There has been a mythology surrounding guns in the United States that allegedly involves the Founding Fathers and the 2nd Amendment but the reality of Americans increasingly arming themselves can be traced to the middle decades of the 20th century.

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America" joins us to detail the first half of the Cold War as the genesis of modern gun culture as it combined the supply of surplus guns in Europe, enterprising young marketers and policymakers not recognizing the harms of so many firearms.

With millions of people getting their hands on a commensurate amount of guns in an atmosphere of geopolitical uncertainty & racial biases which continues into the present, those who want to curb the violence won't succeed unless they recognize the true history of how this lifestyle became embedded in American life.

Andrew C. McKevitt is John D. Winters Endowed Professor of History at Louisiana Tech University. He is the author of Consuming Japan: Popular Culture and the Globalizing of 1980s America.

https://uncpress.org/9781469677248/gu...

https://x.com/drewmckevitt

https://andrewcmckevitt.com/

The development of the global economy to become increasingly interconnected has benefited and harmed people in different ways with supply chains stretch now stretching across nations.

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain" joins us to detail the rise of Chinese manufacturing prowess to become the dominant producer of so many goods, how American consultants & executives have enriched themselves at the expense of everyone else and why the seemingly disorganized nature of the economy, as evidenced by the pandemic disruptions, is actually purposefully designed to be that way by those in positions of power.

The system of international trade that operates in the 21st century has been built on rickety foundations and it is imperative that it be transformed if humanity is going to adequately contend with the myriad challenges ahead.

Peter S. Goodman is the Global Economics Correspondent for the New York Times. He was previously the NYT’s European economics correspondent, based in London, and the national economics correspondent, based in New York, where he played a leading role in the paper’s award-winning coverage of the Great Recession, including a series that was a Pulitzer finalist. Previously, he covered the Internet bubble and bust as the Washington Post’s telecommunications reporter, and served as WashPo’s China-based Asian economics correspondent. He is the author of Davos Man and Past Due: The End of Easy Money and the Renewal of the American Economy. He graduated from Reed College and completed a master’s in Vietnamese history from the University of California, Berkeley.

https://www.harpercollins.com/product...

https://x.com/petersgoodman

https://www.petersgoodman.com/

Henry Wallace was one of the most consequential American figures of the 20th century as the world looks entirely different if he was Vice President when FDR died in 1945.

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "The World That Wasn't: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century" joins us to highlight Henry's early career before he entered politics, how he was guided by a progressive worldview that was out of step with the majority of the establishment in Washington DC and the events of his life as he navigated the halls of power in pursuit of his own agenda.

Henry Wallace believed in his mission to transform his country and the world around him and the book showcases just how he operated as a political figure during the decades he was in the limelight.

Benn Steil is senior fellow and director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War, winner of the New York Historical Society’s Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History and the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Douglas Dillon Award. His previous book, the prizewinning Battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order, was called “a triumph of economic and diplomatic history” by the Financial Times, “a superb history” by The Wall Street Journal, and “the gold standard on its subject” by The New York Times. He lives in New York with his two boys.

https://www.cfr.org/book/world-wasnt

https://x.com/BennSteil

https://www.cfr.org/expert/benn-steil

The mental health and wellness industry has grown tremendously over the past few decades but is it truly helping people improve their lives?

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "Mind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry" joins us to showcase why so many are falling prey to pseudoscience, who is peddling these bullshit cures, the warning signs that should caution those in need from proceeding with a treatment and the critical importance of improving science literacy.

So many people are being hurt because they are not receiving the proper care and the book demonstrates the necessity of debunking the myths surrounding mental health

Dr. Jonathan N. Stea is a full-time practicing clinical psychologist and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. He's a two-time winner of the University of Calgary's Award for Excellence in Clinical Supervision and co-editor of the book Investigating Clinical Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies . Dr. Stea has published extensively, with regular contributions to Scientific American and Psychology Today , among other outlets, and has appeared on numerous mainstream television and radio shows, as well as podcasts. He was the 2022 recipient of the John G. Paterson Award from the Psychologists' Association of Alberta, an annual award presented for the exceptional contribution to portraying psychological knowledge to the public.

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/mind-the-science-9780197748817?cc=ca&lang=en&

https://www.jonathanstea.com/

https://x.com/jonathanstea

Government's in Ottawa & in provincial capitals have been very generous to the private sector going back to Confederation but has this largesse benefited the average Canadian?

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of At The Trough: The Rise and Rise of Canada's Corporate Welfare Bums joins us to to detail the long history of corporate welfare in the nation, why politicians cannot resist the pull of subsidizing the private sector, how this practice has going into overdrive in the past decade and what policymakers should be focusing their efforts on instead of giving handouts to businesses.

The only way that inequality will be addressed is if Canada moves away from massively supporting corporations and instead focus on policies that ensure fair competition, anti-corruption and broad-based prosperity.

Laurent Carbonneau is a policy professional working primarily on innovation, science and technology issues, with previous experience on Parliament Hill and national campaigns working for the NDP Leader's Office and a senior member of caucus. He has master’s degrees from Carleton University (political management) and the University of St Andrews (history) and a BA from Mount Allison University. He lives in Ottawa with his family.

https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/product/at-the-trough/

https://www.canadianinnovators.org/

While technology has allowed American society to experience tremendous prosperity and progress, the electoral system is still stuck in the past and it is causing democratic institutions to become tilted towards a small minority of special interests.

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "Vote With Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot At Saving Democracy" joins us to highlight the benefits of mobile voting, the coalition of partners who see the potential to increase voter participation as a result of implementing this reform and the importance of including younger generations in the policy-making process.

The United States must move into the 21st century and utilize the technology available to transform the voting system to allow people the option to vote with their phones as this will help to ensure that the decisions made in the halls of power reflect the desires of Americans.

Bradley Tusk is the CEO and co-founder of Tusk Venture Partners, the world’s first venture capital fund that invests solely in early stage startups in highly regulated industries, the founder of political consulting firm Tusk Strategies, and the co-founder and Chairman of the Ivory Gaming Acquisition Corp, a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. Bradley’s family foundation is funding and leading the national campaign to bring mobile voting to all U.S. elections. Tusk Philanthropies also runs and funds anti-hunger campaigns that have led to the creation of anti-hunger policies and programs (including universal school breakfast programs) in 17 different states, helping to feed over 12 million people. He is the author of The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups From Death by Politics, writes a column for Fast Company, hosts a podcast called Firewall about the intersection of tech and politics, and is the co-founder of the Gotham Book Prize. He recently opened a bookstore, podcast studio, event space and cafe called P&T Knitwear on Manhattan’s lower east side. He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.

https://www.mobilevoting.org/

https://www.sourcebooks.com/978146422...

https://tuskstrategies.com/people/bra...

https://www.ted.com/talks/bradley_tus...

The only way for humanity to contend with the climate crisis is with changing the entire system but what does that really look like?

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis" joins us to showcase how the status quo is unsustainable, the different strategies that must be considered for political transformation and why the right way forward is to include a wide variety of viewpoints rather than bickering over ideology.

Coordinated political action is required for individuals and society as a whole to survive and thrive in the coming decades with the book highlighting the opportunities and challenges that progressive, socialist and revolutionary approaches can provide.

Malcolm Harris is the author of the national bestseller Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Kids These Days: The Making of Millennials; and Shit is Fucked Up and Bullshit: History Since the End of History. He was born in Santa Cruz, CA and graduated from the University of Maryland.

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/tit...

https://x.com/BigMeanInternet

Canada's parliamentary system of government is supposed to represent the people but it is being dominated by the party elites and the Prime Minister.

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "The Crisis of Canadian Democracy" joins us to highlight why the First Past The Post structure stifles democracy, how the PM has concentrated power in his office to overpower his own caucus & cabinet, and the ways that connected insiders are propped up at the expense of everyone else.

Canadians are losing confidence in government institutions & democracy as a whole but the book presents a wide range of sensible solutions if only those in power were brave enough to enact them.

Andrew Coyne is a columnist for The Globe and Mail. Raised in Winnipeg, Mr. Coyne holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the London School of Economics‎. He was written previously for The National Post, Maclean’s and Southam News, contributing as well to a wide range of other publications in Canada and abroad, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The National Review, and The Walrus. He is also a weekly panelist on CBC’s The National.

https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/prod...

x: ‪@acoyne‬

https://x.com/acoyne

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/autho...

The United States hold the prime position in the global economy and it can utilize this power to wage economic war against it's adversaries

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare" joins us to reveal the critical history of the 1990's and 2000's as America consolidated it's grip on world finance, how sanctions & export controls came to be weapon of choice for policymakers and what the future portends as Iran, Russia & China attempt to combat the influence of Washington D.C.

Geopolitical competition in the first quarter of the 21st century was based on the might of the US dollar and the ability of the White House to bend the private sector to it's will but Chokepoints showcases how this history will set the stage for the next few decades as an increasingly fractured system of trade and connections will force countries to choose sides

Edward Fishman is a leading authority on economic statecraft and sanctions. He teaches at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is a senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy. He also advises companies on geopolitical strategy and invests in early-stage technology startups. Previously, he served at the U.S. State Department as a member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, at the Pentagon as an advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and at the U.S. Treasury Department as special assistant to the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. His writing and analysis are regularly featured by outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Politico, and NPR. He holds a BA in History from Yale, an MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge, and an MBA from Stanford. He lives with his wife and two children in New York City.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

X: @edwardfishman

x.com/edwardfishman

Driving across the country with one's family is as American as one can be but the transformation the country has experienced over the past decade means that the younger generation will see places and witness events that their parents never did.

In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "The Last American Road Trip" joins us to describe the adventures her family went on while on the road and at the destinations they visited as national politics, climate change and the Covid pandemic reshaped the nation.

Whether it is highlighting the centrality of Missouri in the United States, the importance of the National Parks system or the desire to explore the obscure spots that most tourists won't visit, The Last American Road Trip showcases why it is necessary to leave one's comfort zone and talk to others as it will help people view their fellow citizens as Americans and not enemies.

Sarah Kendzior is the bestselling author of The View from Flyover Country, Hiding in Plain Sight, and They Knew. She lives with her husband and children in St. Louis, Missouri.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/

https://x.com/sarahkendzior