Wiser World

These are seven of my favorite books from around the world. They’re the ones that changed how I see history, other cultures and people. Some are funny, some are hopeful, and a few are honestly hard to read. But almost all of them are true stories about ordinary people holding on to their humanity, and to each other, in extraordinary circumstances. To get links to each book, plus two other books I...

Here's the goal of this episode: to give you a practical framework for recognizing the patterns that can weaken a democracy before the answer becomes obvious. Because these days, authoritarianism often doesn't arrive with tanks in the streets or a coup. Often it develops gradually, through elections, legal changes, weakened institutions, and leaders who argue that the normal rules are getting in t...

If a country holds elections, does that make it a democracy? Not necessarily. In this episode, we look beyond the ballot box and explore seven principles that help make democratic government actually democratic: popular sovereignty, real elections, limits on power, the rule of law, legitimate political opposition, access to independent information, and the peaceful transfer of power. We’ll also co...

What is fascism—and how does it actually take hold? In this episode, we trace the rise of fascism from post–World War I Italy to Hitler’s Germany, looking at the fear, economic instability, political violence, and national humiliation that helped these movements grow. Then we break down how historians define fascism and the warning signs they look for. This is a foundational primer designed to hel...

In this special collaborative episode, Wiser World joins The Women in the Arena and Iron Butterfly Podcast for a conversation about what it means to think like a global citizen. I sit down with Sarah Scully, Megan Jaffer, and Cadie Hopkins to explore how we can broaden our perspectives, better understand the world around us, and become more thoughtful global thinkers. Want to learn more? Check out...

For my 100th episode, I'm sharing 5 patterns that I have learned from studying world history. For more resources and ad-free content, head to ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠ Join us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wiserworld.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ L...

A brief historical and cultural recap of Puerto Rico for those who know little to nothing about it. For more resources and ad-free content, head to ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠ Special thanks for Tiana and Luis for their thoughts in this episode! Here's a little about them, in their own words: We're Tiana and Luis, a husband-and-wife team sharing our love for Puerto Rico thro...

A brief historical and cultural recap of Spain for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this layered, unique country. For more resources and ad-free content, head to ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠ Transcript for this episode. Join us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for our free weekly ema...

A brief historical and cultural recap of Greece for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this fascinating and unique country. For more resources and ad-free content, head to ⁠https://www.patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠ Special thanks to Georgios for his contribution to this episode! Sources used in making this episode. Transcript for this episode. Join us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

A brief historical and cultural recap of Mexico for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this fascinating and unique country. For more resources and ad-free content, head to https://www.patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast Sources used in making this episode. Special thanks to Paulina Bruce and Adriana Ochoa for their insights in this episode! Transcript for this episode. Join us on I...

A brief historical and cultural recap of New Zealand for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this fascinating and unique country. For more resources and ad-free content, head to https://www.patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast Special thanks to Larna Jensen-McCloy and Courtney McNaught for their contributions to this episode! Really appreciate you both. Sources used in making this ep...

Dr. Harini Bhat is a clinical pharmacist and storyteller obsessed with the moments in history that still can't be fully explained. Every week she investigates real events that defy easy explanation. Mass hysterias. Vanished civilizations. Medical oddities. Strange signals. Unexplained phenomena that keep repeating across centuries, as if history is trying to tell us something. Hidden History doesn...

A brief historical and cultural recap of Bhutan for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this fascinating and unique country. For additional resources, head to Patreon, where you get ad-free episodes and lots of ways to visualize this episode. Special thanks to Kinley Dorji from Druk Asia and Chencho Lham from soultrips.co for their contribution to this episode! If you're inter...

A brief historical and cultural recap of Hawai'i for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this incredible place. For additional resources, head to Patreon. *Corrections: Despite best efforts, I mispronounced some words in this episode and want to correct them here—most I did not pronounce the glottal stop that comes with the apostrophe: Kaho’olawe = Kah-ho-oh-la-vay; Moloka’i =...

In this episode, my guest, Shahnila Ahmad, explains the holy month of Dhul Hijjah and the holiday of Eid al-Adha to those who know little to nothing about it. You can also watch this conversation on Youtube. About Shahnila: Shahnila Ahmad is a homeschool mom of four, parent mentor, and ICF-certified coach who is passionate about helping Muslim parents raise emotionally connected, resilient childre...

In this episode, I share my final reflections—what I have learned about peacemakers from the last year of studying peacemaking and learning from peacemakers. I share 8 qualities that I believe peacemakers have. This is the final episode in this peacemaking series. Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Jo...

I'm excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you’d enjoy: No Such Thing No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research. Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to exper...

In this episode, I interview Professor Brett Scharffs, the director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU. His extensive bio is found here. He joins the show fresh from speaking at the UN Human Rights Council — where he was invited to evaluate a landmark unanimous resolution on building cultures of peace. His central argument is that human dignity is the bedrock beneath a...

Lebanon has been in the headlines for months — but the real story goes back 3,000 years. In less than an hour, get the context you've been missing: Phoenicians, civil war, Hezbollah, and how all of it leads to today. This is a brief, approachable history of Lebanon for those who know little to nothing about it. Please keep in mind that this is not comprehensive, just a jumping off point for furthe...

What does negotiation have to do with peacemaking? Turns out, A LOT. Stan Christensen has spent decades negotiating in over 75 countries — between governments, ethnic groups, and armed factions — and he joins Wiser World to bring that hard-won wisdom down to earth. We talk about why conflict avoidance creates more conflict, how trust is built and broken, what skilled negotiators do differently, an...

Today we explore the stories of five MORE impactful peacemakers throughout the world: Wangari Maathai, José Ramos-Horta, Mohandas Gandhi, Rigoberta Menchú, and Mairead Corrigan. Their stories are inspiring and very human, and I hope you enjoy learning about them as much as I did. Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpo...

In this episode, I sit down with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini — peace strategist, founder of the International Civil Society Action Network and one of the architects of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 — to talk about what it actually takes to build lasting peace. We cover the research behind women's inclusion in peace processes, how a scrappy international coalition got a landmark resolution passed...

Today we explore the stories of five impactful peacemakers throughout the world: Bertha Von Suttner, Nelson Mandela, Eleanor Roosevelt, Óscar Arias, and Leymah Gbowee. Their stories are inspiring and very human, and I hope you enjoy learning about them as much as I did. Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

What is the history of peacemaking? In this episode, we trace the origins of diplomacy and international law from the ancient world to the present day. Topics include the Treaty of Kadesh — the world's oldest peace treaty — the Great Law of Peace and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the birth of modern diplomacy at the Peace of Westphalia, the founding of the Red Cross, the Geneva Conventions, the L...

Most of us think peacemaking means keeping the peace — avoiding conflict, not ruffling feathers, smoothing things over. But what if that's actually not peacemaking? In this episode, I sit down with Steven Collis — law professor, First Amendment scholar, and author of Habits of a Peacemaker — to dig into what productive dialogue actually looks like in real life. Not in a boardroom or a courtroom, b...