Keen On America

In episode 1975, Andrew talks to Ira Shapiro, author of THE BETRAYAL, about what he sees as Mitch McConnell's grave and unprecedented crime against American democracy. Ira Shapiro spent the first half of his 45 year Washington career as a Senate staffer and Clinton administration trade ambassador before writing a series of books about the Senate which William A. Galston, Brookings scholar, calls a...

In episode 1974, Andrew talks to Sarah Scoles, author of COUNTDOWN, about the chillingly blinding future of nuclear weapons. Sarah Scoles is a Colorado-based science journalist, a contributing editor at Popular Science and a senior contributor at Undark. She is author of Making Contact (2017) and They Are Already Here (2020), both published by Pegasus Books. Her book Countdown: The Blinding Future...

EPISODE 1973: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the LA Times book critic, Bethanne Patrick, about six intriguing new fiction and non-fiction books to read in February. Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 fol...

In episode 1972, Andrew talks to Gregory Makoff, author of DEFAULT, about the cautionary tale of Argentina's $100 billion 2001 debt default. Gregory Makoff has been writing about sovereign debt for the past decade and is the author of the forthcoming book Default: The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina’s $100 Billion Debt Restructuring, scheduled to be published by Georgetown University Press in...

In episode 1971, Andrew talks to Charan Ranganath, author of WHY WE REMEMBER, who unlocks memory's power to hold on to what matters about our lives. CHARAN RANGANATH is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California at Davis. For over 25 years, Dr. Ranganath has studied the mechanisms in the brain that allow us to remember past eve...

In episode 1970, Andrew talks to Debby Irving, author of WAKING UP WHITE, about how she discovered herself and the story of American racial injustice. Debby Irving brings to racial justice the perspective of working in non-profit organizations and education for 25 years before understanding racism as systemic or her own whiteness as an obstacle to grappling with it. Despite attending diversity wor...

EPISODE 1969: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter, Keith explains why none of us can stop thinking about our high tech future. Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK-based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. H...

In episode 1968, Andrew talks to Peter McGraw, author of SOLO, about how remaining single offers the promise of a remarkable life. Dr. Peter McGraw is a bachelor, behavioral economist, and business school professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He hosts the podcast Solo-The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life, he writes for Single Insights – The Science of Solos, and hosts The Solo...

In episode 1967, Andrew talks to Matt Gatton, author of THE SHADOWS OF SOCRATES, about the heresy, war and treachery behind the trial of Socrates. Matt Gatton is a scholar based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a pioneer of the study of the ritual and aesthetic uses of physical light in prehistory and classical antiquity. Gatton’s groundbreaking work on optical distortions at Lascaux was published i...

In episode 1966, Andrew talks to the Atlantic contributing writer Jonathan Rauch on why the U.S. government should apologize to gay people for its crime of erasing gays from public life. Jonathan Rauch is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. Named as one of the "100 most connec...

In episode 1965, Andrew talks to James Traub, author of TRUE BELIEVER, about Hubert Humphrey's quest for a more just 20th century America. James Traub is a journalist and scholar specializing in international affairs. He is a columnist and contributor to the website foreignpolicy.com. He worked as a staff writer for The New Yorker from 1993 to 1998 and as a contributing writer to The New York Time...

In episode 1964, Andrew talks to Marshall Poe, founder of theNew Books Network, about why there's no such as intellectual objectivity but why we are going to miss it when it's gone. Marshall Poe is former history professor, writer and editor at The Atlantic, and the founder and editor of the New Books Network, the internet’s oldest and most prolific podcast network. He is the author of "The Realit...

In episode 1963, Andrew talks to Gary S. Cross, author of FREE TIME, about the history of the elusive ideal of leisure time. Gary S. Cross is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Modern History in the Department of History at Pennsylvania State University and author of Freak Show Legacies and Time and Money: The Making of Consumer Culture. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine...

EPISODE 1962: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter, Keith explains how A.I. is about to revolutionize not just Hollywood but also the art (and science) of making movies. Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at S...

In episode 1961, Andrew talks to David Kirkpatrick, author of THE FACEBOOK EFFECT, about Facebook's unique economic profitability and equally historic moral unprofitability. David Kirkpatrick is a journalist, commentator about technology, and author of the bestselling book “The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World,” published in 32 countries. He spent 25 ye...

n episode 1960, Andrew talks to Paul Starobin, author of PUTIN'S EXILES, about the Russians fighting to build a better country. Journalist and author Paul Starobin is a former contributing editor of The Atlantic and a former Moscow bureau chief of Business Week. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. His latest book, Putin’s...

In episode 1959, Andrew talks to Jeffrey Rosen, author of THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, about how classical writers inspired the lives of the Founders and defined the ideals of the American Republic. Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, wh...

In episode 1958 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to David Montero, the author of THE STOLEN WEALTH OF SLAVERY, who makes his case for reparations David Montero has documented the impact of corruption in South and South East Asia. Formerly a correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor and a regular producer for PBS’s flagship investigative series, FRONTLINE, his work has twice been honored with an Emmy...

In episode 1957 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Ronald Drabkin, author of BEVERLY HILLS SPY, about the First World War hero who helped Japan attack Pearl Harbor Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Ronald Drabkin is the author of Beverly Hills Spy and peer-reviewed articles on Japanese espionage. His obsession...

In Episode 1956 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Jason Pack, co-presenter of DISORDER podcast, about Netanyahu, Hamas, Biden and why he still have faith in the Israeli people to come to their senses Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Jason Pack is the Founder of Libya-Analysis LLC , and the co-host of Disorde...

In episode 1955 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Terry Hayes, author of THE YEAR OF THE LOCUST & I AM A PILGRIM, about why all epic stories are thrillers Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Terry Hayes is the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Pilgrim and The Year of the Locust and is the award-winn...

EPISODE 1954: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter, Keith explains how Tucker Carlson's Putin interview captures the vitality of what he calls today’s "new, new media" revolution Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK-based global inves...

EPISODE 1953: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Patrick Winn, author of NARCOTOPIA, about a south-east Asian nation the size of Belgium which controls the region's $60 billion meth trade. Patrick Winn is an award-winning investigative journalist. He mostly covers rebellion and black markets in Southeast Asia. Winn is the author of two narrative non-fiction books:Narcotopia: In Search of the As...

EPISODE 1952: Andrew talks to Leon Wieseltier, editor of LIBERTIES QUARTERLY, about how to protect traditional liberal values against both right and left wing intolerance. Leon Wieseltier (born June 14, 1952) is an American critic and magazine editor. From 1983 to 2014, he was the literary editor of The New Republic . He was a contributing editor and critic at The Atlantic until 2017. In 2020, he...

EPISODE 1951: In this KEEN ON show, I talk to the Israeli author and clinical psychologist Ayelet Gundar-Goshen about the impact of October 7 on a people trained in both remembering and forgetting their own history. AYELET GUNDAR-GOSHEN was born in Israel in 1982. She is a practicing clinical psychologist, has been a news editor on Israel’s leading newspaper and has worked for the Israeli civil ri...