The Prospect Podcast

American political commentator and Atlantic senior editor David Frum joins the Prospect Interview this week to discuss the presidency of Donald Trump, whose potential legacy he writes about in his new book, Trumpocalypse: Restoring American democracy. Frum talks to editor Tom Clark about his journey from George W. Bush speechwriter to one of the most high-profile conservative critics of the latest president, whether he thinks Joe Biden has a chance beating Trump this November, and how he would make a start patching together the deep inequalities and anger that plague the US.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CBD oils, meditation apps, and memory foam mattresses—our obsession with getting the perfect night’s sleep is stronger than ever. But is the drive to get more shut-eye actually making us more exhausted? Journalist Barbara Speed wrote an essay for Prospect going behind the global sleep industry, and unpacks the false science and misguided assumptions that are stopping us from getting the proper rest we need. She joins outgoing deputy editor Steve Bloomfield to talk about why she was drawn to going behind the sleep industry, why she’s no longer bothered about getting in her nightly eight hours, and the tech industry’s insidious war on our waking brains. You can read Barbara’s essay on sleep here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/cant-sleep-lockdown-quarantine-problems-why-coronavirus-nightmares-help Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Biographer and academic Ray Monk joins the Prospect Interview this week to discuss the life and work of GE Moore, a once-great Cambridge philosopher who has since disappeared from history. Why was it that Moore was so revered at his time, drawing admiration from the likes of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell? And why is it that since then, he’s been largely forgotten?You can read Ray Monk’s essay on GE Moore here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/ge-moore-philosophy-books-analytic-ray-monk-biography Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Academic and author of This is Shakespeare Emma Smith joins the Prospect Interview this week to discuss the bard’s much gossiped about life under the plague. While many of us may have come across reminders that Shakespeare spun out King Lear while under lockdown centuries ago, Emma says that there’s another plague-era play of his that shows another side of historic London life—the comic, and unapologetically raunchy, Venus and Adonis.Emma’s article on Venus and Adonis is available here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/shakespeares-answer-to-the-plague-more-sex-and-comedy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dutch historian and commentator Rutger Bregman joins the Prospect Interview this week to discuss his new book, Humankind: A Hopeful History. It’s a book with an optimistic thesis at its heart: that people are—despite all the doom-mongering, disasters, and political conflicts that rage on in our headlines—at their core, decent and well-intentioned. Arts and Books editor Sameer Rahim talks to Rutger about making a case for hope in the time of Covid, what makes people embrace hate, division and prejudice—and how he went about writing his viral story of the real-life Lord of the Flies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Philosopher Clare Carlisle joins the Prospect Interview to talk about the 19th century novelist George Eliot. Celebrated as the author of Middlemarch and Silas Marner, Eliot was also an enthusiastic philosopher who notably translated the first English translation of Baruch Spinoza’s Ethics. Clare talks to arts and books editor Sameer Rahim about George Eliot’s philosophy, the novelist’s fondness for Spinoza, and the often fluid line between literature and philosophy. You can read Clare’s essay on George Eliot here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/george-eliot-philosophy-spinoza-clare-carlisle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s special edition of the Prospect Interview, we share exclusive audio from our first ever webinar for subscribers, held last Friday. In it, our most recent contributors—Oxford historian Margaret MacMillan; professor of global economic governance Ngaire Woods, and Harvard economist Dani Rodrik share their thoughts on what a post-Covid world will look like. These distinguished academics wrote essays in the latest issue of Prospect, all addressing, from different angles, the big question: what sort of universe will emerge out of the pandemic? You can read their essays online here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/issues/288 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the world slows down, many of us are thinking—what comes next? Oxford geographer Danny Dorling joins the Prospect Interview to discuss what a world after growth might look like. His latest book, Slowdown: The end of the great acceleration–and why it’s good for the planet, the economy, and our lives was written long before Covid-19 forced much of the world to stop, but many of his reflections on what a post-growth society might look like feel ever more relevant today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Infectious disease expert Adam Kucharski didn’t know that the world was going to be overtaken by a virus when he wrote his new book, The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread – and Why They Stop. But today, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine professor has a schedule filled with meetings about the progression of Covid-19—and how best to curb it. Arts and books editor Sameer Rahim talks to Adam about what it’s been like researching the disease, which countries have handled the outbreak best, and what to expect next.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Human rights lawyer and award-winning author Philippe Sands joins the Prospect Interview to talk about his new book, The Ratline: Love, Lies, and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive. The author of bestselling history memoir East West Street discusses his new book, which traces the real-life disappearance of a Nazi leader and his wife. He talks to deputy editor Steve Bloomfield about what drew him to this curious family history, what 20th century atrocities can teach us today, and—as a human rights lawyer—what concerns him about life under lockdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.