Note: This episodes contains references to suicide.
When a state trooper appeared at Rachel Zimmerman's door to report that her husband had jumped to his death off a nearby bridge, she fell to her knees, unable to fully absorb the news. How could the man she married, a devoted father and robotics professor at MIT, have committed such a violent act? How would ... Show More
Sep 24
Rachel Aviv, "You Won't Get Free of It: Stories of Mothers and Daughters" (Knopf, 2026)
A collection of reported stories that explore the relationship between mothers and daughters, from the finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for her work in The New Yorker. You Won’t Get Free: Stories of Mothers and Daughters (Knopf, 2026) of It tells the stories of ... Show More
52m 18s
Sep 19
Audun Dahl, "Between Fixed and Fickle: Why Our Moral Views Keep Changing" (Harvard UP, 2026)
Between Fixed and Fickle: Why Our Moral Views Keep Changing (Harvard UP, 2026), a psychologist explains why—and how—moral views change across different life stages, situations, and historical eras.We like to believe that moral truths are obvious and unchangeable: cheating is wro ... Show More
35m 3s
Sep 16
Sheila L. Macrine and Jennifer M.B. Fugate, "Embodied Intelligence: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Natural, Artificial, and Hybrid Systems" (MIT Press, 2026)
Embodied Intelligence: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Natural, Artificial, and Hybrid Systems (MIT Press, 2026) explores a radical transformation taking place in intelligence research. Rather than focusing exclusively on brains and computer code, the book examines the importan ... Show More
48m 6s
Apr 2019
Dr. Jennifer Ashton on Life after Suicide
Dr. Jennifer Ashton, the chief medical correspondent for ABC News and a prominent physician with a private practice, has made a career of explaining difficult medical issues to her patients and viewers. Now, she has written a book about a trauma in her own life and the lives of 4 ... Show More
33m 53s
Apr 2022
Gabfest Reads: He Wanted to Die Holding Hands
David Plotz talks with author Amy Bloom about her journey to support the death, by suicide, of her husband, chronicled in her new book In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unl ... Show More
17m 31s
Apr 2019
Introducing Life After Suicide with Dr. Jennifer Ashton
ABC News' Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton draws from her own tragic experience to explore the aftermath of suicide and sudden loss and, similar to her book, "Life After Suicide," this eight-part series serves a roadmap to survival and offers inspiring insight on h ... Show More
2m 28s
Jul 2024
Stephanie, Part 2 | Betrayal Weekly
After unearthing her husband's secret online life, Stephanie struggles to find a way forward. Content Warning: This episode includes description of a suicide attempt. If you are experiencing feelings of hopelessness or thinking about ending your own life, you are not alone. He ... Show More
35m 9s