Best Jessica Dukes Podcasts (2025)

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Montserrat Bonvehi Rosich and Seth Denizen, "Thinking Through Soil: Wastewater Agriculture in the Mezquital Valley" (Harvard UP, 2025) 1:01:53

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2h ago1:01:53

1:01:53

To think through soil is to engage with some of the most critical issues of our time. In addition to its agricultural role in feeding eight billion people, soil has become the primary agent of carbon storage in global climate models, and it is crucial for biodiversity, flood control, and freshwater resources. Perhaps no other material is asked to d…

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Aaron Smale, "Tairāwhiti: Pine, Profit and the Cyclone" (Bridget Williams, 2024) 44:44

1d ago44:44

44:44

"The Coast has been battered for years by decisions made by those who don’t live there and don’t have any connection to the place. It started early." Based on his investigative Newsroom series, Aaron Smale’s Tairāwhiti: Pine, Profit and the Cyclone (Bridget Williams, 2024) goes deep into the region’s struggle with colonial legacies and environmenta…

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The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) - With An AI Booster With Chris Hallberg 47:31

13h ago47:31

47:31

The "Business Sergeant": Leadership Expert, Military Veteran, And Serial Entrepreneur Ready to move past chaos and achieve scalable growth? Today, we dive deep into the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), the powerful framework and toolkit helping leadership teams gain crystal-clear vision, drive disciplined execution, and build healthier, more…

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Shantala Sriramaiah, "Nitya Prārthanā" (Veda Studies, 2025) 57:00

3h ago57:00

57:00

"Nitya Prārthanā” and “Nitya Dhyāna” are two profound collections designed to infuse daily life with sacredness. “Nitya Prārthanā” offers popular chants from the prayer tradition of India (not Veda) for everyday activities, transforming routine tasks into moments of divine connection. “Nitya Dhyāna” gathers timeless Vedic mantras and sūktams to sup…

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195. Arthur Brooks: The Science of Happiness and Humor 45:25

2d ago45:25

45:25

Arthur Brooks might be the only Working It Out guest who's crossed paths with Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey, and the Dalai Lama. He’s a professor and bestselling author, whose books include The Happiness Files, From Strength to Strength, and Build the Life You Want, which he co-authored with Oprah. Mike sits down with Arthur, whose speciality is th…

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Gregory S. Wilson, "Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy" (U Georgia Press, 2023) 1:09:48

3d ago1:09:48

1:09:48

In 1975 workers at Life Science Products, a small makeshift pesticide factory in Hopewell, Virginia, became ill after exposure to Kepone, the brand name for the pesticide chlordecone. They made the poison under contract for a much larger Hopewell company, Allied Chemical. Life Science workers had been breathing in the dust for more than a year. Ing…

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Chad Augustine Córdova, "Toward a Premodern Posthumanism: Anarchic Ontologies of Earthly Life in Early Modern France" (Northwestern UP, 2025) 55:52

4d ago55:52

55:52

What good is aesthetics in a time of ecological crisis? Toward a Premodern Posthumanism: Anarchic Ontologies of Earthly Life in Early Modern France (Northwestern UP, 2025) shows that philosophical aesthetics contains unheeded potentialities for challenging the ontological subjection of nature to the human subject. Drawing on deconstructive, ecologi…

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Episode 82: The Family Stone

12h ago

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By The Sherman Sisters

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Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Anya Foxen, "The Serpent’s Tale: Kundalini, Yoga, and the History of an Experience" (Columbia UP, 2025) 1:05:25

6d ago1:05:25

1:05:25

The Serpent’s Tale: Kundalini, Yoga, and the History of an Experience (Columbia UP, 2025) traces the intricate global histories of Kuṇḍalinī, from its Sanskrit origins to its popularity in the West. Ranging from esoteric texts to global gurus, from the cliffs of California to the charnel grounds of Assam, they show that there has never been one sin…

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Jessica F. Green, "Existential Politics: Why Global Climate Institutions Are Failing and How to Fix Them" (Princeton UP, 2025) 27:51

8d ago27:51

27:51

It’s no secret that the Paris Agreement and voluntary efforts to address climate change are failing. Governments have spent three decades crafting international rules to manage the climate crisis yet have made little progress on decarbonization. In Existential Politics: Why Global Climate Institutions Are Failing and How to Fix Them (Princeton UP, …

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Building Your Resilience Plan With Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier 48:09

9d ago48:09

48:09

We hear a lot about the need for resilience these days, but simply wanting to be resilient isn't enough—in fact, the pressure to always bounce back can be counterproductive. In this exclusive interview, Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, a psychologist, leadership expert, and author of the award-winning book The Resilience Plan, challenges the notion of r…

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Is a River Alive?: A Conversation with Robert Macfarlane 34:00

4d ago34:00

34:00

Hailed in the New York Times as "a naturalist who can unfurl a sentence with the breathless ease of a master angler," Robert Macfarlane brings his glittering style to a profound work of travel writing, reportage, and natural history. Is a River Alive? (W.W. Norton, 2025) is a joyful, mind-expanding exploration of an ancient, urgent idea: that river…

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Joshua Duclos, "Wilderness, Morality, and Value" (Lexington Books, 2022) 1:07:29

4d ago1:07:29

1:07:29

What if wilderness is bad for wildlife? This question motivates the philosophical investigation in Wilderness, Morality, and Value (Lexington Books, 2022). Environmentalists aim to protect wilderness, and for good reasons, but wilderness entails unremittent, incalculable suffering for its non-human habitants. Given that it will become increasingly …

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194. Pete Holmes Returns: Vulnerability is Everything 1:03:29

9d ago1:03:29

1:03:29

This week, Pete Holmes returns to the studio for one of Working It Out’s most joke-dense episodes ever. Mike and Pete work out jokes about strangers in hot tubs, why Jerry Seinfeld sounds like his own name, and how cool guys in movies swallow their pills without water. Plus, the comedy advice Pete wishes he knew when he was starting out. Want more …

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Jean-Thomas Tremblay, "Breathing Aesthetics" (Duke UP, 2022) 1:03:40

5d ago1:03:40

1:03:40

In Breathing Aesthetics (Duke University Press (2022), Jean-Thomas Tremblay argues that difficult breathing indexes the uneven distribution of risk in a contemporary era marked by the increasing contamination, weaponization, and monetization of air. Tremblay shows how biopolitical and necropolitical forces tied to the continuation of extractive cap…

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Nayanjot Lahiri, "Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand" (SUNY Press, 2023) 47:40

11d ago47:40

47:40

Blending travelogue, history, and archaeology, Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand (SUNY Press, 2023) unravels the various avatars of India's most famous emperor, revealing how he came to be remembered—and forgotten—in distinctive ways at particular points in time and in specific locations. Through personal jou…

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Thomas Princen, "Fire and Flood: Extreme Events and Social Change Past, Present, Future" (MIT Press, 2025) 35:20

11d ago35:20

35:20

Thomas Princen explores issues of social and ecological sustainability at the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. He works on principles for sustainability, overconsumption, the language and ethics of resource use, and the transition out of fossil fuels. His latest book is Fire and Flood: Extreme Events and So…

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Ithamar Theodor, "The Philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita" (Cambridge UP, 2025) 53:41

8d ago53:41

53:41

The Bhagavad Gita is a world classic often considered to be not just the 'Hindu Bible' but sometimes the 'Indian Bible' as well. Over the last two centuries, it has attracted much scholarly attention from Indologists. Ithamar Theodor's bold and revisionist monograph The Philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita (Cambridge UP, 2025) aspires to further develop…

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Conversations with Birds 56:43

8d ago56:43

56:43

Growing up at the feet of the Himalayas in northern India, Kumar took for granted her immersion in a lush natural world. After moving to North America as a teenager, she found herself increasingly distanced from more than human life and discouraged by the civilization she saw contributing to its destruction. It was only in her twenties, living in L…

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Micah S. Muscolino, "Remaking the Earth, Exhausting the People: The Burden of Conservation in Modern China" (U Washington Press, 2025) 1:04:35

15d ago1:04:35

1:04:35

From the 1940s to the 1960s, soil and water conservation measures transformed both the arid, erosion-prone environment of China’s Loess Plateau and the lives of rural people. Remaking the Earth, Exhausting the People: The Burden of Conservation in Modern China (U Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Micah Muscolino explores how the Chinese state imposed …

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From Musician To Music Industry Pioneer With Josh Simons 43:52

11d ago43:52

43:52

What happens when a touring musician decides to rewrite the music industry from the inside out? Today, we sat down with Josh Simons—the force behind Vinyl Group, Australia’s only ASX-listed music company, and the founder of Vampr, the world’s largest social network for creatives. Discover how Josh went from a semi-successful musician touring with t…

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Stephen D. Hopper, "Eucalyptus" (Reaktion, 2025) 49:00

11d ago49:00

49:00

Eucalypts, iconic to Australia, have shaped art, science and landscapes worldwide. With around nine hundred species, from towering giants to compact mallees, these trees inspire awe and curiosity. Their hardwood has driven industries, sparked protests and even toppled governments. Their aromatic leaves hold healing properties yet fuel devastating w…

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193. Vir Das Returns: How to Find Your Voice, Literally 54:07

16d ago54:07

54:07

The last time comedian Vir Das was on Working It Out, he and Mike discussed the intense reaction to a piece he performed called “Two Indias.” Now Vir returns to share how he moved on from the controversy, and all the ups and downs he’s experienced since then, including: literally losing his voice just weeks before sold out shows in Mumbai, writing …

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Heather Davis, "Plastic Matter" (Duke UP, 2022) 1:01:04

16d ago1:01:04

1:01:04

Plastic is ubiquitous. It is in the Arctic, in the depths of the Mariana Trench, and in the high mountaintops of the Pyrenees. It is in the air we breathe and the water we drink. Nanoplastics penetrate our cell walls. Plastic is not just any material—it is emblematic of life in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In Plastic Matter (Duke UP, 2…

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Ilan Kelman, "Antarcticness: Inspirations and Imaginaries" (UCL Press, 2022) 42:16

12d ago42:16

42:16

Antarcticness: Inspirations and Imaginaries (UCL Press, 2022) edited by Ilan Kelman Antarcticness joins disciplines, communication approaches, and ideas to explore meanings and depictions of Antarctica. Personal and professional words in poetry and prose, plus images, present and represent Antarctica, as presumed and as imagined, alongside what is …

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Arpitha Kodiveri, "Governing Forests: State, Law and Citizenship in India’s Forests" (Melbourne UP, 2024) 1:48:13

17d ago1:48:13

1:48:13

In Governing Forests: State, Law and Citizenship in India’s Forests (Melbourne UP, 2024), Arpitha Kodiveri unpacks the fraught and shifting relationship between the Indian State, forest-dwelling communities, and forest conservation regimes. The book builds on years of fieldwork across the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, …

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204. Getting Crystal Clear on Who She Is — and Who She Needs #becomingbabeaf 8:57

17d ago8:57

8:57

In this episode of Unfuckery Chronicles, we’re getting honest about the version of you that you’re becoming — the woman with clarity, calm, standards, routines, and a whole upgraded main-character energy. But here’s the twist: You can get crystal clear on your future self all you want… yet sometimes you can’t step into her without help from the peo…

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Luke Gibson, "Reading Sanskrit: A Complete Step-By-Step Introduction with Texts from the Buddhist Tradition" (Columbia UP, 2025) 41:02

20d ago41:02

41:02

This textbook offers a fresh approach to learning Sanskrit, the ancient language at the heart of South Asia’s vast religious, philosophical, and literary heritage. Designed for independent learners and classrooms alike, it provides a uniquely in-depth and immersive introduction to the language, exploring a rich selection of Sanskrit texts from the …

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203. Unfuckery Chronicles 11/18: KEEPING FRIENDSHIPS SIMPLE (OVERCOMPLICATING IS SO LAST SEASON) 12:23

22d ago12:23

12:23

This week’s Unfuckery Chronicles is a deep dive into something I didn’t know I needed to hear: ✨ Friendships are allowed to be simple. I talk about the moment I realized I was unintentionally overwhelming someone with too much explanation, too much intention, too much emotional noise. And how stepping back, simplifying, and communicating clearly ca…

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192. Leanne Morgan: In The Presence of a Comedy Angel 42:56

23d ago42:56

42:56

On the heels of her new special “Unspeakable Things,” Leanne Morgan joins the podcast this week to talk Southern beauty shop gossip, getting started in comedy selling jewelry door to door, and in what way Mike is “her Elvis.” Plus, the time Leanne may or may not have been picked up in an SUV by President George W. Bush. Please consider donating to …

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Building A STEM Career - From Med School To C-Level and Board Roles With Dr. Sheila Gujrathi 45:07

18d ago45:07

45:07

In the demanding world of biotech and healthcare, charting a successful STEM career path, especially as a woman or minority leader, often feels like navigating without a map. But what if you had access to the boardroom lessons, the personal triumphs, and the hard-won wisdom of an industry veteran? Join us as we dive into a candid conversation with …

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Steven W. Ramey, "Hinduism in Five Minutes" (Equinox, 2022) 38:54

22d ago38:54

38:54

Hinduism in Five Minutes (Equinox Publishing, 2022) is an accessible and lively introduction to common questions about the practices, ideas, and narratives often identified as Hindu. Suitable for beginning students and the general reader. Steven W. Ramey is a Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Asi…

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Jemma Deer, "Radical Animism: Reading for the End of the World" (Bloomsbury, 2020) 45:44

24d ago45:44

45:44

Jemma Deer’s Radical Animism: Reading for the End of the World (Bloomsbury Academic Press, 2020) invites the reader to take a moment and to ponder on the way of reading. In her book, the author challenges the narcissistic position of the human being: a status that has been established for some time and which has already been challenged before but d…

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Episode 81: The Dukes of Hazzard

21d ago

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By The Sherman Sisters

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Anand P. Vaidya, "Future of the Forest: Struggles over Land and Law in India" (Cornell UP, 2025) 1:23:11

27d ago1:23:11

1:23:11

In Future of the Forest: Struggles over Land and Law in India (Cornell UP, 2025), Anand P. Vaidya tells the story of the making and unmaking of India’s Forest Rights Act 2006, a law enacted to secure the largest redistribution of property in independent India by recognising the tenure and use rights of millions of landless forest dwellers. Beginnin…

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Amy L. Allocco and Xenia Zeiler eds., "Sweetening and Intensification: Currents Shaping Hindu Practices" (SUNY Press, 2025) 33:33

22d ago33:33

33:33

Sweetening and Intensification: Currents Shaping Hindu Practices (SUNY Press, 2025) explores how these two currents are shaping the contours of contemporary Hindu worship, myth, and visual and material culture in contemporary South Asia and its diasporas. This volume focuses on two alternately converging and diverging currents that increasingly sha…

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Lisa Vanhala, "Governing the End: The Making of Climate Change Loss and Damage" (U Chicago Press, 2025) 50:06

28d ago50:06

50:06

A searing account of how the international community is trying—and failing—to address the worst effects of climate change and the differential burdens borne by rich and poor countries. Climate change is increasingly accepted as a global emergency creating irrevocable losses for the planet. Yet, each country experiences these losses differently, and…

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SaaS Software, DevOps, Data Science, And AI With Ben Johnson 47:54

25d ago47:54

47:54

Software development is undergoing rapid change as AI, DevOps, and data science reshape how teams build and scale products. In this interview, Particle41 CEO and technical co-founder Ben Johnson explains what modern software teams must do to stay competitive. He shares practical insights on boosting developer productivity with AI, building reliable…

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191. Todd Glass: The Ultimate Comic's Comic 59:14

1M ago59:14

59:14

Todd Glass was one of the first comics Mike opened for. It’s easy to see how, since then, Todd has become one of the most beloved comic of his generation, revered by comics including Nikki Glaser, Judd Apatow, and Rory Scovel. Now Mike and Todd sit down for a discussion about how coming out changed Todd’s life and his comedy, Todd’s heart attack ba…

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Karine Gagné, "Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas" (U Washington Press, 2019) 1:41:53

1M ago1:41:53

1:41:53

In her new book, Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas (University of Washington Press, 2019), Karine Gagné explores how relations of reciprocity between land, humans, animals, and glaciers foster an ethics of care in the Himalayan communities of Ladakh. She explores the way these relations are changing due to climate ch…

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Christopher Ali, "Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity" (MIT, 2021) 52:04

1M ago52:04

52:04

As much of daily life migrates online, broadband—high-speed internet connectivity—has become a necessity. The widespread lack of broadband in rural America has created a stark urban–rural digital divide. In Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity (MIT Press, 2021), Dr. Christopher Ali analyzes the promise and the failure of nationa…

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Ihnji Jon, "Cities in the Anthropocene: New Ecology and Urban Politics" (Pluto Press, 2021) 43:07

1M ago43:07

43:07

Climate change is real, and extreme weather events are its physical manifestations. These extreme events affect how we live and work in cities, and subsequently the way we design, plan, and govern them. Taking action 'for the environment' is not only a moral imperative; instead, it is activated by our everyday experience in the city. Based on the a…

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Russell T. McCutcheon, "Our Primary Expertise: A Future for the Study of Religion" (Rutgers UP, 2025) 53:15

1M ago53:15

53:15

Our Primary Expertise argues counter to the longstanding trend in the field by seeing religion as mundane and not unique, which means that the field's research and teaching can have relevance all across human culture, and well beyond academia. Russell McCutcheon offers a timely argument by taking seriously threats to the humanities now happening al…

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Charles Watkins, "Trees Ancient and Modern: Woodland Cultures and Conservation" (Reaktion, 2025) 55:02

1M ago55:02

55:02

Charles Watkins joins Jana Byars to talk about his new book, Trees Ancient and Modern (Reaktion, 2025). This delightful new book explores the relationship between trees and people and reveals how people have used, valued and understood forests over time. While trees are celebrated as symbols of natural beauty, they are increasingly at risk from cli…

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202. Unfuckery Chronicles 11/03/25: 11 Ways to Romanticize Your Damn Month 14:06

1M ago14:06

14:06

This week on Unfuckery Chronicles, we’re flipping the script on burnout and building a month that actually feels good. Inspired by that viral “Schedule Your Months Like This” list, we’re breaking down 11 simple, soul-filling ways to reconnect with yourself — from solo café dates and nature days to doing absolutely nothing (without the guilt). We’re…

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The Human Side Of AI-Driven Change, With Monica Marquez 45:31

1M ago45:31

45:31

The future of work is here, and it's being shaped by AI-driven change. Dive into a captivating discussion with Monica Marquez, Co-founder of FlipWork, Inc., the enterprise-wide AI workforce transformation system, as she illuminates the evolving landscape of an AI-centric world. Monica shares her unique insights on bridging the gap between AI tool a…

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190. J. Hope Stein: Eavesdropping on the Eavesdropper 58:13

1M ago58:13

58:13

This week poet J. Hope Stein & Mike’s wife ‘Clo’ returns to the podcast. Jen reads original poetry that Mike uses as inspiration for his bits—and the two dispute whose side of the story is being told in each. Mike and Jen discuss helpful vs. unhelpful artistic feedback, the difference between Mike in real life and Mike on the podcast, and Mike has …

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Michael Maniates, "The Living-Green Myth" (Polity Press, 2025) 51:20

1M ago51:20

51:20

Dr. Michael F. Maniates is a leading scholar in environmental politics and sustainability studies whose work has fundamentally reshaped how researchers and policymakers understand consumption, responsibility, and power in environmental change. In this current book, The Living-Green Myth (Polity Press, 2025), he identifies recurring paradoxes in the…

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Gavin Flood, "The Concept of Mind in Hindu Tantra" (Routledge, 2024) 32:52

1M ago32:52

32:52

The Concept of Mind in Hindu Tantra (Routledge, 2024) presents an account of the concept of mind in Hindu Tantra through a study of religious and philosophical texts in the medieval period. It will be of interest to researchers in the field of Religious Studies, Asian Religion, Hindu Studies, Indian philosophy and comparative philosophy. Learn more…

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Episode 80: Us Weekly- October 25, 2005 | WHAT NOW?! (Nick and Jessica)

1M ago

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By The Sherman Sisters