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newsDec 29, 202537:55pending

The books that explained 2025

Front Burner

About this episode

Some of our favourite guests of the year return to talk about books that helped meaningfully explain 2025. 

We talk about the evergreen appeal of Plato as well as Jewish identity with former Yale fascism scholar Jason Stanley. 


The déjà vu of trade wars and Canadian nationalism are tackled by journalist and author Stephen Maher. His pick is a book that details the last election of Sir John A. Macdonald and first election of Wilfrid Laurier.


Then the career works of Herman Melville as a blueprint for modern America with historian Rick Perlstein.


This is part one, in a series that will continue on tomorrow’s show! 


The books:


The Republic Book 8 by Plato 


Being Jewish After Gaza: A Reckoning by Peter Beinart


The History of Canada Series: The Destiny of Canada by Christopher Pennington


The Lightning-Rod Man by Herman Melville


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The books that explained 2025

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