Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
Hump Day Recommendations
Hear: the sounds of lost souls. In 1964, as US involvement in Vietnam was deepening, the US army unveiled a terrifying new psychological weapon. Sound designers working with early audio editing technology made harrowing soundscapes featuring the “lost souls” of North Vietnamese soldiers whose bodies hadn’t been properly buried. The wailing and shrieking of these “souls” – in reality, they were the voices of local US army employees – was broadcast via speakers at night in the jungles around villages thought to be sympathetic to the Communists. The idea, cooked up by army psyop experts and Madison Avenue advertising mavens, was to tap into deep-seated Vietnamese fears about the spiritual anguish of being left unburied. This Radiolab episode tells the whole story and makes a (perhaps imperfect) parallel with the recorded voices of America’s own dead. – Alex K
Read: “Ministry of Time,” by Kaliane Bradley. If you are fascinated by the ill-fated 1840s explorations to find the Northwest Passage – an Arctic link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans – you will enjoy this fictional, time-traveling romp, which focuses on Lt. Graham Gore, who was aboard the doomed HMS Erebus when it went missing. The “Ministry” of the title rescues Gore from death and throws him two centuries forward into modern London, where the story follows his struggle to understand today’s world amid a budding romance with an unnamed minder from the Ministry. It’s the debut novel from Bradley, a British-Cambodian writer who started it as a fan fiction of sorts. While you could poke holes in the plot, it’s intriguing, fast-paced, and will leave you wanting a sequel. Alas, she hasn’t committed to one – yet. (Perhaps the Ministry knows more than we do about this!) – Tracy
Read: “Too Much Happiness,”by Alice Munro. Munro never ceases to amaze me, and this collection of 10 short stories that my editor, Tracy Moran, plucked out of one of those free library boxes for me, is no different. Each is so full of humanity, empathy, and powerful portrayals of women’s experiences. If the election this week is inspiring you to read something Canadian, I highly recommend this collection. – Riley
Listen: This Guy Sucked. Are you, like me, nearly as big a history buff as you are a hater? Then this new podcast from Dr. Claire Aubin will be right up your alley. Every week, she and a fellow historian break down the myths and false memories surrounding some of the world’s most unfairly celebrated figures, from Voltaire (the 18th century’s Joe Rogan), to Charlemagne (Aachen’s most genocidal maniac), to Jerry Lee Lewis (Rock n’ Roll’s drunkest sex pest). You’ll laugh, learn, and hopefully come away a little less intimidated by the so-called “Great Men” of history. – Matt
Hear: the evolution of what you’re saying.If you’ve ever wondered how the Proto-Indo-European root word “h1ésh2rnom” evolved over thousands years to become the English word “iron”, or which popular profanity came from the root “pugnéh2nam”, you’ve gotta listen to self-taught linguist @arum_natzorkhang do his 10-second recitations of the words as they evolved from 5000 BCE to today. He also sings Greek tragedies in the original and has thoughts on the languages of Ancient Egypt as well. It’s not for everyone, but if it’s for you, you will NOT be disappointed – and that’s a h1ésh2rnom-clad guarantee. – Alex K.
Watch: “The Mehta Boys.” Directed by Boman Irani, who also stars in the film, this drama follows the relationship between a father and son, two hotheads who are barely on speaking terms. After the passing of his mother, Amay (the son) is stuck with his father after the latter’s flight gets delayed. The duo come face to face with their differences and are left with no choice but to navigate through them. I loved the acting and writing, and how the film shows the reality of a broken middle-class family in India. – SuhaniRead: Babel by R.F. Kuang is a masterful blend of dark academia and magical realism, exploring the power of language, colonialism, and resistance through the eyes of Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan raised to serve the British Empire through translation. Set in an alternate 1800s Oxford, this richly-researched standalone novel feels uncannily real, challenging readers to question the role of language in shaping history. Kuang’s storytelling is both epic and intimate — a spellbinding love letter to etymology that doesn’t shy away from the brutal truths of empire. I can’t stop babelling about how much I liked it. – Riley
Watch: “Industry.” Has all this news about “stock trades” and “bond markets” got you hunkering for a show about finance? Look no further than this hit BBC series, which is now three seasons deep (with a fourth inbound). It follows an American near-graduate who runs into a morass of personal and professional issues — some of which are of her own making — as she gets to grips with her career at Pierpoint, a fictional investment bank based in the very non-fictional London. Come for the hastily-cinched deals, stay for the niche football (ahem, soccer) trivia. – Zac
Watch: “Rumours.”This darkly comedic 2024 movie is a pitch-perfect critique of elite politics, featuring zombies, a giant brain mysteriously sitting in a forest, and Cate Blanchett. – Justin Kosslyn, publisher of GZERO Media
Read: “Chip War.” Chris Miller’s 2022 nonfiction book on semiconductors more closely resembles an epic novel – the economic historian charts the rise of a component that now undergirds the global economy. Amid the US’s burgeoning trade war with the globe, it’s an apt moment to breeze through this eloquent tale. – Zac
Read: “An Officer and a Spy.” This gripping and meticulously researched historical novel by Robert Harris (of “Conclave” fame) recounts the Dreyfus affair, a scandal that shook French society to its core at the end of the 19th century when a Jewish French Army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, was wrongly convicted of treason and banished to Devil's Island, a barren rock off the coast of South America. The affair exposed deep veins of institutional corruption in the French military, as well as a virulent strain of French antisemitism. The protagonist, a persnickety intelligence officer named Georges Picquart, first helps lock up Dreyfus before reluctantly, but determinedly, uncovering his innocence, risking his own life in the process. There are 19th-century stakeouts in which hearing tubes go down chimney flues, torn-up telegrams that painstakingly get taped back together, and a fearlessly pudgy Emile Zolá. And with two world wars just around the corner, the stakes become much higher than the fate of just one man. – Alex Gibson, senior producer of GZERO World
Read: “When the Going Was Good.” In his new memoir, Graydon Carter, who helmed one of the glossiest of the glossy magazines, Vanity Fair, opens up about his storied career and the many trials and tribulations he faced along the way. It’s the tale of a kid from Canada who somehow became the toast of Manhattan, and eventually Hollywood, as the famous VF Oscar Party blossomed under his care. Remember when the character Carrie Bradshaw confessed on “Sex and The City” that she used to skip meals to afford the new copy of Vogue? I can relate, but it was Vanity Fair, in the Graydon years, that provided my sustenance.
– Tony Maciulis, chief content officer of GZERO Media
Watch: “The Laundromat.” Two legends of comedy who were also gifted young actors. Two greats who died too young. No words. Three minutes and 23 seconds. – Willis
Appreciate: “All Our Ordinary Stories,” by Teresa Wong.This book focuses on the relationship between a daughter and her immigrant parents. It was the first graphic novel I’d read since Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” series, so it’s not a genre I know well. But I was impressed by the simplistic/universalist appearance of the illustrations and words — and how they left room for the reader to fill in the blanks in powerful ways. – Tracy
Consider: the heretic. A new leader comes to power with a radical idea that enrages the old power brokers, upends the establishment, and ends up tearing apart society. In the 17th century BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten was one of the world’s earliest monotheists, professing the cult of one god, the Sun deity Aten, and ordering the closure of all other temples. He ended up deposed and despised. But what made him tick? What made those around him support or oppose him? Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz’s beautiful, Rashomon-style novella “Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth” is a series of imagined interviews with Akhenaten’s friends, foes, and, ultimately, his enigmatic, famously beautiful wife Nefertiti. It's an exploration of power, faith, and truth that is as timeless as the sun. – Alex
Finish: “The White Lotus.” The third series of creator Mike White’s hit show is set to climax on Sunday night. The latest rendition, set in Thailand, has had mixed reviews. As usual, the show follows some ultra-elite, amoral holidaymakers who seek a relaxing vacation only to stumble upon a heap of unwelcome and unsettling surprises. The third installment departs from previous seasons, though, in how it promotes cinematography and meme-worthy conversations over plot — to the detriment of the series. Even with the lack of a strong storyline, it will be fascinating to see how White ties together all the loose ends in the finale. – ZacListen: “Relationships.” The Haim sisters haven’t released a new album since 2020, busying themselves instead with Hollywood films — notably appearing in “Barbie” and “Licorice Pizza.” Their new song, “Relationships,” suggests that they are finally on the precipice of another. It is a beautiful rock-influenced ballad about, you guessed it, relationships, and the rhythm suggests that the band is taking a new turn. The track took seven years to make, they said, but it’s well worth it. – Zac
Read: This harrowing NYT article. It’s about a Columbia University student who – despite not being involved in the protests – was mistakenly arrested last spring in the chaos as she tried to return to her apartment. Ranjani Srinivasan was acquitted last year, and her only involvement in pro-Palestinian causes consisted of a few social posts focused on “human rights violations” in Gaza. But she recently self-deported to Canada after ICE knocked on her door three nights in a row, and now the Fulbright Scholar from India has had her student visa revoked by ICE and her enrollment at Columbia withdrawn. – Riley
Watch: “Jujutsu Kaisen.” This award-winning anime mixes up the supernatural with human drama and Japanese pop culture touchstones. It tells the tale of Yuji Itadori, a teen who swallows a cursed finger and becomes a vessel for one of the most powerful curses in existence – as well as a student at a secret sorcerer school. I’m only on season one but already looking forward to the release of Jujutsu Kaisen’s “Hidden Inventory/Premature Death” film on May 30, 2025. – Tasha
Read: “The Nature of Economies.” This ultra-slim volume, penned by one of the world’s most venerable thinkers on modern urban life, Jane Jacobs, is a small miracle. Jacobs’ prose style is simple, direct, and engaging. Yet, this book brings together economics, biology, evolutionary theory, ecology, geology, meteorology, and other natural sciences with a simple underlying conviction: Human beings are not separable from nature. We are part of nature. The decisions we make, as individuals and as societies, must begin from that assumption. This is a great read for anyone from ages 18 to 118. — Willis
Watch and listen: “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat.” The partof this Oscar-nominated documentary that’s about the decolonization of African countries in 1960 and the CIA-orchestrated murder of DRC Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba is consistently riveting, if a little simplistic at times. The part of this film that’s about the intersection of African music and American jazz makes this a richly detailed work that’s well worth your time. – Willis
Read: “Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867.” Named one of Canada’s top 100 books of 2024 by the Hill Times newspaper, this excellent history chronicles 150 years of the Canadian military’s evolution from scrappy militia to modern force. Through vivid photographs and stories, author David A. Borys brings to life key battles like Amiens and Operation Medusa, pivotal figures like Louis Riel and Arthur Currie, and defining political issues like conscription. Borys also examines the challenges of underfunding and living in the shadow of the American elephant – as well as the immense courage Canada showed in fighting for freedom around the world. – Tasha
Read: “The Years,” by Annie Ernaux. Okay, I know I’m a couple of years late to the English translation of Ernaux’s book about France in the decades following World War II. But the Nobel Prize-winning memoir is stylistically audacious — at once intimately revealing and aloof — and an astute look at French culture, politics, history, and feminism in the 20th century. It’s history as lived and observed by one woman, a meditation on how time passes and how we see ourselves within time. – Ellen
Binge: “Borgen.”You’d think I’d get enough political drama by day, but at night I’ve been binging on “Borgen.” This Nordic drama follows the life and career ups and downs of the Danish prime minister and everyone in her orbit — fellow politicians, family, spin doctors, and journalists. Replete with romance, infighting, and plenty of idealism, it’s a great guilty pleasure — and PM Birgitte Nyborg is no DEI hire! Find the show on Netflix, and yes, it’s dubbed. – Tracy