Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs

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What would happen if a genetically modified biological weapon escaped from a laboratory and began spreading around the world? 
In this episode Professor Jeffrey Sachs speaks with award-winning investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen about her latest book, Biological War: A Scenario, a chilling exploration of the risks posed by biological weapons in an age of rapidly advancing biotechnology.
Drawing on interviews with scientists, military officials, and national security experts, Jacobsen examines how advances in genetic engineering could make dangerous pathogens more transmissible, more lethal, and more resistant to existing medical treatments. She walks through a fictional scenario in which an accidental laboratory release triggers a rapidly spreading outbreak, exposing how quickly fear, uncertainty, and institutional failures could overwhelm public health systems and social order.
Sachs and Jacobsen also explore the history of biological weapons programs, the limitations of international treaties, and the challenges of distinguishing defensive research from work that could enable biological warfare. Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, they discuss the importance of scientific transparency, rigorous investigation, and learning from past crises rather than allowing political divisions to stand in the way.
A sobering conversation about the dangers of biological weapons, the urgent need for stronger global oversight of biotechnology, and the responsibility of governments and scientists to prevent catastrophic risks before they become reality.
The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.
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Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian Professor Sven Beckert for a compelling discussion of his book Capitalism: A Global History, a sweeping account of the economic system that has transformed how we live, work, and organize our societies.
Together, they explore the origins and evolution of capitalism over the past millennium, challenging the idea that it was simply a Western invention. Beckert traces capitalism’s development across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, examining the roles of trade, state power, imperial expansion, slavery, technological change, and labor in shaping the global economy.
The conversation considers how capitalism became the defining economic system of the modern world—and the human costs and inequalities that accompanied its rise. Beckert also examines how capitalism has been shaped by people and communities often left out of traditional histories, from merchants and workers to enslaved people and those who resisted the system.
This episode offers a sweeping new perspective on the history of capitalism, revealing it not as an inevitable or timeless system, but as a relatively recent human creation whose global legacy continues to shape our world today.
The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.

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Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and philosopher Professor Steven Nadler for a thought-provoking discussion of Baruch Spinoza and Nadler’s book, Spinoza: Atheist.
Together, they explore Spinoza’s extraordinary life, his excommunication from Amsterdam’s Jewish community, and his groundbreaking ideas about religion, science, politics, and human freedom. At the heart of the conversation is Spinoza’s controversial conception of God: was he an atheist, a pantheist, or something else entirely?
Sachs and Nadler examine Spinoza’s rejection of a personal and providential God, his belief in understanding nature through reason and science, and his vision of morality grounded not in divine reward or punishment, but in virtue, freedom, and human flourishing.
The conversation also explores Spinoza’s connections to Aristotle and Epicurus, his lasting influence on modern thought, and Albert Einstein’s famous admiration for “Spinoza’s God.”
The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.
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Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian Sam Dalrymple for a fascinating discussion of his book Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia. Drawing on extensive archival research, personal histories, and overlooked narratives, Dalrymple reveals how the dissolution of the British Raj reshaped a vast region stretching from Yemen and the Gulf to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, giving rise to many of the political fault lines that continue to define the modern world.
Together, they explore the five partitions that fractured the British Indian Empire, including the division of India and Pakistan, the creation of Bangladesh, the contested futures of Hyderabad and Kashmir, and the often-forgotten connections between South Asia and the Gulf. They examine the human consequences of partition, from mass displacement and divided families to enduring conflicts, militarized borders, and unresolved questions of identity and sovereignty. The conversation also highlights the immense cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity of the region and considers how the legacies of empire continue to shape contemporary geopolitics.
This episode offers listeners a powerful rethinking of modern Asian history, challenging conventional narratives and illuminating the imperial roots of many of today's most pressing global challenges. It is a story of migration, memory, conflict, and resilience, one that underscores how understanding the past is essential for imagining a more peaceful and interconnected future.
The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.
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Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and tax policy expert Professor Dorothy A. Brown for a thought-provoking discussion of her books, The Whiteness of Wealth and Getting to Reparations. Drawing on decades of research, Brown examines how seemingly race-neutral tax policies have contributed to widening racial wealth disparities in the United States and explores what meaningful economic repair could look like in practice.
Together, they discuss how the U.S. tax system has historically advantaged white households while limiting wealth-building opportunities for Black Americans. The conversation explores the hidden ways tax policy shapes homeownership, education, employment, and intergenerational wealth, as well as the broader historical forces that continue to influence economic inequality today. Brown also outlines her vision for reparations, arguing that confronting the legacy of slavery and systemic discrimination is essential to building a more equitable society.
This episode offers listeners a deeper understanding of the intersection of race, public policy, and economic justice. It challenges conventional assumptions about fairness in the tax code and invites a broader conversation about how societies can address historical harms while creating more inclusive pathways to opportunity and prosperity. 
The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.
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