The Curious Task

Alex Aragona speaks with Nimish Adhia as he explores how Bollywood films traced cultural changes in India, and how the films themselves directly affect social attitudes. References from Episode 52 with Nimish Adhia: You can read Nimish Adhia’s paper “The role of ideological change in India’s economic liberalization”, which is referenced throughout the podcast, at this link You can read more about the Hindi film Mother India (1957) here You can read the Eastern Eye op-ed “Did Bollywood write the script for the Indian economic miracle?” by Raj Persaud at this link Nimish’s Bollywood film recommendations: Upkar (1967), directed by Manoj Kumar Guru (2007), directed and written by Mani Ratnam

Alex Aragona speaks with Malcolm Lavoie about the importance of property rights to decentralization and the use of resources, and discusses how FA Hayek's work plays a part in understanding this connection.  References from Episode 51 with Malcolm Lavoie: You can read Malcolm Lavoie’s paper “Property and Local Knowledge”, which is referenced throughout the podcast, at this link. You can read FA Hayek’s essay “The Use of Knowledge in Society” on EconLib here You can purchase FA Hayek’s book, Law, Legislation, and Liberty, on Amazon Canada at this link.

Alex Aragona speaks with Linda Kavuka as she explores why it's so important to rediscover Africa's free-market past, and how the ideas surrounding free markets can help remedy the problems facing many African countries.   References from Episode 50 with Linda Kavuka: You can read Linda Kavuka’s Telegraph article on Africa and access to the free market referenced in the podcast here You can watch Linda Kavuka’s talk on the impact of colonialism on property rights in Africa, referenced in the podcast here

Alex Aragona speaks with Fabio Rojas as he traces the history of the post 9/11 anti-war movement and what caused it to lose momentum. References from Episode 49 with Fabio Rojas: You can purchase Fabio Rojas’ book, From Black Power to Black Studies: How a Radical Social Movement Became an Academic Discipline, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can buy Fabio Rojas’ book, Party in the Street: The Antiwar Movement and the Democratic Party After 9/11,  on Amazon Canada at this link. You can purchase Fabio Rojas’ book, Theory for the Working Sociologist, on Amazon Canada here. You can read the transcript of Barack Obama’s 2002 speech against the Iraq War, which Fabio refers to in the podcast, here

Alex Aragona nerds out with Travis Smith as they discuss his book 'Superhero Ethics', why superheroes are so popular, and the ten ways superheros save the world.  References from Episode 48 with Travis Smith: You can purchase Travis Smith’s book Superhero Ethics: 10 Comic Book Heroes; 10 Ways to Save the World; Which One Do We Need Most Now? on Amazon Canada at this link You can watch the trailer for Watchmen, the American superhero drama limited television series Alex mentions in the podcast here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Ilya Somin as he explores how you can vote with your feet and if it is effective. References from Episode 47 with Ilya Somin: You can purchase Illya Somin’s book, Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government Is Smarter, on Amazon Canada at this link You can purchase Illya Somin’s book, The Grasping Hand: “Kelo V. City of New London” and the Limits of Eminent Domain, on Amazon Canada at this link You can purchase Illya Somin’s book, Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom, on Amazon Canada at this link

Alex Aragona speaks with Dennis Rasmussen as he traces the friendship between Adam Smith and David Hume, and how it helped shaped modern thought. References from Episode 46 with Dennis Rasmussen: You can purchase Dennis Rasmussen’s book, The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought, on Amazon Canada at this link. You can purchase David Hume’s book, A Treatise of Human Nature, on Amazon Canada at this link You can read Adam Smith’s book, A Theory on Moral Sentiments, for free on the Online Library of Liberty at this link. You can purchase David Hume’s book, Dialogue Concerning Natural Religion, on Amazon Canada at this link You can read Adam Smith’s book, The Wealth of Nations, for free on The Library of Economics and Liberty here. You can read David Hume’s essay, Of Refinement in the Arts, for free on The Liberty of Economics and Liberty at this link. You can read Adam Smith’s publication of Letter from Adam Smith, L.L.D. to William Strahan for free on The Liberty of Economics and Liberty here.

Alex Aragona speaks with Steve Davies as he explores what he thinks life after the pandemic will look like, including our relationship with the welfare state. References from Episode 45 with Steve Davies: You can purchase Steve Davies’ book, Empiricism and History, at Amazon at this link You can purchase Steve Davies’ book, The Wealth Explosion: The Nature and Origins of Modernity, at Amazon at this link You can purchase Steve Davies’ book, The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life, at Amazon at this link You can read Steve Davies’ article on What History Teaches Us About the Coronavirus Pandemic here You can read more about Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s argument on news sensationalization that Steve Davies mentions at this link. Steve Davies talks about the Bathtub Fallacy here You can read Steve Davie’s briefing paper on C-19: Redefining the State of Welfare here

Alex Aragona talks with Shikha Sood Dalmia as she explores the story of a Sikh-Canadian broadcaster's rise to fame, and what stories like these mean for the broader immigrant community when it comes to joining, and changing, the world around them. References from Episode 44 with Shikha Dalmia: You can read Shikha Dalmia’s original Reason article about this topic at this link

Alex Aragona speaks with Ben Perrin as he explores the causes of, and solutions to, the opioid crisis in Canada and the United States. References from Episode 43 with Ben Perrin: You can purchase Ben Perrin’s new book Overdose: Heartbreak and Hope in Canada’s Opioid Crisis at Amazon Canada at this link You can listen to the episode of The Curious Task that Alex mentioned that features Trevor Burrus at this link