Episodes

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Azeem Azhar, the author of “The Exponential Age: How Accelerating Technology is Transforming Business, Politics and Society”, to discuss the widening gap between AI, automation, and big data―and our ability to deal with its effects. Azeem Azhar is an award-winning entrepreneur, analyst, strategist, investor. He produces Exponential View, the leading newsletter and podcast on the impact of technology on our future economy and society. Azeem is a...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Edward Glaeser, the author of “Survival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of Isolation”, to discuss how cities are changing in the face of existential threats that have only been accelerated by the pandemic. Edward Glaeser is the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics and the Chairman of the Department of Economics at Harvard University, where he has taught microeconomic theory, and occasionally urban and public economics, since ...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Minal Bopaiah, the author of “Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives”, to discuss how equity can allow leaders to create organizations where employees can contribute their unique strengths and collaborate better with peers. Minal Bopaiah is an author, speaker, and strategic consultant with more than 20 years of professional experience. Her areas of expertise include human-centered design, behavior change science, and the prin...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by William M. Arkin, the author of “On That Day: The definitive Timeline of 9/11”, to discuss how issues with intelligence, airport security and emergency procedures contributed to the US government's utter failure in the face of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. William M. Arkin has been working in the field of national security for almost 50 years, as an Army intelligence analyst, activist, author, journalist, academic and consultant. He has authored o...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Thom Hartmann, the author of “The Hidden History of American Healthcare: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich”, to reveal how and why attempts to establish affordable universal healthcare in the United States have been thwarted and what we can do to finally make it a reality. Thom Hartmann has been the nation's #1 progressive talk show host for over a decade. He is also a four-time Project Censored-award-winning, New York Ti...

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Dave Eggers about his latest novel, The Every, a follow-up to his bestselling novel The Circle; the resistance to big data, and his personal strategy to distribute his latest hardcover only in independent bookstores. Dave Eggers is the author of many books, among them The Circle—the companion to the book you are holding—and also The Monk of Mokha, A Hologram for the King, What Is the What, and The Museum of Rain. He is the cofounder of 826 National, a netwo...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Rob Reich, the author of “System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot”, to expose how big tech’s relentless focus on optimization is driving a future that reinforces discrimination, erodes privacy, displaces workers, and pollutes the information we get. Rob Reich is professor of political science and, by courtesy, professor of philosophy and at the Graduate School of Education, at Stanford University. He is the director of the ...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Philip Stephens, the author of “Britain Alone: The Path from Suez to Brexit”, to tell the story of a nation struggling to reconcile its waning power with past glory. Philip Stephens is associate editor of the Financial Times and director of the editorial board. As chief political commentator he writes on global and British affairs. He joined the Financial Times in 1983 after working as a correspondent for Reuters in Brussels and has been the FT...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Yanis Varoufakis, the author of “Another Now: Dispatches from an Alternative Present”, to paint the picture of a world where a global hi-tech uprising has birthed a post-capitalist society in which work, money, land, digital networks and politics have been truly democratised. Yanis Varoufakis is an economist and politician who, as Greece’s finance minister in 2015, led the struggle against the European Union’s and the International Monetary Fund...

On today's episode of Keen On, Andrew talks with Michael Pye, author of Europe's Babylon: The Rise and Fall of Antwerp's Golden Age, to relive the city's turbulent past at a time when Antwerp transitioned from a state of feudalism to a position of power. Michael Pye is the author of The Drowning Room, The Pieces from Berlin, and The Edge of the World, all three of which were New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He lives in Amsterdam.

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Mike Duncan, the author of “Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution”, to discuss the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Mike Duncan is one of the most popular history podcasters in the world. His award-winning series, The History of Rome, narrated the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and remains a beloved landmark in the history of podcasting. His ongoing series, Revolutions, explores the great poli...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., the author of “Reset: A Leader's Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval”, to showcase a candid and forward-thinking vision for leaders to reimagine their company cultures in a time of global upheaval and presents data-driven strategies to make the necessary foundational reset of all things work. Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management. With o...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Eyal Press, the author of “Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America”, to discuss the fundamental truths about the moral dimensions of work and the hidden costs of inequality in America, as well as to highlight how these burdens fall disproportionately on low-income workers, undocumented immigrants, women, and people of color. Eyal Press is a writer and journalist who contributes to The New Yorker, The New York Time...

In this episode of “Keen On”, Andrew is joined by Julie Battilana, the author of “Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business”, to discuss what power is, how it’s gained and lost, and how it can be used for good. Julie Battilana is the Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at Harvard Business School and the Alan L. Gleitsman Professor of Social Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, where she is also the founder and fac...

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Steve Killelea, the author of "Peace in the Age of Chaos: The Best Solution for a Sustainable Future", to discuss what "Positive Peace" is and how it can lead to a paradigm shift in the ways societies can be managed. Steve Killelea A.M. is a global philanthropist focused on peace and sustainable development, with a long, successful career in high technology and international business development. Over the last two decades, Steve has applied his ...

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Steven Nadler, one of the authors of "When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves", to discuss the basic principles of logic, argument, evidence, and probability that can make all of us more reasonable and responsible citizens. Steven Nadler is the William H Hay II Professor of Philosophy and the Evjue-Bascom Professor in Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books include Spinoza: A Life ...

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Lawrence Shapiro, one of the authors of "When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves", to discuss the basic principles of logic, argument, evidence, and probability that can make all of us more reasonable and responsible citizens. Professor Shapiro’s research spans philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology. Within philosophy of mind he has focused on issues related to reduction, especially concerning...

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by William R. Stixrud, one of the authors of "What Do You Say?: How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home", to discuss delivering constructive feedback to kids; boundaries around technology; sleep and kids' brains; the anxiety of current events; and family problem-solving.

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Ned Johnson, one of the authors of "What Do You Say?: How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home", to discuss delivering constructive feedback to kids; boundaries around technology; sleep and kids' brains; the anxiety of current events; and family problem-solving. Ned Johnson is an author, speaker, and founder of PrepMatters, an educational company providing academic tutoring, educational planning, and standard...

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Casey Schwartz, the author of "Attention, A Love Story", to discuss her experiences from a decade on Adderall, as well as to explore the modern landscape of attention. Casey Schwartz lives in New York City, where she grew up. A graduate of Brown University, she holds a Master's degree in developmental neuroscience and psychoanalysis from University College London. While she was in graduate school, she found the subject of her first book, In the ...

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by David Sumpter, the author of "The Ten Equations that Rule the World: And How You Can Use Them Too", to discuss the ten equations that make the world go round and how they can help you to increase your chance of success, guard against financial loss, live more healthfully, and see through scaremongering. David Sumpter is Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. He is the author of Soccermatics and Outnumbered, which ...

Hosted by Andrew Keen, Keen On features conversations with some of the world’s leading thinkers and writers about the economic, political, and technological issues being discussed in the news, right now. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Sergey Young, author of The Science and Technology of Growing Young, to offer a rare glimpse into how our society will change due to the new ethics of immortality. Sergey Young is a longevity investor and visionary with a mission to extend healthy lifespans...

Hosted by Andrew Keen, Keen On features conversations with some of the world’s leading thinkers and writers about the economic, political, and technological issues being discussed in the news, right now. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Bill Steigerwald, author of 30 Days a Black Man: The Forgotten Story That Exposed the Jim Crow South, to tell the story of Ray Sprigle, a white journalist who went undercover and lived as a Black man in the Jim Crow South. Bill Steigerwald’s 36-year career ...

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by William L. Silber, the author of The Power of Nothing to Lose: The Hail Mary Effect in Politics, War, and Business, to explore the phenomenon in politics, war, and business, where situations with a big upside and limited downside trigger gambling behavior like with a Hail Mary. William L. Silber is a Senior Advisor with Cornerstone Research and was a chaired professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, most recently as the Marcus Nadler Professo...