New Books Network

Film August 8, 2022

Hollywood Sports Movies and the American Dream

Grant Wiedenfeld

Hosted by Annie Berke

Through the heart of Hollywood cinema runs a surprising current of progressive politics. Sports movies, a genre that has flourished since the mid-seventies, evoke the American dream and represent the …

Darts & Letters July 19, 2022

Donald Trump Loves Wrestlemania

American Politics and Pro Wrestling

Hosted by Gordon Katic

Darts and Letters is a show about the politics of ideas, and this week we’re searching for progressive politics in strange places… such as pro-wrestling.There have been 37 Wrestlemanias. That’s …

Popular Culture July 8, 2022

Two Wheels Good

The History and Mystery of the Bicycle

Jody Rosen

Hosted by Caleb Zakarin

The bicycle is a vestige of the Victorian era, seemingly at odds with our age of smartphones and ride-sharing apps and driverless cars. Yet we live on a bicycle planet …

General History July 5, 2022

On the Border

The Rise and Decline of the Most Political Club in the World

Shaul Adar

Hosted by Miranda Melcher

On the Border: The Rise and Decline of the Most Political Club in the World (Pitch Publishing, 2022) by Shaul Adar is the compelling tale of a football club sited …

Latin American Studies July 1, 2022

Embodying Modernity

Global Fitness Culture and Building the Brazilian Body

Daniel Silva

Hosted by Patricio Simonetto

Daniel Silva’s Embodying Modernity: Global Fitness Culture and Building the Brazilian Body (U Pittsburgh Press, 2022) examines the current boom of fitness culture in Brazil in the context of the …

Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight June 30, 2022

Emotion By Design

Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike

Greg Hoffman

Hosted by Dan Hill

Today I talked to Greg Hoffman about his new book Emotion By Design: Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike (Twelve, 2022). For this week’s guest Greg Hoffman, the characteristics …

On Religion June 24, 2022

On Taoism, Martial Arts, and Mad Monk Manifesto

A Discussion with Monk Yun Rou

Monk Yun Rou

Hosted by Gregory Soden

Monk Yun Rou was ordained in China as a Taoist monk in 2012. His writings and teachings propagate Taoist ideas and focus on environmental conservation, and political and social justice …

Asian Review of Books June 23, 2022

Everest 1922

The Epic Story of the First Attempt on the World's Highest Mountain

Mick Conefrey

Hosted by Nicholas Gordon

It can be hard to think of Everest as unknown anymore. While it’s certainly a challenge to climb the world’s tallest mountain, someone–with enough time and money–has a good chance …

Sports June 21, 2022

Bondi Beach

Representations of an Iconic Australian

Douglas Booth

Hosted by Keith Rathbone

Today we are joined by Douglas Booth, Dean of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada and Professor Emeritus at the University of Otago …

Sports May 30, 2022

The Duke

The Life and Lies of Tommy Morrison

Carlos Acevedo

Hosted by Paul Knepper

In the early 1990s, Tommy Morrison, a young roughneck from Jay, Oklahoma, burst onto the boxing scene to become one of the most controversial fighters of his era. Handsome, eloquent …

Sports May 19, 2022

Eugenics and Physical Culture Performance in the Progressive Era

Watch Whiteness Workout

Shannon L. Walsh

Hosted by Keith Rathbone

Today we are joined by Dr. Shannon Walsh, Associate Professor of Theatre History, and author of Eugenics and Physical Culture Performance in the Progressive Era: Watch Whiteness Workout (Palgrave MacMillan …

Ancient History May 19, 2022

The Crown Games of Ancient Greece

Archaeology, Athletes, and Heroes

David Lunt

Hosted by Reyes Bertolin

The Crown Games were the apex of competition in ancient Greece. Along with prestigious athletic contests in honor of Zeus at Olympia, they comprised the Pythian Games for Apollo at …

On Religion May 18, 2022

On Hiking as Pilgrimage

A Discussion with Chris Ives

Chris Ives

Hosted by Gregory Soden

Dr. Christopher Ives teaches in the area of Asian Religions at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. In his scholarship, he focuses on modern Zen ethics. In 2009 he published Imperial-Way Zen …

American West May 6, 2022

Sky Rider

Park Van Tassel and the Rise of Ballooning in the West

Gary B. Fogel

Hosted by Troy Hallsell

With a reputation as the hot-air balloon capital of the world and the home of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the southwestern desert city of Albuquerque frequently showcases the magic …

Sports May 5, 2022

Rethinking Fandom

How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game

Craig Calcaterra

Hosted by Joel Tscherne

Sports fandom isn't what it used to be. Owners and executives increasingly count on the blind loyalty of their fans and too often act against the team's best interest. Intentionally …

Sports May 4, 2022

African Football Migration

Aspirations, Experiences and Trajectories

Paul Darby, James Esson, and Christian Ungruhe

Hosted by Miranda Melcher

The global success of football icons like Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba and Mohamed Salah has fuelled the migratory projects of countless young men across the African continent who dream of …

Sports April 27, 2022

Hoops

A Cultural History of Basketball in America

Thomas Aiello

Hosted by Paul Knepper

From its early days as a sport to build “muscular Christianity” among young men flooding nineteenth-century cities to its position today as a global symbol of American culture, basketball has …

American West April 22, 2022

Rodeo

An Animal History

Susan Nance

Hosted by Stephen Hausmann

Animals are both the focus of rodeo and its most invisible participants, argues University of Guelph history professor Susan Nance in Rodeo: An Animal History (U Oklahoma, 2020). Nance flips the usual …

On Religion April 18, 2022

The Buddha at the Bellagio

(Teaching) Religion in Sin City

Corey Landon Wozniak

Hosted by Gregory Soden

Today I talked to Corey Landon Wozniak about his Revealer article (2022) "The Buddha at the Bellagio: (Teaching) Religion in Sin City." As Wozniak points out, Las Vegas (for all that …

Nordic Asia Podcast April 8, 2022

Why Is Eileen Gu the New Poster Child in China?

A Conversation with Jiang Chang

Jiang Chang

Hosted by Julie Yu-Wen Chen

What is “binary nationalism” and what has it got to do with free-style skiing? The explosive popularity of Eileen Gu’s is an excellent case for understanding the common Chinese mindset …