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Every book Bhaskar Sunkara recommended on podcasts
Bhaskar Sunkara appears as a guest on the Lex Fridman Podcast, where he discusses politics, history, socialism, and economic inequality. As evident from his conversation, he is deeply engaged in political theory and historical analysis, often drawing on extensive reading to explain complex socioeconomic systems. Sunkara recommends Eric Hobsbawm's four-volume historical work, concluding with 'The Age of Extremes,' noting that he started off reading these books and viewing them as essential historical context for young people. Beyond direct recommendations, Sunkara brings up several influential books to illustrate broader societal concepts. He references 'The Spirit Level' by Seamus Heaney to highlight studies showing how extreme inequality negatively affects the psyches even of the wealthy. He also cites Robert D. Putnam's famous book 'Bowling Alone' to address issues surrounding civic activity and community belonging. Additionally, Sunkara mentions 'The Monthly Review' and Albert Einstein's 1949 article 'Why Socialism?' to discuss the historical lineage of left-wing thought. Through these discussions, Sunkara uses literature and historical texts to ground his arguments about modern society, community decline, and the psychological toll of economic disparity.
Books recommended by Bhaskar Sunkara
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The age of extremes
The Age of Extremes by Eric Hobsbawm is a comprehensive historical work examining the turbulent twentieth century, often characterized by the author as the short twentieth century spanning from the start of the First World War in 1914 to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Recommended“I started off reading books like Eric hopis bombs um uh four books on um history going from the 1700s all the way to 1994 the last book is age of extremes”
Where to get it
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Bowling Alone
Bowling Alone by Robert D.
Discussed“I mean there's that famous book The the Robert Putnam won bowling alone or whatever we described it for now”
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The Monthly Review
Discussed“Albert Einstein wrote an article for the first issue of this um left-wing um magazines actually still publishing today called monthly review and I think 1949 and his his article is called by socialism”
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The Spirit Level
Discussed“there's been plenty of of studies uh there's one book called the spirit level on um on inequality that was quite popular that just notes that inequality is really terrible for the psyches um of the rich too”
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Books Bhaskar Sunkara wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhaskar Sunkara: Socialism and Communism | Lex Fridman Podcast #349 | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2022-12-22 | 4 |