Michael Mandelbaum has written a fascinating book examining the role of major political leaders in shaping our recent history, for better or for worse. He is a highly regarded author with an insightful understanding of the factors that have shaped conflict and progress over the past century. Some of the titans featured in this podcast based on his book operated within democratic settings and left democracy stronger than they had found it, while others, tyrants with diseased minds, tended towards coercion rather than persuasion when exercising power and contributed to making the 20th century a blood-soaked century, without parallel in terms of human suffering. In an age of rising authoritarianism, this podcast delivers important warnings for our collective future.

You can find Michael Mandelbaum's new book on Amazon or your local bookstore.

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Wendy Broadgate is a distinguished scientist who has worked in Earth system science and the science-policy interface for two decades. She is therefore singularly well-qualified to address the question of the dangers we face because of inadequate action to set our climate system within safe and just boundaries. Public support for more robust action to put the Earth on a more sustainable path is broad-based; what is lacking is political will and a better understanding of our collective intergenerational responsibilities. The costs of inaction will be orders of magnitude larger than acting now, including by rethinking the economic growth imperative of our current economic paradigm. Action is needed now; there is no shortage of knowledge. It needs to be complemented by enlightened political leadership.

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Anthony Annett is an economist who spent two decades at the International Monetary Fund, including as speechwriter to the Managing Director. In an insightful podcast based on his book Cathonomics: How Catholic Tradition Can Create a More Just Economy he argues that we need to take a fresh look at the policies, priorities, and institutions that underpin our current economic system. These are no longer working for the common good. Inequality is corroding the foundations of our societies and beginning to have harmful consequences for our social and political order. On many fronts, our economic systems are on an unsustainable path, and this is in part due to the absence of moral principles and an ethic of solidarity that might be guiding lights when designing policies and approaches to economics aiming for the common good.

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