Tag: EconTalk

Tamar Haspel on First-Hand Food

EconTalk | 28 February 2022 | 1h 04m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Tamar Haspel about her book To Boldly Grow: Finding Joy, Adventure, and Dinner in Your Own Backyard. Discusses what she learned from her quest to eat at least one thing she’d grown, caught, or killed every day. Reflects on the joy of learning and acquiring new skills to solve problems.

Luca Dellanna on Compulsion, Self-deception, and the Brain

EconTalk | 21 February 2022 | 1h 17m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Luca Dellanna about his book The Control Heuristic: The Nature of Human Behavior. Argues that the gatekeeper in our brain decides which thoughts to action based on the expected emotional outcome.

This is very insightful on human behavior. It reminds me of the episode with Robin Hanson about The Elephant in the Brain.

Russ Roberts on Israel and Life as an Immigrant

Conversations with Tyler | 19 January 2022 | 0h 59m | Listen Later | iTunes | Spotify
Interview with Russ Roberts about his new life in Israel as president of Shalem College. Discusses why there are so few new universities, managing teams in the face of linguistic and cultural barriers, how Israeli society could adapt to the loss of universal military service, why Israeli TV is so good, what American Jews don’t understand about life in Israel, what his next leadership challenge will be, and more.

Gregory Zuckerman on the Crazy Race to Create the COVID Vaccine

EconTalk | 10 January 2022 | 1h 22m | Listen Later | iTunes | Spotify
Interview with Gregory Zuckerman about his book A Shot to Save the World: The Inside Story of the Life-or-Death Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine. Describes how a couple of companies that had never produced a successful vaccine developed a covid vaccine so quickly. Captures the daring, deranged, and damaged visionaries who drove one of science and medicine’s great success stories.

Ridley on Trade, Growth, and the Rational Optimist

EconTalk | 18 October 2010 | 0h 59m | Listen Later | iTunes | Spotify
Interview with Matt Ridley about his book The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves. Discusses why he is optimistic about the future and how trade and specialization explain the evolution of human development over the millennia. Argues that life is getting better for most people and that the underlying cause is trade and specialization. Discusses the differences between Smith’s and Ricardo’s insights into trade and growth and why, despite what seems to be strong evidence, people are frequently pessimistic about the future. Also addresses environmental issues.

My favourite author, discusses my favourite book, on my favourite podcast. Merry Christmas.

Rebecca Henderson on Reimagining Capitalism

EconTalk | 8 June 2020 | 1h 06m | Listen Later | iTunes | Spotify
Interview with Rebecca Henderson about her book Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire. Argues that the focus on shareholder value threatens to destroy capitalism from within, and that business leaders need to manage their companies differently in order to create a more humane and stable capitalism.

I somehow missed posting this last year, but was reminded of it after Jim Bolger, NZ’s Former Prime Minister, recommended the book.

Paul Bloom on Happiness, Suffering, and the Sweet Spot

EconTalk | 25 October 2021 | 1h 09m | Listen Later | iTunes | Spotify
Interview with Paul Bloom about his book, The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning. Argues that suffering is underrated – suffering is part of happiness and meaning. This is a wide-ranging discussion of popular culture, religion, and what we hope to get out of life.

Sam Quinones on Meth, Fentanyl, and the Least of Us

EconTalk | 11 October 2021 | 1h 22m | Listen Later | iTunes | Spotify
Interview with Sam Quinones about his book The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth. Describes the devastation caused by methamphetamine and fentanyl, the latest evolution of innovation in the supply of mind-altering drugs in the United States. Argues that the latest versions of meth are more emotionally damaging than before and have played a central role in the expansion of the homeless in tent encampments in American cities. Explores the rising number of overdose deaths in the United States and what role community and other institutions might play in reducing the death toll.