What to read this week: the 78 World Cup book, “The Wizard of the Kremlin” and how to maintain a connection today

Each week is presented as an opportunity to disconnect and immerse yourself in a reading that takes us away from routine. However, it is not always easy to find the perfect book. With so many alternatives and so little time, finding that work that gives us a moment of calm can become quite a challenge.

Infobae Culture made a selection of three essential titles to start reading and listening to. And with an advantage: take advantage of the convenient prices in their versions of e-book.

In this recommendation, the book on which the documentary series is based Argentina 78from the journalist and writer Matias Bauso; The Kremlin Wizardby the Italian-Swiss sociologist, essayist and political advisor, Giuliano da Empoli; and the psychologist’s latest book Alaleh Nejafian., about the difficulty of love in the present. Furthermore, a bonus track gratis must-see by the American writer and poet, a reference in the Gothic genre, Edgar Allan Poe.

78. Oral history of the World Cupof Matias Bausois the book on which the series of the moment is based: Argentina 78. In its pages, the journalist and writer reconstructs the history of the 1978 World Cup like never before, combining the sports epic with the political context of the military dictatorship in Argentina. Through more than 150 interviews and rigorous archival work, the book offers an exhaustive look that addresses the myths, truths and contradictions surrounding this tournament.

The work raises key questions: was the match with Peru fixed? Were the celebrations an endorsement of the dictatorship or an escape valve? What role did figures like Menotti y Kempes? In addition, it reviews issues such as the absence of Argentines in the European boycott, the positions of the exiles and the relationship of the tournament with the Mothers of Plaza de Mayoand accounts for the complexity of the event in a repressive context.

More than a sports or political analysis, the book is a colossal story that questions simplistic versions and delves into the nuances of an event that marked history. 78. Oral history of the World Cup It is an essential document to understand how sport and politics were intertwined during those weeks of June 1978.

Giuliano da EmpoliItalian-Swiss political scientist and writer, is the author of The Kremlin Wizarda fictional novel that explores the dark wheels of power in contemporary Russia. Based on real events and figures, the work combines reality and speculation to reflect on the political manipulation and the scope of can.

The story follows Vadim Baranovan enigmatic former advisor to Putin who went from producer to reality shows to become the main strategist of the regime, known as “the wizard of the Kremlin.” While navigating an opaque system, marked by the Chechen warthe Crimean crisis and the Sochi Olympics, Baranov faces ethical and personal dilemmas. The Kremlin Wizard is a vibrant portrait of today’s Russia and a profound meditation on power and its contradictions.

As the author said in a talk at Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (MALBA) On a recent visit to Buenos Aires, “the new policy is anger more algorithm“, and warned how the Social networks enhance polarization and extreme leadership. Furthermore, he related the figure of Vadim Baranov with Santiago Caputoadvisor to Milei, and addressed the current challenges of representative democracy in a technological environment that privileges engagement about the truth.

Los lasting ties are marked by conflicts inevitable that, far from being negative, challenge the ability to sustain authentic relationships. Like a puzzle that loses its shape, the end of a relationship reveals loose pieces that demand to be sorted, as we face the uncertainty with an almost instinctive need to make sense of the pain and close chapters.

For love. Why did we go from enduring everything to enduring nothing? is a book aimed at those who, despite frustration or disappointment, maintain faith that shared experiences—both painful and happy—give meaning to our lives. Without falling into simplistic solutions or individualistic recipes, the psychologist Alaleh Nejafian -who was born in Iran but has lived in Buenos Aires since she was a child- explores the complexity of staying in a relationship in a time where traditional romantic love is being questioned.

The book proposes to reflect on how to build relationships in a context in which we have gone from enduring everything to rejecting any discomfort. In its pages, the author addresses the challenges of sustaining real relationships without demonizing the other or fleeing, and raises essential questions about love in times of deconstruction.

The mask of the red deathfrom the master of the horror story, Edgar Allan Poeis a story published in 1842 that combines elements of horror and allegory. Set in a kingdom devastated by a plague known as the “Red Death”the story tells how Prince Prospero tries to escape the contagion by gathering his court in a fortified abbey. There he organizes a sumptuous masked ball, trusting that isolation and luxury can protect them from the tragedy that strikes outside.

The story takes a sinister turn when, in the middle of the celebration, a masked figure appears with a costume that evokes the Red Death herself. This mysterious intruder walks through the rooms, spreading panic among the guests, until his identity is revealed with a fatal outcome.

The story, loaded with symbolism, exposes the futility of human attempts to escape death and the inevitability of destiny, consolidating itself as one of Poe’s most impressive works.