Perhaps the greatest benefit of the ritual is to invite humanity to reflect on the vicissitudes of war and peace, even if our models to understand this vexing phenomenon are often wrong.

This week, Jennifer Engl, Romanos Orpheas Tofis, and Kosta Kambouris, chat with Kieran about what they’ve been reading in the fourth episode of The Laid-Back Book Club.

Chris Blattman discusses the causes and unlikeliness of armed conflict and how it can be avoided.