#AcademicRunPlaylist - 12/22/25

The wind made it pretty cold today (I pulled down my balaclava so I was identifiable in the picture), but by bundling up I stayed warm while going for a good run and listening to talks and books for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was an important discussion between Seth Harris and Patricia Campos-Medina on the experiences of TPS workers, complete with interviews with TPS workers themselves, on the Power At Work blogcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BnXJAowxGo

Next was "How Infrastructure Works" by Deb Chachra. Fun fact: I took this picture in front of the part of the Sudbury Aqueduct mentioned in the book! This book is a fascinating look at different infrastructural systems and the general principles that underlie their development, use, and impact. While there's a bit of engineering detail here, it's utilized to illustrate particular points, and Chachra doesn't review how specific systems work in their entirety. This can get a bit frustrating as I did want to know more about those inner workings, and the book jumps around between different systems rather than sticking with a specific system for a chapter. This book does, however, demonstrate how true infrastructure is fundamentally a public good, built for both the present and the future but inextricably linked with the past, and how myopic, short term economic calculations are comically bad at conveying the value of these systems. Chachra also convincingly shows that these mostly ignored systems can drive huge quality of life and economic differences and that those differences need to be accounted for when considering who and what is responsible for individual, firm, or country success. Highly recommend https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612711/how-infrastructure-works-by-deb-chachra/

Last was "Not a Nation of Immigrants" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. Dunbar-Ortiz is one of our era's most important historians, and while you'll probably be depressed after reading this, it's an essential takedown of the "nation of immigrants" myth. Dunbar-Ortiz reviews the historical background of that phrase and why it was employed by JFK, then systematically works through the history of the US and shows that, rather than immigration, the US has been consistently defined by settler colonialism and white supremacy. It's a powerful, extremely well researched book, but be warned you probably won't be able to enjoy "Hamilton" again after reading this. It was also a bit short on potential responses to these injustices, but to be fair that's not the aim of the book. Highly recommend https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/659250/not-a-nation-of-immigrants-by-roxanne-dunbar-ortiz/