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New Books in Intellectual History

New Books Network
Democracy
Colonialism
Philosophy
Education
Capitalism
Nationalism
Plato
Thomas Jefferson
International Law
Enlightenment
Liang Qichao
Ways Of Seeing International Organizations
Modern Chinese History
International Institutions
Climate Change
Human Geography
French Revolution
Eurocentrism
Martin Heidegger
Ethics

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1044Founded14 years ago
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Artwork for New Books in Intellectual History

Latest Episodes

What drives someone to challenge the status quo to prevent disaster? In The Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries That Changed Our World with Barry R Davis (JHU Press, 2026), Barry R. Davis chronicles the work of bold individual... more

Eleventh-century Europe was diverse and fast-changing. Historians have often debated this change through two sets of competing arguments, one about the shifting role of the Church and the Papacy, and the other about the rise of castellan lords and a ... more

Teaching and Transformation in Popular Confucian Literature of the Late Qing (U Michigan Press, 2025) by Katherine L. Alexander explores how one late Qing Confucian reformer sought to rebuild society in the aftermath of the Taiping Civil War. Focusin... more

Most international organisations today-from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to the World Health Organisation-present themselves as technical institutions separate from political concerns. And yet they are frequently accused, whether by ... more

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Recent Guests

Christopher B. Patterson
Professor at the Social Justice Institute, University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
Episode: Christopher B. Patterson, "Domesticating Brown: Movements of Racial Imagination" (Duke UP, 2026)
Mark Peterson
Author of The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution, A Thousand-Year History
Yale University (Professor)
Episode: Mark Peterson, "The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution: A Thousand-Year History" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Ilan Stavans
Editor of A Nation Wrestles With God, Professor, publisher
Restless Books
Episode: A Nation Wrestles With God: American Prophets, Philosophers, and Firebrands
Dr. Leonhard Emmerling
Art historian who has directed cultural institutions across Germany and New Zealand
Episode: Leonhard Emmerling, "The Idiots: The History of the Homo Nullus" (Seagull Books, 2026)
Robert Ovetz
Labor scholar, organizer, and editor of Workers' Inquiry and Global Class Struggle
University of Texas at Austin (studied with Harry Cleaver)
Episode: Kevin Van Meter and Robert Ovetz eds. "Points of Departure: Refusal of Work and the Crisis of Capitalism: the Collected Writings of Harry Cleaver" (Common Notions, 2026)
Kevin Van Meter
Geography PhD, organizer, author of Gorillas of Desire, and co-editor of Uses of a World When Movement
University of Minnesota
Episode: Kevin Van Meter and Robert Ovetz eds. "Points of Departure: Refusal of Work and the Crisis of Capitalism: the Collected Writings of Harry Cleaver" (Common Notions, 2026)
Valeria Vázquez Guevara
Author; Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong
University of Hong Kong
Episode: Valeria Vázquez Guevara, "Truth Commissions and International Law: Jurisdiction, Representation, Authority" (Cambridge UP, 2026)
Matthew Engelke
Anthropologist; Professor and Chair, Department of Religion at Columbia University
Columbia University
Episode: An Honest Death: Life's End and Humanist Funerals with Matthew Engelke
Anthony Grafton
Professor, Princeton University; former president of the American Historical Association
Princeton University
Episode: Divining the Past: How to Do Conjectural History with Anthony Grafton

Hosts

Christine Lamberson
Host of The New Books Network channel; experience in coordinating scholarly book discussions.
Caleb Zakarin
Host of The New Books Network; co-host on multiple episodes; CEO/Publisher involvement.
Miranda Melcher
Host on New Books Network channel; known for scholarly book discussions.
Julia Rothkoff
Host for the discussion from the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research; co-hosting with scholars.
Thomas Edward Kingston
Host of The New Books Network interview series; experienced interviewer.

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 124 ratings
  • Excellent book selection, not always great interviews

    The concept was always unique. These books, mostly from academic presses and mostly in the humanities, have long failed to receive the attention they deserve. There are obviously limits to how many books in these areas can be reviewed in the NYT, NYRB and the LRB and other publications of that type. Yet in the field of intellectual history the quality of the interviewers is highly variable. One must be instantly suspicious of those such as Morteza Hajizadeh who are a fixture in this series, revi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    sidneyhart
    United Statesa year ago
  • Such a great show

    Great discussions - thanks!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    C Rattat
    United States2 years ago
  • Unqualified interviewers

    Not sure how a 'grants researcher' for medicine & science qualifies as an interviewer on issues dealing with intellectual & religious history. The bench at NB Network can't be that shallow can it?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    t78tt.r
    United States4 years ago
  • Simon Critchley

    The host for that episode asked profoundly dumb question. He almost implied the program was about him and his questions.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Hardy5414
    United States4 years ago
  • Sound needs urgent attention

    Excellent material, but frustrating to have the sound phasing in and out and distorted. Is there a way to record both sound sources and edit together, rather than record a zoom call from just one end? It might help. I’ve had to abandon several tracks because I can’t follow what’s being said.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    JFPhil
    United Kingdom6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Sound quality and interview pacing are recurring points for improvement.
Interviews are praised for thoughtful questions but occasionally criticized for depth depending on the guest.
Listeners appreciate the rigorous, scholarly focus and deep book-based discussions.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Divining the Past: How to Do Conjectural History with Anthony Grafton
Q: What is conjectural history?
Conjectural history is a widely practiced approach in which historians, when direct evidence is lacking, build plausible interpretations by assembling available clues, testing them against what is known, and clearly labeling them as conjecture rather than established fact.
A Nation Wrestles With God: American Prophets, Philosophers, and Firebrands
Q: What led you to include the piece by Jefferson at the opening of the anthology?
The Jefferson piece anchors the conversation around separation of church and state and sets a foundational, rationalist frame for American religious liberty, illustrating how private belief interacts with public governance and providing a critical starting point for the anthology's dialogue.
A.J.A. Woods, "The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West" (Verso, 2026)
Q: How did the Cultural Marxism narrative migrate from the left to the right, and who were key players?
The discussion outlines the shift through groups like the LaRouche movement, Free Congress Foundation, and conservative media, showing how the idea moved across ideological lines and gained prominence in organizations and media.
A.J.A. Woods, "The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West" (Verso, 2026)
Q: Why did you choose a historical analysis over a point-by-point debunking of each claim?
Woods argues that a broader historical approach reveals the development of right-wing political culture and the instrumental use of the Frankfurt School myth to justify political strategy, rather than simply combating individual false claims.
A.J.A. Woods, "The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West" (Verso, 2026)
Q: Tell us what drew you to the history of the Cultural Marxism conspiracy and where it begins.
The author explains that the narrative did not originate with the conservative movement; it started with late-1960s/1970s leftist movements and figures like Lyndon LaRouche, who reframed Marxist ideas in a way that could be repurposed by later right-wing actors.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Intellectual History

What is New Books in Intellectual History about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A scholarly, high-level interview show that centers on recently published academic books in history, philosophy, and related disciplines. Guests are typically researchers, professors, or authors who discuss their work with another scholar, exploring ideas, historical trajectories, and methodological approaches. The conversations tend to emphasize archival sources, theoretical frameworks, and the broader implications of scholarly work for understanding culture, politics, and society. Noteworthy aspects include a strong balance between deep scholarly analysis and accessible discussions of complex ideas, with a consistent focus on intellectual history and humanities disciplines. Listeners are likely drawn to rigorous, book-centered conversatio... more

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1. New Books in Critical Theory
2. What's Left of Philosophy
3. Jacobin Radio
4. The LRB Podcast
5. Acid Horizon

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New Books in Intellectual History launched 14 years ago and published 1044 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Intellectual History?

Recent guests on New Books in Intellectual History include:

1. Christopher B. Patterson
2. Mark Peterson
3. Ilan Stavans
4. Dr. Leonhard Emmerling
5. Robert Ovetz
6. Kevin Van Meter
7. Valeria Vázquez Guevara
8. Matthew Engelke

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