Episodes

Nov. 24, 2023

The Last Ships from Hamburg: Steven Ujifusa on the race to save Russi…

EPISODE 1867: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Steven Ujifusa, author of THE LAST SHIPS FROM HAMBURG, about the race to save Russia's Jews on the eve of World War I Steven Ujifusa is a historian and a resident of Philad...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 24, 2023

OpenAI , Sam Altman and the new war over capitalism in Silicon Valley…

EPISODE 1866: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter, Keith talks about the capitalism versus anti-capitalist fight triggered by the OpenAI brouhaha Keith Teare i...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 24, 2023

Eight brilliant books to give this Xmas: Bethanne Patrick's list of l…

EPISODE 1865: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bethanne Patrick, the book critic of the LA Times, about 8 brilliant books to give as gifts this Xmas Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry a...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 24, 2023

The Shame of America's Six Million Homeless People: Kevin F. Adler on…

EPISODE 1864: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Kevin F. Adler, co-author of WHEN WE WALK BY, about the forgotten humanity and broken systems causing today's homelessness crisis in America Kevin F. Adler is the author of ...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 23, 2023

Why only humans can imagine the future: Margaret Heffernan on art, cr…

EPISODE 1863: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Margaret Heffernan, author of UNCHARTED, about what we can learn from artists about controlling the insatiability of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs like Sam Altman Dr. Margare...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 23, 2023

How to protect our all-too-human superpower of creative thinking: Vik…

EPISODE 1862: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Vickor Mayer-Schonberger, author of the upcoming GUARDRAILS, about the need to regulate big data companies like OpenAI Viktor Mayer-Schönberger is the Professor of Internet ...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 23, 2023

A Uniquely Glittering Literary Club: Christopher De Hamel on the rema…

EPISODE 1861: In the KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Christopher de Hamel, author of THE MANUSCRIPTS CLUB, about the remarkable literary figures behind a thousand years of medieval manuscripts Christopher de Hamel is the author...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 13, 2023

So what, exactly, is "equality"? Darrin McMahon on the history, from …

EPISODE 1860: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks Darrin M. McMahon, author of EQUALITY, about the history of a most elusive ideal Darrin M. McMahon is a cultural and intellectual historian and a leading proponent of a new and...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 13, 2023

Why women might make better spies than men: Anna Pitoniak on the art …

EPISODE 1859: In this KEEN ON episode, Andrew talks to Anna Pitoniak, author of THE HELSINKI AFFAIR, about the art of espionage and the tradecraft of the spy novelist Anna Pitoniak is the author of The Futures, Necessary Peop...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 12, 2023

How the October 7 tragedy might turn out to be a game changer in a go…

EPISODE 1858: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the distinguished Israeli novelist Assaf Gavron about how the events of October 7 might be a game changer in a good way and on why we must "try again" to make peace in the M...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 10, 2023

Six all-too-human books about AI: Bethane Patrick on the mavens, mave…

EPISODE 1857: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bethanne Patrick, book critic at the Los Angeles Times, about the mavens, mavericks and mythology determining our smart machine future Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied p...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 10, 2023

This was the week that the world dramatically changed: Keith Teare ce…

EPISODE 1856: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter, Keith talks about the beginning of the end of the pre AI age Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 10, 2023

A classic novel that not only shaped America but also captured the au…

EPISODE 1855: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Peter Slen, Executive Producer of the C-SPAN series BOOKS THAT SHAPED AMERICA, about Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (1937), an anthropological novel set...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 10, 2023

Why genuine neutrality was mostly a myth in the Second World War: Nei…

EPISODE 1854: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Neill Lochery, author of CASHING OUT, about the flight of Nazi treasure through "neutral" countries after the Second World War Professor Neill Lochery Ph.D., is the Catherin...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 9, 2023

How to write poetry on a smartphone: Best-selling poet and TikTok sen…

EPISODE 1853: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Whitney Hanson, author of HARMONY, about the anxiety of her generation and how social media makes physical events more "real" Whitney Hanson is the author of Home and Climat...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 8, 2023

The dark truth of Mexico as a mostly truant state terrorized by subsi…

EPISODE 1852: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Azam Ahmed, author of FEAR IS JUST A WORD, about he story of a missing daughter, a violent Cartel and a mother's quest for vengeance Azam Ahmed is an international investiga...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 8, 2023

Do great leaders make history or does history make great leaders? Mos…

EPISODE 1851: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Moshik Temkin, author of WARRIORS, REBELS, & SAINTS, about the art of leadership from FDR, Malcolm X and MLK to Trump and Biden Moshik Temkin is a fellow at the Middle East ...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 7, 2023

How to accurately reconstruct the entire 13.9 billion year history of…

EPISODE 1850: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to David J. Helfand, author of THE UNIVERSAL TIMEKEEPERS, about the power of atomic science to unveil the mysteries of unreachably remote time and space David J. Helfand has s...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 7, 2023

Turning Mrs Dalloway into a novel set in the New York City of April 2…

EPISODE 1849: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Lisa Gornick, author of ANA TURNS, about writing a New York City novel in the philistine age of the Taliban and Donald Trump Lisa Gornick has been hailed by NPR as “one of t...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 7, 2023

An Unprincipled Man for our Unprincipled Times: Rob Copeland on Ray D…

EPISODE 1848: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Rob Copeland, author of THE FUND, about Ray Dalio, the billionaire Big Brother of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund on the planet Rob Copeland is a finance repo...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 7, 2023

How early 21st century America resembles late 19th century Russia: Jo…

EPISODE 1847: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to John Gray, author of THE NEW LEVIATHANS, about our post-liberal future John Gray is a political philosopher and author. His books include Seven Types of Atheism, False Dawn:...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 6, 2023

The double life of America's most notorious agent of betrayal: Major …

EPISODE 1846: In this KEEN ON episode, Andrew talks to Major Garrett, host of the AGENT OF BETRAYAL podcast, about the Robert Hanssen, the FBI spy and weaver of a web of lies Major Garrett was named CBS News' chief Washington...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 6, 2023

How to make the most of college: Ben Wildavsky on the art of using co…

EPISODE 1845: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Ben Wildavsky, author of THE CAREER ARTS, about how to use college to successfully build a career Ben Wildavsky is a veteran higher education writer, strategist, and speaker...

Listen to the Episode
Nov. 6, 2023

Why the American mass incarceration system is jarringly unamerican: B…

EPISODE 1844: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Ben Austen, author of CORRECTION, about parole, prison and the near impossibility of change in the current American criminal justice system Ben Austen is a writer from Chica...

Listen to the Episode