Best John Elden Podcasts (2024)

1
John V. Pavlik, "Journalism and the Metaverse" (Anthem Press, 2024) 41:15

5h ago41:15

41:15

Journalism has been in a state of disruption since the development of the Internet. The Metaverse, or what some describe as the future of the Internet, is likely to fuel even further disruption in journalism. Digital platforms and journalism enterprises are already investing substantial resources into the Metaverse, or its likely components of arti…

1
Mark Valeri, "The Opening of the Protestant Mind: How Anglo-American Protestants Embraced Religious Liberty" (Oxford UP, 2023) 49:45

2h ago49:45

49:45

During the mid-seventeenth century, Anglo-American Protestants described Native American ceremonies as savage devilry, Islamic teaching as violent chicanery, and Catholicism as repugnant superstition. By the mid-eighteenth century, they would describe amicable debates between evangelical missionaries and Algonquian religious leaders about the moral…

1
Bhaskar Sunkara, "The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality" (Basic Books, 2020) 1:07:15

2h ago1:07:15

1:07:15

In The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality (Basic Books, 2020), Bhaskar Sunkara explores socialism's history since the mid-1800s and presents a realistic vision for its future. With the stunning popularity of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Americans are embracing the class politics of soc…

1
The Human Advantage: A Conversation with Jay Richards 54:51

1d ago54:51

54:51

In this episode, we explore the insights of Jay Richards, author of The Human Advantage: The Future of American Work in an Age of Smart Machines (Forum, 2019). Richards wrote this book during a time when automation and technology were beginning to redefine the boundaries of human work and creativity. His core argument is that, despite the rise of m…

1
#869 - Star Wars: Outlaws Review, WoW: The War Within, and Gaming News 1:46:59

4h ago1:46:59

1:46:59

Star Wars Outlaws, World of Warcraft: The War Within giveaway, Tactical Breach Wizards, Concord bombs, Black Myth Wukong on Steam Deck, Valve's new moba shooter Deadlock, Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective, win a VGO hot sauce or WoW in our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ab6pxpT Operation Harsh Doorstop vs Delta Force, Elden Ring, Diablo 4 Seas…

1
EP 351 - Alien Romulus deep fakes, MeatCanyon makes us mad, and D23 announced movies 47:36

8h ago47:36

47:36

EP 351 - Alien Romulus deep fakes, MeatCanyon makes us mad, and D23 announced movies

1
Nick Chater, "The Mind Is Flat: The Remarkable Shallowness of the Improvising Brain" (Yale UP, 2019) 1:42:59

19m ago1:42:59

1:42:59

Psychologists and neuroscientists struggle with how best to interpret human motivation and decision making. The assumption is that below a mental “surface” of conscious awareness lies a deep and complex set of inner beliefs, values, and desires that govern our thoughts, ideas, and actions, and that to know this depth is to know ourselves. In the Th…

1
#868 - Black Myth: Wukong Review and Drama: Is the Woke Grift Over? Plus GamesCom News! 1:36:34

4h ago1:36:34

1:36:34

Black Myth: WuKong, GamesCom wrapup, Cryptmaster, Delta Force: Hawk Ops, more on Five Nights at Freddy's Into the Pit and Dungeons of Hinterberg, The Watchman Part 1, and more gaming news! Join the VGO discord: https://discord.gg/Ab6pxpT! For weekly bonus shows and the entire back catalog of VGO, support us for only 1.99 a month and download or lis…

1
Devonya N. Havis, "Creating a Black Vernacular Philosophy" (Lexington Books, 2022) 51:56

3d ago51:56

51:56

What can philosophy do? By taking up Black American cultural practices, Devonya N. Havis suggests that academic philosophy has been too narrow in its considerations of this question, supporting domination and oppression. In Creating a Black Vernacular Philosophy (Lexington Books, 2022), Havis brings our focus to theoretically rich practices of Afri…

1
Stuart Elden, "The Birth of Territory" (U Chicago Press, 2013) 1:02:26

34m ago1:02:26

1:02:26

Territory is one of the central political concepts of the modern world and, indeed, functions as the primary way the world is divided and controlled politically. Yet territory has not received the critical attention afforded to other crucial concepts such as sovereignty, rights, and justice. While territory continues to matter politically, and terr…

1
Sudhir Kakar, "The Indian Jungle: Psychoanalysis and Non-Western Civilizations" (Karnac, 2024) 55:35

6d ago55:35

55:35

In this podcast, Ashis Roy (Psychoanalyst (IPA) and author of the recently published book Intimacy in Alienation: A Psychoanalytic Study of Hindu-Muslim Relationships (Yoda Press, 2024) is in conversation with Dhwani Shah, MD. Shah is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst currently practicing in Princeton, NJ. He is a clinical associate faculty member i…

1
Stephen Pinfield, "Achieving Global Open Access: The Need for Scientific, Epistemic and Participatory Openness" (Routledge, 2024) 1:35:15

34m ago1:35:15

1:35:15

Often assumed to be a self-evident good, Open Access has been subject to growing criticism for perpetuating global inequities and epistemic injustices. it has been seen as imposing exploitative business and publishing models and as exacerbating exclusionary research evaluation culture and practices. Achieving Global Open Access: The Need for Scient…

1
Claudio Lomnitz, "Sovereignty and Extortion: A New State Form in Mexico" (Duke UP, 2024) 1:53:14

8d ago1:53:14

1:53:14

Over the past fifteen years in Mexico, more than 450,000 people have been murdered and 110,000 more have been disappeared. In Sovereignty and Extortion: A New State Form in Mexico (Duke UP, 2024), Claudio Lomnitz examines the Mexican state in relation to this extreme violence, uncovering a reality that challenges the familiar narratives of “a war o…

1
#867 - Fun with Balls with the Game Store Guy 1:35:16

7d ago1:35:16

1:35:16

Physical games are "freedom", Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit, Cat Billiards, Madden 2025, Deadlock drama at The Verge with Valve's new game, CCgamesCEO stops by to answer our 10 questions with a game store owner, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Donut Dodo, Metal Slug Awakening, Call of Duty asks for your phone number, ball song, Game Stop …

1
EP 350 - Kai x Bloodborne, Olympic E-Sports, and Game Informer gone 43:30

1d ago43:30

43:30

EP 350 - Kai x Bloodborne, Olympic E-Sports, and Game Informer gone

1
Gavin Steingo, "Interspecies Communication: Sound and Music Beyond Humanity" (U Chicago Press, 2024) 58:15

22d ago58:15

58:15

In Interspecies Communication: Sound and Music Beyond Humanity (U Chicago Press, 2024), music scholar Gavin Steingo examines significant cases of attempted communication beyond the human--cases in which the dualistic relationship of human to non-human is dramatically challenged. From singing whales to Sun Ra to searching for alien life, Steingo cha…

1
Samuel Ely Bagg, "The Dispersion of Power: A Critical Realist Theory of Democracy" (Oxford UP, 2023) 1:21:53

6d ago1:21:53

1:21:53

This year, many countries around the world, including most of the world's most populous democracies, have consequential nation-wide elections. In many of these elections, democracy itself is at stake. The Dispersion of Power: A Critical Realist Theory of Democracy (Oxford UP, 2023) is an urgent call to rethink centuries of conventional wisdom about…

1
The GiveWell Method 28:16

6d ago28:16

28:16

In this episode, Caleb Zakarin and Uri Bram dive into the world of effective charitable giving through the lens of GiveWell, an organization known for its rigorous evaluation of charities. Uri explains how GiveWell identifies and recommends high-impact charities, discussing the data-driven criteria and ethical considerations behind their assessment…

1
#866 - Gatcha Gaming Whale at the Beach 1:51:12

14d ago1:51:12

1:51:12

Visions of Mana, Sword of Convallaria is Final Fantasy Tactics, gatcha talk, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid, Farlands, Ogu and the Secret Forest, MoonFire: A Seeker's Saga from our friend Wuffles, win a copy of the movie we voiced in - in our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ab6pxpT, Luigi's Mansion 2, Call of Duty, more on F…

1
Jason Blakely, "Lost in Ideology: Interpreting Modern Political Life" (Agenda Publishing, 2023) 40:26

7d ago40:26

40:26

If ideology has never before been so much in evidence as a fact and so little understood as it appears to be today then, Jason Blakely argues in his new book Lost in Ideology: Interpreting Modern Political Life (Agenda Publishing, 2023), this may not be because we are like travellers guided by old maps of the political world but because we make the…

1
EP 349 - Spoilercast - Deadpool & Wolverine 24:46

26d ago24:46

24:46

EP 349 - Spoilercast - Deadpool & Wolverine

1
AJA 35: Hookless rims & PSI limits, tire pressure on worn tires, Ti quicklinks, CRR on wet roads 51:32

15d ago51:32

51:32

We're so excited to kick this 35th episode of our "Ask Josh Anything" series with a discussion of the announcement of Silca's partnership with Visma Lease-A-Bike. Fatty does his level best to pitch having Hottie in the team car, hot-waxing on the move. We move from there to the challenges of high pressure with hookless rims, and how it has put Josh…

1
Shai Held, "Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life" (FSG, 2024) 56:46

11d ago56:46

56:46

A common misconception has shaped the history of the West: Christianity is seen as the religion of love, and Judaism as the religion of law. Addressing this misinterpretation, Rabbi Shai Held argues that love is as integral to Judaism as it is to Christianity. In Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life (FSG, 2024), Rabbi Held com…

1
Ellie Laks, "Cow Hug Therapy: How the Animals at the Gentle Barn Taught Me about Life, Death, and Everything in Between" (New World Library, 2024) 47:25

11d ago47:25

47:25

In Cow Hug Therapy: How the Animals at the Gentle Barn Taught Me about Life, Death, and Everything in Between (New World Library, 2024), Ellie Laks recounts the extraordinary journey that started with her first teacher, Buddha -- not the religious figure, but a rescued miniature Hereford cow. One evening Buddha wrapped her neck around an exhausted …

1
Bernard E. Harcourt. "Cooperation: A Political, Economic, and Social Theory" (Columbia UP, 2023) 1:12:28

13d ago1:12:28

1:12:28

Liberal democracy is in crisis around the world, unable to address pressing problems such as climate change. There is, however, another path—cooperation democracy. From consumer co-ops to credit unions, worker cooperatives to insurance mutuals, nonprofits to mutual aid, countless examples prove that people working together can extend the ideals of …

1
PREMIUM PREVIEW - Micro VGO on the Road 42:37

14d ago42:37

42:37

John calls in from vacation and chats to Michelle about a "friend" you can wear on your neck, Path of Exile Settlers of Kalguur League and PoE2 thoughts, Stormgate RTS, Steam's Tower Defense fest and Bella Wants Blood, Okami HD, missing Illusion Island DLC, Novalands, Steam Deck lockout, gaming news, PC Gamer has fallen, and more gaming news. To ge…

1
Musa al-Gharbi, "We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite" (Princeton UP, 2024) 39:54

16d ago39:54

39:54

How a new "woke" elite uses the language of social justice to gain more power and status--without helping the marginalized and disadvantaged. Society has never been more egalitarian—in theory. Prejudice is taboo, and diversity is strongly valued. At the same time, social and economic inequality have exploded. In We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultura…

1
Daisy Dunn, "The Missing Thread: How Women Shaped the Course of Ancient History" (Viking, 2024) 24:58

1M ago24:58

24:58

Around four thousand years ago, the mysterious Minoans sculpted statues of topless women with snakes slithering on their arms. Over one thousand years later, Sappho wrote great poems of longing and desire. For classicist Daisy Dunn, these women--whether they were simply sitting at their looms at home or participating in the highest echelons of powe…

1
#865 - The Best Package in Gaming 1:36:21

28d ago1:36:21

1:36:21

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Giveaway, Flintlock, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Throne and Liberty, Nobody Wants to Die, RoboCop, Magical Delicacy, Incremental Town RPG, Okami 2, Elden Ring giveaway in VGO Discord from Happy Hour: https://discord.gg/Ab6pxp, Ubisoft says sorry to Japan, FTC comes for Xbox Game Pass and Microsoft an…

1
David E. Kaiser, “The Road to Dallas: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy” (Harvard UP, 2008) 1:19:53

1M ago1:19:53

1:19:53

There are some topics that historians know not to touch. They are just too hot (or too cold). The assassination of JFK is one of them. Most scholars would say either: (a) the topic has been done to death so nothing new can be said or (b) it’s been so thoroughly co-opted by nutty theorists that no sane discussion is possible. Thank goodness David Ka…

1
EP 348 - Elden Ring, C-Dawg charity with Pokimane, Mr Beast newest show, and Sketch did what 38:04

22d ago38:04

38:04

EP 348 - Elden Ring, C-Dawg charity with Pokimane, Mr Beast newest show, and Sketch did what

1
Francine Banner, "Beyond Complicity: Why We Blame Each Other Instead of Systems" (U California Press, 2024) 55:32

23d ago55:32

55:32

Beyond Complicity: Why We Blame Each Other Instead of Systems (University of California Press, 2024) by Dr. Francine Banner is a fascinating cultural diagnosis that identifies our obsession with complicity as a symptom of a deeply divided society. The questions surrounding what it means to be legally complicit are the same ones we may ask ourselves…

1
Seth A. Berkowitz, "Equal Care: Health Equity, Social Democracy, and the Egalitarian State" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2024) 28:56

2M ago28:56

28:56

Health inequity is one of the defining problems of our time. But current efforts to address the problem focus on mitigating the harms of injustice rather than confronting injustice itself. In Equal Care: Health Equity, Social Democracy, and the Egalitarian State (Johns Hopkins UP, 2024), Seth A. Berkowitz, MD, MPH, offers an innovative vision for t…

1
Mahjabeen Dhala, "Feminist Theology and Social Justice in Islam: A Study on the Sermon of Fatima" (Cambridge UP, 2024) 1:14:48

2M ago1:14:48

1:14:48

Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, has an interesting legacy, one that is often shaped by sectarian differences and tensions. The sermon of Fatima, which is the focus of Mahjabeen Dhala's Feminist Theology and Sociology of Islam: A Study of the Sermon of Fatima (Cambridge University Press, 2024), though itself riddled with questions of authe…

1
#864 - That Time Nintendo Gaslit Us: The Dark Side of Cozy, Wholesome Games 1:30:36

28d ago1:30:36

1:30:36

Concord Beta, Happy Sheepies vs Stacklands, Alba: A Windlife Adventure, Yaoling: Mythical Journey, Loddlenaut, A Little to the Left, Paper Trail, Neon White, the evil side of Nintendo with Rusty's Real Deal Baseball DS emulation, and the cozy "cat solo" song is back. Plus Amazon Prime Day Deals, is Halo dead, COD details, and tons of gaming news! F…

1
Rebecca Scharbach Wollenberg, "The Abrahamic Vernacular" (Cambridge UP, 2024) 49:23

2M ago49:23

49:23

Contemporary thought typically places a strong emphasis on the exclusive and competitive nature of Abrahamic monotheisms. This instinct is certainly borne out by the histories of religious wars, theological polemic, and social exclusion involving Jews, Christians, and Muslims. But there is also another side to the Abrahamic coin. Even in the midst …

1
Shannon Vallor, "The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking" (Oxford UP, 2024) 1:06:36

2M ago1:06:36

1:06:36

There's a lot of talk these days about the existential risk that artificial intelligence poses to humanity -- that somehow the AIs will rise up and destroy us or become our overlords. In The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking (Oxford UP), Shannon Vallor argues that the actual, and very alarming, existential risk of…

1
#863 - You Don't Need an Xbox, to Play Xbox? 1:36:30

1M ago1:36:30

1:36:30

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Until Then, Luigi's Mansion™ 2 HD, Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers, We Who Are About to Die, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, Netflix's new Minesweeper, and gaming news! Xbox on Amazon fire sticks, Switch 2 rumors, huge Xbox Game Pass changes, sleeper game of the year, and more in this special BYOT: Bring Your Own Theme…

1
Premal Dharia et al., "Dismantling Mass Incarceration: A Handbook for Change" (FSG Originals, 2024) 31:49

2M ago31:49

31:49

In recent years, a searching national conversation has called attention to the social and racial injustices that define America’s criminal system. The incarceration of vast numbers of people, and the punitive treatment of African Americans in particular, are targets of widespread criticism. But despite the election of progressive prosecutors in sev…

1
EP 347 - Kai Cenat beats Elden Ring DLC, Dr. Disrespect did what, and Nintendo Direct 1:07:31

1M ago1:07:31

1:07:31

EP 347 - Kai Cenat beats Elden Ring DLC, Dr. Disrespect did what, and Nintendo Direc

1
Dmitri Alperovitch, "World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century" (PublicAffairs, 2024) 48:31

2M ago48:31

48:31

In his book World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century (PublicAffairs, 2024), Dmitri Alperovitch (with Garrett M. Graff) argues that the United States is in a “Cold War II” with China, and lays out a set of policy recommendations for how the US can win this new Cold War. Alperovitch is currently the Founder and …

1
Amy Charity and SBT GRVL 48:47

2M ago48:47

48:47

Gravel Racing is moving face and Amy Charity is one of the movers. Amy is the founder of SBT GRVL in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The race started on the back of a napkin in 2018 and has quickly become one of the premiere off-road events in the U.S. After a few short years of success, Amy expanded SBT to Europe and Australia. But before the dirt ro…

1
Tara Ward, "Appreciation Post: Towards an Art History of Instagram" (U California Press, 2024) 42:14

2M ago42:14

42:14

What does an art history of Instagram look like? Appreciation Post: Towards an Art History of Instagram (University of California Press, 2024) by Dr. Tara Ward reveals how Instagram shifts long-established ways of interacting with images. Dr. Ward argues Instagram is a structure of the visual, which includes not just the process of looking, but wha…

1
Eve Herold, "Robots and the People Who Love Them: Holding on to Our Humanity in an Age of Social Robots" (St. Martin's Press, 2024) 51:00

2M ago51:00

51:00

The latest developments in robotics and artificial intelligence and a preview of the coming decades, based on research and interviews with the world's foremost experts. If there’s one universal trait among humans, it’s our social nature. The craving to connect is universal, compelling, and frequently irresistible. This concept is central to Robots …

1
#862 - 4th of July Gaming Special 1:34:26

1M ago1:34:26

1:34:26

Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, The First Descendant, Nova Lands on Steam Summer Sale, Beyond Good and Evil 20th Anniversary Edition, Canada and America goodness, Call of Duty Bit Party, Starfield and Fallout76 slump, Goat Simulator 3 DLC, Roxy Raccoon's Pinball Panic - American Anniversary, and every screen is an xbox! For weekly bonus shows and the …

1
Jason Hannan, "Trolling Ourselves to Death: Democracy in the Age of Social Media" (Oxford UP, 2023) 47:09

2M ago47:09

47:09

We commonly think of trolls as anonymous online pranksters who hide behind clever avatars and screen names. In Trolling Ourselves to Death: Democracy in the Age of Social Media (Oxford UP, 2024), Jason Hannan reveals how the trolls have emerged from the cave and now walk in the clear light of day. Once limited to the darker corners of the internet,…

1
John Thomas Maier, "The Disabled Will: A Theory of Addiction" (Routledge, 2024) 49:32

2M ago49:32

49:32

John T. Maier's The Disabled Will: A Theory of Addiction (Routledge Press, 2024) defends a comprehensive new vision of what addiction is and how people with addictions should be treated. The author argues that, in addition to physical and intellectual disabilities, there are volitional disabilities - disabilities of the will - and that addiction is…

1
#861 - Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Review 1:41:46

2M ago1:41:46

1:41:46

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Chained Together, Metal Slug Attack Beyond Reloaded, Dystopika, Gladiator Guild Manager, Riven remake, more Monster Hunter, Nintendo's new adult app for N64 games like Perfect Dark and Turok, Vampire Survivors: Contra Operation Guns, Grounded, Flintlock, Hell Survivors, Inside, MS Flight Simulator, Elden co-op …

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