On The Glenn Show, John describes the book he’s writing on how language does and doesn’t shape our view of the world. Glenn reports on the economists’ annual conference, including a caucus of African-American scholars who gathered there. John and Glenn reminisce about being declared “outcasts” by their black professional peers. Glenn remembers the work of the great and recently deceased social scientist Albert Hirschman, and they speculate on what “true loyalty” to one’s group, nation or culture might mean. Has the era of the towering public intellectual passed? They conclude by expressing their very different views about the affirmative action case pending before the Supreme Court.
Play entire videoSteven Pinker’s book, “The Language Instinct”
H. Samy Alim and Geneva Smitherman’s new book, “Articulate While Black: Barack Obama, Language, and Race in the U.S.”
Albert Hirschman’s book, “Exit, Voice, and Loyalty”
Eric Hoffer’s book, “The True Believer”
Thomas Schelling’s book, “The Strategy of Conflict”
Acemoglu and Robinson’s book, “Why Nations Fail”
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