To mark the release of our new book “Abundance,” my co-author Derek Thompson had me on his podcast, “Plain English,” to talk about it. We’re on book tour right now, so we’re doing a lot of talking about this book. But this conversation is different. It’s just Derek and me, and we get into the story of how the book came together, and all the people and ideas ... Show More
Nov 18
Patti Smith on the One Desire That Lasts Forever
<p>Patti Smith, “the Godmother of Punk,” has lived a wild life and accumulated so much wisdom in the process. In the 1960s and ’70s, Smith was a fixture of the New York City creative scene — hanging out with the likes of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Allen Ginsberg and Robert Mappleth ... Show More
1h 17m
Aug 21
Ross and Ezra Klein Discuss Trump, Mysticism and Psychedelics
<p>This week, we’re sharing a great conversation Ross had on “The Ezra Klein Show” this past spring. Ezra asks Ross about his most recent book, “Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious.” But along the way, they debate not just how religion influences the Trump administration bu ... Show More
1h 36m
Oct 2019
The Fascinating Origins of Everyday Things (Part 2)
In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start off looking at that time the United States government banned pre-sliced bread… Really.
Next up, we have a brief message from a sponsor, Blinkist, which gives you the key ideas from more than 3,000 bestselling nonfiction books in j ... Show More
48m 6s
Sep 18
Ian McEwan on Speculative Fiction, Lost Poems and What We Can Know
Ian McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of nineteen novels and two short story collections. His novels include Atonement, Enduring Love, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach, and he is the recipient of many awards including the Booker Prize, the Somerset Maugham Award and t ... Show More
42 m
Sep 8
How America’s Largest Bank Helped Jeffrey Epstein, and a Show of Resistance in D.C.
<p>Plus, why you’re wrong about your Zodiac sign.</p><p><strong>On Today’s Episode:</strong></p><p><a href="http://nytimes.com/2025/09/08/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-jp-morgan.html" target="_blank"><strong>How JPMorgan Enabled the Crimes of Jeffrey Epstein</strong></a>, <i>by David ... Show More
10m 38s
Jan 2025
Book Club: Let’s Talk About Alan Hollinghurst’s ‘Our Evenings’
<p>The novel “Our Evenings,” by Alan Hollinghurst, follows a gay English Burmese actor from childhood into old age as he confronts confusing relationships, his emerging sexuality, racism and England’s changing political climate in the late 20th and early 21st century. It’s the st ... Show More
47m 52s
Jan 2025
What Went Wrong with Liberalism and How We Can Save it, with Samuel Moyn
In this episode Samuel Moyn, Chancellor Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, explores what he sees as the profound crisis facing liberalism and why many in the West have become disillusioned with it. Drawing from his latest book 'Liberalism against Itself: Cold W ... Show More
47m 37s
Nov 2019
The Fascinating Origins of Everyday Foods (Part 1)
In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start off looking at the interesting reason why milk is white, yet cheddar cheese is yellow/orange.
Next up, we have a brief message from our sponsor, Blinkist, which gives you the key ideas from more than 3,000 bestselling nonfiction b ... Show More
57m 3s