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Ideas

IDEAS is a place for people who like to think. If you value deep conversation and unexpected reveals, this show is for you. From the roots and rise of authoritarianism to near-death experiences to the history of toilets, no topic is off-limits. Hosted by Nahlah Ayed, we’re home to immersive documentaries and fascinating interviews with some of the most consequential thinkers of our time. With an award-winni

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Dispatches from Canada's housing crisis
Nov 2026 · 1 book
Cover of Pushback: The Global Struggle for Housing
Pushback: The Global Struggle for Housing
Leilani Farha
“Lelani Farha's Masi lectures are called Housing ink. A global takeover and our fight for home”
Canada's original anti-Fascist army
Nov 2026 · 1 book
Cover of Renegades: Canadians in the Spanish Civil War
Renegades: Canadians in the Spanish Civil War
Michael Petrou
“Special thanks to historian Michael Petru of the Canadian War Museum, author of Renegades The Canadians in the Spanish Civil War”
Writer Adam Gopnik on the evolution of antisemitism into anti-urbanism
Nov 2026 · 8 books
Cover of The Bible
The Bible
Various Authors - Compiled by Mark T
“I suspect I am one of the few who have recently read both translations of the Jewish and Islamic scriptures intact. And on successive weeks. And written about them”
Cover of Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
Joseph Smith
“I've also read the entire book of Mormon, if you want to know”
Cover of The Story of the Jews
The Story of the Jews
Simon Schama
“Simon Shama, author of First Class History of a Jewish People”
Cover of 10/7
10/7
Lee Yaron
“The High Earth journalist whose new book, Ten Seven, is truly a necessary read”
Cover of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Unknown
“I read I am a reader. For the first time the protocols of the elders of Zion”
Cover of Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler
“Mein Kampf is another book. that I had to read and review once in the New Yorker”
Cover of The Diary of a Young Girl
The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank
“surprisingly, the real and easily overlooked significance of that classic of Holocaust literature, The Diary of Anne Frank”
Cover of None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe
None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe
Irving Abella
“whose perhaps best known book was None Is Too Many. Canada and the Jews of Europe”
The journalist who became a pawn in Putin’s game
Nov 2026 · 6 books
Cover of This Cursed Beautiful Land
This Cursed Beautiful Land
Evan Gershkovich
“Evan Gershkovich has written a book about his prison experience and his seven years in Russia. Called This Cursed Beautiful Land”
Cover of East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
Philippe Sands
“His many books include thirty eight Londres Street on Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia”
Cover of Pinochet in England
Pinochet in England
Philippe Sands
“His many books include thirty eight Londres Street on Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia”
Cover of A Nazi in Patagonia
A Nazi in Patagonia
Philippe Sands
“His many books include thirty eight Londres Street on Impunity, Pinochet in England, and a Nazi in Patagonia”
Cover of True Patriot Love
True Patriot Love
Carol Off
“Most recently of a book about Canadian sovereignty today called True Patriot Love”
Cover of Defying Hitler
Defying Hitler
Sebastian Haffner
“read a book An extraordinary book by Sebastian Hafner. The historian. who was you know there in nineteen thirty three and describes it. Take over. Of the legal order”
How to spot a slow-motion coup
Nov 2026 · 1 book
Cover of The End of History and the Last Man
The End of History and the Last Man
Francis Fukuyama
“in the early nineties This was when uh Mr Fukiyama pronounced the end of history”
The suffragist who was too radical for Susan. B. Anthony
Nov 2026 · 5 books
Cover of Born Criminal: Matilda Joslyn Gage, Radical Suffragist
Born Criminal: Matilda Joslyn Gage, Radical Suffragist
Angelica Shirley Carpenter
“My name is Angelica Shirley Carpenter. I'm the author of Born Criminal. Matilda Jocelyn Gage Radical Suffragist”
Cover of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
“working on a documentary about Baum's classic American fairy tale”
Cover of The Annotated Wizard of Oz
The Annotated Wizard of Oz
Michael Patrick Hearn
“Michael Patrick Hearn is the author of the annotated Wizard of Oz”
Cover of Woman, Church and State
Woman, Church and State
Matilda Jocelyn Gage
“You find in her controversial book Woman Church and State”
Cover of The Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz
L. Frank Baum
“Baum created one in the second Oz book, The Land of Oz”
Understanding our genes to help our minds
Nov 2026 · 1 book
Cover of On the Nature of Things
On the Nature of Things
Lucretius
“the Roman philosopher Lucretius described in his poem On the Nature of Things how Venus using semen Fashioned a variety of ancestral traits”
What good is philosophy?
Nov 2026 · 4 books
Cover of Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“This is not a new fear. It's expressed quite vividly by Rousseau in his discourse on the origin of inequality”
Cover of Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi
Zhuang Zhou
“So this Small philosophical passage comes from the Zhuangshi, a classic of Chinese philosophy from about 2300 years ago”
Cover of Gaslight
Gaslight
Patrick Hamilton
“I want to begin here by introducing you to the basic original story of the gaslighter. Bea the play. Gaslight, uh sometimes also known as Angel Street. By Patrick Hamilton”
Cover of Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny
Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny
Kate Manne
“But the play is to my mind richer than I film. So I want to use it as the basis for the discussion here. A discussion in which I draw on my twenty twenty book entitled How male privilege hurts women”
Why hope needs rage and love
Nov 2026 · 6 books
Cover of Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto
Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto
Kevin Gannon
“That's Kevin Gannon, author of the book Radical Hope, a Teaching Manifesto”
Cover of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien
“So we'll start with Haldeer the Woodland Elf from J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings series”
Cover of The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
J. R. R. Tolkien
“if you've uh see the Lord of the Rigs movies, it follows this part follows the fellowship of the Rig novel”
Cover of A Pedagogy of Kindness
A Pedagogy of Kindness
Kate Denis
“Kate Denis, the author of the book A Pedagogy of Kindness, observes in the introduction of that book”
Cover of Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Paulo Freire
“Frere also wrote a book uh later in his career called A Pedagogy of Hope, which is, you know, that's convenient. And in the introduction to that book. What was interesting about Pedagogy of Hope is It's actually twenty years after he wrote his sort of initial Work pedagogy of the oppressed”
Cover of Pedagogy of Hope
Pedagogy of Hope
Paulo Freire
“Frere also wrote a book uh later in his career called A Pedagogy of Hope”
How Houdini fought the misuses of magic
Oct 2026 · 6 books
Cover of The Witch of Lime Street: Seance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World
The Witch of Lime Street: Seance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World
David Jaher
“It's called The witch of Lime Street. We'll get to Marjorie and Walter, but first Houdini's campaign”
Cover of Raymond, or Life and Death
Raymond, or Life and Death
Sir Oliver Lodge
“He wrote a book about it called Raymond about his scientific quest. To develop a technological means to communicate with his dead son”
Cover of The Bible
The Bible
Various Authors - Compiled by Mark T
“And they say this book Raymond was more popular in the trenches than the Bible in those days”
Cover of A Magician Among the Spirits
A Magician Among the Spirits
Harry Houdini
“Those are the final words in a magician among the spirits. A book by Harry Houdini”
TA
The Art of Being Fooled
Alice Pailès
“But she's also reversed the angle. with a book for non magicians called The art. Of being fooled”
Cover of Merchants of Doubt
Merchants of Doubt
Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway
“Both No Mires and Eric Conway called the Merchants of Doubts. It's a very famous book they wrote”
How 'body horror' helps us confront the fears within us
Oct 2026 · 2 books
Cover of Contemporary Body Horror
Contemporary Body Horror
Xavier Aldana Reyes
“Xavier Aldonares teaches English literature and film at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, and is the author of the twenty twenty five book Contemporary Body Horror”
Cover of Terrors of the Flesh: The Philosophy of Body Horror
Terrors of the Flesh: The Philosophy of Body Horror
David Huckvale
“He is the author of Terrors of the Flesh The Philosophy of Body Horror”
How being curious and confused drives scientific progress
Oct 2026 · 1 book
Cover of Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake
James Joyce
“we won't call them quarks because someone wouldn't have read James Joyce's Finnegan's wake”
Why background music is everywhere
Oct 2026 · 2 books
Cover of Erik Satie: A Parisian Composer and His World
Erik Satie: A Parisian Composer and His World
Caroline Potter
“I'm Caroline Potter, I'm a specialist in French music and I've written a book on Eric Sati. Eric Sati, a Parisian composer and his world”
Cover of Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds
Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds
David Toop
“David's book is called Ocean of Sound”
What's for dinner in 2050?
Oct 2026 · 4 books
Cover of We Are Eating the Earth: The race to fix our food system and save our climate
We Are Eating the Earth: The race to fix our food system and save our climate
Michael Grunwald
“Michael Grunwald is the author of We Are Eating the Earth. The race to fix our food system and save our climate”
Cover of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health
Marion Nestle
“That experience led to Nessel writing one of the most influential nutrition books of all time. Food politics”
Cover of The Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health
The Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
“editing something called the Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health. This was in nineteen eighty six”
Cover of Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We Eat Stuff That Isn't Food... and Why Can't We Stop?
Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We Eat Stuff That Isn't Food... and Why Can't We Stop?
Chris van Tulleken
“Chris Van Tulkin is an infectious diseases doctor. And the author of Ultra Process People. Why we can't stop eating food that isn't food”
How the Humanities can pull down the screens between us
Oct 2026 · 6 books
Cover of Phaedrus
Phaedrus
Plato
“Phaedrus by Plato portrays a discussion between Socrates and the younger aristocrat Phaedrus”
Cover of Amusing Ourselves to Death
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Neil Postman
“Amusing Ourselves to Death is a book by Neil Postman. It's published in 1987 and was subtitled Public discourse in the age of show business”
Cover of Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel
Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel
Loretta Ross
“Loretta Ross addresses this in her twenty twenty six book. Calling in. How to start making change with those you'd rather cancel”
Cover of Meditations
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
“The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius encapsulates this in his private journal turned Post Gutenberg bestseller The Meditations”
Cover of Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting
Robert McKee
“It's drawn from Robert McKee's cast design theory from his multi-best selling book, Story”
Cover of The Marvelous Clouds: Toward a Philosophy of Elemental Media
The Marvelous Clouds: Toward a Philosophy of Elemental Media
John Durham Peters
“Right communication scholar John Durham Peters in his book The Marvelous Clouds”
AI as the new Delphic Oracle?
Oct 2026 · 2 books
Cover of Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future
Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future
Carisa Velis
“My name is Carisa Velis and I'm an associate professor at the Institute for Ethics and AI and the author of Prophecy. The full title of Carisa's book is Prophecy. Prediction power and the fight for the future”
Cover of Revisiting Delphi: Religion and Storytelling in Ancient Greece
Revisiting Delphi: Religion and Storytelling in Ancient Greece
Julia Keint
“Julia Keint is a history professor and the author of Revisiting Delphi, Religion and Storytelling in Ancient Greece”
The 2,000-year-old travel list to complete before you die
Oct 2026 · 5 books
Cover of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Bettany Hughes
“Her latest book centers on the seven wonders of the ancient world”
Cover of Histories
Histories
Herodotus
“And Herodotus goes, Amazing. You know, that's fascinating. And writes it down in his histories”
Cover of Genesis
Genesis
Eric Schmidt, Henry Kissinger, and Craig Mundie
“the same time that the book of Genesis is being written down when we hear that man is given dominion over plants and animals”
Cover of Egeria's Travels
Egeria's Travels
Egeria
“And her writing is still in print. So if you go on Amazon tonight, you can get yourself a Geria's accounts of the of the Holy Lands and of the Great Pyramids”
Cover of A True Story
A True Story
Lucian of Samosata
“And he writes The world's first sci fi novel. Uh uh in and ancient times. And he Writes about an ancient astronaut. who flies up to the moon”
How the Moon shaped humanity — and defined life on Earth
Oct 2026 · 2 books
Cover of Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Rebecca Boyle
“I'm Rebecca Boyle, author of Our Moon, How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are”
Cover of Somnium
Somnium
Johannes Kepler
“Beginning with Johannes Kepler, a contemporary of Galileo, whose work about the moon Somnium is widely credited as the first ever work of science fiction”
Tech billionaires are betting on a coming apocalypse
Oct 2026 · 9 books
Cover of Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World
Naomi Klein
“The book. En time's fascism and the fight for a living world to use its full title. Makes a big And terrifying claim”
Cover of No Logo
No Logo
Naomi Klein
“the author of several books, including No Logo and The Shock Doctrine and Doppler Ganger”
Cover of The Shock Doctrine
The Shock Doctrine
Naomi Klein
“the author of several books, including No Logo and The Shock Doctrine and Doppler Ganger”
Cover of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart
The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart
Astra Taylor
“Astra delivered our twenty twenty three CBC Massey lectures. If you haven't read it yet, her series was called The Age of Insecurity, Coming Together as Things Fall Apart”
Cover of The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age
The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age
Astra Taylor
“Among her other books are The People's Platform and the wonderfully titled Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll miss it when it's gone”
Cover of Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone
Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone
Astra Taylor
“Among her other books are The People's Platform and the wonderfully titled Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll miss it when it's gone”
Cover of Bible
Bible
Various
“And Armageddon the idea comes from the Bible, right? From the book of Revelation”
Cover of Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
John of Patmos
“From the book of Revelation, which the religious right. Takes very literally”
Cover of Ur-Fascism
Ur-Fascism
Umberto Eco
“Umberto Echo, who grew up under Mussolini. He wrote this. famous essay called Ur Fascism”
Are Alberta’s separatists guilty of moral treason?
Oct 2026 · 1 book
Cover of On Treason: Alberta separatism, foreign interference, and Canada's survival in a revolutionary age
On Treason: Alberta separatism, foreign interference, and Canada's survival in a revolutionary age
Patrick Lennox
“The book is called On Treason. Alberta separatism, foreign interference, and Canada's survival in a revolutionary age”
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