Oppenheimer's dharma and the atomic bomb

A new film, an ancient Indian text and the secrets that scientists kept from their wives

Welcome to the sixth instalment of This Week, Those Books, your rundown on books new and old that resonate with the week’s news and developments.

The few minutes you take to read this newsletter will make you smarter, faster…guaranteed. Here, you will find a deep dive on fiction and non-fiction about the week’s big story and/or perfect watercooler convo and dinner party small talk.

(The first post about books on ‘dictator chic’ is here. The second post on ecocide and the late, great Cormac McCarthy is here. The third about what to read on Russia, revolts and 1917 is here. Here’s the fourth one on America’s 247th birthday, Bidenomics and To Kill a Mockingbird. And the fifth post on fireworks in France – Bastille Day and the recent riots – is here.)

Before we get started, a request:

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Oppenheimer, the film directed by Christopher Nolan about the man who’s…