In her new book, Life on the Line, New York Times journalist Emma Goldberg focuses on six young doctors during the COVID-19 surge in New York City last spring.
Woven together from in-depth interviews with the doctors, their notes, and Goldberg’s own extensive reporting, this page-turning narrative is an unforgettable depiction of a crisis unfolding in real time and a timeless and unique chronicle of the rite of passage of young doctors.
In this powerful book, Goldberg offers an up-close portrait of six bright yet inexperienced health professionals, each of whom defies a stereotype about who gets to don a doctor’s wArab Newshite coat.
Goldberg illuminates how the pandemic redefines what it means for them to undergo this trial by fire as caregivers, colleagues, classmates, friends, romantic partners and concerned family members.
This is a raw and emotional depiction of young professionals thrust into the middle of a crisis.
As the surge of cases “hit New York hospitals like a tsunami” in March and April 2020, some medical schools graduated fourth year students early so they could work at understaffed hospitals.
What We Are Reading Today: Life on the Line by Emma Goldberg
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What We Are Reading Today: Life on the Line by Emma Goldberg
What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Difference’ by Scott E. Page
In this landmark book, Scott Page redefines the way we understand ourselves in relation to one another.
“The Difference” is about how we think in groups—and how our collective wisdom exceeds the sum of its parts.
Why can teams of people find better solutions than brilliant individuals working alone? And why are the best group decisions and predictions those that draw upon the very qualities that make each of us unique? The answers lie in diversity—not what we look like outside, but what we look like within, our distinct tools and abilities.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Monetary Economics and Policy’
Author: PIERPAOLO BENIGNO
Over the past two decades, monetary policy has been deployed in unprecedented ways, as central banks attempted to mitigate the adverse consequences of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 global lockdown, and recent inflationary surges.
In “Monetary Economics and Policy,” Pierpaolo Benigno offers a new way to understand the potency and effectiveness of monetary policy, presenting a unified modeling framework to analyze policy challenges posed by both paper and digital currency systems.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Habitats of North America’
Authors: PHIL CHAON AND IAIN CAMPBELL
Whether you’re a birder, naturalist, outdoor enthusiast, or ecologist, knowing the surrounding habitat is essential to getting the most out of your experiences in the field.
This compact, easy-to-use guide provides an unparalleled treatment of the wonderfully diverse habitats of North America. Incisive and up-to-date descriptions cover the unique features of each habitat, from geology and climate to soil and hydrology.
Requiring no scientific background, “Habitats of North America” offers quick and reliable information for anyone who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of the habitats around them.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘On the Freedom of the Will’
- Schopenhauer distinguishes between different types of freedom, including physical, intellectual and moral
Author: Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer’s “On the Freedom of the Will” is a landmark philosophical work that explores one of humanity’s most debated questions: Do we have free will?
Published in 1839 as part of a prize competition held by the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences, this essay won first prize for the author and remains one of his most influential works.
In it, Schopenhauer rigorously examines the concept of free will, combining insights from metaphysics, psychology and science.
He argues for a deterministic view of human action, asserting that while humans may feel free in their decisions, their choices are ultimately determined by external circumstances and internal motivations beyond their control.
Schopenhauer distinguishes between different types of freedom, including physical, intellectual and moral.
While he concedes that humans have physical freedom (freedom from external coercion), he rejects the notion of metaphysical freedom — the idea individuals can act independently of causality.
One of the essay’s key contributions is Schopenhauer’s clear articulation of the relationship between will and action. He asserts that our actions are a direct expression of our unchanging character, which itself is shaped by factors outside our control.
This perspective challenges traditional notions of moral responsibility, as it questions whether individuals can be truly “free” in a moral sense.
The essay also explores the implications of determinism for ethics and human behavior.
Schopenhauer’s arguments are deeply rooted in his broader philosophical system, particularly his concept of the “will” as the driving force behind all existence.
He blends philosophical reasoning with practical examples, making his work both intellectually rigorous and accessible to readers.
Schopenhauer’s writing style is notable for its clarity and precision, though it carries his characteristic pessimism and sharp critiques of opposing views. His dismissal of metaphysical freedom as an illusion is provocative and has sparked debate among philosophers for centuries.
“On the Freedom of the Will” is a profound, thought-provoking work that challenges readers to reconsider their assumptions about free will, causality and moral responsibility.
Schopenhauer’s arguments remain relevant today, influencing contemporary discussions in philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology.
What We Are Reading Today: Burkina Faso
- The citizens’ struggle in this regard stands as one of the few instances of a popular democratic uprising succeeding in sub-Saharan Africa
Author: Ernest Harsch
In 2014, huge protests across Burkina Faso succeeded in overthrowing the long-entrenched regime of their authoritarian ruler, Blaise Compaore. Defying all expectations, this popular movement defeated an attempted coup by the old regime.
The citizens’ struggle in this regard stands as one of the few instances of a popular democratic uprising succeeding in sub-Saharan Africa.
In this book, Ernest Harsch provides a compelling history of this little-understood country, according to a review on goodreads.com.
