Making of a Historian

It may just be that I am delirious due to a head-cold, but in this episode I argue that our commonsense view that capitalism drives companies to constantly search for ever higher profits is wrong. Instead capitalists often want economically irrational things, like country houses and Oxford educations. Large organizations also work to protect industries at large from competition by making cartels.

Books: Parker, Global Crisis Nye, American Technological Sublime Wolfgang Behringer, A Cultural History of Climate G.D. Wood, Tambora

Books Jo Guldi, Roads to Power Cassis, De Luca and Florio, eds., Infrastructure Finance in Europe David Headrick, Tentacles of Progress Kander, Malanima and Warde, Power to the People

Books: The Visible Hand, Alfred Chandler Government and Expertise, edited by Roy MacLeod Rule of Experts, Timothy Mitchell Sidney Pollard, Genesis of Modern Management

In this episode we look at the East India Company, which went from weird little company state holding a network of commercial forts, to taking over an entire continent. Books: Emily Erikson, Between Monopoly and Free Trade (GREAT!) Miles Ogborn, Indian Ink Phil Stern, the Company State

In this episode, I realize with horror that: People still leave voicemails In my last episode on modernity I completely forgot that women exist In this episode, I try to rectify that, and argue for an understanding of modernity that includes women's experiences

In this SUPER BURNED OUT EPISODE I try to make the case that urban life leads to modernity. Books David Henkin, City Reading Miles Ogborn, Spaces of Modernity Michel de Certau, Practice of Everyday Life

In this episode, I look at how problems of open discussion in anonymous cities led to the creation of an idea of politeness. This was good because it let people talk freely with strangers and people of different ideas without devolving into rancor, violence and civil war. I think it's an important part of Western society. Book list: Donna Andrew, the Aristocratic Vice Philip Carter, Men and the Emergence of Polite Society John Kasson Rudeness and Civility

Book List: Timothy Mitchell, Carbon Democracy Andreas Malm, Fossil Capital Jason Moore, Capitalism in the Web of Life

In this episode we talk printing presses, newspapers, Wooten desks, and memos. Also we explain why it's okay you don't really know who your Facebook friends are.

In this episode, I argue that Britain and Japan offer two models of development. The world took the British route: fossil fuels and global expansion. But when the fossil fuels run out, we may need to take the Japanese route: personal restraint and state control. Reading List John Richards, Unending Frontier Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker, the Many Headed Hydra

In this episode, we have a special guest on the show, Craig! Craig's another grad student studying for his orals. We talk about his larger project, and the ways in which British and Argentinian history run into one another in the 19th century.

Books: David Henkin, Postal Age Simon Potter, News and the British World Francis Fukuyama, Trust Gary Magee and Andrew Thompson, Empire and Globalisation Jessical Harland Jacobs, Builders of Empire

In this episode, I try to explain my interest in organizational sociology without sounding too half baked.

After a two-day break (due to burnout? birthday? President's day?) our humble podcaster returns to talk about voluntary associations in the 19th century. This is a high-wire act, because this afternoon he has a meeting with his advisor about this topic, and he doesn't feel like he has his narrative super solid yet! Can he boil down what turned out to be a 25 minute episode into a tight three minutes in four hours? Check back next time to find out...