOWNLOAD$! Fabric of Civilization [READ PDF] Kindle**Download Fabric of Civilization Full Edition,Full Version,Full Book**
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The Ebbs and The Flows.The Ebbs and The Flows with Claire Marshall: On Compassion, neurobiology, equality, justice and the validity of our experiences.Welcome back to The Ebbs and The Flows: soft chats about hard stuff. The Ebbs and The Flows with Claire Marshall; human rights lawyer, social justice reformer and podcast host. A conversation on neurobiology, compassion, equality and the validity of our emotions and experiences. Edited by The Ebbs and The FlowsThank you to Chantelle Clark for designs used to promote this episodeThis week's guest is Claire Marshall, lawyer, speaker, podcast host and justice reform activist and passionately curious about relationships, life and love. Claire is one half of 'The Good S...2023-08-101h 04
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nyphaoresterread ebook [pdf] Fabric of Civilization Read @book ePubDownload Fabric of Civilization Full Edition,Full Version,Full Book by Virginia Postrel Reading Now at : https://happyreadingebook.club/?book=1541617622 OR DOWNLOAD EBOOK NOW! [PDF] Download read ebook [pdf] Fabric of Civilization Read @book *ePub Ebook | READ ONLINE Download read ebook [pdf] Fabric of Civilization Read @book *ePub read ebook online PDF EPUB KINDLE Download read ebook [pdf] Fabric of Civilization Read @book *ePub PDF - KINDLE - EPUB - MOBI - AUDIOBOOK2023-06-0400 min
anfalenkfalDOWNLOAD EBOOK PDF KINDLE The Fabric of Civilization How Textiles Made the World [EBOOK PDF]Download The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World Full Edition,Full Version,Full Book by Virginia Postrel Reading Now at : https://happyreadingebook.club/?book=1541617622 OR DOWNLOAD EBOOK NOW! [PDF] Download DOWNLOAD EBOOK PDF KINDLE The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World [EBOOK PDF] Ebook | READ ONLINE Download DOWNLOAD EBOOK PDF KINDLE The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World [EBOOK PDF] read ebook online PDF EPUB KINDLE Download DOWNLOAD EBOOK PDF KINDLE The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World [EBOOK PDF...2023-05-0500 min
The Curious TaskJason Kuznicki - Why Is It So Hard To Think About Freedom?Alex speaks with Jason Kuznicki about the societal tendency towards stagnation - and away from liberalism - and its roots in some of the earliest human civilizations.
References
1. “Technology and the End of Authority: What Is Government For?” by Jason Kuznicki
Link: https://www.amazon.ca/Technology-End-Authority-What-Government/dp/3319486918
2. Jason’s previous episode “What Is Government For?” on The Curious Task
Link: https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-12-jason-kuznicki-%e2%80%94-what-is-government-for/
3. “The Domus Mindset: The Origins of Civilization, the Ruling Class, and Why It’s so Hard to Think About Freedo...2023-05-0359 min
The Entrepreneur's EthicVirginia Postrel and the Fabric of Civilization | Ep. 2Virginia Postrel (vpostrel.com), author of The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Shaped the World, joins Kevin in discussion of the importance of textiles in the history of humanity. This episode is part of his ongoing examination of historic entrepreneur Francis Cabot Lowell.
www.kevinkimle.com2023-04-281h 04
The Living Jewishly PodcastREPLAY: Free to Be: The Ethics of Libertarianism“I’m not going to say that ‘greed is good.’ Greed can be made to DO good, but we’ve got to get the institutional designs right.”— Jason KuznickiWhen people think of freedom, they usually associate it with the idea of being able to do whatever they want… as long as their actions don’t harm others. The political ideology of Libertarianism is particularly concerned with institutional restrictions on freedom, and pushes for the idea of less governmental control.But what if freedom alone isn’t enough? What if some...2023-04-1838 min
STUMP - Death and TaxesDon't Use ChatGPT for Numbers (Right Now)I originally meant to talk about Japan’s demographic problem, but I decided to talk about chatGPT instead because of a footnote on an article on Japan. Ain’t that the way. So I think through how technology has changed the corporate workplace over the last 50 years….and how awful chatGPT is (currently) at doing quantitative work. Because that’s not what it’s for.STUMP - Meep on public finance, pensions, mortality and more is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Episode...2023-03-0820 min
Razib Khan's Unsupervised LearningVirginia Postrel: from synthetic meat to synthetic fabricOn this episode of the Unsupervised Learning podcast, Razib talks to Virginia Postrel, the author of The Fabric of Civilization, The Power of Glamour, The Substance of Style and The Future and its Enemies. Formerly a columnist at The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg View, and the former editor of Reason, she is now a fellow at Chapman University’s Smith Institute. First, Razib and Postrel discuss her recently reported piece for The Wall Street Journal, Synthetic Meat Will Change the Ethics of Eating. In the wake of the stagnation in the plant-based meat market the eyes of many futuris...2023-02-231h 07
A Walk Through the MindBase Material ConstructionAfter finishing a book about the history of textiles, I question the overall break down of cost to create such things; how much goes into the process to get it from the factory to you? How much other effort goes into the things to create not just the energy we use to turn on the lights, but the things that help the lights turn on, like copper? Executive Producer: quirkess Book mentioned: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/75319.Virginia_Postrel Podcast about the processing of materials like oil and copper: https://r...2022-12-1316 min
Wizard of Ads Monday Morning MemoFrame. Reframe. Counterpunching Part 2The pain of loss is psychologically twice as powerful as the pleasure of gain. When Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky published Prospect Theory in 1979, a generation of advertisers mistakenly began to speak to Pain, and to the fear of Loss.If you frame a choice as “Loss versus Gain,” most people will choose loss avoidance because “losses loom larger than gains.”But what if you want your audience to embrace the risk of loss? To what motivation, then, do you speak?Equally unwise is to frame a choice as “Pain versus Pleasure.” 2022-12-0509 min
The Virtual Memories ShowEpisode 500 - ALL The GuestsFIVE-HUNDRED EPISODES of The Virtual Memories Show?! Let's celebrate this milestone episode with tributes, remembrances, jokes, congrats, non-sequiturs, and a couple of songs (!) from nearly 100 of my past guests, including Maria Alexander, Jonathan Ames, Glen Baxter, Jonathan Baylis, Zoe Beloff, Walter Bernard, Sven Birkerts, Charles Blackstone, RO Blechman, Phlip Boehm, MK Brown, Dan Cafaro, David Carr, Kyle Cassidy, Howard Chaykin, Joe Ciardiello, Gary Clark, John Crowley, Ellen Datlow, Paul Di Filippo, Joan Marans Dim, Liza Donnelly, Bob Eckstein, Scott Edelman, Barbara Epler, Glynnis Fawkes, Aaron Finkelstein, Mary Fleener, Shary Flenniken, Josh Alan Friedman, Kipp Friedman, Michael Gerber, Mort Gerberg...2022-08-192h 46
Zooming In at The UnPopulistCan Liberalism Make Peace Between the Future and Its Enemies? (w/ Virginia Postrel)We’re used to thinking about politics as a battle between left and right, progressive and conservative. But those sides can be somewhat protean, with their positions, preferences and policies shifting in ways that make it difficult to analyze the political landscape clearly.
My guest today has a different way of framing politics—one she first set out 24 years ago, and one which looks more and more prescient with every passing day. Virginia Postrel is the author of many books, including The Future and Its Enemies. Her latest is the Fabric of Civilization. The core of Postrel’s framew...2022-08-1057 min
Zooming In at The UnPopulistCan Liberalism Make Peace Between the Future and Its Enemies?: An Interview With Virginia PostrelSubscribe to Reactionary Minds: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTubeReactionary Minds is a project of The UnPopulist. Hosted by Aaron Ross Powell. Produced by Landry Ayres.The following is a transcript of Reactionary Minds’ interview with Virginia Postrel, author of many books, including The Future and Its Enemies. The transcript has been lightly edited for flow and clarity.Aaron Ross Powell: I’m Aaron Ross Powell, and this is Reactionary Minds, a project of The UnPopulist. We’re used to thinking about politics as a battle between left and right, progre...2022-08-1057 min
Minha Estante ColoridaA substância do estilo[Curiosidades] Resenha do livro “The substance of style: how the rise of aesthetic value is remaking commerce, culture & consciousness” (Tradução livre: "A substância do estilo: como a ascensão do valor estético está refazendo o comércio, a cultura e a consciência"), de Virginia Postrel. A resenha escrita está nesse link.
Minha mãe dizia que no tempo dela, se a moda era vestido acinturado, a moça que não andasse assim era ridicularizada na rua. O que era belo era lei, todo mundo tinha que usar, sob pena de ser deixado à margem de seu gru...2022-04-2406 min
Political Economy with Jim PethokoukisVirginia Postrel: Dynamism or Stasis?In the early 19th century, English textile workers calling themselves "Luddites" destroyed machinery in an effort to save their jobs from automation. And two centuries later, those who resist technological change are still called Luddites. In the 2020 book The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel tells the history of textiles, including the Luddite movement. And in her 1998 book, The Future and Its Enemies, she describes the "stasist" view behind Luddism, as well as its natural antipode, dynamism. To discuss how this framework can help us understand the current moment, I've brought Virginia on the podcast.Virginia is a Bloo...2022-04-2034 min
The Open Mind, Hosted by Alexander HeffnerMasking and Unmasking CivilizationAuthor Virginia Postrel discusses the history of fabric and contemporary mask-wearing practices to protect public health. 2022-04-1828 min
The New BazaarThe power of glamourGlamour is a misunderstood concept. A lot of people associate it with glossy pictures of movie stars and celebrities in ritzy settings, or with other concepts like charisma or dazzle. Glamour is something a little different. It’s mysterious and concealing. It’s an illusion and it can be deceptive, sometimes so in problematic ways. But whether we’re talking about a glamorous object or a glamorous person, glamour also provides a canvas on which people can project their own desires and longings. So when you find something glamorous, that something is also revealing what you yearn for...2022-04-141h 08
a16z PodcastTechnologies & Threads Through the Fabric of Our Livesoriginal episode notes and transcript here: https://future.a16z.com/podcasts/textiles-technology-science-math-cultures-civilization/Longtime podcast showrunner (2014-2022), primary host, and editor Sonal Chokshi shares three best-of episodes as she shifts gears and the show goes on hiatus until relaunched with a new host. The third of these three special rerun episodes is a conversation that originally took place in October 2020, in the midst of the pandemic – and perfectly captures the signature identity of this show until now, and Chokshi's work, which is at the intersection of technology and humanity. In it, she and Virg...2022-02-211h 12The Living Jewishly PodcastFree to Be: The Ethics of Libertarianism“I’m not going to say that ‘greed is good.’ Greed can be made to DO good, but we’ve got to get the institutional designs right.”— Jason KuznickiWhen people think of freedom, they usually associate it with the idea of being able to do whatever they want… as long as their actions don’t harm others. The political ideology of Libertarianism is particularly concerned with institutional restrictions on freedom, and pushes for the idea of less governmental control.But what if freedom alone isn’t enough? What if some...2022-02-0138 min
Western CivBonus: The Fabric of CivilizationI sit down with Virginia Postrel and talk about her new book: "The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made The World". We discuss how the development of textiles has often been overlooked in historical study and why that is such a crucial mistake.Check out the Website: www.westerncivpodcast.comGet Ad-Free Versions of the Show: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcastTry Western Civ 2.0 for Free: www.glow.fm/westernciv2022-01-0756 min
The Modern Cotton Story“The story of textiles is the story of technology,” says author Virginia PostrelListen to a special episode of our podcast series entitled “Authors and Editors Talk About Textiles and Sustainability,” with Virginia Postrel, author of the recently published book “The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World,” an important new history of textiles.
From its earliest development in ancient times, through to the industrial revolution, on to today, Virginia takes us on a journey of adventure where we learn about how the ubiquity of textiles holds great significance in how society developed.
As she explains, technology played an important role in the use of textiles in various forms around the world as it he...2021-10-2936 min
unSILOed with Greg LaBlancTracing Textile History and Threads That Connect Cultures feat. Virginia PostrelTextiles have played a significant role in our history and culture, starting with the Stone Age and continuing to the present. As award-winning journalist Virginia Postrel tells us, thread and fabric played are catalysts in revolutionizing human labor and innovations that economic historians often overlook. The Fabric Of Civilization is Virginia's book on textile history that stitches our aesthetics, history, and cultural identity. It focuses on textiles as among the oldest, most essential, and most pervasive of human inventions.In this episode, Virginia reminds us that people around the world are all woven together through o...2021-10-251h 00
BLUE CAST by TENCEL™ / CARVED IN BLUE®BLUE CAST Ep11 - THE FABRIC OF CIVILIZATIONBLUE CAST Ep11 - THE FABRIC OF CIVILIZATION This BLUE CAST Episode, Tricia Carey talks with Author Virginia Postrel.Virginia Postrel is a Los Angeles-based author, columnist, and independent researcher whose work spans a broad range of topics, from social science to fashion, concentrating on the intersection of culture, commerce, and technology. She learned to weave while researching The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World and is now the program co-chair for the Southern California Handweavers’ Guild. Virginia is also a regular columnist for BloombergTricia Carey is a w...2021-09-0937 min
Talking History with Patrick GeogheganBest of August Books - Part TwoJoin Patrick Geoghegan for the best in Irish and International history books for August 2021. Books covered on the show include: 'Norse America: The Story of a Founding Myth' with Gordon Campbell, 'The Rise and Fall of the Orange Order During The Famine Years' with Daragh Curran, 'Magnificent Women And Their Machines' with Henrietta Heald, 'The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made The World' with Virginia Postrel and 'Digging Up Britain' with Mike Pitts.2021-08-1552 min
The Curious TaskSteve Horwitz — What Drives Progress?In honour of Steve Horwitz (1964-2021), we are re-releasing his conversation with Alex Aragona on what drives progress — a topic near and dear to Steve's heart.
References from The Curious Task Special Episode 1 with Steve Horwitz
Steve Horwitz is the author of Austrian Economics: An Introduction; Microfoundations and Macroeconomics: An Austrian Perspective; Monetary Evolution, Free Banking, and Economic Order; and Hayek’s Modern Family: Classical Liberalism and the Evolution of Social Institutions which are available for purchase on Amazon Canada (titles hyperlinked).
This article entitled Persistent Fallacies by Vuk Vukovic recounts the misconceptions surrounding growth and is a respons...2021-07-0757 min
The New Liberal PodcastFabric and Civilization ft. Virginia PostrelVirginia Postrel, author of The Fabric of Civilization, joins the show for a wide ranging conversation. We discuss the history of cloths, textiles, and fabrics as detailed in her recent book, and why the history of fabrics is often the same thing as the history of technology. We also discuss dynamic vs static attitudes toward the economy and society, the relationship between textiles and economic development, theories of how and why industrialization occurs, and the ins and outs of kidney donation. It's hard to recap every subject we touch on, but this episode is definitely worth your time. S...2021-06-151h 10
DeviateGolden Age of jet travel“Stewardesses were instructed to not serve caffeinated beverages or alcohol during a hijacking, and were encouraged to use their femininity to manipulate the hijackers.” – Julia Cooke
In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Julia talk about how Julia came to write a book about international airline stewardesses in the golden age of jet travel, and how commercial air travel as we know it came of age more than half a century ago (1:30); what Pan Am was, what made it special, and the role of stewardesses on the airline (11:00); the former Pan Am stewardesses that Julia interviewed, how she fou...2021-06-1549 min