Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Prof. Ilan Pappè , historian at Exeter University, UK, for an in-depth conversation on one of the most enduring and contentious issues of our time: the Israel-Palestine conflict. Drawing on Pappè’s powerful new books— Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic and A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict , Sachs and Pappè discuss the historical, political, and ideological forces that have shaped the Zionist movement and the ong...
Jun 03, 2025•53 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and futurist Ray Kurzweil for a compelling conversation on the accelerating pace of technological change and its profound implications for the future of humanity. In his new book, The Singularity Is Nearer , Kurzweil revisits and updates his groundbreaking predictions on AI & AGI, exponential growth, and human evolution and longevity. Together, they explore a future where AI rivals human intelligence by 2029, nanotechnology rebuilds the world atom ...
May 06, 2025•49 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and American historian Lauren Benton for a discussion on the hidden histories of empires and the lasting impact of imperial violence. In her book, They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence Benton uncovers how European powers built and maintained their empires through relentless cycles of raiding, slaving, and plunder—while portraying their conquests as missions of order and peace. Together, they explore the brutal mechanics of colonial expansio...
Apr 08, 2025•46 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian, Professor Richard Overy for an insightful conversation on one of humanity’s most unsettling questions: Why do we wage war? In his book, Why War? Overy takes us on a journey across time, from the ancient battlefields of the Roman Empire to the devastation of the World Wars and the conflicts shaping our present. Together, they examine what drives organized violence? Is it hardwired into human nature, or does it stem from competition for re...
Mar 04, 2025•52 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and global security expert Jon Wolfsthal to unravel the stark reality behind the Doomsday Clock - now set at a perilous 89 seconds to midnight. What does this ominous timepiece truly measure, and why has humanity never been closer to catastrophe? Wolfsthal offers a behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making process that determines the clock’s position and insights into how and if we can move the clock further away from midnight. Together, they dive ...
Feb 18, 2025•51 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian Eugene Rogan , professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford, as they delve into the complex history of the Arab world, from the Ottoman conquest in 1516 to today’s geopolitical crises of the modern Middle East. Through the lens of his acclaimed book The Arabs: A History, Rogan brilliantly examines the long history of foreign domination, the rise of Arab nationalism, the roles of Europe and the US as outside powers, and the unresol...
Feb 04, 2025•53 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and award-winning journalist Annie Jacobsen as they discuss Jacobsen’s chilling and rigorous depiction of nuclear war in her groundbreaking book, Nuclear War: A Scenario . With meticulous research and interviews with military and political insiders, Jacobsen takes us through a riveting, heart-pounding, second-by-second scenario of a world-ending nuclear war. From the technological aspects of nuclear weapons and missile defense systems to the horrifying...
Jan 21, 2025•52 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and political scientist Glenn Diesen as they discuss Professor Diesen’s new book, The Ukraine War & the Eurasian World Order . Professor Diesen explains Europe’s fractured security framework which he believes has steered the continent toward conflict with no clear way to reverse course. The conversation focuses on Ukraine - a nation itself divided within a divided Europe, and a pivotal piece in the deadly geopolitical chess game between NATO and Ru...
Jan 07, 2025•59 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and retired Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant Dennis Fritz, a former Pentagon insider, as they explore the extremely important insights in Fritz’s new book, Deadly Betrayal , which uncovers the ugly truths behind the Iraq War in 2003. Drawing from dramatic evidence, Fritz explains how a group of high-level Pentagon officials (a “cabal” in Fritz’s description) in the Bush Jr. Administration manipulated intelligence, pressured other nations, and sw...
Dec 03, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and political scientist Aaron Good as they discuss Good’s book, American Exception: Empire and the Deep State . Good delves into the breakdown of U.S. democracy, focusing on the continuity of American foreign policy, the erosion of the rule of law, and the concentration of wealth and power among the corporate elite Together, they uncover the hidden forces shaping American governance, including the creation of a national security state after World War I...
Nov 12, 2024•55 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Send us a text Join Professors Jeffrey Sachs, Christina Gerhardt and UN Senior Advisor on Small Island Developing States, Simona Marinescu as they discuss human induced global warming, the implications of rising sea levels, and Gerhardt ’s book, Sea Change: An Atlas of Islands in a Rising Ocean . This discussion shifts our focus to the frontlines of climate change—low-lying islands and despite contributing the least to global warming, these islands bear the brunt of its impacts. Together, they e...
Oct 01, 2024•38 min
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Alfred de Zayas as they discuss de Zayas’s book, Building a Just World Order which delves into the possibility of a democratic and equitable international order, essential for sustainable development and the welfare of future generations Together, they explore the work of Dr. Alfred de Zayas, the first Independent Expert on a Democratic and Equitable International Order appointed by the UN. They discuss his 14 reports outlining 25 principles fo...
Sep 03, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Send us a text Please join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and China expert, Jean Dong as they discuss Dong’s fascinating book, Chinese Statecraft in a Changing World: Demystifying Enduring Traditions and Dynamic Constraints . Ms. Dong offers a rich and subtle historical perspective on China’s statecraft, diplomacy, and national objectives. Her historically based analysis offers us great insights into the new geopolitics of our age. Together, Prof. Sachs and Ms. Dong explore the history and practice of ...
Aug 06, 2024•41 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Monika Wiesak as they discuss one of America's most iconic leaders in, America's Last President: What the World Lost When It Lost John F. Kennedy . Listen in as they delve into the thrilling saga of a young, audacious visionary who dared to challenge the status quo and redefine the course of history. Together, they uncover the untold story of courage and sacrifice of JFK’s legacy—one where he embarked on a daring mission to reshape the world order,...
Jul 02, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs in his conversation with authors James and Tom Risen on their important, new book The Last Honest Man , a gripping biography of Idaho Senator, Frank Church. The Risens describe the remarkable events of 1975, when Senator Church almost single-handedly took on the CIA and FBI, to hold them accountable for serious crimes that they had committed, including the CIA’s assassination plots and the CIA’s and FBI’s illegal surveillance of American citizens. This...
Jun 04, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Send us a text Join Professors Jeffrey Sachs and Bryan Van Norden as they discuss Prof. Van Norden’s book, Taking Back Philosophy: A Multicultural Manifesto . As a leading expert in Chinese philosophy, Prof. Van Norden promotes an inclusive, multicultural approach to philosophical inquiry, and urges educational institutions to uphold cosmopolitan ideals. Together, they delve into Prof. Van Norden’s powerful critique of American higher education's neglect of philosophical traditions from non-West...
May 07, 2024•47 min
Send us a text Join Professors Jeffrey Sachs and an expert on religious conflict, Richard E. Rubenstein as they discuss Rubenstein’s book, Aristotle's Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages . Rubenstein skillfully guides us through the vivid controversies of the Middle Ages, making the philosophical debates of yesteryear both lively and accessible Together, they discuss the riveting events that unfolded - sparking riots, initiating...
Apr 02, 2024•49 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and political and media analyst Norman Solomon as they discuss Solomon’s important new book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine . Listen in as Solomon and Sachs explore the intricate interplay between the mainstream media and powerful political forces that promote America’s disastrous “wars of choice” – including the US-led wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and currently the US-Russia proxy war in Ukraine and t...
Mar 05, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and economist David Daokui Li as they discuss Professor Li’s brilliant new book, China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict . Listen in as Professor Li explains the deep nature of Chinese politics and economics – based on China’s long history, Confucian culture, and meritocratic political system. Together, they delve into a wide-ranging discussion of politics, education, philosophy, culture, and international relations. Professor...
Feb 06, 2024•38 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Jessica Rawson, one of the world’s most eminent scholars of China, as they discuss Rawson’s book, Life and Afterlife in Ancient China. Listen in to learn about the roots of Chinese civilization through the stories of twelve grand tombs, each helping to reveal a pivotal phase in China’s history. Together, they discuss the political, geographical, technological, and cultural evolution of China. Professor Rawson offers profound and fascinating insight...
Jan 02, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and political scientist Lindsey O’Rourke as they discuss O’Rourke’s remarkable book, Covert Regime Change . US foreign policy is based heavily on trying to overthrow foreign governments, and O’Rourke’s account is a powerful and deeply scholarly account of America’s frequent resort to secretive regime-change operations. Her book focuses on the Cold War years (1947-1989), but Sachs and O’Rourke bring the issues up to the current day. O’Rourke’s highly in...
Dec 05, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and political scientist John Mearsheimer as they discuss Professor Mearsheimer’s latest book, How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy . Hailed as the most influential foreign policy realist of his generation, Mearsheimer and co-author Prof. Sebastian Rosato provide a groundbreaking examination of a central question in international relations: Do states act rationally? Together, they discuss the book’s core idea: that states are generally ra...
Nov 07, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and economist Francisco Rodriguez as they discuss Professor Rodriguez’s newest publication, The Human Consequences of Economic Sanctions . Prof. Rodriguez is an expert on the use of unilateral economic sanctions - when one country imposes economic costs on another, and shares insights on the US as the main user of such unilateral economic sanctions. Professor Rodriguez offers us a comprehensive assessment of the effects of unilateral sanctions on the l...
Aug 22, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and two of the world's leading experts on the economics of wellbeing, Lord Richard Layard and Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve to discuss their newest book, Wellbeing: Science and Policy. Together, they examine how wellbeing can be measured and how it can be promoted today and for future generations. What produces a happy life and a happy society? Layard’s and De Neve’s new book offers a systematic exploration that brings together a fascinating and vast ...
Jun 13, 2023•48 min
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Professor Bruce Cumings, renowned historian and expert in East-Asian history, to discuss Cuming’s book, The Korean War . Together, they discuss the factors that led to the Korean War, its brutal trajectory, and its powerful and fateful impacts US foreign policy. The Korean War, though little known or understood today, continues to cast a long shadow on geopolitics and US foreign policy up to this day. Cumings offers a profound and essential look in...
May 23, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and bestselling science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson, to discuss Robinson’s recent books The Ministry for the Future and New York 2140 for a thought provoking conversation on how climate change has and will potentially affect us all. Together, they explore climate change as an existential threat and the plausible and tumultuous ways the climate crisis will shape our future. What happens as we push beyond planetary boundaries? Will sea levels ris...
Mar 10, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Send us a text Join Professors Jeffrey Sachs and Chris Coyne, economist and author of In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace , for an eye-opening examination on whether interventionist methods should ever have a place in foreign policy. Together, they discuss American imperialism and militaristic culture around the world, proving that nonviolent approaches to domestic and international conflicts not only minimize violence, but also promote cultures ...
Feb 01, 2023•54 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Send us a text Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Professor Glenn Denning, a world-leading specialist in agricultural and food policy to discuss Denning’s new book Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the Planet. Together, they explore how we can achieve a food-secure world while protecting the planet through sustainable agricultural technologies, farm practices, and healthy diets. Their discussion ranges broadly over the choices of agricultural technology, food policy, diet...
Jan 03, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Send us a text Join Professors Jeffrey Sachs and Orlando Figes, historian and author of The Crimean War (2012) and his new book, The Story of Russia (2022), in a fascinating discussion of Russian history and ideas about Russian history. Together, they examine the 19th century Crimean War and the powerful light that the Crimean War, 170 years ago, sheds on the current conflict in Ukraine. More generally, Sachs and Figes explore Russia’s complex relationship with the West, and the ideas that Russi...
Nov 29, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Send us a text In this special episode, join Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa, and Professor K. Srinath Reddy for their discussion of The Lancet Commission Report on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they discuss the background to the Commission and the key findings after two years of research. They discuss the possible origins of the virus that causes Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2; including the possibilities that the virus emerged from laboratory research ...
Sep 15, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 7
