TWNW Presents: Back-to-School Reading Special

In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by CFR senior fellow Carla Anne Robbins to discuss their most recently beloved books, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the book they’re reading for fun.

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

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Hosts
  • James M. Lindsay
    Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
  • Robert McMahon
    Managing Editor
  • Carla Anne Robbins
    Senior Fellow

Show Notes

In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the books they’ve recently loved, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the books they’re reading for fun.

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

 

Jim’s Picks

Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945–1975 by Max Hastings

President's of War by Michael Beschloss

A Legacy of Spies: A Novel by John le Carré

 

Bob’s Picks

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide by Tony Horwitz

This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality by Peter Pomerantsev

 

Carla’s Picks

Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer

The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield

Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem by Philip Kerr

Havana Gold: The Havana Quartet by Leonardo Padura

Health Policy and Initiatives

Important provisions of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could expire due to partisan divisions, threatening a widely successful initiative; libraries take part in U.S. Banned Books Week in the face of a rising censorship movement; Slovakia holds an early parliamentary election amid concerns that pro-Russia parties will gain power; and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Syrian President ​​Bashar al-Assad announce a partnership.

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with U.S. President Joe Biden and members of Congress to ensure continued U.S. military aid amid Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia; the Spanish parliament attempts to choose a prime minister, with both Alberto Núñez Feijóo and serving President Pedro Sánchez reliant on smaller fringe parties to secure a majority; the United Nations observes the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons despite the continuing global prevalence of nuclear weapons; and relations between Canada and India are frayed after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of ordering the death of prominent Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Iran

One year after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police prompted widespread domestic protests, the Islamic Republic appears to have rebounded while keeping a prominent international profile; the United Nations General Assembly begins its high-level debate week with leaders gathering to attend major summits on Sustainable Development Goals and climate challenges; and Cuba arrests Russian recruiters looking for more fighters.

Top Stories on CFR

China

Ian Johnson, the Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Chinese filmmakers, journalists, and artists are challenging the Chinese Communist Party’s version of history. 

Climate Change

For decades, U.S. homeowners have counted on property insurance to protect them from catastrophic loss if their homes are destroyed—and the U.S. economy has rested on the functionality of that model. But as this summer’s extreme weather broke records, private companies reduced their coverage. As climate disasters become more frequent, can home insurance hold up?

Ukraine

If Western allies fail to send Ukraine the weapons it needs, the odds increase of the war dragging on indefinitely, at a terrible cost to both Ukraine and Russia and a growing risk to the wider world.