World Book Club - Curtis Sittenfeld: Prep

Best-selling American author Curtis Sittenfeld discusses her acclaimed debut novel, Prep. Set in an exclusive boarding school in north-eastern America, Prep is an insightful, caustic and funny coming-of-age story and a savage dissection of class, race, and gender.

Clever, aspirational Lee Fiora is fourteen years old when her father drops her at the prestigious Ault School in Massachusetts that she has won a scholarship to. Both intimidated and fascinated by her classmates, she becomes a shrewd observer of, and ultimately a participant in, their snobby culture and rituals.

She forms intense friendships with other girls; complicated relationships with teachers and an all-consuming infatuation with a boy from the cool crowd, all of which leads to conflicts with her parents back home in the mid-West, from whom Lee feels increasingly distant.

Other novels about boarding schools mentioned in this programme include Make your Home among Strangers by Jennine Capó Crucet, Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School by Kendra James and Black Ice by Lorene Cary.

(Photo: Curtis Sittenfeld. Credit: Jenn Ackerman)

Opening Arguments - OA 737: Bad Judges, Bad Judges, Whatcha Gonna Do?

Today, Liz and Andrew discuss the latest ethical lapse from Clarence Thomas, as well as the horrible activism of the next Republican Supreme Court nominee, Stu Duncan.

In the Patreon bonus, Liz and Andrew break down the latest sanctions issued against Donald Trump in New York.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

NBN Book of the Day - Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, “Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity” (PublicAffairs, 2023)

Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity (PublicAffairs, 2023) is a groundbreaking work by bestselling authors Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, in which they challenge conventional wisdom about the role of technology in driving prosperity. The authors argue that technology is not a neutral force working in the public interest but is shaped by the interests and beliefs of the powerful. Those who control technology are the ones who benefit from it, leaving the rest of society with the illusion of progress.

The authors provide a historical account of how technological choices have shaped the course of history, from the appropriation of the economic surplus of the Middle Ages by an ecclesiastical elite to the making of vast fortunes from digital technologies today, while millions of people are pushed towards poverty. The authors emphasize that technological progress can either serve the narrow interests of an elite or become the foundation for widespread prosperity.

The book presents a manifesto for building a better society by using the tremendous digital advances of the last half century to create useful and empowering tools, rather than marginalizing most people through automated work and political passivity. The authors argue that to achieve the true potential of innovation, we need to ensure that technology is creating new jobs and opportunities for everyone. The book offers a vision to reimagine and reshape the path of technology, ensuring that it leads to true shared prosperity.

Power and Progress offers a fresh perspective on how technology shapes our lives and highlights the need for a more democratic approach to technological progress. The book provides a compelling argument that the path of technology is not predetermined but can be brought under control to ensure that it benefits everyone, not just a few powerful individuals or corporations. The authors provide an insightful analysis of the power dynamics that underlie technological progress, and their manifesto for a better society is a call to action for policymakers, business leaders, and individuals alike.

Javier Mejia is an economist at Stanford University who specializes in the intersection of social networks and economic history. His research interests also include entrepreneurship and political economy, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Middle East. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Los Andes University. Mejia has previously been a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at New York University-Abu Dhabi and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Bordeaux. He is also a frequent contributor to various news outlets, currently serving as an op-ed columnist for Forbes Magazine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

The NewsWorthy - Chokehold Justified?, ‘Godfather of AI’ Quits & Cinco de Mayo- Friday, May 5, 2023

The news to know for Friday, May 5, 2023!

We're telling you about Russia's new accusation against the U.S. and how America is responding so far. 

Also, what to know about a controversial killing on a New York City subway. Politicians, protesters, and police don't all agree on whether it was justified.

Plus, How the White House is getting involved with the future of AI, who is expected to attend the king's coronation this weekend, and the history of Cinco de Mayo as people celebrate today.

See sources: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/shownotes

Sign-up for our bonus weekly email: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/email

Become an INSIDER and get ad-free episodes: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/insider

This episode was sponsored by:

Better Help: https://www.BetterHelp.com/newsworthy

Castle Flexx: https://castleflexx.com/discount/news10

To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to sales@advertisecast.com

What A Day - The Dishonorable Clarence Thomas

On Thursday, four members of the Proud Boys – including former leader Enrique Tarrio – were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role in the January 6th riot. The trial was the last of three sedition cases brought by the Justice Department against key figures in the insurrection.

Another report from ProPublica is raising questions about ethical standards for the Supreme Court. The independent newsroom found that billionaire Harlan Crow paid the boarding school tuition for Justice Clarence Thomas' grandnephew – which Thomas did not disclose. 

And in headlines: thousands of teachers in Oakland, California are striking for better pay, Republican lawmakers in North Carolina approved a 12-week abortion ban, and hundreds of pounds of pasta were found dumped in the woods outside a New Jersey town.

Show Notes:

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Daily Signal - INTERVIEW | Pro-Life Pediatrician Reveals Full Story Behind Cyberattack

The American College of Pediatricians scored a major victory last month when a federal judge ruled in its favor and halted the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, a drug used in chemical abortions.


Just weeks later, the organization endured a cyberattack carried out by hackers intending to cause major damage. As if that wasn’t enough, news of the hack was then leaked to a hostile journalist in a fleeting attempt to damage the organization’s reputation.


Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, pro-life institutions and individuals have faced sustained attacks. The militant group Jane’s Revenge vandalized pregnancy resource centers, the FBI arrested a pro-life father in Pennsylvania, and a deranged pro-abortion man plotted an assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.


These unrelenting attacks show no sign of abating. Look no further than the latest assault on the American College of Pediatricians, also known as ACPeds.


Dr. Jill Simons, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to explain what happened and why she’s not backing down from her mission to defend life and protect the most vulnerable in our society.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | What the Writers’ Strike Is Really About

When television and screenwriters went on strike in 2007, Netflix had just started offering the option to stream content. This week, the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike to update pay structures for the streaming era—and to get ahead of A.I. and the changes it may bring. 


Guests: 

Michelle Dean, television writer and journalist

Anousha Sakoui, entertainment industry writer for the Los Angeles Times


If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NPR's Book of the Day - ‘My Powerful Hair’ and ‘Contenders’ tell stories of Indigenous heritage

Today's episode features two children's books about Indigenous Americans. Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes speaks with author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Steph Littlebird about their new picture book My Powerful Hair, which tells the story of a girl who grows her hair long, something her grandmother was not allowed to do. Then, NPR's Miles Parks talks with Traci Sorell and Arigon Starr about Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series. It tells the story of Charles Bender of the A's and John Meyers of the Giants, who competed in the 1911 World Series.

Short Wave - Some people get sick from VR. Why?

Another week comes by, and luckily so does our roundup of science news. This time, we've got some questions about better understanding our health: Why do some people get motion sickness from virtual reality (VR) content? Do we really need to walk 10,000 steps a day? And is there real science behind ice baths?

This week, Sacha Pfeiffer, legendary reporter and occasional host of NPR's All Things Considered, who joins our hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber to demystify and (in some cases) debunk the science of this week's health headlines.

We love hearing what you're reading and what science catches your eye! Reach the show by emailing shortwave@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy