To better understand the Russia-Ukraine crisis, we have put together a list of the most relevant books that shed light on the history, socio-economic and political relations of these two neighboring countries as well as titles that provide additional context to the historical and evolving war tactics at play. “An
Today, economic sanctions are generally regarded as an alternative to war. But for most people in the interwar period, the economic weapon was the very essence of total war. The initial intention behind creating the economic weapon was not to use it–economic sanctions were intended to be a form of
Earlier this year, Yale University Press published the excerpt below from The Orphanage by Serhiy Zhadan, translated from the Ukrainian by Reilly Costigan-Humes and Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler. We are revisiting this piece today to shed light on the continued and escalating tensions in the region. Recalling the brutal landscape of The Road and the
Yesterday, Fred R. Shapiro’s list of the Ten Most Notable Quotes of the Year was published by the Associated Press. As a compliment to that piece, we are revisiting this article from September that highlights popular misquotations corrected by Shapiro in The New Yale Book of Quotations. Fred R. Shapiro—
Sophus Helle— “Gilgamesh is tremendous!” the poet Rainer Maria Rilke exclaimed in 1916. “I hold it to be the greatest thing a person can experience.” Many modern readers have shared Rilke’s enthusiasm for the epic. Gilgamesh will soon celebrate the 150th anniversary of its rediscovery in 1872, and since then
Paul Freedman— When I was asked to consider writing Why Food Matters, I was told that this was not supposed to be an introduction to the topic of food, but rather my reasoned opinion—even a manifesto about the significance of the subject, in keeping with the intent of the Yale
Joshua Cohen— The Swiss writer Ludwig Hohl (1904–1980) spent the bulk of his final decades—the decades during which he received his only acclaim—living poor in a Geneva basement strung with clotheslines, from which he hung his pages like laundry out to dry. He’d finish a page and then decide where
Henry Kamen, author of Early Modern European Society, recounts the debate over resources and the themes of conservation taking root across Europe in early modern times. These issues are still relevant today to the debates arising from COP26. Environmental Issues in Preindustrial Europe Among the most serious environmental issues in preindustrial
Daniel Esty, editor of A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future explains the Zero Carbon Action Plan and talks about why A Better Planet is relevant for the discussions arising from COP26. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Climate change will be at centre stage as global leaders gather in Glasgow for the November 1-12 COP26
Kent H. Redford and William M. Adams explain why synthetic biology and nature-based solutions are important for the discussions arising from COP26. Biodiversity and Climate Change The effects of climate change impact all aspects of life on Earth, and greater changes are anticipated. The evolution of species is being affected,