Two of my favorite topics to study -- sports and the American presidency -- are fused into one in this fascinating book, and I can't wait for you to learn how presidents from Eisenhower to Biden interface with athletics. Some, like Nixon, can quote stats like they're reciting the alphabet. Some, like Johnson, aren't big fans. Some, like Ford, played a sport and played it well. Some, like Biden, could take it or leave it. So interesting -- and the Clinton anecdote had me uncontrollably laughing. ...
May 09, 2023•49 min•Season 7Ep. 18
If you remember an episode from last summer I put out about the team, you know that I am a passionate, albeit new, fan of the New York Yankees. That fandom continues, and our conversation today about the 1998 Yankees -- one of the best Major League Baseball teams ever -- far predates my becoming a fan. But our guest today, Jack Curry, was very much there and covering it, and he's written a beautiful book about it. You don't have to be a Yankees fan to appreciate this episode. If you love the gam...
May 04, 2023•23 min•Season 7Ep. 17
We certainly have read much about Jacqueline Kennedy (and have even done a couple of episodes about her on this show). We also know much about Jacqueline Onassis. But what about Jacqueline Bouvier, the woman before marriage, pursuing a career in Washington, D.C., falling in love with Paris, and attending Queen Elizabeth's Coronation as her last hoorah as a single woman during the late spring days of 1953? This book zooms in on Jackie from 1949 to 1953, during her early twenties, in a formative t...
May 02, 2023•52 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Who knew that the generation you were born into -- obviously through no choice of your own -- could shape SO much of who you are? Today we're talking about a really interesting topic: The six currently living generations, spanning the Silents (the oldest of whom were born in 1925) to the Polars (who are being born even as you read this). Why does our generation have so much influence over us? And what are each of the generations like? This and so much more are covered in today's episode. Generat...
Apr 28, 2023•29 min•Season 7Ep. 15
Charlotte Fox Weber is a therapist, and from her practice, she's uncovered the 12 most common human desires and has written a book about all of them. Each desire gets its own chapter -- and I'll bet you share these desires, too. (No, we're not talking explicit sexual desires, although that certainly can be a part of it.) Listen in for a therapist's insight and one of the most brilliant metaphors I've ever heard -- still can't get over it. Tell Me What You Want: A Therapist and Her Clients Explor...
Apr 26, 2023•37 min•Season 7Ep. 14
Not just some of us, but ALL of us need a strong, effective personal brand. The good news is? My guest today can help you build just that. Not only is this book fantastic, but so is our guest, Aliza Licht -- she has enough experience to take a personal branding novice or a personal branding professional to the next level. Listen and prepare to learn! On Brand: Shape Your Narrative, Share Your Vision, Shift Their Perception by Aliza Licht...
Apr 23, 2023•34 min•Season 7Ep. 13
We have another memoirist on the show today! As you'll hear me say in the introduction, after reading Maggie Smith's book, I was flummoxed as to how I would ask her MORE questions about her life after she wrote such a candid, raw, vulnerable memoir. Hadn't she already given me enough on the page? But off the page, Maggie is just as dazzling, as you'll no doubt hear for yourself. A poet and a memoirist, Maggie doesn't shy away from honesty and transparency about some difficult topics she has face...
Apr 11, 2023•25 min•Season 7Ep. 12
What we think of as self-care might not be self-care at all. In fact, what we've come to know as "self-care" -- think expensive wellness retreats and fad diets and juice cleanses and creams and serums and the like -- is part of a gigantic self-care industry that makes its profit on making people, and especially women, feel terrible about themselves. That is not self-care. In fact, REAL self-care, as our guest today tells us, does the opposite of making ourselves feel terrible: It honors ourselve...
Apr 07, 2023•31 min•Season 7Ep. 11
Resiliency has become a problem in our society. If something gets too hard, we abandon it -- after all, there are many, MANY other options we can choose from that maybe won't be so difficult. The "swiping" culture -- think shopping online and dating apps -- has become habitual online but offline, too, meaning we continually disengage and never finish what we start. This has a human cost, and we're talking about it today. Swipe: The Science Behind Why We Don’t Finish What We Start by Tracy Maylet...
Apr 04, 2023•40 min•Season 7Ep. 10
The title of Dr. Henry Cloud's latest book is simple: Trust. But its subtitle (and the concept itself) is much more complex -- Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken. Whew! Trust is vitally important in all of our lives, and Dr. Cloud gives a masterclass on it in today's episode. It's truly a must listen episode and a must read book for everyone. Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It Whe...
Mar 29, 2023•52 min•Season 7Ep. 9
I never planned for it to be this way, but we finally have our first male guest of season seven! It has been girl power thus far. And Dr. William Li comes with the masterclass in health and wellness today, specifically about metabolism -- get ready to learn so much. We cover the gamut, from metabolism to intermittent fasting to one takeaway we can do today to start righting our metabolism and getting to a healthier us. Listeners, you know health and wellness episodes are some of my favorites the...
Mar 21, 2023•42 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Sensitive people often get a bad rap, especially sensitive men. But today I talk to an author who says sensitivity is a superpower, and that sensitive people are filled with gifts that bring so much to the world. Plus, we reveal the legendary rock star that self-identifies as a sensitive person -- and who it is might surprise you. Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too Much World by Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo...
Mar 19, 2023•28 min•Season 7Ep. 7
The United States may well have had its first female president already. The problem? Nobody knew it. After President Woodrow Wilson suffered a devastating stroke in October 1919, his wife, First Lady Edith Wilson, became acting president until his second term ended on March 4, 1921. Today we talk about that decision and the woman who was Edith Wilson, who was acting president before women even had the right to vote. Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson...
Mar 17, 2023•35 min•Season 7Ep. 6
We have made it to our 100th episode! I could not be happier to reach this milestone, and to reach it with all of you, talking about nonfiction books. I have an extra special guest on the show today, Cyndie Spiegel, and we are talking about how to find joy no matter what you're facing in life right now. I realize that some of my episodes apply to only certain people -- but I chose this book for our centennial because this topic applies to ALL of us. Sit back and prepare to be enriched by this me...
Mar 12, 2023•31 min•Season 7Ep. 5
I love a good fashion episode, and this is definitely a good fashion episode! Today on the show I've got Maggie Bullock -- a writer for Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, The Cut, and more -- and we're talking about J. Crew, the original lifestyle brand. From its founding 40 years ago to now has seen the company go from the highest of highs to filing for bankruptcy in 2020. How did this happen? And how is J. Crew doing today? We dig into it all in a book Vogue calls one of its most anticipated books of 2...
Mar 10, 2023•43 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Working moms have the deck stacked against them: They constantly feel like they are failing -- at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Today I sit down with Paula Faris -- who now runs her own company, CARRY Media, after a successful career as an Emmy Award-winning journalist and television personality. (You might know her from her days at ABC, where she was co-anchor of Good Morning America Weekend and a cohost of The View.) Now, she says, she's reporting on her most important assignment -...
Mar 08, 2023•29 min•Season 7Ep. 3
As I told Dr. Amy Shah on today's episode, I wish I'd had this book YEARS ago. We talk about why we crave what we crave, what we can do about it, how to tell whether we are hungry or thirsty (or bored), and so much surrounding the topic of food and the complexities it carries. I learned so much from this book and this conversation, including a confirmation of my long held belief that there's something about a Coke from McDonald's that just tastes better. There's a lot to get into here, and we ta...
Mar 05, 2023•34 min•Season 7Ep. 2
We are kicking off season SEVEN -- seven! -- today with a guest I know you'll love as much as I did: Mallory Ervin. Hailing from Kentucky (and a former Miss Kentucky, at that!), Mallory has had a full life, no doubt: from finishing fourth runner up at Miss America, Mallory went on to appear on "The Amazing Race" and launch her own lifestyle brand seven years ago. The road to the content place she is at now wasn't without bumps, and Mallory is candid about those. She can now confidently say she's...
Mar 03, 2023•36 min•Season 7Ep. 1
For our season six finale, we're talking to the brilliant Katherine May about finding enchantment again. When did we stop seeing the wonder of our everyday lives? And how can we get back to that childlike sense of amazement on a daily basis? This is a beautiful conversation with a talented writer and truly fantastic person. Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in An Anxious Age by Katherine May...
Feb 22, 2023•42 min•Season 6Ep. 17
So many of us feel stuck in our lives from time to time. So few of us actually DO something about it. In this book, Alisha Fernandez Miranda takes us along for her "what if year" -- prepare to be inspired to do the same for yourselves and live the life you've dreamed about. My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda
Feb 15, 2023•43 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Did you know that The Beatles and James Bond were both launched on the very same Friday? October 5, 1962 -- a day that will forever live on in pop culture history. Today on the show we talk about what both mean to the U.K. and the world. Love and Let Die: James Bond, The Beatles, and the British Psyche by John Higgs
Feb 08, 2023•33 min•Season 6Ep. 15
The term status is undergoing a revolution, writer Chuck Thompson says -- with status available to the masses now and so easily attainable, has it become irrelevant? An incredibly cerebral discussion that will no doubt leave you thinking about status' place in 2023 -- if it has one at all. The Status Revolution: The Improbable Story of How the Lowbrow Became the Highbrow by Chuck Thompson...
Feb 06, 2023•29 min•Season 6Ep. 14
If you want to feel better, stronger, and more resilient this year, this is the episode for you. Join me as I chat with Dr. Molly Maloof about all things health and wellness -- most especially about how to get our spark back. Let's do this! The Spark Factor: The Secret to Supercharging Energy, Becoming Resilient, and Feeling Better Than Ever by Dr. Molly Maloof
Feb 02, 2023•26 min•Season 6Ep. 13
It's a new way of looking at the concept of leadership: One where the door is open to everyone, where everyone is encouraged to lead, and where leadership is seen as an activity, not a person or a position. This inspiring conversation will help you find a way where you can contribute -- because we need your leadership. When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved by Julia Fabris McBride and Ed O'Malley...
Feb 01, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Even our toughest decisions can be made with Trey Gowdy's three-pronged decision making framework, which asks three simple yet profound questions: Should I start? Should I stay? Or should I leave? Start, Stay, or Leave: The Art of Decision Making by Trey Gowdy
Jan 27, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Continuing our "Relationships Week" here on the show, we're chatting today about dating. Why do we hate it so much, rather than embracing this season? And how can we have a better experience -- including on first dates? Michelle Elman's got the answers. The Selfish Romantic: How to Date Without Feeling Bad About Yourself by Michelle Elman...
Jan 24, 2023•40 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Who among us DOESN'T want improved relationships, both with ourselves and with others? This week is what I'm calling "Relationships Week" on the show, where we talk to two great authors about how to do just that. If you're looking for healthy, fulfilling relationships in your life, take a listen to this important episode. Making Great Relationships: Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering Love by Dr. Rick Hanson...
Jan 22, 2023•56 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Stephen A. Smith brings his trademarked authenticity to the show today -- you may think you know Stephen A. Smith, but I guarantee you'll learn more about this fascinating person after listening (and reading his book!). Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes by Stephen A. Smith
Jan 17, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 8
You know that line from "Already Gone" by The Eagles that says "So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key"? Well, this episode is about just that: Getting unstuck, and realizing you have the key to live the life of your dreams, if we'd all only just realize it. You Are Not Stuck: How Soul-Guided Choices Transform Fear into Freedom by Becky Vollmer...
Jan 13, 2023•39 min•Season 6Ep. 7
The Vietnam War is perhaps America's most misunderstood war, a conflict left largely in the shadows. Today we unpack the pivotal years of 1965 to 1968 in Vietnam with a true expert on the subject. Whether you love history or not, it's a conversation not to be missed. Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War 1965-1968 by Mark Moyar
Jan 11, 2023•34 min•Season 6Ep. 6
