How To! with Mike Pesca

Today we're going to see if one American family can flip the usual, tortured and tedious script for arguing about politics and do something more interesting. Jenn and Todd Brandel sit down with their dad, Bruce, to see if they can come to a better understanding about what has shaped their different political views. Mónica Guzmán , senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels and author of I...

Jenn and Todd Brandel have a close, loving relationship with their father, Bruce. But one thing makes their blood boil: his political chain emails. The messages are often forwarded commentary written in a provocative tone, and are an unwelcome reminder of just how far apart the family is politically. On this episode of How To!, we're joined by Mónica Guzmán , senior fellow for public practice at B...

Becca is 6-feet tall, bold and strong-willed. She's also easily startled and paralyzed by fear — even a children's haunted house can reduce her to tears. In this episode of How To! , we bring in sociologist Margee Kerr , author of Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear , to give us the lowdown on surviving scary situations. Can making fear more fun help Becca overcome her startle refle...

If you've ever vacationed on the beaches of Delaware, chances are you drove right by Smyrna. It's a small but charming town that's been bypassed by the main highways. Which is why Mike, a small business owner on the town council, wants to create a spectacular, engaging roadside attraction to tempt tourists into town. The only snag? He doesn't know what to actually build. On this episode of How To!...

After three decades of marriage, Bernadette wasn't exactly blindsided when Rodney asked for a divorce. Things had been rocky for awhile, but she always assumed they'd live the rest of their lives "unhappily ever after." Now Bernadette is facing an uncertain future, wondering how she's going to navigate her new life socially, emotionally, and financially. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Dr....

When Dana and Luke first started dating at the office they kept their relationship a secret. Most of their colleagues didn't know they were a couple until they got engaged. They didn't want any undue pressure or outside judgment. That's because Dana is a proud Black, Ghanaian woman from central Florida and Luke is a white man from Kansas. Dana's wondering how she can preserve her identity while th...

College application season is approaching fast—too fast—for 16-yr old Maya and her mother, Melissa. The problem? Maya has no idea where to go or what to study. It doesn't help that there are thousands of schools to choose from, and little transparency about their true cost. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Ron Lieber , New York Times money columnist and author of The Price You Pay for Colle...

When Trish first started working in corporate recruiting, she had wonderful co-workers, a supportive manager, opportunities for growth—it was "bliss." But the bliss evaporated in 2020 when she got laid off during the pandemic. She's since found a different job in the same field, but also decided to try her hand at teaching pilates part-time. Now, after burning the candle at both ends, Trish is bur...

In the second of a two-part episode on reimagining the news we continue our conversation with Nicole Lewis , Senior Editor of Jurisprudence at Slate, and a longtime reporter on the criminal justice beat; and David Bornstein , co-founder/CEO of the Solutions Journalism Network , and former contributor to the New York Times' Fixes column. The discussion picks up where we left off on how journalists...

About five or six years ago, host Amanda Ripley started noticing that her normal news diet left her feeling depleted and depressed. She tried mixing up her news habits, even avoiding it for awhile, but nothing helped. It felt like a shameful secret. Shouldn't journalists love consuming the news? She began to wonder, is it me....or is it the news itself? On this episode of How To!, the first of two...

When Clare decided on a resolution for the year, she was looking for a new challenge. Instead of running a marathon like her partner, Clare—who "talks for a living"—decided to go completely silent. She signed up for a silent retreat. But as it approached, she wondered how she could possibly go an entire week without speaking. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Daniel Thorson of the Monastic A...

When Swiss Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud moved to Washington DC, his residence was perfect. Too perfect. The Swiss ambassador's residence sits on six acres on a hill with an awesome view of the Washington Monument. "I was amazed by the beauty of the whole setting…It looked like a golf course and I don't like golf courses… they are ecological disasters," Ambassador Pitteloud reflected. Together with...

In the last 24 years, Judy has moved approximately 16 times for her husband's military career. But her family has finally settled down in a lovely house with a yard near Annapolis, Maryland. Now Judy is hoping to transform her outdoor space into something that's beautiful and environmentally friendly. On this episode of How To!, Doug Tallamy explains why, now more than ever, we need people like Ju...

Elaine picked up watercolor painting during her two year, cross country RV adventure with her family. She quickly fell in love with gorgeous nature scenes and found the creative process meditative and healing. But now she's wondering if her art could be something more. On this episode of How To!, multitalented artist Aaron Dworkin has tips for Elaine and other aspiring artists on how to live a 'po...

Last week, our expert Arthur Brooks gave us some surefire advice for resetting the parent-child relationship so your kids don't treat you like an emotional ATM. On this episode of How To!, he's going to teach our listener, Karen, how to balance the books, so to speak, by taking some withdrawals of her own. He has some surprising tips for how to restrain yourself from swooping in to save the day wh...

Every time Karen gets a phone call from her adult children her heart sinks. Even at age 23 and 21, they're usually calling with a problem. She's received calls for everything from flat tires to mental health emergencies. While she loves her kids and wants to always be a safe place for them to land, she really wants them to gain more independence. On this episode of How To!, we bring in Arthur Broo...

For a lot of would-be parents, adoption isn't the first path that comes to mind. But that's how Victoria, a PhD student, is leaning right now. Even though she's not planning to have a family for a few more years, it's never too early to start preparing for what can be a long, arduous process. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Marcia Chatelain , Pulitzer Prize winning author , professor of hi...

In 2019, Brenda took a year off from their PhD program to try to feel pleasure again…with anything. Brenda has come a long way since then but there's one thing that's still elusive—they've never experienced an orgasm. Whenever they try, anxiety kicks in and they're left feeling frustrated and, in their words "broken." On this episode of How To!, we bring in Ev'Yan Whitney , sex educator, author ,...

Erin thinks her dog Chief has the most embarrassing habit—he keeps eating her daughters' underwear. This has happened several times, resulting in multiple costly surgeries. If she doesn't put a stop to it, it could eventually kill Chief. How can she get her dog to behave and, more importantly, get her teenage daughters to put their underwear in the hamper? On this episode of How To!, Jenny Slate,...

Coming out of the worst of the pandemic, a lot of us need to relearn how to socialize, from what to say to what to wear. Our listener, Kristen, is headed back to the office and wants to feel like a boss. The only problem? She looks at her wardrobe and doesn't know where to begin. On this episode of How To!, we bring in celebrity stylist Leesa Evans to give her a crash course in clothing. Leesa has...

We all know the country is deeply fractured right now, and that's especially true in our politics. There is vitriol, bitter partisanship and an expectation that in order to succeed you need to beat up on your opponent. So is it possible to fight for your beliefs, remain civil and still win elections? On this episode of How To!, we brought together two politicians from either side of the aisle who...

Karin always thought of herself as the mom of two boys—that is, until last year when her oldest child told her they were nonbinary, meaning they don't identify as either male or female. Karin loves her kid deeply, but she's struggling to get used to their new name and pronouns, especially because her town—and husband—aren't very accepting. On this episode of How To!, we bring in Lisa DelCol, a fel...

Elizabeth's son Lucas is a talented athlete who wants to compete in track and field at an NCAA Division One school. But so far he's been running away from doing any research or planning. His mother, Elizabeth, wants to help him be recruited and maybe even get a scholarship. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Steve Magness , performance expert, former track coach for the University of Houston,...

Daniel seems to be the whole package. He's smart, social, and has lots of friends. He even organizes a beach volleyball league in Berlin. But he can't seem to land a date despite his best efforts. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Andrea Silenzi , dating aficionado and host of the acclaimed dating podcast Why Oh Why . She knows what it's like to put a ton of effort into dating and not land t...

After experiencing multiple instances of sexual assault, Julia often feels sexually disconnected from her own body. She wants to be aware of her boundaries and find pleasure in new relationships going forward. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Jamila Dawson , licensed marriage and family therapist, and August McLaughlin , health and sexuality journalist and host of Girl Boner Radio. Together...