u/Low-External-3116

I spoke to Professor Kerry Brown about his new book called Mao: Power and Contradiction

Many More Taiwan Conversations: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1myyPDmPgIbR14nXwCHofvw-LtJ5IInO
What would happen to the global economy if tensions in the Taiwan Strait boiled over? In this deep-dive conversation, we sit down with Dr. Simona Grano, Head of China-Taiwan Relations at the University of Zurich and Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, to map out the staggering realities of a cross-strait conflict.
We dissect the catastrophic economic shockwaves of a potential Chinese invasion, the delicate balancing act European nations like Switzerland must maintain between Beijing and Taipei, and whether Taiwan’s open democracy is actually its biggest vulnerability against gray-zone cognitive warfare.
Dr. Grano also shares her personal journey into the field of China-Taiwan studies and how Zurich is building a world-class hub to train the next generation of geopolitical analysts.
🔔 Subscribe for more expert geopolitical analysis and global strategy breakdowns.
✨ ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Dr. Simona Grano is a leading expert on cross-strait relations, a Senior Lecturer at UZH, and co-editor of the major volume Changing Dynamics in Geopolitics: Implications for Taiwan.

#TaiwanStrait #ChinaTaiwan #Geopolitics #GlobalEconomy #SimonaGrano #ForeignPolicy #TaiwanStudies

Simona Grano, Taiwan Strait tension, China Taiwan invasion, Global economy collapse, Taiwan studies Zurich, Switzerland China relations, Cross strait analysis, Taiwan disinformation, Cognitive warfare Taiwan, Geopolitics Asia, TSMC supply chain crisis, Asia Society Taiwan

Hey everyone,

I recently sat down with historian Dr. James Lin to talk about his book In the Global Vanguard: Agrarian Development and the Making of the Taiwan Model.

We got into a really fascinating discussion about how the Kuomintang (KMT) government managed to portray a small island under authoritarian rule as a beacon of global leadership during the Cold War.

A few highlights we touch on:

• Operation Vanguard (Hsin Fong An): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' literal branding of their agricultural aid missions to the developing world to cement Taiwan's status as a global pioneer.
• The "Carrot and the Stick" of Authoritarianism: How economic and scientific development acted as a "sociotechnical imaginary"—a powerful tool to unite society behind a government while martial law served as the stick.
• James’s academic journey: How he transitioned into researching the intersection of science, rural society, and state control.

If you’re into Cold War history, East Asian politics, or the history of science and development, I think you'll really enjoy this deep dive.

Why did Japan embrace Astro Boy right after nuclear destruction, and what drives the deep connection to 2D characters today? Renowned cultural anthropologist Patrick Galbraith joins us to unpack the secret history and evolution of Otaku culture.
In this deep-dive conversation, we explore how Japan turned to imagination to heal from wartime trauma, the hidden world of maid cafes, and why the boundary between Salaryman and Otaku is blurring.
Patrick shares his personal journey of discovering anime and manga, moving to Japan, and how "caring masculinity" is redefining community for a generation that often prefers 2D over 3D. If you’ve ever wondered what the struggle for human imagination really means in a hyper-modern world, this episode is for you.

Standing on the roof of Hokkaido: Climax of the trek up Mount Asahidake (2,291m) 🏔️

Just got back from hiking Asahidake, the highest peak in Hokkaido, and I’m still blown away by the landscapes. It feels less like a standard alpine hike and more like walking on another planet.

You start by taking the ropeway up, and right from the station, you're hit with the smell of sulfur and the sight of active steam vents (fumaroles) blasting white smoke out of the mountainside. The contrasts up there are wild—vibrant green alpine meadows and clear volcanic ponds quickly give way to a steep, barren, otherworldly scree climb to the summit.

Reaching the top gives you 360-degree views of the massive Daisetsuzan National Park. It’s rugged, windy, and entirely worth the burning calves. To finish it off, hitting the local onsen at the base of the mountain was the absolute best way to recover.

If anyone is planning a trip to Hokkaido, put this at the top of your list. Happy to answer any questions about the trail or logistics in the comments!

I read it not too long ago and was interested in his reflections. He lived here in 1990s and returned again recently. His book is about population decline and the changes he noticed throughout his time here. I would be very interested to hear other people's opinion's on the book.

Hello fellow photobook collectors,

I wanted to share a long-form conversation that I think will resonate with this community. I recently hosted photographer Greg Girard on my podcast to look at his multi-decade career through a specific lens: how he uses the physical architecture of a photobook to document vanishing Asian urban spaces.

For over 30 years, Greg has been making books that are absolute touchstones for the medium. From his legendary collaborative work on the Kowloon Walled City (City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City) to the poignant, brilliant sequencing of Phantom Shanghai, Greg’s work has set a standard for how a book can preserve an entire social landscape before it gets erased by time.

With his major retrospective at The Polygon Gallery and the continued legacy of his printed work (including recent projects like Snack Sakura and Tokyo-Yokohama), we sat down to dissect the actual mechanics, sequencing, and production philosophies behind his titles.

We dove deep into:

• The Architecture of City of Darkness: The editorial process of organizing a chaotic, lawless physical anomaly into a coherent narrative space that blends oral histories with night photography.
• Sequencing the Disappearing City: How the page-turns and rhythm of Phantom Shanghai were constructed to replicate the feeling of wandering through neighborhoods that were physically being demolished as he shot them.
• The Transition from Analog to Print: His technical approach to shooting on color transparency film at night (Ektachrome/Kodachrome) in 1970s and 80s Hong Kong and Tokyo, and the challenges of translating those rich, saturated night tones onto modern paper stocks.
• The Book as a Permanent Exhibition: Why the physical photobook remains the ultimate, final medium for documentary photography over digital archives.

Greg talks with immense humility and precision about his craft, and it is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look for anyone who owns his books or appreciates high-level book design and editorial curation.

If you’re interested in a deep, craft-focused discussion with Greg about his publishing journey and spatial storytelling, you can watch the full interview on The Interlocutor Podcast