Episodes

Ben Kesling: The Gut-Wrenching Story of One U.S. Army Unit's Experience in Afghanistan
Nov. 1, 2022

Ben Kesling: The Gut-Wrenching Story of One U.S. Army Unit's Experience in Afghanistan

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 Ben Kesling, author of Bravo Company: An Afghanistan Deployment and its Aftermath . Ben Kesling is a Midwest correspondent with The Wall Street Journal in the Chicago bureau where he also focuses on domestic security and veterans issues. He was previously a n...
Samantha Cole: How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex
Nov. 1, 2022

Samantha Cole: How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex

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 Samantha Cole, author of How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex . Samantha Cole is a senior editor for Motherboard, Vice’s science and technology outlet, where she covers sexuality, online culture, platforms, and the adult industry. Born on...
RJ Andrews: Why the Future of Publishing For One Start-Up Entrepreneur is High-End and Analog Books That Visualize Data
Nov. 1, 2022

RJ Andrews: Why the Future of Publishing For One Start-Up Entrepreneur is High-End and Analog Books That Visualize Data

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 RJ Andrews, publisher of Visionary Press and the books Maps of History by Emma Willard; Mortality and Health Diagrams by Florence Nightingale; and The Graphic Method by Étienne-Jules Marey. Data storyteller RJ Andrews is author and founder of Info We Trust. R...
Lenore Andreson: How California is Pioneering the Reform of the American Criminal Justice System
Nov. 1, 2022

Lenore Andreson: How California is Pioneering the Reform of the American Criminal Justice System

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 Lenore Anderson, author of In Their Names: The Untold Story of Victims’ Rights, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety . A former punk drummer turned prosecutor, Lenore Anderson is the founder and president of the Alliance for Safety and Justice....
Claudia Lux: Imagining a Kafkaesque Hell in Which There Is Only Jägermeister to Drink and the Devil Is a Corporate Bureaucrat
Oct. 31, 2022

Claudia Lux: Imagining a Kafkaesque Hell in Which There Is Only Jägermeister to Drink and the Devil Is a Corporate Bureaucrat

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 Claudia Lux, author of Sign Here . Claudia Lux xis a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, and has a master’s in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts. Sign Here is her first novel.
Henrietta Harrison on the 18th-Century China Question: The Perils of Translating Between Qing China and the British Empire
Oct. 31, 2022

Henrietta Harrison on the 18th-Century China Question: The Perils of Translating Between Qing China and the British Empire

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 Henrietta Harrison, author of The Perils of Interpreting: The Extraordinary Lives of Two Translators Between Qing China and the British Empire . Henrietta Harrison is professor of modern Chinese studies at the University of Oxford and the Stanley Ho Tutorial ...
Greg Melville: How Cemeteries Reveal America's Most Hidden and Often Deadliest History
Oct. 31, 2022

Greg Melville: How Cemeteries Reveal America's Most Hidden and Often Deadliest History

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 Greg Melville, author of Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries . Greg Melville has worked as an outdoor journalist and a former editor at Men’s Journal and Hearst magazines. He has strong connections with magazines and newsp...
Paul Sexton: Perhaps the Most Remarkable Thing About Charlie Watts Was Just How Remarkably Ordinary He Was
Oct. 31, 2022

Paul Sexton: Perhaps the Most Remarkable Thing About Charlie Watts Was Just How Remarkably Ordinary He Was

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 Paul Sexton, author of Charlie’s Good Tonight: The Life, the Times, and the Rolling Stones: The Authorized Biography of Charlie Watts . Paul Sexton started writing about music as a teenager in 1977. His work has appeared in The Times (London), the Daily Teleg...
Colin L. Read on Not the People's Money: Uncovering Bitcoin's Catastrophic Economic and Environmental Cost
Oct. 30, 2022

Colin L. Read on Not the People's Money: Uncovering Bitcoin's Catastrophic Economic and Environmental Cost

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 Colin L. Read, author of The Bitcoin Dilemma: Weighing the Economic and Environmental Costs and Benefits . Colin L. Read teaches Money and Banking and Sustainability at SUNY Plattsburgh. He has written a dozen books on finance and economics, and also served a...
Karen Bakker: A Digital Dolittle? On Technology That Will Enable Us to Talk With Other Species… Including Plants and Trees
Oct. 30, 2022

Karen Bakker: A Digital Dolittle? On Technology That Will Enable Us to Talk With Other Species… Including Plants and Trees

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 Karen Bakker, author of The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants . Karen Bakker is a professor at the University of British Columbia, and earned her PhD from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scho...
Evan Mandery: How Elite Colleges Divide, Disorient, and Diminish Us
Oct. 29, 2022

Evan Mandery: How Elite Colleges Divide, Disorient, and Diminish Us

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 Evan Mandery, author of Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us . An Emmy and Peabody Award winner, Evan Mandery is a professor at the City University of New York. He has written for the New York Times and Politico and has appeared on The Today Show , CNN, a...
Martin Rees on the Limits of Science: Why the Universe Might Be Too Complex For Humans to Ever Understand
Oct. 28, 2022

Martin Rees on the Limits of Science: Why the Universe Might Be Too Complex For Humans to Ever Understand

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 Martin Rees, author of On the Future: Prospects for Humanity . Martin Rees is Astronomer Royal, and has been Master of Trinity College and Director of the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University. As a member of the UK’s House of Lords and former Presid...
Michael Stein on Accidental Kindness: A Doctor's Thoughts on the Importance of Empathy
Oct. 28, 2022

Michael Stein on Accidental Kindness: A Doctor's Thoughts on the Importance of Empathy

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 Michael Stein, author of Accidental Kindness: A Doctor’s Notes on Empathy . Michael Stein , M.D., is award-winning author of six novels and four books of nonfiction, most recently Broke: Patients Talk About Money with Their Doctor . He is professor of health ...
John A. Farrell on How Ted Kennedy Became a Great Man When He Was Most Distanced From the U.S. Presidency
Oct. 28, 2022

John A. Farrell on How Ted Kennedy Became a Great Man When He Was Most Distanced From the U.S. Presidency

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 John A. Farrell, author of Ted Kennedy: A Life . John A. Farrell is the author of Richard Nixon: The Life , which won the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography and the New-York Historical Society Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American His...
Mae Ngai on The Chinese Question: Gold Rushes, Migration, and the Global Politics and Economics of Race
Oct. 27, 2022

Mae Ngai on The Chinese Question: Gold Rushes, Migration, and the Global Politics and Economics of Race

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 Mae Ngai, co-author of The Chinese Question: The Gold Rushes and Global Politics .
Cody Keenan on Ten Days in June: On a Pivotal Moment in Barack Obama's "Battle" for America
Oct. 27, 2022

Cody Keenan on Ten Days in June: On a Pivotal Moment in Barack Obama's "Battle" for America

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 Cody Keenan, author of Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America . Cody Keenan rose from a campaign intern in Chicago to become chief speechwriter at the White House and Barack Obama’s post-presidential collaborator. A sought-after expert ...
Daniel Drache: Has Populism Won? Must Democratic Politics, on Both Left and Right, Be Populist Now?
Oct. 27, 2022

Daniel Drache: Has Populism Won? Must Democratic Politics, on Both Left and Right, Be Populist Now?

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 Daniel Dranche, co-author of Has Populism Won? The War on Liberal Democracy . Daniel Drache is professor emeritus of political science and senior research fellow at the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at York University in Toronto. He is the author of ove...
Orly Lobel: Can Digital Technology Can Be Harnessed to Realize Equality, Inclusion, and a Brighter Future?
Oct. 26, 2022

Orly Lobel: Can Digital Technology Can Be Harnessed to Realize Equality, Inclusion, and a Brighter Future?

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 Orly Lobel, author of The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future . Orly Lobel is an award-winning author and the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of San Diego. She is the Director of the Pr...
David Sax: Why, If We Want to Create a More Human World, the Future Must Be Analog
Oct. 26, 2022

David Sax: Why, If We Want to Create a More Human World, the Future Must Be Analog

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 David Sax, author of The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World . David Sax is a writer, reporter, and speaker who specializes in business and culture. His book The Revenge of Analog was a #1 Washington Post bestseller, was selected as one of Mich...
Jonathan Clegg on Messi, Ronaldo, and the Radical Remaking of the World's Game Over the Last 20 Years
Oct. 26, 2022

Jonathan Clegg on Messi, Ronaldo, and the Radical Remaking of the World's Game Over the Last 20 Years

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 Jonathan Clegg, co-author of Messi vs. Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two Goats, and the Era That Remade the World’s Game . Jonathan Clegg is an editor for The Wall Street Journal . His work has also appeared in the Daily Telegraph , the Independent (U.K.), and FourFo...
Katie Hickman on Neither Heroines Nor Villains: The Brave-Hearted Women Who Settled the American West
Oct. 26, 2022

Katie Hickman on Neither Heroines Nor Villains: The Brave-Hearted Women Who Settled the American West

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 Katie Hickman, author of Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West . Katie Hickman is the author of nine previous books, including two international bestsellers of history. She has also written two highly acclaimed travel books, and a trilogy of historica...
Joseph Sassoon on A History of the Sassoons—One of the World's Great Global Merchant Families
Oct. 25, 2022

Joseph Sassoon on A History of the Sassoons—One of the World's Great Global Merchant Families

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 Joseph Sassoon, author of The Sassoons: The Great Global Merchants and the Making of an Empire . Joseph Sassoon is Professor of History and Politics at Georgetown University. He is also a Senior Associate Member at St. Antony’s College, Oxford and a Trustee o...
Becca Andrews: How the Destruction of Roe v. Wade Undermines Fundamental American Rights
Oct. 25, 2022

Becca Andrews: How the Destruction of Roe v. Wade Undermines Fundamental American Rights

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 Becca Andrews, author of No Choice: The Destruction of Roe V. Wade and the Fight to Protect a Fundamental American Right . Becca Andrews is an investigative journalist at Reckon News who writes about reproductive justice, religion, and inequality. Her work ha...
Vladislav M. Zubok on the Soviet Union Might Be Dead, But the Consequences of Its Disastrous Collapse Continue to Haunt Us
Oct. 25, 2022

Vladislav M. Zubok on the Soviet Union Might Be Dead, But the Consequences of Its Disastrous Collapse Continue to Haunt Us

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 Vladislav M. Zubok, author of Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union , an excerpt of which you can read here . Vladislav M. Zubok is professor of international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of A Failed Empir...