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AMANDA TAUB
Posts
An ‘Oppenheimer’ Reading List
Seeing the new Christopher Nolan film about the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the project to build the first atomic bomb? Our columnist has some…
What to Read to Understand the Unrest in France
Severe protests have roiled France in recent weeks, after a police officer fatally shot a French teenager of Algerian and Moroccan descent in a suburb…
Global Warming Is Bringing More Change Than Just Heat
Climate change is already affecting the world in powerful ways. But it could also drive mass migration and reshape societies as its consequences add up.
The Once and Future Climate Emergency
Heavy rains have caused catastrophic flooding and soaring temperatures are heating up oceans and cities. But emergency response often seems more popular than prevention on…
When Did the U.S. Become a Democracy?
Until fairly recently, that would have seemed like a peculiar question. But many experts on American history and political science say U.S. democracy is relatively…
A Mutiny That Showed the Stress on Putin’s System of Rule
A member of Russia’s elite marched on his rivals, with a mercenary army at his back, suggesting that Vladimir V. Putin’s grip over a coalition…
The Dark Incentives That Led to a Refugee Tragedy
To those who see refugees as a burden or threat, border security is a zero-sum game that can be “won” by keeping potential asylum seekers…
Reading Spy Fiction, and About Those Who Wrote It
Extracurricular reading this week turned out to be very spy-focused, with appearances by John le Carré and Robert Gottlieb.
Berlusconi’s Legacy Lives On Beyond Italy’s Borders
Silvio Berlusconi rose when political parties were weakened and carried on through a cascade of scandals. Leaders like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro have had…
A Surprising Supreme Court Decision’s History With the American South
To understand the significance of this week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, books about the Deep South’s changes in the 20th century are critical to read.