Scott Alexander (reading by Solenoid Entity / Astral Codex Ten podcast host)

I started a bunch of prediction markets on which of several book reviews I could write was most likely to be popular, and Clinical Introduction won.

Is the screen capture showing a series of prediction markets that Scott has set up?

If I review Bruce Fink's A Clinical Introduction to Lacanian Psychoanalysis, will it get at least 125 likes?

Then the same question for Rick Perlstein's Nixonland, Joseph Stiglitz's Wither Socialism, Edward Teach's Penelope's Dream of 20 Geese,

Mark Brunel's The Search for the Perfect Health System, and René Girard's Book on Mimetic Desire.

So Lacanian psychoanalysis was on 74% chance, Nixonland 69% chance, Wither Socialism 63% chance, Penelope's Dream of 20 Geese 49% chance, The Search for the Perfect Health System 60% chance, and René Girard's Books on Mimetic Desire 58% chance.

So the real question is, why did you want me to read a clinical introduction to Lacanian psychoanalysis?

Except that of course I don't know if any of you actually wanted this.

The real, real question is, why did forecasters think that you would want me to review a clinical introduction to Lacanian psychoanalysis?

I can't answer this, but I want to at least express some respect for the sheer Lacanian-ness of the question.

All desire is the desire of the other.

Why do I do things?

Because I'm seeking the approval of some sort of abstract group of people.

What is the other desire?

I can never know this for sure.

This is anxiety-inducing and so I come up with various clever schemes to try and divine this desire and alleviate my anxiety.

Sometimes these schemes work, other times they don't and I end up developing some disgusting fetish or having a psychotic break or reading a clinical introduction to Lacanian psychoanalysis.

So, fine, different question.

Do I think there's anything valuable in this book?

Lacan's theory of desire is complicated.