A review of the book 'Hormegeddon: How Too Much Of A Good Thing Leads To Disaster' written by Bill Bonner.
From the mind of Bill Bonner comes Hormegeddon, a phenomenon that occurs when a small dose of something produces a favorable result, but if you increase the dosage, the results end in disaster. The same applies when the world gets too much of a good thing in public policy, economics, and business. Drawing on examples throughout modern political history, Bonner brings context and understanding to this largely ignored and anonymous phenomenon.
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Coming up: A review of the book 'Hormegeddon: How Too Much Of A Good Thing Leads To Disaster' written by Bill Bonner.
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This book was bought with my own money and not been provided to me by the author or publisher.
Little bit about the author:
Bill Bonner is the co-author of the New York Times Best Selling books Financial Reckoning Day: Surviving the Soft Depression of the 21st Century, Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Crisis, and Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets: Surviving the Public Spectacle in Finance and Politics.
He is also the founder and president of Agora Publishing and writes the daily financial newsletter Diary of a Rogue Economist. His daily letter is published in 4 countries and reaches more than 250,000 subscribers.
Let me read a brief description of the book:
QUOTE
“Hormegeddon” is the term coined by entrepreneur and New York Times Bestselling Author Bill Bonner to describe what happens when you get too much of a good thing in the sphere of public policy, economics and business. Simply put, it ends in disaster.
Drawing on stories and examples from throughout modern political history—from Napoleon's invasion of Russia to the impending collapse of the American healthcare system, from the outbreak of WWII and the fall of the Third Reich to the 21st century War on Terror, from the Great Recession to the sovereign debt crisis—Bonner pursues a modest ambition: to understand what goes wrong.
History is not a clean yarn spun by its victors. It is a long tale of things that went FUBAR—debacles, disasters, and catastrophes. That each disaster carries with it a warning is what makes it useful to study. For instance, if the architect of a great ship tells you that ‘not even God himself could sink this ship,' you should take the next boat. If the stock market is selling at 20 times earnings and all the expert analysts urge you to ‘get in’ because you ‘can’t lose’—it’s time to get out!
Similarly, public policy disasters are what you get when well meaning people with this same Titanic degree of certitude apply rational, small-scale problem-solving logic to inappropriately large scale planning. First, you get a declining rate of return on your investment (of time or resources) until you hit zero. Then, if you keep going through the zero floor—and you always keep going—you get a disaster.
The problem is, these disasters cannot be stopped by well-informed smart people with good intentions, because they are the people who cause them in the first place.
From the mind of Bill Bonner comes Hormegeddon, a phenomenon that occurs when a small dose of something produces a favorable result, but if you increase the dosage, the results end in disaster. The same applies when the world gets too much of a good thing in public policy, economics, and business. Drawing on examples throughout modern political history, Bonner brings context and understanding to this largely ignored and anonymous phenomenon.
UNQUOTE
One of the book's strengths is its readability. Despite tackling complex and abstract themes, Bonner writes in a conversational, accessible style, making heavy subjects feel approachable.
The writing is sharp, witty, and refreshingly skeptical, making the book a delight for readers who enjoy contrarian perspectives.
It’s a book that will resonate with those who are wary of unchecked growth and overindulgence, but may alienate readers who prefer a more measured or neutral tone.
Conclusion:
Whether you agree with Bonner’s conclusions or not, the book certainly sparks thoughts on how we might navigate the fine line between progress and excess in an increasingly complex world. Hormegeddon succeeds as a wake-up call.
If you’re a fan of writers like Nassim Nicholas Taleb or enjoy books that question the status quo, this is worth a read. Just don’t expect it to leave you feeling optimistic about the future—Bonner’s world is one where collapse is always lurking around the corner, and maybe that’s the point.
I give this book 4.25/5.
The book is available in Hardcover, Paperback and Kindle formats. At the time of recording this review, it is yet to be made available on Audible. I have given the respective buy links in the show notes. Please check them out for the latest prices.
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