On The Gist, why Alabama's decrepitude is not incidental to Roy Moore's competitive bid for Senate. In the interview, Russell Shorto tells the stories of six people living through the Revolutionary War—one is George Washington; the other five, you've probably never heard of. Shorto's book is Revolution Song. In the Spiel, a counterpoint to Jill Filipovic's ... Show More
Jul 17
Vincent Schiraldi: Mass Supervision and Criminal Justice Reform
Today on The Gist, guest host Bob Garfield replays an interview with prison reformer Vincent Schiraldi about his book, Mass Supervision: Probation, Parole, and the Illusion of Safety and Freedom. Schiraldi discusses his time running Rikers Island, explaining that the jail faces i ... Show More
35m 51s
Jul 15
Michael Murphy: "The Spaces Around Us Are Shaping Us and Changing Us"
Today on The Gist, An interview with architect Michael Murphy about his memoir-style book, Our World in 10 Buildings: How Architecture Defines Who We Are and How We Live. Murphy details his career shift from studying classical, monumental architecture to founding Mass Design Grou ... Show More
42m 7s
Jul 13
Steven Johnson: "We Have Three Levels of Probability. It's Gonna Happen, It's Not Gonna Happen, and Maybe"
Today on The Gist, guest host Bob Garfield introduces the show's new format before diving into a special double-feature interview with science and tech author Steven Johnson. Blending conversations from 2018 and 2016, the episode deconstructs how humanity handles complex, long-te ... Show More
34m 45s
Apr 2019
Taking On The Nanny State
Bret Easton Ellis, author and screenwriter, has a new book out , "White", where he takes on the nanny state still crying about the 2016 election. President Trump's victory was "not fair" and liberals have drawn a line where even talking to a conservative should be grounds for abu ... Show More
1h 32m