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Podcast: New Books in Politics and Polemics
Episode: Brett Bowden, "Now Is Not the Time: Inside Our Obsession with the Present" (Iff Books, 2024)
Description: Human beings have an overwhelming tendency to overemphasize the significance of the present without considering context or historical perspective. For many, here and now is as good as it gets - we have steadily progressed from a savage past, and all we have to look forward to is the great unknown. But if our literature and cinema are anything to go by, many are convinced that the future will indeed be dystopian. At the same time, arguments abound that living in the moment is a key to happiness and success.However, to privilege the present over the...