Mission Control
Reading List - Geopolitics, Economics & History
Curated March 12, 2026 — focused on geopolitics, economics, and understanding why the world works the way it does.
Topic: Geopolitics through maps
Why read: Explains why Russia needs Crimea, why China wants Taiwan, why the Middle East is a mess. All through geography. Short chapters, visual thinking.
Perfect for: Understanding WHY countries behave the way they do
Difficulty: Easy read
---
Topic: Human history (70,000 years)
Why read: Why we believe in money, nations, religions. Why humans dominate Earth. Mind-bending and very readable.
Perfect for: "Why is the world the way it is?"
Difficulty: Medium (long but engaging)
---
Topic: World history from Asia's perspective
Why read: Trade routes through Persia, India, China shaped EVERYTHING. Refreshing alternative to Western-centric history.
Perfect for: Where economics + geopolitics meet
Difficulty: Medium
---
Topic: Economics + institutions
Why read: Why some countries are rich and others poor. Not geography, not culture — it's about INSTITUTIONS. Compares North vs South Korea, US vs Mexico.
Perfect for: "Why do economies work this way?"
Difficulty: Medium-Hard (but reads like detective work)
---
Topic: Korea/Japan, colonialism, identity
Why read: Four generations of a Korean family in Japan. Covers colonialism, discrimination, survival. Absolutely beautiful.
Perfect for: History through STORY, not textbook
Difficulty: Easy (it's a novel)
Status: ✅ Already read!
---
Topic: Anthropology of money & debt
Why read: Why did humans invent money? (Not for barter — that's a myth.) How debt shaped empires.
Perfect for: Going deeper on economics discussions
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
---
| Podcast | Vibe | Episode Length |
|---------|------|----------------|
| The Rest is History | Two British historians chatting — engaging, funny | 45-60 min |
| Planet Money | Economics but entertaining | 20 min |
| Throughline (NPR) | History behind today's headlines | 30-40 min |
---
1. Prisoners of Geography — Quick win, finish fast
2. ~~Pachinko~~ ✅ Already read!
3. Sapiens — Big picture "woah" moments
4. The Silk Roads — When you want to go deeper
5. Why Nations Fail — For the economics deep dive
6. Debt — Advanced level
---
| Book | Status |
|------|--------|
| Prisoners of Geography | ⬜ Not started |
| Sapiens | ⬜ Not started |
| The Silk Roads | ⬜ Not started |
| Why Nations Fail | ⬜ Not started |
| Pachinko | ✅ Completed |
| Debt: The First 5,000 Years | ⬜ Not started |