Thecuriousmanspodcast

On September 11th, most people were running away. Michael Dorian ran toward the smoke. Toward the destruction. Toward the uncertainty. He wasn't seeking recognition. He wasn't chasing glory. He simply saw people who needed help. And that decision became part of a lifetime defined by service, sacrifice, and extraordinary humanity. Today, we're telling the story of a hero many people have never hear...

Imagine fighting the American Revolution... In Gibraltar. In the jungles of the Yucatán. On an island in the English Channel. Or inside a palace in India. The American Revolution wasn't just America's war. It was a world war. And without allies from across the globe, the United States might never have existed. Today, we're uncovering one of history's most overlooked stories.

Birds are everywhere. They soar above our cities, sing outside our windows, and migrate across continents. Yet every sparrow, eagle, penguin, and hummingbird carries an astonishing secret: They're dinosaurs. In this episode, I'm joined by renowned paleontologist, Jurassic World science advisor, and bestselling author Steve Brusatte to discuss his fascinating new book, The Story of Birds: A New His...

More than a century after the guns of World War I fell silent, the scars of that conflict still stretch across Europe—in fields, forests, cemeteries, and quiet villages that once stood at the center of history. After years of pandemic isolation, historian, photographer, and author Briana Gervat set out on an extraordinary journey: to walk the entire Western Front Way alone. Carrying only a backpac...

What happens when the hardest question you'll ever face is one you ask yourself? For veteran and author Devin Fish , that question was both devastating and life-changing: "Do I want to die?" In his deeply personal memoir Answering the Hard Questions , Devin chronicles his journey through military service, depression, suicidal ideation, hospitalization, poverty, self-hatred, and trauma—and the diff...

What do we inherit from the people we lose too soon? Author Hilary Plattner joins the show to discuss her memoir The Momma Puzzle , a poignant story of grief, discovery, and family history. After her mother's death by suicide, Hilary spent decades carrying unanswered questions. Eventually, she began piecing together her mother's life through personal artifacts, family interviews, and historical re...

What happens when you leave everything familiar behind and start over in a place where you can't read the signs, speak the language, or even confidently order lunch? For many people, immigration is not an abstract political topic—it's a daily reality filled with uncertainty, adaptation, frustration, discovery, and growth. In this episode, I'm joined by award-winning author and educator Janet Flaug...

The Holocaust is often told through statistics—millions murdered, thousands of communities destroyed, entire cultures erased. But history is ultimately made up of individual lives, individual families, and individual acts of courage. In this episode, I'm joined by journalist and author Keith Morgan to discuss his powerful book Ruta's Closet . The book tells the remarkable true story of Ruth Kron S...

In this episode, I'm joined by historian, national security intelligence veteran, and author Ralph DeFalco to discuss his new novel The Counterfeit . Set in a chilling near future, the novel imagines an America defeated in a Pacific war, politically fractured, economically broken, and increasingly authoritarian. At its center is a daring intelligence operation involving identity, deception, resist...

In this episode, I'm joined by global health advocate, founder and CEO of the Initiative for Medicines, Access, and Knowledge (I-MAK), and author Tahir Amin to discuss his groundbreaking book Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines . Drawing on decades of work challenging pharmaceutical patents and advocating for equitable access to medicine, Amin argues that the modern drug system...

Monaco is often seen as a playground for the rich and famous—a tiny kingdom of casinos, superyachts, and royalty. But according to veteran intelligence operative and author Robert Eringer , beneath the glamour lies a far more complicated world of espionage, organized crime, money laundering, and political intrigue. In this episode, we discuss his explosive memoir The Spymaster of Monte Carlo , the...

Family stories are often built on cherished memories, treasured photographs, and carefully preserved traditions. But sometimes, buried beneath those stories are secrets, tragedies, and wounds that ripple across generations. In this episode, I'm joined by Phyllis Karas , New York Times bestselling author, professor of journalism at Boston University, and longtime journalist, to discuss her powerful...

In this episode, I'm joined by acclaimed anthropologist and longtime ethnographer of political movements Ida Susser to discuss her book The Yellow Vests and the Battle for Democracy . When the Yellow Vest movement erupted across France in 2018, it confounded observers. It drew support from across the political spectrum, united people from different classes and backgrounds, and challenged conventio...

Why do some founders thrive under pressure while others burn out trying to scale? In this episode, I'm joined by entrepreneur, investor, and five-time CEO Patrick J. Sweeney II to discuss his book The Founder's Creed . Drawing from neuroscience, high-stakes leadership, and decades spent building companies and investing in startups, Sweeney argues that hyper-growth isn't driven by strategy alone—it...

Some memoirs tell the story of a life. Others tell the story of survival, identity, and the invisible emotional currents that shape generations. In this episode, I'm joined by physician, healthcare leader, and author Mai Pham to discuss her debut memoir Bridge from Saigon . As a child refugee fleeing Saigon, Mai's journey carried her from war and displacement to institutions like Harvard and Johns...

What happens when professional expertise collides with deeply personal experience? In this episode, I'm joined by psychiatrist and advocate Ellen Bassuk and her son Daniel Schoonover to discuss their powerful memoir Between Two Worlds: A Psychiatrist and Her Son's Quest for Compassionate Mental Health Care . For decades, Dr. Bassuk worked inside the mental health system while simultaneously naviga...

What if animals aren't just surviving in nature… but building civilizations of their own? In this episode, I'm joined by journalist and author Ryan Huling to discuss his fascinating book The Hidden Nation of Animals . Part travelogue, part ecological detective story, the book explores how animals create infrastructure, maintain highways, negotiate territory, construct cities, and adapt to the huma...

In a world shaped by human stories, what happens when we shift our gaze—quite literally—to the animals who have been watching us all along? Today's guest is Thomas W. Laqueur , Helen Fawcett Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at University of California, Berkeley and one of the most influential cultural historians of our time. Known for his groundbreaking work on the body, death, and huma...

How does a nation build a cult of personality so powerful that it survives for generations? In this episode, I'm joined by Jonathan Cheng , China bureau chief and former Korea bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal , to discuss his forthcoming nonfiction book Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult . The book explores one of the most fascinating and...

What happens when adoption stories celebrated as humanitarian triumphs conceal painful truths beneath the surface? In this episode, I'm joined by author Paige Towers to discuss her book What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption . The book examines the origins of international adoption through the story of Harry Holt and the rise of what became Holt International . Set against t...

What if the story of the American Revolution isn't just American? In this episode, I'm joined by award-winning historian Sarah M. S. Pearsall to discuss her book Freedom Round the Globe: A World History of the American Revolution . We often think of the Revolution as a story driven by the Founding Fathers — but Pearsall expands that lens, showing how revolutionary ideas, resistance, and acts of de...

As cannabis policy and science evolve, so too does the conversation around how it fits into modern medicine—especially for older adults. In this episode, I'm joined by addiction specialist and Harvard Medical School instructor Peter Grinspoon to discuss his book Aging Well with Cannabis: Feel Better, Sleep Better and Live Better with Marijuana and CBD . With cannabis now legalized in much of the U...

When deadly outbreaks erupt, most people think about hospitals, governments, or the military response. Few think about the pilots, medics, and crews tasked with flying directly into the crisis. In this episode, I'm joined by former paramedic, journalist, and award-winning author Kevin Hazzard to discuss his gripping book No One Is Coming . The book tells the remarkable story of Phoenix Air , the s...

What does it really mean to lead — especially during times of uncertainty, burnout, and constant change? In this episode, I'm joined by author and longtime movement leader Eveline Shen to discuss her book Choosing to Lead Against the Current: The Courageous Operating System for Changemakers . After spending more than two decades leading Forward Together , Shen has helped mentor organizers, activis...

What begins as a personal health crisis can sometimes uncover questions far bigger than one person's story. In this episode, I'm joined by author, graphic artist, and designer Adam Finegan to discuss his book The Sleeper Agent: The Rise of Lyme Disease, Chronic Illness, and the Great Imitator Antigens of Biological Warfare . After contracting Lyme disease , Finegan began searching for answers — a...