The Political Philosophy of Mark Twain: On His Absurd, Noble Americans with Ivan Kenneally
While many know that Mark Twain created some of the most famous characters in literature—Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Jim and Puddn’head Wilson—too few have understood that the Missouri author was...
2 Sep 1h 2min
Richard Ned Lebow, "Why Nations Still Fight" (Cambridge UP, 2026)
Drawing on an original data set of interventions and wars from 1945 to the current day, as well as numerous short case studies, Richard Ned Lebow offers a novel account of their origins and outcomes -...
30 Aug 1h 12min
Srirupa Roy, "The Political Outsider: Indian Democracy and the Lineages of Populism" (Stanford UP, 2024)
Defying the dire predictions that attended its birth as an independent nation-state in 1947, the Indian republic is more than seventy-five years old. And yet, it is a place where criticisms of act...
28 Aug 56min
Catherine Reyes-Housholder, "How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America" (Temple UP, 2026)
Between 1990 and 2020, women candidates won only 6% of the world’s presidential races. How Women Win Presidential Elections in Latin America (Temple University Press, 2026) explains the factors, strat...
28 Aug 1h
Paul Johnson, "Challenging Inequalities: How We Got Stuck and Where We Go Next" (Princeton UP, 2026)
There is a widespread sense throughout the developed world that progress towards a better society has stalled. Many countries, including the UK, have experienced persistent economic stagnation accom...
26 Aug 50min
After Putin: A Discussion with Political Scientist Julian G. Waller
Russian leader Vladimir Putin, at 73 years old, is still very much alive, yet the “After Putin” conversation is an active one inside and outside of Russia. What could come next and how to think about ...
25 Aug 53min
Edward Goldring, "Purges: How Dictators Fight to Survive" (Cornell UP, 2026)
Purges: How Dictators Fight to Survive (Cornell University Press, 2026) by Dr. Edward Goldring delves into one of the key tactics that autocrats deploy to maintain power: the removal of individuals...
24 Aug 39min
Mark Leonard, "Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail" (Polity Press, 2026)
"Expansive visions. Universal institutions. Ideas of progress. It was on the back of these that the West surged ahead and built a global order. I was born into that world. But my children have enter...
22 Aug 1h 4min
