Justin Gest — Democratic Drain: Global Migration and the Struggle for Democracy - with Margaret Talev

Justin Gest — Democratic Drain: Global Migration and the Struggle for Democracy - with Margaret Talev

Democratic Drain [https://politics-prose.com/book/9781009726917] links two of the most compelling topics of our time: immigration and democracy. With a blend of in-depth interviews and data analysis across 149 countries, Justin Gest explores how global migration filters people with liberal democratic values out of authoritarian spaces, enabling democratic backsliding around the world. At a global scale, the correlation between migratory choices and political values introduces a new reason why authoritarian countries may have struggled to democratize in the decades since the end of the Cold War - a period when flows of international migrants have grown so significantly, populism has spread, and authoritarians' resolve has steadily hardened. At a time when the world is increasingly sorting into democratic and undemocratic spaces, Gest's timely and innovative analysis raises important political and policy questions about how democracies might compensate for the inadvertent effects of global human mobility. Justin Gest is a Professor and the Director of the Public Policy Program at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. He is the award-winning author of seven books [https://justingest.com/books/] on immigration, democracy, and demographic change, including Democratic Drain: Global Migration and the Struggle for Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 2026). He has published a wide variety of peer-reviewed articles [https://justingest.com/articles/] on immigration and the politics of demographic change, and is a founding editor of the Oxford University Press book series, “Oxford Studies in Migration and Citizenship.” [https://global.oup.com/academic/content/series/o/oxford-studies-in-migration-and-citizenship-osmc/] Over the last two decades, he has published his reporting or commentary [https://justingest.com/media/] with news publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and served as a columnist for CNN Opinion and Newsweek. From 2010 to 2014, Professor Gest was a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer in Harvard University’s Departments of Government and Sociology. In 2014 and 2020, Professor Gest received Harvard University’s Joseph R. Levenson Memorial Teaching Prize and George Mason University’s Teaching Excellence Award, respectively each university’s highest award for faculty teaching. In 2013, he received the Star Family Prize for Student Advising, Harvard’s highest award for student advising. From 2007 to 2010, he co-founded and served as the co-director of the Migration Studies Unit at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He is a product of Los Angeles Unified School District’s University High School in Los Angeles, where he grew up. He later earned his bachelor’s degree in Government at Harvard University and his PhD in Government from the LSE. Gest is in conversation with Margaret Talev, director of Syracuse University’s DC-based Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship and senior contributor at Axios, where she leads polling partnerships. She is a professor of practice at the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Talev appears regularly on CNN, Sirius XM, NPR and other outlets. PURCHASE BOOK: https://politics-prose.com/book/9781009726917?ic_referral=BmLaxGA9kx2tBfnzoXBgyglMhrWKN49Fj046S8IYYFgwM9Rz1sTu3Y2ygdVUP72HZbw-ixrBviiOY3cEuWHOoUNx7PZjN_NLViljFBVTXzZgnShxngeFQAMIVhnQA0-CuyoF940

Matt Campbell — The Man Who Stole the Gods: A True Story of War, Obsession, and a Global Art Conspiracy - with Carl Hoffman

From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to the gilded halls of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, a tale of stolen treasures and the battle to reclaim a nation’s soul. Amidst the chaos of Cambodia's brutal genocide, a new crime wave emerged—one that would sweep across borders and entangle the world's most prestigious art institutions. Priceless treasures of the ancient Khmer Empire, the civilization that produced Angkor Wat, vanished from sacred temples, looted by smugglers and trafficked into the hands of elite collectors. At the center of it all was a man named Douglas Latchford. Known later as "Dynamite Doug" for the ruthless methods used to extract statues from temple ruins, Latchford orchestrated one of history's most audacious cultural heists. From dusty Cambodian villages to the glittering auction houses of London and New York and institutions like the Met, he played a double game—presenting himself as an expert on Khmer art while secretly flooding the market with stolen antiquities. In The Man Who Stole the Gods [https://politics-prose.com/book/9780593716007?ic_referral=UY_YBVjDX6UxzBe8rbTC71ZAxWNQITFR0cG6f1N76AkwM590Ikhm6bTcWqfFRFAviDeU94msnLHGkOorW0H5TvKbEKtHIFsYygu3cqoCfDovN8yD8XjVghrLE4JvGtK46ISNb-w], award-winning journalist Matthew Campbell unravels the gripping story of Latchford's criminal enterprise, and a global conspiracy of greed and collusion—one that involves some of the world's most powerful museums and collectors. A masterful blend of true crime, history, and investigative journalism, The Man Who Stole the Gods is the definitive account of one man's greed, an industry's complicity, and the fight to expose the truth and restore stolen treasures to their rightful home. Matthew Campbell is an award-winning reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and the author of The Man Who Stole the Gods: A True Story of War, Obsession, and a Global Art Conspiracy. His previous book, Dead in the Water—co-authored with Kit Chellel—was selected as a Book of the Year by The Economist, the Financial Times, and The Times.  Matt has reported from more than twenty-five countries on crime, corruption, terrorism, economics, and the environment. His work has earned some of journalism’s highest honors, including awards from the Gerald Loeb Foundation, the Overseas Press Club, the National Press Club, SOPA, and SABEW for both feature and investigative reporting. A 2025 Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Fellow at New America, Matt lives in Singapore with his family. Campbell is in conversation with Carl Hoffman, the author of five books. Savage Harvest was a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a New York Times bestseller, a Washington Post notable book of the year, and has been translated into ten languages.  The Last Wild Men of Borneo was a finalist for the Edgar Awards and the Banff Mountain Adventure Book Awards.  The Lunatic Express was named one of the ten best books of the year by The Wall Street Journal.  He has reported from some 80 countries, covering stories about technology, exploration and indigenous culture.  He is a former contributing editor at Wired and National Geographic Traveler magazines.  Upon Great Waters, his sixth book, will be published by HarperCollins/Mariner in 2027.  PURCHASE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9780593716007?ic_referral=XUtPGb7YoyGFu3lZRS2icMukdGmzbP0X8nepS9pxc60wM-BuzS6Dx1U8zr-g5eCT0xU9vIFeclizDkWPoT5PcpcHzpym8vR2aPVb-czbnLjzcvb0nd_NJ4iQP2TYD3ovUgIg1B8

Martin Walker — A Murder in the Springtime: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel (Bruno, Chief of Police Series #19)

In the next installment of the Bruno, Chief of Police series, a newcomer to St. Denis is found dead at the home of one of Bruno’s best friends—and for once, Bruno feels as though he is too close to the case to investigate, until it becomes clear that he’s the only person who can solve the crime. After Bruno sees he’s missed several phone calls from his longtime neighbor Pamela, he has no idea what to expect. He’s shocked to hear that she’s found her new lodger on her back patio, brutally murdered. Bruno knows that Pamela isn’t capable of killing anyone, but then who’s the culprit? And what’s the motive? The victim had only just moved to town to take a job at the local nursing home. She had no enemies in the village—but no friends, either. Bruno decides that he can’t be impartial where Pamela is involved, so the force assigns the case instead to their rising star rookie, Fabien. Bruno is happy for Fabien to take the lead. Lately, Bruno’s been distracted: by his faltering relationship, by a meddlesome film crew that’s descended on the Dordogne, by a group of opinionated small business owners Bruno wants to help to organize a logistically complicated night market. He can’t seem to catch a break. But when Fabien realizes that the victim is connected to his own past, Bruno steps back in to help. The village has never felt more crowded, and the clock is ticking: Will Bruno and Fabien be able to catch a killer? After a long career working in international journalism and for think tanks, Martin Walker now gardens, cooks, explores vineyards, writes, travels, and has never been busier. He divides his time between Washington D.C. and the Dordogne. now gardens, cooks, explores vineyards, writes, travels, and has never been busier. He divides his time between Washington D.C. and the Dordogne. PURCHASE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9798217207961?ic_referral=HoXeNqyDWTpdHvcyTqetAzEY_5IpWW8TWpxNxDpf3NMwM8iKjCSnjP3FR5HQ0M2O2mGmIQEn1amQEARV9NZxG_9zwNQj_RJoLziycscW66Owv0WAMzE_UwHgOmQXajEn4k-YvL0

Phill Branch — The Double Dutch Fuss - with Shaniqua McClendon

In this raw and lyrical memoir as rich and insightful as How to Say Babylon and as vulnerable and provocative as Heavy, an Emmy Award-winning director chronicles his struggle to break free from—and live outside of—the prescribed paradigms of Blackness and masculinity that shaped him. Long before every moment of our lives was tracked by technology, Phill Branch was under surveillance. His father was a football-playing, weed-smoking, Army vet—the guy men wanted to be around, and women loved. Phill was different. His father treated him as if he were defective and continually searched for proof to support this belief. Phill paid greatly for his failures at boyhood, especially when he was caught playing jump rope with girls. This taught him there were standards to be met, codes that were not to be violated, and strict punishment for any deviation from a Black man’s assigned position in the world. In this poignant, illuminating personal narrative, Branch reckons with the patriarchy and tradition of these social structures in Black America, their legacy, and how they molded and silenced him. Taking us from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California, Branch writes unflinchingly about growing up as the queer black son of a complicated and often absent father with rigid ideas of masculinity. From early inappropriate relationships with men twice his age, to his successful rebranding at Hampton University, to the dichotomy of Hollywood—living in a world of wealthy celebrities while struggling to survive as a writer—Branch navigates his complex emotions surrounding success, perceptions of manhood, and ultimately his father. The Double Dutch Fuss [https://politics-prose.com/book/9780063384934] recounts growing up under the heavy burden of expectation—to be a boy, to be Black, and to be queer in ways that conform to rigid, often unforgiving norms. It is about the knotted path of becoming, while navigating the always-present fear of emotional and physical violence, and the threat of isolation for simply being who you are. Branch explores the cosmic pull between fathers and sons, and how healing wounds can open a pathway toward freedom and wholeness. His is an insightful and surprisingly humorous reflection on identity, masculinity, and the quiet, radical act of choosing to exist on your own terms. Phill Branch is a writer, live performance storyteller, and regional Emmy Award-winning filmmaker. He is a 2025 recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Creativity Grant and received the Council's highest honor, the Individual Artist Award, for Theater (Solo Performance) in 2019. He was the GrandSLAM Champion of The Moth in D.C. in 2018 and has since traveled all over the country and overseas to tell stories with the organization. Branch was a 2014 Lambda Literary Nonfiction Emerging Voices Fellow and is the founder and Creative Director of Baltimore Story Fest, a showcase for live, personal storytelling. An alumnus of the American Film Institute, Branch has an MFA in Screenwriting. He earned his BA in Mass Media Arts at Hampton University and later returned as a professor in the English department to teach writing and develop the Film Studies program. Currently, Branch is a Resident Artist at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Maryland. Branch will be in conversation with Shaniqua McClendon, the Vice President of Politics for Crooked Media (home to the popular podcast, Pod Save America), a political strategist and sought-after speaker and commentator on media, politics, voting, and race. At Crooked Media, she leads their political strategy and civic engagement program (Vote Save America), and also created their successful 2020 volunteer engagement and fundraising program (Adopt a State). PURCHASE BOOK: https://politics-prose.com/book/9780063384934?ic_referral=GTDeoMWok8gAM3fWaPOF5ZcA9lqxLOyzsS0-0mEu9lwwM1uJRQGp02xHeZFS6ajn90BIgA8_-U-PVl2lnizFKE_MJyql3ENYWYNGoiIYwDTHLfS4zHVs8KzjtpEUlEUfo7MG3jg

Joanna Stern — I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything - with Matt Murray

What happens when intelligent machines aren’t just in our pockets but are also driving our cars, making our decisions, folding our laundry, and educating our kids? You’ve heard the hype: AI will make us healthier, give every child a personalized tutor, run our businesses more efficiently, return hours of free time to our overworked brains, and make discoveries previously unimagined by humankind. The AI future is going to be unlike any other technological revolu­tion. But what does that really mean? And will AI truly make life better? To find out, award-winning journalist Joanna Stern surrendered her life to artificial intelligence for one year. The results are both hilarious and unsettling. I Am Not a Robot [https://politics-prose.com/book/9780063446618] is like a time machine trip to the very near future, where AI promises to be your doctor, chauffeur, teacher, masseuse, coworker, thera­pist, financial planner, chef, housekeeper, and even . . . romantic partner. Your colleague might be using ChatGPT to write emails at work, but Joanna used AI tools and robots to do household chores, to manage her health, and to transport her family on vacation. If there was a decision to make or a task to do, she let AI go first. Along the way, she conducted exclusive interviews with the tech leaders building this future, then reported back from the front lines as your funny, no-nonsense tour guide. Of course, tech’s sunny promises never tell the whole story, and that’s what Joanna is here to share. Filled with illustrations and photographs, this book offers less hype, more clarity, and as little jargon as humanly (or robotically) possible. It’s an AI guide for ordinary people—not the tech bros who tried to sell you a cruise to the metaverse or an NFT of a cartoon monkey. This book is not the definitive story, because we’re only a few years into the AI revolution. But after a year of living as a human lab rat, Joanna deliv­ers one of the clearest—and funniest—pictures yet of what’s really happening and what it means for you. Joanna Stern is an Emmy-winning tech journalist and author of I AM NOT A ROBOT: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything, about her year letting AI take over her life. She is the founder of New Things, where she publishes newsletters, videos and more about consumer technology. She’s also NBC News’ chief tech analyst, regularly appearing on TODAY, NBC Nightly News and beyond. Stern spent 12 years at The Wall Street Journal, where her personal tech columns and videos made her one of the most-watched voices in consumer technology. Her 2021 documentary E-Ternal won an Emmy for Outstanding Science, Technology or Environmental Coverage. She is also a two-time Gerald Loeb Award winner and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She frequently appears on radio and podcasts, including The Vergecast. Previously, she was a technology editor at ABC News and The Verge. She lives in New Jersey with her wife, their two sons, a dog and more gadgets than a Best Buy. Stern will be in conversation with Matt Murray, executive editor of The Washington Post. During his first two years, the newsroom won three Pulitzer Prizes, including the 2026 awards for public service, for coverage of the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul the federal government, and for feature photography, as well as the 2025 prize for breaking news coverage of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler. Murray served as editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires from June 2018 to February 2023, during which The Journal doubled digital subscriptions, grew its social media presence and video and audio businesses, and won two Pulitzer Prizes and its first Emmy. PURCHASE BOOK: https://politics-prose.com/book/9780063446618?ic_referral=1wgDFzdTWO9tmSDteHSWck6Vydo9dsyZNR0-IqhRQMYwM1Np2YRFcYCwnijRHsFG1x9C7Tn7CtfsiMMMZYh03s9dF6z62a5Tyflax0V7MTd_6q8dH4GcCWLwbDkz_m0_nDyDazU