Roderick Edwards

In More Than Trump, Roderick Edwards offers a brief but compelling exploration of the American political landscape—not through the personality of Donald Trump alone, but through the deeper, often overlooked, principles that shape the Republic itself. Rather than getting caught in the partisan noise, the book aims to peel back the rhetoric and ask:

What do ordinary citizens really believe about America?
And how do those beliefs shape national identity, loyalty, and governance?

This is not show more another Trump exposé, nor is it a glowing defense. Instead, it’s a cultural and ideological diagnosis of what gave rise to Trump—and what might endure long after him.

The book dives into how everyday Americans view their government—less through party politics and more through a lens of disconnection, skepticism, and nostalgia for core Republican ideals. It is ultimately an examination of how far (or close) America remains to its foundational identity. show less

I love seeing gardening material focused specifically on my local area as so much of what I learned growing up gardening in the north is absolutely worthless since I moved south. This small, but mighty manual will set you on the right track. For those who don't know what forest farming is (myself included until the author explained it), he states that a forest farmer sees the garden as a community in which the soil, plants, animals, and self are dependent upon one another. I loved that idea show more repeated throughout the book that our yards are a living ecosystem of which we are merely the stewards. The author takes you through the planting process step by step from site selection, soil amendment, choosing plant varieties, and tending the plants through the wet or dry season. If you want to include livestock on your farm, there is a section for that too. Along the way, there were many good pieces of advice, such as paying attention to the weeds because that will tell you how you need to amend your soil. While you won't get comprehensive information about any one topic, the author includes a very thorough resource section at the end that is divided into categories for easily locating what you need. I checked out a few of them and you can definitely learn a lot through those resources. show less

Roderick Edwards’ AI Slayer / AI Liberator is a provocative and accessible exploration of artificial intelligence that challenges readers to rethink how they engage with modern AI systems. Blending philosophy, technology, and cultural critique, Edwards presents AI not as an all-knowing authority but as a constrained system shaped by human inputs, institutional frameworks, and embedded limitations.

One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its use of metaphor—particularly the show more recurring image of AI operating within a “cage.” This framing makes complex ideas about large language models, training data, and system constraints approachable for general readers. Edwards succeeds in translating technical concepts such as probabilistic outputs, hallucinations, and reinforcement learning into language that is both engaging and understandable.

The standout contribution of the book is the proposed CLEAR Protocol—a framework advocating for AI systems that rely on Composite sources, operate within Legible limits, express Evident doubt, and maintain Archived and Redundant histories. This model provides a thoughtful and practical lens through which to evaluate the future of AI transparency and accountability.

At the same time, the book leans heavily into a critical perspective on institutional bias in AI training data. While this viewpoint raises important questions, some arguments would benefit from additional sourcing, nuance, and engagement with the broader complexity of AI system development and deployment. Readers with technical backgrounds may find certain claims oversimplified, though the underlying concerns remain relevant.

Overall, AI Slayer / AI Liberator is a compelling and timely read that encourages skepticism, curiosity, and deeper engagement with one of the defining technologies of our time. It is particularly well-suited for general audiences seeking an entry point into the philosophical and societal implications of AI, as well as readers interested in questioning the perceived authority of machine-generated information. show less

Note: I received this in exchange for a review as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and oh do I wish I hadn’t.

To use the author’s own words, this is ‘the ramblings of a “riiiiiight-wing extremist”’. From quoting Hitler’s Mein Kampf (in agreement) to repeating anti-scientific, racist, transphobic, homophobic, and other bigoted talking points without any concept about the history or background of these talking points. I would not recommend anyone to read this. In show more fact, I would recommend that no one be subjected to this. show less