#AcademicRunPlaylist - 7/8/25

I spotted my first wild koi, and while enjoying the local wildlife and simultaneously trying not to melt in the brutal heat I listened to some talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was day 1 of the National Bureau of Economic Research's corporate finance symposium. I particularly liked the talk by Xu Jin on taxes and private firms' capital structure choices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdH4nJsLljY&list=WL

Next was "Period" by Kathryn Clancy. Clancy has penned a masterpiece, examining menstruation from biological, anthropological, and historical perspectives to provide a holistic understanding of this core human function. This is combined with an extremely engaging writing style - I literally laughed out loud a number of times. This doesn't detract from the gravity of issues this book tackles, with Clancy taking care to point out the connection between different methods/practices and their frequently problematic roots. What emerges is a book that both illuminates menstruation and demonstrates how science should be done. Highly recommend https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691191317/period

Next was "Kentucky Bourbon" by Henry Crowgey. This book is mostly a methodical review of the history of the whiskey economy in the few decades around the American Revolution, but it picks up towards the end with some fascinating analysis of technological changes around production and alcoholic proof measurement. The role of whiskey as a staple of political campaigns was also instructive, as was its use as currency. Overall, Crowgey provides a thorough understanding of the whiskey industry and how politics, law, and technology influenced its development. Highly recommend https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813191836/kentucky-bourbon/

Last was "Bad Medicine" by Sarah Whitt. Whitt does a service by diving into the sordid, surprisingly recent history of the institutionalization of American Indians, bringing together archival government documents and written accounts to present a shocking and largely unacknowledged stain on US history. As one might expect boarding schools are centered here, but their position within the prison pipeline and their usage to illegally institutionalize adults is also covered. The topic of labor as a "cure" for Native American ailments, and the participation of many major corporations in this scheme, is also examined. This is an extremely tough but important read. Highly recommend https://www.dukeupress.edu/bad-medicine