Books In 5

Pavan Sodhan
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Welcome to Books in 5, where we dive into the world of recently published books on relevant topics written by credible authors. Hosted by Pavan Sodhan, each episode is structured around 5 carefully crafted questions, with 5 minutes to discuss each topic. From current events to politics, technology, culture and everything in between, Books in 5 covers a wide range of subjects that affect Canada and the globe. You'll leave each episode feeling more knowledgeable and inspired to read the book for yourself. Join us regularly for thought-provoking episodes to expand your understanding of the world. Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02U06pE158e2GIFPgNCOZc Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/books-in-5/id1802286620 Connect with Books in 5 Online: Follow Books in 5: https://twitter.com/BooksinFive Follow Pavan: https://x.com/psodhan Pavan Sodhan is the Principal of Sodhan Strategies www.sodhanstrategies.com

  1. EP 36 - Industrial Policy for the United States with Ian Fletcher

    12/02/2025

    EP 36 - Industrial Policy for the United States with Ian Fletcher

    Over the past 5 decades, the neoliberal consensus has hollowed America's economic capabilities and it is dangerously close to being overtaken in key sectors by allies and adversaries In this episode of Books in 5, the co-author of "Industrial Policy for the United States: Winning the Competition for Good Jobs and High-Value Industries" joins us to highlight the harsh reality that the United States finds itself in and what policymakers should do to ensure that nation and it's people remain prosperous in an increasingly volatile world. By using the lens of economic history and judicious case studies to better understand the opportunities and challenges of the past, present and future, the book showcases just how critical industrial policy is Ian Fletcher is on the Coalition for a Prosperous America’s Advisory Board. He is the author of Free Trade Doesn’t Work and coauthor of The Conservative Case against Free Trade. He has been senior economist at the Coalition, a research fellow at the US Business and Industry Council, an economist in private practice, and an IT consultant. He was educated at Columbia University and the University of Chicago. He lives in San Francisco. https://www.industrialpolicy.us/ https://prosperousamerica.org/

    33 min
  2. EP 35 - Shamanism: The Timeless Religion with Manvir Singh

    11/12/2025

    EP 35 - Shamanism: The Timeless Religion with Manvir Singh

    Shamans have held a deep appeal to humans for millennia as they fulfill a critical psychological need by taming & guiding the aspects of human life that are uncontrollable. In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "Shamanism: The Timeless Religion" joins us to highlight the development of Shamans throughout human history, their impact on modern society and the reality & fictions of their practices. Through the use of rituals and simulation, Shamans have played an important role throughout humanity's evolution and this ancient practice still continues into the present day in a myriad of interesting ways. Manvir Singh is an Assistant Professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human biology from Brown University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, and his writings have also appeared in Wired, Vice, Aeon, and The Guardian, as well as leading academic journals, including Science, Nature Human Behaviour, and Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He has studied Indigenous psychedelics use in the Orinoco river basin of Colombia and, since 2014, has conducted ethnographic fieldwork with Mentawai communities on Siberut Island, Indonesia, focusing on shamanism and justice. He lives with his wife and baby daughter in Davis, CA. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/730339/shamanism-by-manvir-singh/ https://www.manvir.org/ https://x.com/mnvrsngh

    29 min
  3. EP 34 - Like: The Button That Changed the World with Martin Reeves

    11/07/2025

    EP 34 - Like: The Button That Changed the World with Martin Reeves

    Humanity has always been interested in ranking the world around them and the invention of the like button is most recent & powerful way that people are displaying their preferences, for good and for ill. In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "Like: The Button That Changed the World" joins us to showcase just how this unassuming icon has come to dominate social media metrics, the messy process of innovation and what the future potentially holds as the giant technology platform companies are motivated to hold the attention of the masses in order to boost revenues. The story of the like button reveals a great deal about modern life as it's spread to dominate human interactions online factors in the decision-making of consumers, corporations and the world at large. Martin Reeves is a managing director and senior partner in BCG’s San Francisco office, and Chair of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank. His consulting career has focused on strategy – with equal emphasis on idea origination and development, and application by consulting with clients on their strategy challenges. He is the co-author of Your Strategy Needs a Strategy (HBR Press, 2015) and The Imagination Machine (HBR Press, 2021) Martin holds a triple first-class MA in natural sciences from Cambridge University and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management. https://www.likebook.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-reeves/ https://x.com/MartinKReeves https://bcghendersoninstitute.com/contributors/martin-reeves/

    32 min
  4. EP 33 - Fleeced: Canadians Versus Their Banks with Andrew Spence

    11/05/2025

    EP 33 - Fleeced: Canadians Versus Their Banks with Andrew Spence

    Canadians might believe they have choices with regard to which financial institution they choose to bank with but all members of the Big 6 operate in ways that harm consumers. In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "Fleeced: Canadians Versus Their Banks" joins us to highlight how RBC, TD, Scotia, CIBC, BMO and NBC are able to charge high fees to their depositors, mutual fund holders and credit card users while also keeping out new startups who are using financial technology to provide better services at lower cost. It is imperative that policymakers listen to the majority of people in Canada as they are calling for greater transparency, more competition and a more fair playing field for all. Andrew Spence is an independent financial consultant and economist. He has extensive experience in banking from time spent in Canadian and global banks. He was also an investment executive at two of Canada’s largest pension plans and was Special Adviser to the Governor of the Bank of Canada.He advises pension plans, independent asset managers, insurance companies, risk managers and global industry networking groups. https://www.fleeced.ca https://spencestrategic.com https://spencea.substack.com/

    31 min
  5. EP 32 - The Lobster Trap: The Global Fight for a Seafood on the Brink with Greg Mercer

    10/24/2025

    EP 32 - The Lobster Trap: The Global Fight for a Seafood on the Brink with Greg Mercer

    The lobster industry has undergone tremendous change in the 21st century with fortunes made as demand has skyrocketed but there has been equally concerning challenges as the population of this luxury food is on the brink. In this episode of Books in 5, the author of "The Lobster Trap: The Global Fight for a Seafood on the Brink" joins us to detail the development of this crucial ocean product that provides so much to so many producers and consumers, the impact of the Chinese market's voracious appetite and how climate change, overfishing & the fight for territorial rights is causing a potential crisis in the years ahead. The economy for lobsters is transforming and it is essential that those who catch, eat and tax it should understand the history of how this industry has created wealth & heartache. Greg Mercer is an investigative reporter for The Globe and Mail, where he writes in-depth stories about issues of international interest, from the drone-spying scandal at the Paris Olympics to the deadly legacy of the coal mining industry. He was previously the Globe’s Atlantic Canada reporter, where he covered the worst mass shooting in Canadian history, and wrote about violent protests over a growing First Nations–run commercial lobster fishery. He has also reported for the BBC, The Guardian, and The Toronto Star. His reporting has earned him multiple National Newspaper Awards and the Michener–Deacon Fellowship for Investigative Reporting. This is his first book. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/729061/the-lobster-trap-by-greg-mercer/9780771006326 https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/greg-mercer/ https://x.com/gregmercerglobe?lang=en

    28 min
  6. EP 31 - Future-Generation Government: How to Legislate for the Long Term with Nicholas Chesterley

    10/19/2025

    EP 31 - Future-Generation Government: How to Legislate for the Long Term with Nicholas Chesterley

    Individuals and governments are necessarily biased towards their interests in the short-term but they must also balance the need to make decisions that will provide benefits into the future In this episode of Books in 5, the author of Future-Generation Government: How to Legislate for the Long Term joins us to reveal the importance of understanding what makes people & institutions tick, measuring the right data to provide accurate information, locking-in policy with commitments and a whole host of recommendations so that humanity can truly flourish in the coming decades. The challenges ahead are daunting but public policy can be brought to bear to mitigate the risks ahead only if government leaders understand the need to better regard the future. Nicholas Chesterley is a behavioural economist and public servant. He completed his PhD in behavioural economics at the University of Oxford as a Clarendon Scholar and SSHRC Doctoral Fellow and has held a range of leadership roles in government. He lives in Ottawa.   mqup.ca/future-generation-government-produ...     nchesterley.com

    30 min
  7. EP 30 - Everybody's Business: How to Ensure Canadian Prosperity through the 21st Century with Dany Assaf

    10/11/2025

    EP 30 - Everybody's Business: How to Ensure Canadian Prosperity through the 21st Century with Dany Assaf

    Canada has fallen off in so many important economic metrics compared to it's wealthy peers but it has the opportunity to right the ship if executives, policymakers and people all pull in the same direction. In this episode of Books in 5, one of the author's of "Everybody's Business: How to Ensure Canadian Prosperity in the 21st Century" joins us to highlight how Canada's population can flourish in the coming decades by taking advantage of it's educated labour force, new technologies and natural endowments in combination with a dedicated desire to grow the economic pie through trade and investment. Productivity and innovation in the economy must be prioritized for Canada to succeed DANY ASSAF is a competition lawyer and partner at Torys, and the author of "Say Please, Thank You, and Stand In Line".   everybodysbusinesscanada.ca     danyassaf.com

    30 min
  8. EP 29 - God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America with Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware

    10/09/2025

    EP 29 - God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America with Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware

    Extremist attacks in the United States have a long history but there are concerns that the threat level is rising in the 21st century. In this episode of Books in 5, the authors of "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America" join us to detail how social media is changing the landscape, why the military & police are dependable recruiting grounds, the dangers of lone wolves and what policymakers can do the discourage political polarization & truly prevent people from killing their fellow citizens. The threat to America from domestic extremism must be addressed before more people are hurt and institutions crumble. Bruce Hoffman is the Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and professor emeritus of terrorism studies at the University of St Andrews.. His Columbia University Press books include Inside Terrorism (third edition, 2017). Jacob Ware is a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and at DeSales University. He serves on the editorial boards for the academic journal Studies in Conflict & Terrorism and the Irregular Warfare Initiative at the Modern War Institute at West Point.   cup.columbia.edu/book/god-guns-and-seditio...     x.com/hoffman_bruce     x.com/jacob_a_ware

    31 min
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About

Welcome to Books in 5, where we dive into the world of recently published books on relevant topics written by credible authors. Hosted by Pavan Sodhan, each episode is structured around 5 carefully crafted questions, with 5 minutes to discuss each topic. From current events to politics, technology, culture and everything in between, Books in 5 covers a wide range of subjects that affect Canada and the globe. You'll leave each episode feeling more knowledgeable and inspired to read the book for yourself. Join us regularly for thought-provoking episodes to expand your understanding of the world. Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02U06pE158e2GIFPgNCOZc Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/books-in-5/id1802286620 Connect with Books in 5 Online: Follow Books in 5: https://twitter.com/BooksinFive Follow Pavan: https://x.com/psodhan Pavan Sodhan is the Principal of Sodhan Strategies www.sodhanstrategies.com

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  • Creator
    Pavan Sodhan
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  • Episodes
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