Princeton UP Ideas Podcast

Before there were Instagram likes, Twitter hashtags, or TikTok trends, there were bloggers who seemed to have the passion and authenticity that traditional media lacked. The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton UP, 2023) tells the story of how early digital creators scrambling for work amid the Great Recession gave rise to the multibillion-dollar industry that has fundamentally reshaped culture, the flow of information, and the way we relate to ourselves and each other.Drawing on dozens of in-depth interviews with leading social media influencers, brand executives, marketers, talent managers, trend forecasters, and others, Emily Hund shows how early industry participants focused on creating and monetizing digital personal brands as a means of exerting control over their professional destinies in a time of acute economic uncertainty. Over time, their activities coalesced into an industry whose impact has reached far beyond the dreams of its progenitors--and beyond their control. Hund illustrates how the methods they developed for creating, monetizing, and marketing social media content have permeated our lives and untangles the unforeseen cultural and economic costs.The Influencer Industry reveals how, in an increasingly fractured and profit-driven communications environment, the people we think of as "real" are merely those who have learned to exploit the industry's ever-shifting constructions of authenticity.

As a graduate student at MIT, Steve Ramirez successfully created false memories in the lab. Now, as a neuroscientist working at the frontiers of brain science, he foresees a future where we can replace our negative memories with positive ones. In How to Change a Memory, Ramirez draws on his own memories--of friendship, family, loss, and recovery--to reveal how memory can be turned on and off like a switch, edited, and even constructed from nothing. A future in which we can change our memories of the past may seem improbable, but in fact, the everyday act of remembering is one of transformation. Intentionally editing memory to improve our lives takes advantage of the brain's natural capacity for change. In How to Change a Memory: One Neuroscientist’s Quest to Alter the Past (Princeton UP, 2025), Ramirez explores how scientists discovered that memories are fluid--they change over time, can be erased, reactivated, and even falsely implanted in the lab. Reflecting on his own path as a scientist, he examines how memory manipulation shapes our imagination and sense of self. If we can erase a deeply traumatic memory, would it change who we are? And what would that change mean anyway? Throughout, Ramirez carefully considers the ethics of artificially controlling memory, exploring how we might use this tool responsibly--for both personal healing and the greater good. A masterful blend of memoir and cutting-edge science, How to Change a Memory explores how neuroscience has reached a critical juncture, where scientists can see the potential of memory manipulation to help people suffering from the debilitating effects of PTSD, anxiety, Alzheimer's, addiction, and a host of other neurological and behavioral disorders. Steve Ramirez has been featured on CNN, NPR, and the BBC and in leading publications such as The New York Times, National Geographic, Wired, Forbes, The Guardian, The Economist, and Nature. An award-winning neuroscientist who has given TED talks on his groundbreaking work on memory manipulation, he is associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University. Caleb Zakarin is CEO and Publisher of the New Books Network.

Reena Goldthree, an Associate Professor at Princeton University, dives into the compelling stories of Caribbean men who volunteered to fight for the British Empire during World War I. She discusses how their service propelled demands for social and political reform back home. Goldthree examines the concept of imperial patriotism and shares soldiers' emotional journeys, highlighting their struggles against racial discrimination. Her research unveils the transformational impact of these veterans on democratic participation and rights in the Caribbean.

Though the United States has been heralded as a beacon of democracy, many nineteenth-century Americans viewed their nation through the prism of the Old World. What they saw was a racially stratified country that reflected not the ideals of a modern republic but rather the remnants of feudalism. American Dark Age reveals how defenders of racial hierarchy embraced America’s resemblance to medieval Europe and tells the stories of the abolitionists who exposed it as a glaring blemish on the national conscience.Against those seeking to maintain what Frederick Douglass called an “aristocracy of the skin,” Keidrick Roy shows how a group of Black thinkers, including Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Hosea Easton, and Harriet Jacobs, challenged the medievalism in their midst—and transformed the nation’s founding liberal tradition. He demonstrates how they drew on spiritual insight, Enlightenment thought, and a homegrown political philosophy that gave expression to their experiences at the bottom of the American social order. Roy sheds new light on how Black abolitionist writers and activists worked to eradicate the pernicious ideology of racial feudalism from American liberalism and renew the country’s commitment to values such as individual liberty, social progress, and egalitarianism.American Dark Age reveals how the antebellum Black liberal tradition holds vital lessons for us today as hate groups continue to align themselves with fantasies of a medieval past and openly call for a return of all-powerful monarchs, aristocrats, and nobles who rule by virtue of their race. Keidrick Roy is Assistant Professor of Government at Dartmouth College. He has received national attention through media outlets such as CBS News Sunday Morning and the Chicago Review of Books and appears in the HBO documentary Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches. He has curated two major exhibitions at the American Writers Museum in Chicago on Black American figures, including Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, and Ralph Ellison. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter.

Miriam Udel, an Associate Professor at Emory University and author of Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children's Literature, delves into the rich tapestry of Yiddish children's literature. She highlights how these narratives shaped modern Jewish identities, from secular ideals to proto-feminism. Udel explores the genre's historical context, discussing feelings of shame, the importance of Shabbos, and its role in addressing Holocaust trauma. Her insights reveal how storytelling became a means of cultural resilience and political engagement.

Shuchen Xiang, Mount Hua Professor of Philosophy at Xidian University, explores the nuances of Chinese cosmopolitanism, arguing for an alternative understanding of identity and difference. She highlights how China's historical approach contrasts sharply with the catastrophic Western encounters with diversity. Xiang discusses the philosophical underpinnings of this cosmopolitan identity, critiques Western racism, and presents her innovative model for comparative philosophy. She emphasizes harmony through diversity and hints at her upcoming work on Confucian critiques of desire.

In this enlightening discussion, neuroscientist Kevin J. Mitchell, known for his work on brain development at Trinity College Dublin, explores the complexities of free will and agency. He argues against the notion that our decisions are mere illusions, showcasing how evolution shaped our ability to choose. Delving into the evolution of consciousness, he outlines the journey from single-celled organisms to human beings capable of introspection. Mitchell also tackles the implications of free will in decision-making, ethics, and the future of artificial intelligence.

Menstruation is something half the world does for a week at a time, for months and years on end, yet it remains largely misunderstood. Scientists once thought of an individual's period as useless, and some doctors still believe it's unsafe for a menstruating person to swim in the ocean wearing a tampon. Period: The Real Story of Menstruation (Princeton UP, 2023) counters the false theories that have long defined the study of the uterus, exposing the eugenic history of gynecology while providing an intersectional feminist perspective on menstruation science.Blending interviews and personal experience with engaging stories from her own pioneering research, Kate Clancy challenges a host of myths and false assumptions. There is no such a thing as a "normal" menstrual cycle. In fact, menstrual cycles are incredibly variable and highly responsive to environmental and psychological stressors. Clancy takes up a host of timely issues surrounding menstruation, from bodily autonomy, menstrual hygiene, and the COVID-19 vaccine to the ways racism, sexism, and medical betrayal warp public perceptions of menstruation and erase it from public life.Offering a revelatory new perspective on one of the most captivating biological processes in the human body, Period will change the way you think about the past, present, and future of periods.

Andrew Porwancher, a historian and professor at Arizona State University, dives into Theodore Roosevelt's complex relationship with the Jewish community. He reveals how Roosevelt rallied for reform of sweatshops while simultaneously grappling with antisemitic attitudes. Porwancher discusses Roosevelt's fascination with Maccabee heroism and his attempts to navigate global Jewish issues during a time of rising persecution. Drawing on fresh research, he complicates Roosevelt's legacy, highlighting both his empathy and contradictions.

Andrew W. Bernstein, a historian and author, explores the multifaceted story of Mount Fuji, revealing its tumultuous past and cultural significance. He discusses Fuji as an active geological force, detailing its eruptions and their impact on society. Bernstein delves into early literary depictions and religious practices, highlighting how Fuji became a symbol of national identity. He examines the complexities of pollution, military use, and globalization's influence on Fuji, ultimately inviting reflections on our connection to nature and history.