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 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 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.