#AcademicRunPlaylist - 2/3/25

It got warmer today, but before the Charles thawed I was still able to get out for a short run and listen to some talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was a great talk by Sofia Ranchordas on how economic regulation has evolved over the decades at the Amsterdam Law & Technology Institute | ALTI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0X_MFh2aNo

Next was an interesting talk by Dr. Volker Stocker on the policy challenges of AI-driven ecosystems (FYI the sound is a bit scuffed) at ALTI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wYllZ_7hII

Next was "The Comanche Empire" by Pekka Hämäläinen. This book presents a comprehensive history of the sprawling military history of the Comanche. Contrasting with some of Hämäläinen's other books, it is extremely territorially focused and only has a few sections looking at the internal dynamics of how the Comanche lived. That being said, it still gives a engaging narrative of the evolving influence of the Comanche across North America and situates them as one of the major powers through the 19th century https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300151176/the-comanche-empire/

Last was "Gateway to Freedom" by Eric Foner. While this book has a focus on the history of slavery in New York City and the conflicting forces of abolition and escape against renditions of Black people (only some of whom were escaped slaves) to the South, it also touches on other areas of the country that were central to the abolition movement. The legal history here is horrible and fascinating at the same time - the conflict of local and state laws in one jurisdiction with that in others and the contorted, farcical federal system that was enacted to privilege slave owners to engage in renditions - contrasts sharply with the legal history of the US that is often portrayed. The continuing flight of Black people to Canada, which was under a monarch at the time, also demonstrates how the US's claim to democratic legitimacy has always been tenuous, a lesson for the strengthening of anti-democratic and fascist tendencies today. Highly recommend https://wwnorton.com/books/gateway-to-freedom/