
Book Society
Host Lucas Cantor discusses a new book each week with a distinguished guest.
Latest episodes

Apr 26, 2024 • 26min
Professor Chris Impey and I talk about "Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould and what we have wrong about scientific orthodoxy
University of Arizona Astronomy professor Chris Impey and I talk about "Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould. This is book was way over my head but i still learned a lot. Hear Professor Impey dumb things down for me and share things like how fossilization is rare and evolution is a lottery. Wonderful Life: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wonderful+life+stephen+jay+gould&crid=1J804L1473ANY&sprefix=wonderful+life+ste%2Caps%2C447&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_18World's Without End: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chris+impey+worlds+without+end&crid=2U2GU1N0R1302&sprefix=chris+impey+%2Caps%2C533&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_12

Apr 19, 2024 • 24min
Professor Chris Impey and I talk about habitable planets, Drake's equation, and Chris' book, "Worlds Without End"
University of Arizona Astronomy professor Chris Impey and I talk about his book, "Worlds Without End: Exoplanets, Habitability, and the Future of Humanity". This is a fun episode because I get to geek out and ask all of the questions I've had about space and life on other planets that I want. Come back next week to hear us talk about "Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould. World's Without End: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chris+impey+worlds+without+end&crid=2U2GU1N0R1302&sprefix=chris+impey+%2Caps%2C533&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_12Wonderful Life: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wonderful+life+stephen+jay+gould&crid=1J804L1473ANY&sprefix=wonderful+life+ste%2Caps%2C447&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_18

Apr 12, 2024 • 1h 18min
Should Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita be removed from school lists? Stephen Mills and I discuss this and our personal encounters with sexual abuse
Winner of the 2022 National Jewish Book Award, author Stephen Mills and I discuss his book, "The Chosen - A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood" after touching on Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita". We talk about how Nabokov's writing should be read by all adults and transition to sharing personal testimonies of sexual abuse in this highly emotional episode. The Chosen:https://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Memoir-Boyhood-Stephen-Mills/dp/1250871158/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Lolita: https://www.amazon.com/Lolita-Vladimir-Nabokov/dp/0679723161/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AYQ6OPPR3UFI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2CCcG1f0_DD-mEoKWzwUqjyYaAWJvMref4f5phcPI-VVPYsmbsYR_o5M9WVkCgPHS2Y0Wb-XO8nfeD4aA2YFwttd3Lf9OSNEAzoyXliJYi96VnMJqTxlE4d2i2hNARbIgnC1X_sDvgZzWtSnpTae1MnZEoEm-UKCN-kPXP2K4sjaVtTe-VSqW7NwdR5eoUy22au-Zc-N5513AqgR-4NRfYcWRUdqMjuvcp2Xj9dsBPg._caEWI-6oSstuKkmFXwRt3h_bE-iR2yj63yfHFhEyL4&dib_tag=se&keywords=lolita+vladimir+nabokov&qid=1712029339&s=books&sprefix=lolita+%2Cstripbooks%2C187&sr=1-1

Apr 5, 2024 • 25min
Laura Warrell is back to discuss Julia Otsuka's "The Swimmers" and the difficulty of writing in third person plural
Laura Warrell is back to praise Julia Otsuka's "The Swimmers". We specifically talk about how difficult is to write in third person plural but we both couldn't put the book down. The Swimmers: https://www.amazon.com/Swimmers-novel-Julie-Otsuka/dp/0593466624/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HTD04TIH3JME&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4NaEfZ2_fThQKp51HQYfO3tojtO-OKvYCsK1Cu5scz02W-g9vy9Ikgj5ZD2cawb1oSUKPy23mGNPLiw2Ppd2o2bdGNECXGyLIWIbIuBYVBnUV7tsSSMMtPavy_IzOtag.ta8FMgR9TXsaaWJw4lEar52JTZ4XxgzbKt9CHQvezlg&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+swimmers+a+novel+by+julie+otsuka&qid=1711402039&sprefix=The+swimmers++%2Caps%2C339&sr=8-1Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Soft-Plenty-Rhythm-Novel/dp/0593466535/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22XGIM561EEER&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Mm97SQJVc54eyalJbO4_4w.rgiHzIQJ5RgDBwKZZ2AOKFd5sSl1K-KXGltumO1uq8Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=laura+warell+sweet+soft+plenty+rhythm&qid=1711401623&sprefix=laura+warell+sweet+soft+plenty+rhytm%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1

Mar 29, 2024 • 45min
PEN/Faulkner Award finalist Laura Warrell talks to us about her journey writing Sweet Soft Plenty Rhythm
Laura Warell is an award winning author and professor of creative writing and literature at various institutions including Berklee College of Music. Being a musician myself, we talk about how accurate her book, "Sweet Soft Plenty Rhythm" is to the modern musician's journey. Come back next week to hear us discuss, "The Swimmers" by Julia Otsuka Sweet Soft Playable Rhythm: https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Soft-Plenty-Rhythm-Novel/dp/0593466535/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22XGIM561EEER&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Mm97SQJVc54eyalJbO4_4w.rgiHzIQJ5RgDBwKZZ2AOKFd5sSl1K-KXGltumO1uq8Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=laura+warell+sweet+soft+plenty+rhythm&qid=1711401623&sprefix=laura+warell+sweet+soft+plenty+rhytm%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1The Swimmers: https://www.amazon.com/Swimmers-novel-Julie-Otsuka/dp/0593466624/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HTD04TIH3JME&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4NaEfZ2_fThQKp51HQYfO3tojtO-OKvYCsK1Cu5scz02W-g9vy9Ikgj5ZD2cawb1oSUKPy23mGNPLiw2Ppd2o2bdGNECXGyLIWIbIuBYVBnUV7tsSSMMtPavy_IzOtag.ta8FMgR9TXsaaWJw4lEar52JTZ4XxgzbKt9CHQvezlg&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+swimmers+a+novel+by+julie+otsuka&qid=1711402039&sprefix=The+swimmers++%2Caps%2C339&sr=8-1

Mar 22, 2024 • 31min
I'm back with Katie Davis where we talk about Jake Ward's "The Loop" and how that relates to regression toward the mean
Katie Davis and I talk about Jake Ward's "The Loop" and the future of our human agency. Hear what Katie Davis thinks about one of my favorite books. Check out my episode with Jake if you liked this as well! Episode with Jake: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6WMvQKT3Tz4H3V4amt9Lql?si=7b9f64f3da954fc2The Loop: https://www.amazon.com/Loop-Technology-Creating-Without-Choices-ebook/dp/B093ZQ5ZWX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22BC3HZM8I74U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9p2Rf6xdj0TuC4efOWWkAsIySHWa_d7-4yfln0k0b1OiYgafl67SyeWPfDB24Q5TWp1Y_R9j02MbkbbQlPHIOA.nZwTN7pJYwW7DtbgrJw_CEJSHMyJYlMfexPpfkLhW3s&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+loop+jacob+ward+book&qid=1710456968&sprefix=the+loop+jacob+ward%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-1Technology's Childhttps://www.amazon.com/Technologys-Child-Digital-Medias-Growing/dp/0262046962

Mar 15, 2024 • 38min
Katie Davis shares why giving your kids screens is doing more harm than good
Associate Professor at the University of Washington, Katie Davis walks us through the struggles of raising children in a day and age where technology is at the forefront. She gives tips and tricks she touched on in her book, "Technology's Child". Come back next week to hear us discuss Jacob Ward's "The Loop". Technology's Child: https://www.amazon.com/Technologys-Child-Digital-Medias-Growing/dp/0262046962The Loop https://www.amazon.com/Loop-Technology-Creating-Without-Choices-ebook/dp/B093ZQ5ZWX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22BC3HZM8I74U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9p2Rf6xdj0TuC4efOWWkAsIySHWa_d7-4yfln0k0b1OiYgafl67SyeWPfDB24Q5TWp1Y_R9j02MbkbbQlPHIOA.nZwTN7pJYwW7DtbgrJw_CEJSHMyJYlMfexPpfkLhW3s&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+loop+jacob+ward+book&qid=1710456968&sprefix=the+loop+jacob+ward%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-1

Mar 8, 2024 • 42min
I'm back with professor Nick Mirzoeff talking about cultural restitution and Dan Hick's Brutish Museums
Piggybacking off of our conversation last week about racism and whiteness in Professor Mirzoeff's "White Sight", this week we talk about Dan Hick's "The Brutish Museums". The Brutish Museums: https://www.amazon.com/Brutish-Museums-Colonial-Violence-Restitution/dp/0745346227/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2MIJDIGF910WV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AYtAKi1AxTXrO-8f3cVYj7TSXliWEIABt0nraOsPbW0.mF7aFja6smpOL1JsM8OEBihOHJJFdQa51ql8npghFTs&dib_tag=se&keywords=burdish+museums+dan+hicks&qid=1709067392&sprefix=burdish+museums+dan+hicks+%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1White Sight: https://www.amazon.com/White-Sight-Politics-Practices-Whiteness/dp/0262047675/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?crid=16ISRZRVSKSN2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oEFZi-Hf6GQjRQvKz6baf0t0TJdqSFo_WQwBmp1viryMRi8xwE54thHkRUO9J_-k9GiFaTydfOT_1LR3XdslamcdiP-AtL0-YLFkP8YQLmDz-nQ8rSNXgw61bTvX19sr.Tc3TPRi6JbVhgBoqaCEkqo3-8L0aE5Vpu3Y-ltVMrc0&dib_tag=se&keywords=white+sight+nicholas+mir&qid=1709068086&sprefix=white+sight+nicholas+mi%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-1-fkmr3

Mar 1, 2024 • 48min
NYU Professor and author, Nick Mirzoeff and I talk about whiteness, and white replacement from his book, White Sight
With a background in Art history, Nick Mirzoeff is an NYU professor and author who had a fascinating chat with me about his book, "White Sight". Check it out here and come back next week for our chat on Dan Hick's "Brutish Museums". White Sight: https://www.amazon.com/White-Sight-Politics-Practices-Whiteness-ebook/dp/B0B2MJKCQVBrutish Museums: https://www.amazon.com/Brutish-Museums-Colonial-Violence-Restitution/dp/0745346227/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2MIJDIGF910WV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AYtAKi1AxTXrO-8f3cVYj7TSXliWEIABt0nraOsPbW0.mF7aFja6smpOL1JsM8OEBihOHJJFdQa51ql8npghFTs&dib_tag=se&keywords=burdish+museums+dan+hicks&qid=1709067392&sprefix=burdish+museums+dan+hicks+%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1

Feb 23, 2024 • 53min
Tony Hiss shares why he's optimistic about Earth's future thanks to the Half-Earth project
Author and New Yorker writer, Tony Hiss and I discuss what the Half-Earth project is, why it matters, and many more issues he writes about in his book, "Rescuing The Planet: Protecting Half The Land to Heal The Earth". We then shift into discussing "Life On The Mississippi" by Mark Twain and how we all need to rewire our brains like a Mississippi pilot does. Rescuing The Planet: https://www.amazon.com/Rescuing-Planet-Protecting-Half-Earth/dp/B08CYBYBH5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EBEEIQ6ONRU2&keywords=rescuing+the+planet+tony+hiss&qid=1707951024&sprefix=rescuing+the+planet+tony+his%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1Life On The Mississippi: https://www.amazon.com/Life-on-Mississippi-Mark-Twain-audiobook/dp/B07Q2P7SN3/ref=sr_1_2?crid=QZKQ9HNZZGM&keywords=Life+On+The+Mississippi&qid=1707951286&s=audible&sprefix=life+on+the+mississippi%2Caudible%2C140&sr=1-2