He seems to spend way too much time reading and brooding. On a positive note, I think that the readings you mention are interesting, although I would suggest that for some it is honor which is important and for others, property. You need not harm both to cause a problem. You see that in this country a lot, but I will avoid invidious descriptions of where each type is to be found. He also has some further musings on these points to offer us, but first an aside. While I agree with him that "what gets under my skin is flattening cities and dogs eating bodies of the dead." he should not suppose that I don't find the behaviour of the Mongols interesting: they were often more moderate imperials than either the Roman or the Ottoman rulers were, but they did tend to wipe out people who played false with them: a perfect example of the person motivated by damaged honor. Similar types are found in the early history of the Westward expansion of America, and probably most other cultures as well. BP touches an important point when he says "The key to the puzzle is the dominant business mentality in Iran that privileges trade, speculation and hoarding at the expense of production." This is, of course, a recipe for disaster, and societies that forget this fact do so at their peril. Here is where BP gets REALLY IRRITATING: he is discussing "creative destruction", which he accepts as "the amazing speed with which [Americans] scrap old ideas, technologies, art forms and even the use of the English language." He points to a long speech from Thucydides to show that this is hardly new. And THEN HE IS TIRED AND QUITS!!! Where is the subtle conclusion?? Where the clear delineation of confusion?? As I said he needs to get out more and build up his stamina. p.s. he has some nice early quotes from Ledeen, but that section is too tedious to mention, so I won't