Hardly Working with Brent Orrell

Every year, 600,000 Americans are released from prison, and nearly two-thirds of them will be rearrested for new crimes within three years. Many attempts at reducing criminal recidivism have yielded disappointing results, leading researchers and policymakers to ask “what works” in improving the odds of a successful return to society? Brent Orrell is joined by […] The post What, if anything, works...

Can the writings of an 18 th  century philosopher help the modern person find meaning and purpose? Before he wrote the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith wrote another book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, which helps us understand how a good life, one marked by both prosperity and personal happiness, is achieved. Join Brent Orrell and Ryan Hanley , a professor of political science at Boston Colle...

Babies begin learning from the moment they are born, absorbing and processing the world around them. However, their ability to process and understand large quantities of information diminishes over time. Research shows that if a child enters kindergarten behind, they are unlikely to catch up to their peers. Because of this, the early years of life are crucial to human capital development and our n...

Family is the seedbed of skill development for young children: relationships within the family influence a child’s development in all areas of their life. Furthermore, as family structure has morphed and shifted over the past few decades, so have the economic outcomes for children. In this episode, Brent Orrell hosts Alan Hawkins of Brigham Young University and W. Bradford Wilcox of AEI to discuss...

The success sequence shows that people who finish high school, work full-time, and marry before having children have a low chance of experiencing poverty. Yet fostering and developing those behaviors is complex and affected by countless external factors. In this episode, host Brent Orrell joins Isabell Sawhill of the Brookings Institution and Ian Rowe , a visiting fellow at AEI and Fordham Institu...

Most people know that the human brain is divided into two hemispheres: the left brain and the right brain. But what purpose does this division serve, and how does it influence perception, behavior, economics, and culture? In this episode of "Hardly Working," host Brent Orrell is joined by Dr. Iain McGilchrist , author of " The Master and His Emissary ," to discuss how the makeup of our brain...

We know... do we really need another podcast in this world? How will this actually help us in our careers and lives? Host Brent Orrell explains what drove him to create Hardly Working , what this podcast provides, the experience he brings, and how he believes this podcast will make you a better worker, a better citizen, and a better person.

Whether you are working hard or hardly working, join AEI Resident Fellow Brent Orrell as he explores national trends and public policies affecting the vitality of the American workforce and how to prepare yourself for success in our rapidly-changing economy. And whatever else happens, we promise it will take your mind off of your job. Join Brent as he introduces the newest addition to the AEI Podc...