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Know Thyself: Western Identity from Classical Greece to the Renaissance

Good morning, listeners! We’ve got a lively discussion touching on history, philosophy, and culture this week, as Richard Aldous speaks with Ingrid Rossellini about her new book, Know Thyself: Western Identity from Classical Greece to the Renaissance.

The question of identity has been central to human civilization since time immemorial, and it’s at the heart of our political divides today. In her new book, Rossellini takes an interdisciplinary approach to explore how identity has been conceived and understood in the West, from the ancient Greeks to the dawn of modernity.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow @aminterest and Ingrid Rossellini (@I_Rossellini) on Twitter.

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Non to Tocqueville!

Good morning, listeners! We have a special treat for you this Memorial Day weekend, as TAI Executive Committee Chairman Francis Fukuyama hosts TAI columnist Ben Judah to discuss Ben’s recent column on America’s favorite Frenchman.

Alexis de Tocqueville is widely regarded as one of the greatest political thinkers in the West, frequently invoked and quoted for his insights into civil society and American democracy. But have Tocqueville’s American acolytes fallen for a deliberately ahistorical version of Tocqueville—one that ignores his own views on colonialism and his broader intellectual project? And is that historical context relevant to our understanding of Democracy in America?

Tune in for a lively debate from Stanford University, and be sure to follow @aminterest, Francis Fukuyama (@FukuyamaFrancis), and Ben Judah (@b_judah) on Twitter. And don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes for regular episodes from our host Richard Aldous.

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From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia

The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia

Good morning, listeners! We have a special two-part episode this week, as Richard Aldous speaks with two of the most prominent Russia hands in the business about their new books.

First, Michael McFaul, the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and President Obama’s Russia adviser, joins to discuss From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia, his new account of his time in the Obama Administration and the trajectory of U.S.-Russian relations since the end of the Cold War. Tune in to hear McFaul’s reflections on the “reset” with Russia, his recollections of meeting with Vladimir Putin, and his assessment of the Trump Administration’s policy record on Russia so far.

Next, Richard speaks with Mark Galeotti, a senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations Prague, about The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia, his new book exploring the origins and influence of Russia’s organized criminal class, from the Stalin era to the present day.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow @aminterest, Michael McFaul (@McFaul), and Mark Galeotti (@MarkGaleotti) on Twitter.

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The Prodigal Tongue: The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English

Good evening, listeners! We’re back this week with a linguistic treat, as our host Richard Aldous speaks with Lynne Murphy about her new book, The Prodigal Tongue: The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English.

Lynne Murphy is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sussex. Born and raised in New York State, she has lived since 2000 in Brighton, England and is the author of the award-winning blog Separated by a Common Language. In her new book she examines fact and fiction about English as it exists on both sides of the pond.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow @aminterest and Lynne Murphy @lynneguist on Twitter.

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To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism

Good afternoon, listeners! We’re back with another great podcast this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Ross Douthat about his new book, To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism.

Ross Douthat is an opinion columnist for The New York Times. In his latest book, published by Simon & Schuster in March, Douthat takes a critical look at the Francis papacy, arguing that the pope’s controversial stewardship of the Church could ultimately lead to a schism.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow @aminterest and Ross Douthat @DouthatNYT on Twitter.

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The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It

The Good Liberal

Good evening, listeners. We have a special episode for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Yascha Mounk about his new book The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It.

Yascha Mounk is a lecturer on government at Harvard University and a senior fellow in the Political Reform Program at New America. His new book was published by Harvard University Press this week, and he appears on the program to discuss the myriad challenges the rise of populism is posing for democracy.

Then, Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of Islamic Exceptionalism, comes on the show to discuss his recent review of Mounk’s book.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow Yascha Mounk @Yascha_Mounk, Shadi Hamid @shadihamid, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

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Why Liberalism Failed

Good evening, listeners! We have another great show for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Patrick Deneen about his new book, Why Liberalism Failed.

Patrick Deneen is the David A. Potenziani Memorial Associate Professor of Political Science and Constitutional Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and he joins the program to discuss his new book, published in January by Yale University Press. Listen in to discover why Patrick believes the ideology of liberalism has produced a political system and an educational model which are both now failing.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow Patrick Deneen @PatrickDeneen and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

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The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook

Good evening, listeners! We have a great episode for you, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Niall Ferguson about his new book.

Niall Ferguson is Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and his new book The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook was published by Penguin Press on January 16th.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow Niall Ferguson @nfergus and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

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The Cold War: A World History

Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent show for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Odd Arne Westad about his new history of the Cold War.

Odd Arne Westad is the S. T. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia relations at Harvard University, and he joins the program to discuss his recent book The Cold War: A World History.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

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War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century

Good evening, listeners! We have a great episode to start off 2018, as host Richard Aldous speaks with David Patrikarakos about his new book on the future of warfare.

David Patrikarakos is a a contributing editor at the Daily Beast and a contributing writer at Politico, and is the author of the new book War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century, and he comes on the show to discuss the ways in which new information technologies are changing the way war is fought, and are in some cases eroding Western institutions.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, where you can leave a review, and follow David Patrikarakos @dpatrikarakos, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.