EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious is an award-winning weekly podcast hosted by Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford's Hoover Instituti...
What does it take to translate a 900-page Russian novel written before the fall of the Soviet Union? For Robert Chandler it meant living in a seaside cottage for four months to immerse himself completely in the characters' lives and to meet his publisher's deadline. Listen as Chandler, the translator of Vasily Grossman's masterpiece Life and Fate and many of his other works, speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about Grossman, the art of translation, and the challenges of bringing a sprawling Russian classic to English-speaking readers.
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1:18:12
Tyler Cowen on Life and Fate
Life and Fate might be the greatest novel of the 20th century or maybe ever. Tyler Cowen talks about this sprawling masterpiece and its author, Vasily Grossman, with EconTalk's Russ Roberts.
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1:07:56
Terrorism, Israel, and Dreams of Peace (with Haviv Rettig Gur)
Over the last 30 years, the Israeli public has moved to the right on the question of how to deal with the Palestinians. Why did this happen? How has this changed Israeli politics and the strategy of the Palestinians? Listen, as journalist Haviv Rettig Gur explores the political and military history of the last three decades in Israel with EconTalk's Russ Roberts. The conversation ends with lessons for the future and a discussion of the differences between American and Israeli Jews.
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2:05:50
Who Needs Miracles? On Nature and the Miraculous (with Alan Lightman)
How can we cultivate a sense of awe in our lives? Easy, says physicist and author Alan Lightman: Pay more attention. When we take the time to examine the world around us, from shooting stars to soap bubbles to everything in between, we can feel a sense of wonder and appreciation akin to spirituality. And the best part is, you can take your scientific worldview with you on your awe-inducing journey. Join Lightman and EconTalk's Russ Roberts as they discover that discovering the science behind things can be a truly miraculous experience.
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1:09:56
Give Away a Kidney? Are You Crazy? (with filmmaker Penny Lane)
After filmmaker Penny Lane decided to donate a kidney to a stranger, it took three years and a complex, often infuriating, sometimes terrifying process to make it happen. Along the way, being a filmmaker, she eventually decided to chronicle her experience and explore the question: How can a choice that seems so obvious to the donor seem so strange to everyone else? Listen as she tells EconTalk's Russ Roberts what she learned, what's still a mystery, and what she hopes we'll all take away from her story.
EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious is an award-winning weekly podcast hosted by Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford's Hoover Institution. The eclectic guest list includes authors, doctors, psychologists, historians, philosophers, economists, and more. Learn how the health care system really works, the serenity that comes from humility, the challenge of interpreting data, how potato chips are made, what it's like to run an upscale Manhattan restaurant, what caused the 2008 financial crisis, the nature of consciousness, and more. EconTalk has been taking the Monday out of Mondays since 2006. All 900+ episodes are available in the archive. Go to EconTalk.org for transcripts, related resources, and comments.