In this special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt talks to the best-selling author of "Sapiens" and "Homo Deus" about finding the profound in the obvious.
Yesterday
The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of (Update)
Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. In this updated episode from 2025, journalists Javier Blas and Jack Farchy help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of c ... Show More
1h 6m
Feb 27
665. Werner Herzog Isn’t Afraid ...
... of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who mistake facts for the truth. SOURCES: Werner Herzog, writer, filmmaker, and actor. RESOURCES: The Future of Truth, by Werner Herzog (2025). Every Man ... Show More
49m 8s
Jul 2022
84. Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life Is Meaningless and Amazing
<p>The author of <i>Sapiens</i> has a knack for finding the profound in the obvious. He tells Steve why money is fiction, traffic can be mind-blowing, and politicians have a right to say stupid things in private. </p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href ... Show More
53m 55s
Jul 2020
Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire”
<p>Steve Levitt has spent decades as an academic economist, “studying strange phenomena and human behavior in weird circumstances.” Now he’s turning his curiosity to something new: interviewing some of the most interesting, unorthodox people around — from actresses to athletes, a ... Show More
4m 46s
Jun 2022
Steven Johnson wants to know how enlightenment happens
It’s official, the TED Interview has a new host! In Chris’s last episode as head of the show, he interviews his successor, bestselling science and technology author Steven Johnson. Two self-described intellectual soulmates, Chris and Steven take a deep dive in discussing where id ... Show More
54m 39s
Dec 2020
Episode 29 | David Levi Strauss and Michael Taussig
Is seeing believing? In an era of surveillance and “deepfakes” and camera phones, images are more powerful—and fraught—than they’ve ever been. The poet and writer David Levi Strauss, an authority on photography and its effect in society, and the renowned anthropologist Michael Ta ... Show More
40 m
Dec 2021
Timeless Wisdom for Leading a Life of Love, Friendship and Learning
<p>“Today, we are supercompetent when it comes to efficiency, utility, speed, convenience, and getting ahead in the world; but we are at a loss concerning what it’s all for,” Leon Kass writes in his 2017 book “<a href="https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/leading-worthy-life/" ta ... Show More
1h 5m