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 recommendations for reading.
Author: AMANDA TAUB
Oppenheimer and the Chain Reactions of Our Own Making
The film “Oppenheimer” is not just about the life of a man central to the atomic bomb project: It tells a story of ambition and petty grievances spiraling out of anyone’s control.
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 of Paris. The demonstrations fit a longstanding pattern.
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.
Seeing the World Like a Character From a Disney Classic
“Beauty and the Beast,” C.S. Lewis and other classics can offer useful ways of approaching world events, and summer reading.
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 many issues.
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 young.
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 of powerful figures may be more brittle than it appeared.
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 out or by forcing them into other countries.
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.