Brian Callaci, "Chains of Command: The Rise and Cruel Reign of the Franchise Economy" (U Chicago Press, 2026)
Chains of Command: The Rise and Cruel Reign of the Franchise Economy (University of Chicago Press, 2026) is a surprising look at the big business of owning small businesses and what America's franchis...
25 Aug 36min
China Comes to Town: Chinese Investment and Local Politics in the U.S. with Emily Conrad
Chinese investment in the United States has become an increasingly contentious issue that is much more complicated than headlines suggest. In this episode, we reflect on recent debates in Michigan’s d...
21 Aug 48min
A Succinct View of How AI is Changing Business and Work Right Now
Does it seem like the business world is in its own version of an arms race to figure out AI? It’s a moment when even a little wisdom, grounded in experience and expertise, provides relief. But how do ...
20 Aug 26min
Nancy Folbre, "Making Care Work: Why Our Economy Should Put People First" (U California Press, 2026)
A bold critique of conventional economics that reveals why the time and money we devote to care work is vital to our economic future. Our economy is much bigger than the dollar value of things we bu...
19 Aug 44min
Oli Mould, "Postcapitalist cities: Towards a common urban future" (Manchester UP, 2026)
What is the future for cities? In Postcapitalist Cities: Towards a common urban future (Manchester University Press, 2026) Oli Mould, a Professor of Cultural and Historical Geography at Royal Holloway...
9 Aug 40min
Andres Saenz de Sicilia, "Subsumption in Kant, Hegel and Marx: From the Critique of Reason to the Critique of Society" (Brill, 2024)
Subsumption in Kant, Hegel and Marx: From the Critique of Reason to the Critique of Society is the latest book from Dr Andres Saenz De Sicilia, an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Northeastern Uni...
7 Aug 46min
Joe Ngai and Nick Leung, "The Next China Is Still China: An Insider's Playbook for Winning in the New Era" (Scribner, 2026)
What’s going on in the Chinese economy? China reported GDP growth of just 4.3% last quarter. Consumption is sluggish, exports are booming, electronics manufacturers and chipmakers are reporting huge p...
30 Jul 55min
Robert Lee Maril, "Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity" (U Oklahoma Press, 2026)
In Oklahoma, one out of every six residents is poor. One in five children lives in poverty and faces food insecurity. In Hungry Oklahoma: Confronting Poverty and Food Insecurity (U Oklahoma Press, ...
30 Jul 33min
