The Transatlantic Book Club

In this episode of The Transatlantic Book Club, Nathan and Lee descend into the dazzling, demonic, and deeply satirical world of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.Join us as we untangle this Soviet masterpiece and ask the questions you won't hear in any literature class, including:Why is Mikhail Bulgakov basically Steve Bannon?What does a little-known company called Nvidia have to do with any of this?What would we do if we went to Russia?Why isn't food about emotions? (Or is it?)Did Bulgakov write some accidental homophobia into his classic?And what is the most arrogant nickname you can give ourselves?Tune in for a discussion that’s as chaotic and captivating as the novel itself.Ep 2 of 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Transatlantic Book Club, Nathan and Lee descend into the dazzling, demonic, and deeply satirical world of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.Join us as we untangle this Soviet masterpiece and ask the questions you won't hear in any literature class, including:Why is Mikhail Bulgakov basically Steve Bannon?What does a little-known company called Nvidia have to do with any of this?What would we do if we went to Russia?Why isn't food about emotions? (Or is it?)Did Bulgakov write some accidental homophobia into his classic?And what is the most arrogant nickname you can give ourselves?Tune in for a discussion that’s as chaotic and captivating as the novel itself.Ep 1 of 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Transatlantic Book Club, your hosts Nathan and Lee dive headfirst into Paul Bloom’s bold and controversial book, Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion. We unpack Bloom’s central argument—that empathy, often celebrated as a moral compass, may actually lead to biased and harmful decision-making.Join us as we explore the psychological, ethical, and philosophical layers of Bloom’s thesis, debate its real-world implications, and reflect on how it challenges common assumptions about morality and compassion. Whether you agree or disagree, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about the role of empathy in your life.Part 4 of the full episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Transatlantic Book Club, your hosts Nathan and Lee dive headfirst into Paul Bloom’s bold and controversial book, Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion. We unpack Bloom’s central argument—that empathy, often celebrated as a moral compass, may actually lead to biased and harmful decision-making.Join us as we explore the psychological, ethical, and philosophical layers of Bloom’s thesis, debate its real-world implications, and reflect on how it challenges common assumptions about morality and compassion. Whether you agree or disagree, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about the role of empathy in your life.Part 3 of the full episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Transatlantic Book Club, your hosts Nathan and Lee dive headfirst into Paul Bloom’s bold and controversial book, Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion. We unpack Bloom’s central argument—that empathy, often celebrated as a moral compass, may actually lead to biased and harmful decision-making.Join us as we explore the psychological, ethical, and philosophical layers of Bloom’s thesis, debate its real-world implications, and reflect on how it challenges common assumptions about morality and compassion. Whether you agree or disagree, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about the role of empathy in your life.Part 2 of the full episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Transatlantic Book Club, your hosts Nathan and Lee dive headfirst into Paul Bloom’s bold and controversial book, Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion. We unpack Bloom’s central argument—that empathy, often celebrated as a moral compass, may actually lead to biased and harmful decision-making.Join us as we explore the psychological, ethical, and philosophical layers of Bloom’s thesis, debate its real-world implications, and reflect on how it challenges common assumptions about morality and compassion. Whether you agree or disagree, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about the role of empathy in your life.Part 1 of the full episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Transatlantic Book Club, we dive into the gripping narrative of Michael B. Oren's "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East." This meticulously researched work sheds light on the momentous Six-Day War, a conflict that reshaped the Middle East and continues to influence the region to this day.Oren's comprehensive account takes readers through the complexpolitical landscape leading up to the war, the strategic decisions made by keyplayers, and the swift, decisive actions taken by Israel in response to themounting tensions with its Arab neighbors. The book explores the roles of majorglobal powers, such as the United States and the Soviet Union, and how theirinterests and actions influenced the course of the war.We discuss the book's key themes, including the legacy of thewar, its impact on Arab-Israeli relations, and its lasting implications for theregion and the world.Join the Transatlantic Book Club as we explore the historicalcontext, military strategies, and diplomatic maneuverings that defined theSix-Day War, and discover how this brief but consequential conflict continuesto shape the modern Middle East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Transatlantic Book Club, we dive into the gripping narrative of Michael B. Oren's "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East." This meticulously researched work sheds light on the momentous Six-Day War, a conflict that reshaped the Middle East and continues to influence the region to this day.Oren's comprehensive account takes readers through the complexpolitical landscape leading up to the war, the strategic decisions made by keyplayers, and the swift, decisive actions taken by Israel in response to themounting tensions with its Arab neighbors. The book explores the roles of majorglobal powers, such as the United States and the Soviet Union, and how theirinterests and actions influenced the course of the war.We discuss the book's key themes, including the legacy of thewar, its impact on Arab-Israeli relations, and its lasting implications for theregion and the world.Join the Transatlantic Book Club as we explore the historicalcontext, military strategies, and diplomatic maneuverings that defined theSix-Day War, and discover how this brief but consequential conflict continuesto shape the modern Middle East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Transatlantic Book Club, we dive into the gripping narrative of Michael B. Oren's "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East." This meticulously researched work sheds light on the momentous Six-Day War, a conflict that reshaped the Middle East and continues to influence the region to this day.Oren's comprehensive account takes readers through the complex political landscape leading up to the war, the strategic decisions made by key players, and the swift, decisive actions taken by Israel in response to the mounting tensions with its Arab neighbors. The book explores the roles of major global powers, such as the United States and the Soviet Union, and how their interests and actions influenced the course of the war.We discuss the book's key themes, including the legacy of the war, its impact on Arab-Israeli relations, and its lasting implications for the region and the world.Join the Transatlantic Book Club as we explore the historical context, military strategies, and diplomatic maneuverings that defined the Six-Day War, and discover how this brief but consequential conflict continues to shape the modern Middle East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we dive into the gripping historical novel 'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 16th-century Tudor court, the book centers on Thomas Cromwell, a cunning and ambitious lawyer who rises to become the right-hand man of King Henry VIII. As we navigate the political intricacies and complex relationships, we explore themes of power, ambition, and moral ambiguity. Cromwell, a character often vilified in history, is painted in a refreshingly nuanced light. Together, we dissect the author's skill in character development, her masterful use of present tense, and the book's impact on reshaping historical narratives. We also delve into its relevance in modern times and, of course, give our own scores. Tune in for a compelling discussion on a novel that has redefined historical fiction.The second of two parts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we dive into the gripping historical novel 'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 16th-century Tudor court, the book centers on Thomas Cromwell, a cunning and ambitious lawyer who rises to become the right-hand man of King Henry VIII. As we navigate the political intricacies and complex relationships, we explore themes of power, ambition, and moral ambiguity. Cromwell, a character often vilified in history, is painted in a refreshingly nuanced light. Together, we dissect the author's skill in character development, her masterful use of present tense, and the book's impact on reshaping historical narratives. We also delve into its relevance in modern times and, of course, give our own scores. Tune in for a compelling discussion on a novel that has redefined historical fiction.The first of two parts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.