

#3793
Mentioned in 13 episodes
Red Plenty
Book • 2010
Francis Spufford's "Red Plenty" is a work of historical fiction that explores the Soviet Union's ambitious quest for economic abundance during the Khrushchev era.
The narrative weaves together fictional characters with real historical figures, offering a nuanced portrayal of the era's complexities.
Spufford masterfully blends factual events with imaginative storytelling, creating a compelling narrative that challenges traditional historical accounts.
The book delves into the Soviet Union's attempts to implement cybernetics and mathematical planning to improve economic efficiency, highlighting the inherent challenges of a centrally planned economy.
Ultimately, "Red Plenty" offers a thought-provoking exploration of the Soviet dream and its ultimate failure.
The narrative weaves together fictional characters with real historical figures, offering a nuanced portrayal of the era's complexities.
Spufford masterfully blends factual events with imaginative storytelling, creating a compelling narrative that challenges traditional historical accounts.
The book delves into the Soviet Union's attempts to implement cybernetics and mathematical planning to improve economic efficiency, highlighting the inherent challenges of a centrally planned economy.
Ultimately, "Red Plenty" offers a thought-provoking exploration of the Soviet dream and its ultimate failure.
Mentioned by
















Mentioned in 13 episodes
Mentioned by 

when discussing Soviet central planning and the complexity of a sophisticated economy.


Benedict Evans

2,212 snips
Why Everyone Is Wrong About AI (Including You) | Benedict Evans
Mentioned by 

when discussing Soviet industrialization and economic planning.


Casey Handmer

349 snips
Casey Handmer of Terraform Industries on solar maximalism, hard tech, and reclaiming the Salton Sea
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as a novel illustrating the dangers of simplistic optimization in complex systems.

Henry Farrell

32 snips
Talking to Political Scientist Henry Farrell with Max Read
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as a wonderful novel about economics.

Brad DeLong

23 snips
Brad DeLong on Intellectual and Technical Progress
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and 

as a fun book about the Soviet economy.


Alex Tabarrok


Tyler Cowen

22 snips
The Economics Nobel: Predictions, Missed Opportunities, and Questionable Winners
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as a great fiction book that talks about the history of USSR.


Blaise Aguera y Arcas

22 snips
21. LIFE (w/ Blaise Agüera y Arcas)
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as a fantastic story about the difficulty of solving production problems without price information.


Mike Munger

16 snips
FA Hayek: Price Whisperer
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while discussing central planning and resource allocation in the context of the Soviet Union.

Erik Torenberg

E75: The Future of AI-Enabled Companies with Omar Shams, CEO of Mutable AI
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as a novel illustrating the dangers of simplistic optimization in complex systems.

Henry Farrell

The Silicon Valley canon and malformed publics
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, as a book that resonated with him and reflects his worldview.

Ben Edwards

3347: Bitsight on the Hidden Risks Inside Global Supply Chains


