When Vladimir Putin first rose to power, few expected him to become the world’s most confrontational autocrat. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, who has studied and worked with Putin for decades, explains what changed — and why. From paranoia about democracy to the drive to rebuild Russia’s sphere of influence, McFaul shows how personal power and national destiny became one and the same. His insights reveal not just who Putin is, but what he wants next.
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When Vladimir Putin first rose to power, few expected him to become the world’s most confrontational autocrat. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, who has studied and worked with Putin for decades, explains what changed — and why. From paranoia about democracy to the drive to rebuild Russia’s sphere of influence, McFaul shows how personal power and national destiny became one and the same. His insights reveal not just who Putin is, but what he wants next.
The Knowledge Illusion: How Overconfidence Shapes Our Lives (#256)
3 Takeaways
17 minutes
3 months ago
The Knowledge Illusion: How Overconfidence Shapes Our Lives (#256)
We’ve landed on the moon and built global networks—yet most of us don’t understand how a toilet works. Cognitive scientist Philip Fernbach explores the paradox of human intelligence: our success depends on shared knowledge, not personal depth. But that creates an illusion—we think we know far more than we do. How does this illusion quietly shape our politics, beliefs and risks and is it time we all got a little more curious - and less certain?
3 Takeaways
When Vladimir Putin first rose to power, few expected him to become the world’s most confrontational autocrat. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, who has studied and worked with Putin for decades, explains what changed — and why. From paranoia about democracy to the drive to rebuild Russia’s sphere of influence, McFaul shows how personal power and national destiny became one and the same. His insights reveal not just who Putin is, but what he wants next.
