‘Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven’t Touched Since High School’ by: Kevin Smokler

Kevin Smokler – Literary enthusiast, speaker, author of Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 books you Haven’t Touched Since High School.

When you hear the name Holden Caulfield, does it trigger any memories? Perhaps you get a nervous, jittery sensation that runs down your spine as you reminisce about an old book report gone awry. Or maybe you are immediately transported to an easier, more carefree time in your life. A time when it was OK to hunker down in your room, not worry about the demands of life, and immerse yourself in a fictional realm. Or, just as likely, you have no idea what I’m talking about, which means you really never paid attention in school. Of course, Holden Caulfield is the teenage protagonist in one of the most popular ‘high school novels’ of all time – The Catcher in the Rye. A novel such as this truly is a piece of American history, but is it wasted on our youth? What I mean is, often times such amazing works of art are presented to students as yet another project to complete, another task to be tackled. By doing so, classics such as The Catcher in the Rye, often become something to conquer, rather than something to relish. So now that we are all grown up, mature, and worldly (yeah, I said it), we thought we should rehash the good ol’ days and find out what the smart kids were reading when we were busy giving swirlies to the band geeks. Luckily, we found the perfect person for the job.

Kevin Smokler is the author of, Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books you Haven’t Touched since High School. Called “a publishing visionary” by the Huffington Post, his writing on the arts and technology has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Fast Company and on NPR. He’s the editor of the anthology Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times, which was a San Francisco Chronicle notable book of 2005.

As a speaker, Smokler has lectured throughout North America on the arts and their role in contemporary society at The Commonwealth Club of California, The Idea Festival, Book Expo America and universities such as Stanford and Johns Hopkins. He sits on the advisory board of the South by Southwest Interactive Conference where he has been a featured speaker since 2003. Kevin Smokler has a B.A. in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. In American Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, he lives in San Francisco.

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‘Salt Sugar Fat’ by: Michael Moss

Michael Moss – Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter; author of #1 NY Times Bestseller, Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us 

Look, we know you don’t need a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter to tell you that junk food is bad for you, soda makes you fat, and the Western diet is causing an epidemic of diabetes and obesity.  But, that’s just the tip of the iceberg lettuce.  The fact is, we almost never had a chance to eat healthy once big business got its grubby hands on the food industry.  And what’s worse, is the large food corporations have known for decades that they are cramming harmful food down our throats - and they just kept on doing it!

You might be thinking, “Wait a second, we are all adults here, we CHOOSE what we want to eat.”  But do you? When presented with a head of lettuce or a McDonald’s cheeseburger, is that even a choice? Of course not, you choose that burger 10 out of 10 (ok, maybe 9 out of 10 for those of you with a really strong will).  And this is because, the food industry has applied heavy science and mathematics to figure out how to exploit the human brain and its “pleasure centers” to make us crave unhealthy food to the point of it becoming a certifiable addiction.  So much of an addiction, that the industry refers to it’s most loyal customers as heavy users! Some have posited that sugar is as addictive as heroine!  Hmmm – we might need to investigate this after all.  Lucky for us all, one of the best in the business put all of this on his plate (yes, love puns) to take a huge bite (yessss) out of the problem with our addiction to salt, sugar, and fat, and how we all got here in the first place.

Michael Moss is an investigative reporter with The New York Times, having joined the paper in 2000. In 2010, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his investigation of the dangers of contaminated meat – being the first to bring about the “pink slime” problem. Before coming to The Times, Mr. Moss was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, Colo., and the High Country News in Lander, Wyo. He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for his reporting on the lack of protective armor for soldiers in Iraq, and in 1999 for a team effort on Wall Street’s emerging influence in the nursing home industry. His most recent book, Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, is a #1 NY Times bestseller and has been one of the best investigative works written on processed foods.

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‘How to Find Fulfilling Work’ by: Roman Krznaric

Roman Krznaric: How to Find Fulfilling Work; founding faculty member of The School of Life in London.

ONE MILLION DOWNLOADS AND COUNTING!

That’s right – in case you didn’t see it on Facebook or twitter (@smartpeoplepod), Smart People Podcast (SPP) just passed the one million downloads threshold on Friday.  We then proceeded to pop some bubbly, have a quick cheers, and then…..we dove right into figuring out how we are going to make the next million even better.

And believe me, with this week’s episode, we got a GREAT jump on that goal.

If you’ve listened to a few of our past episodes, you have probably seen a running theme throughout.  We here at SPP truly value passion, knowledge, education, and worldliness.  We believe that through expanding your mind, you can not only increase your happiness, but you can be more valuable to the world.  So that’s what we set out to do every week.  This week we are going to help you find that passion, that fire. You will learn about how achieving a wide array of skills and experience can often times be more valuable than one specialty, despite people calling you a job hopper.  We also talk about how the education system continually forces kids into a box, stifling their creative capability.  But what if you like your job? What if you enjoy what you do on a day do day basis? That’s great! But do you love it? Is it what you were put on earth for?

Get ready to dive into the world of work, passion, and happiness this week as we interview Roman Krznaric.  Roman is a cultural thinker and writer on the art of living. He is a founding faculty member of The School of Life in London, which offers instruction and inspiration on the important questions of everyday life, and advises organisations including Oxfam and the United Nations on using empathy and conversation to create social change. He has been named by The Observer as one of Britain’s leading lifestyle philosophers.

After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, he studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD. He has taught sociology and politics at Cambridge University and City University, London, and has done human rights work in Central America with refugees and indigenous people.  His blog dedicated to empathy and the art of living, outrospection, has been featured in the media around the world. Over a quarter of a million people have watched his RSA Animate video The Power of Outrospection.

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‘Contagious: Why Things Catch On’ by: Jonah Berger

Jonah Berger – Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On.

Do you remember the first time you heard the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black? I do – I f’ing hated it.  I also remember the first time someone told me to listen to “Gangnam Style” and “Thrift Shop“.  Now consider this, one song is a teenagers attempt at a real pop song, the other is a satirical Korean dance song, and the last is a catchy yet snarky rap song done by the new Eminem – they couldn’t be ANY different.  But what do they all have in common? You guessed it – they all EXPLODED onto the scene in the past year beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. How is this possible? The truth is, we live in a crazy world where you just can’t tell what’s going to catch on, and what’s not….or can you?

This week’s guest is here to tell you that there is a science, a REAL science, behind what goes viral and why.  You might be thinking, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard all of this before.” Let us be the first to tell you – no, you haven’t.

Our guest this week is Jonah Berger.  Just to give you a sneak peek into how bold he is, here’s a quote from his most recent interview with Fast Company magazine, “Fifty percent of ‘The Tipping Point’ is wrong.  My job is to show you which half.” In an amazing episode, Jonah tells us how there are 6 core factors that determine if an idea, product, or item, is going to stick out of the crowd and achieve the “viral” status. You literally can’t afford to miss out!

Jonah Berger is the Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals, and popular accounts of his work have appeared in places like The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Science,Harvard Business Review, Wired, BusinessWeek, and Fast Company. His research has also been featured in The New York Times Magazine’s annual “Year in Ideas” issue. Berger has been recognized with awards for both scholarship and teaching, including being named Wharton’s “Iron Prof.” At Wharton, he teaches an elective called Contagious: How Products, Behaviors, and Ideas Catch On.

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‘Confessions of a Surgeon’ by: Paul Ruggieri

Dr. Paul Ruggieri – Author of Confessions of a Surgeon

“Now I want you to count back from ten.  10…9…8…..”

And that’s all you remember.  Sure you might be a little sore, groggy or confused – but for the most part, you felt nothing. However, during that time, your mass is removed, your knee is repaired, your failing heart is mended.  Thanks to perhaps the most important medical discovery of all time, anesthesia, what happens behind operating room doors often remains a mystery.

As you will learn from seasoned surgeon, Dr. Paul Ruggieri, the operating room is a fascinating place, filled with intensity, insanity, and intrigue.  It is a place where mere mortals are often raised to a god-like status, and every decision can mean the difference between life and death.  Join us as Dr. Ruggieri reveals what actually goes on, when the patient’s lights go out!

Dr. Paul Ruggieri is a practicing general surgeon and author. Throughout his active twenty year career, Dr. Ruggieri has held department of surgery chairman positions at several community hospitals.  He has also been a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Ruggieri graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed his surgical training at Barnes Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine.  He subsequently served three years on active duty, the last as department of surgery chairman, in the United States Army.

BONUS MATERIAL: 

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‘The Genius in All of Us: New Insights into Genetics, Talent, and IQ’ by: David Shenk

David Shenk – Bestselling author of 6 books, including his most recent, The Genius in All of Us: New Insights into Genetics, Talent, and IQ.

Tune in to this weeks episode to learn how to unleash your inner genius, conquer your genetic shortcomings, and be the best at anything. But trust us, it ain’t easy.

Don’t get mad at your parents because you have no athletic ability.  Don’t curse your dad because he’s tone deaf and that’s why you can’t sing – or your mom because she can’t draw a stick figure and that’s why you aren’t an artist.  As we learn this week, the actual genes passed down to you are but a small fraction of what is needed to achieve greatness.

For decades people believed that amazing talent is the result of hitting the genetic lottery.  However, we are now beginning to understand that this couldn’t be further from the truth.  You might be the strange love child of Andre Agassi and Serena Williams, but that far from guarantees you are going to be a great tennis player.  As a matter of fact, as we learn this week, if the above mentioned love child, let’s call her Andrena, was adopted by an amish couple from rural Pennsylvania, there is almost zero chance she would ever become any type of professional athlete. The point I’m trying to make here is that we can now prove with near certainty that genes are merely a jumping off point that helps determine where our true strengths lie.  Much more important factors are things like where we are born, how we are raised, and what opportunities are available.   And perhaps the most important factor, is how hard you are willing to try.

Our guest this week is author, scholar, and speaker, David Shenk.  David is the award-winning and national-bestselling author of six books, including The Genius in All of Us, The Forgetting, Data Smog, and The Immortal Game. He is a popular lecturer, a short-film director, and a contributor to TheAtlantic.com. He has contributed to National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Gourmet, Harper’s, Spy, The New Yorker, NPR, and PBS.

BONUS MATERIAL:

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‘Trading Bases’ by: Joe Peta

Joe Peta – Author of Trading Bases: A Story About Wall Street, Gambling, and Baseball

I’m not even going to butter you up this time, trust me – you would rather just dive in. You’ll understand once I give you a little background on our guest for this weeks episode, Joe Peta. A few years ago, Joe was sitting high on the hog as an extremely successful Wall Street trader. He was living the dream. He had a great gig, he was making solid coin, and he had a great family to go home to every night. Then one lazy Sunday afternoon, Joe steps out onto a not-so-busy New York City street and WHAM – plowed over by an ambulance. Now, I know what you’re thinking, so let me just get it out of the way. No – the ambulance was not on a call, it just made the turn a little carelessly. And yes, Joe was in the crosswalk.

Joe would make it out of the accident without any life threatening injuries, but his pelvis was shattered and walking again was not a certainty. As Joe recovered over the next year, he spent a lot of time laid up on the couch. It was during this time that he rekindled his love of baseball. Determined to make chicken soup out of chicken shit, Joe put his analytical mind to the game of baseball and came up with a numerical model that would predict the outcome of each game. I don’t want to spoil the story…but Joe’s model kicked ass. He ended up moving to Vegas for the 2012 baseball season to put his money where his model was to see if he could beat the odds. Joe then chronicled his adventures in his brand new book Trading Bases: A Story About Wall Street, Gambling, and Baseball (Not Necessarily in That Order). Tune in this week as we talk with Joe Peta about his wild ride.

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‘Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us’ by: Dan Pink

Daniel Pink – AMAZING! One of the most watched TED Talks of all time.  Author of five provocative bestselling books about the changing world of work, including his most recent, To Sell is Human.

Good to have you back! If you haven’t noticed, Smart People Podcast has been getting some real recognition these days! We recently ranked as high as #10 on iTunes overall and had a nice little reign as #1 in education for a couple of weeks.  Why am I telling you this? Well aside from pure excitement, I’m telling you this because I think after this weeks episode, there is a chance we go even higher.  This might just be, THE BEST interview and guest we have ever had on.  I know, I know – if you’ve followed the show for a while, that’s a big claim.  But trust me, we cover a lot of ground this week as we sit down with one of my favorite authors!

I first found Dan Pink when I read, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. This book spoke directly to me. If you’ve ever wondered why your job feels so unfulfilling, this book can give some terrific insight.  In essence, Dan posits that humans seek 3 fundamental things in order to feel motivated:

• Autonomy: People want to have control over their work.
• Mastery: People want to get better at what they do.
• Purpose: People want to be part of something that is bigger than they are.

Dan gives a great summary of his book in one of the most watched TED talks of all time – you can watch the video below:

After reading Drive, I caught up on Dan’s first 3 books, as I eagerly awaited the release of his most recent best seller, To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. My favorite takeaway here is that sales no longer needs to be considered a four letter word.  Although the idea of a salesman might conjure up images of cheap suits and used cars, Dan explains in convincing fashion, that those days are long gone.  In a world of information overload, the seller and buyer stand on the same base of knowledge, so the slick sale has given way to relationship building and value add – things that we can all get behind. I could go on and on, but instead I’ll let you move on to an amazing episode.

Dan received a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, where he was a Truman Scholar. He later received a Juris Doctor (JD) from Yale Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Yale Law & Policy Review – although he is quick to point out, he has never practiced law.  Prior to becoming an author, Dan worked for Vice President Al Gore in the capacity of chief speechwriter.

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‘Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live’ by: Marlene Zuk

Marlene Zuk – author of Paleofantasy, professor of ecology

Unless you’ve been living in a cave (best….pun….ever), you are probably well aware of the new fad diet, the paleo diet. The quick and dirty of the diet is you can eat anything that was available to our cave dwelling ancestors. So chow down on all of the fish, meat, fungi and earthworms you want, but you better stay away from anything that came after man found a hoe. The thought process is, given that evolution is an extremely slow process, our modern day bodies just aren’t meant to consume any food that is a result of agriculture or processing. It’s a comforting and nostalgic thought…. with one little problem – it’s total crap. Evolution isn’t all that slow. For example, the ability to digest milk is a recent evolutionary accomplishment – not a science experiment gone wrong. Plus, most of the caveman diet consisted of anything they could find. So unless you’re eating bugs, grass, berries and the very occasional wooly mammoth, you’re not really doing it right at all!

But food isn’t the only thing we think was better off way back when, what about sex? As I so candidly ask in this episode, what about the fact that we now force ourselves into monogamous relationships when really, evolutionarily speaking, we are meant to go spread our seed? I mean, after all we are just primates that managed to climb out of the trees. Not so fast says Professor Zuk. Learn about our historical sex lives, appetite, and more in this week’s episode.

Dr. Marlene Zuk is an author, as well as a professor of ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota. Her most recent book is titled Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live.

Make sure to subscribe to us on iTunes and leave a comment if you enjoy our free podcast!

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‘Tempo: timing, tactics and strategy in narrative-driven decision-making’ by: Venkatesh Rao

Venkatesh Rao: Author of Tempo: timing, tactics and strategy in narrative-driven decision-making & independent researcher.

How many decisions do you think you make in a day? What about an hour? Well, if you want to do the math – go ahead, because all I know is you make about 1,400 decisions a MINUTE.  With that many decisions to be made, how do we ever get anything done? Lucky for us, our brain is a magical blob.  Our subconscious makes approximately 90% of our daily decisions, freeing us up to really think hard about the other important 10%.  Which is important.  For example, if you’re running down the street and all of a sudden a car comes flying around the corner right at you, I don’t think you want to be wasting time deciding which foot goes in front of the other, how fast to move, how to breathe, etc.  Most likely you ONLY want to ask yourself, “How the F do I get out of the way of this thing!” Which is great, but it’s also scary.  We like to feel like we are in control, like we think things through – but science tells us otherwise.  This week we discover the decision making process, what we can learn from robots, and how you catch a ball… among other things.

Venkatesh Rao is an author and independent researcher.  He writes a popular blog at ribbonfarm.com. Tempo grew out of themes originally explored on ribbonfarm. He earned his PhD in aerospace engineering, in systems and control theory, from the University of Michigan in 2003. He has worked in startup, university, and large enterprise environments. Currently, Venkat’s interests are in the areas of decision-making, narrative and metaphor, social psychology, the future of technological society, aging infrastructure issues, and globalization.

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Host of the ‘Hardcore History’ and ‘Common Sense’ podcasts: Dan Carlin

Dan Carlin – Host of the Hardcore History and Common Sense podcasts, Political Commentator

New media is coming for us.  Well, if you are reading this, it already came for you – so congratulations on being ahead of the curve.  New media is supposed to be the “democratization” of the creation, production, distribution and consumption of media by the masses.  It’s a way to level the playing field, to take down the big dogs, to help David beat Goliath, to…..well, you get the idea.  The thing that’s crazy is, I can’t believe there isn’t MORE interest in new media.  Think about it, why does anyone listen to the radio anymore?  Now you can just tune in to awesome podcasts with limited to no advertisements, pause and resume at your leisure, and pick your topic! I guess that’s why we got into this in the first place, to try to be stewards of this new media movement.  Well I’m not here to talk to you about podcasts, I’ll leave that up to someone who’s much better at it than I!

Welcome to the show, the host of the very popular podcast, Hardcore History, Mr. Dan Carlin. Dan is an American political commentator, historian, and podcaster.  As I mentioned, his most famous show, Hardcore History is a great show about interesting historical topics.  His other show is titled, Common Sense and this is Dan’s place to discuss all things political.  Come join us nerd out about podcast, new media, and some other great stuff with one of the industry bests.

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Stefan Molyneux, host of Freedomain Radio

Stefan Molyneux – Philosopher, host of Freedomain Radio

When you take a stance on something, you’re bound to have those on the other side that try to take you down.  In fact, many people believe, that if you aren’t making enemies, then you aren’t saying anything substantial.  Well, if you believe this to be true, then you have to tune in this week.  For example, what’s your stance on spanking your child? How about taxation or property rights? Gun control? Yeah, pretty heavy topics – and all of which get covered in this week’s episode as we speak with philosopher Stefan Molyneux.

Now I have to admit, and I say it to Stefan during our interview, I didn’t want to like him or his point of view.  First off, he’s often described as a libertarian, which in itself carries all types of negative connotations. On top of that, he has a point of view on everything…and that usually irks me about people.  But the thing is (and you’ll probably agree after listening), Stefan takes the approach that most could only dream of.  He’s pragmatic, intelligent, well spoken, and non confrontational – not things you normally attribute to someone who makes a living publicly taking sides on all of the hot buttons of the world.  Truly an eye opening interview.

Stefan Molyneux is a philosopher, writer, and the host of Freedomain Radio. He has worked as a software entrepreneur and executive, co-founded a successful company, and worked for many years as a Chief Technical Officer. He studied literature, history, economics, and philosophy at York University, hold an undergraduate degree in History from McGill University, and earned a graduate degree from the University of Toronto, focusing on the history of philosophy. He admittedly tries to avoid opinions and instead talk about proof and rationality.

You can see Stefan’s video of the interview here:

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‘Fooling Houdini” by: Alex Stone

Alex Stone – Magician, writer, speaker

I don’t know about you, but growing up I had this hilarious $10 magic set.  It came with some weird squishy ball, a few metal rings, some cards, a cape, and of course…. a wand.  Thinking back, I don’t know how my parents even sat through my poor attempt at a magic show for longer than 5 minutes, but I guess that’s not the point.  When it’s YOUR kid, everything is cute…right?  Anyway, that hobby lasted all of a few weeks and I was on to the next.  This is how it goes for many young boys – but not Alex Stone.  When Alex was 5 years old, his dad bought him a magic set (probably a lot like mine); however, this wasn’t just a passing phase for Alex.  He kept up his craft, well into adulthood where he would one day take a shot at the magic Olympics! Yup, that’s right – there is seriously a magic Olympics.  The fact that Alex literally got kicked off the stage doesn’t much matter.  What matters is that in his magic journey (see what I just did there) Alex learned a lot about the human mind, it’s weaknesses, and how to exploit them.  Because this is what the best  magicians in the world can do.  They can make you believe you see things that you don’t, and they can make you remember things that never happened.  As Alex puts it, “magic at its core is about toying with the limits of perception.” Sounds pretty cool huh? Come join us this week as we make your questions disappear (too much?).

Alex’s newest book, Fooling Houdini was named one of Amazon’s top 10 non-fiction books of 2012.  Stone has written for Harper’s, Discover, Science, and the Wall Street Journal. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in English and has a masters degree in physics from Columbia University. He grew up in Wisconsin, Texas, and Spain. He currently lives in New York City. Check out more about Alex at his blog.

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‘Inspired: How to Create Products That Customers Love’ by: Marty Cagan

Marty Cagan – Expert on all things product, founding partner of the Silicon Valley Product Group

If you have ever thought about creating or inventing ANYTHING….seriously listen to this episode.

How many ‘products’ do you think you use in a day?  Even if you just look at a small subset of your day, the list gets expansive.  Take your morning routine for example.  You probably use an alarm clock, a toothbrush, a towel, deodorant (hopefully) – the list goes on and on.  Hell, I can’t even add up how many products I use in my hair (BOOM, roasted….myself).  Now consider this.  These are just physical products.  But there is also another set of products that you probably didn’t even think of.  These are the products that my trusty sidekick Roach tends to focus his time on.  These are software products such as the Twitters, Facebooks, eBays, and Gmails of the world.  And it’s safe to assume that nearly every product, both physical and the opposite of physical (sorry – it’s been a long day) has gone through some product management lifecycle.  A process that the end users often take for granted. Somewhere along the line, the creator or creators of said product asked themselves questions such as, will people buy this, how do I make it, what should it look like.  These are very important questions that can ultimately determine the success or failure of entire companies. That’s why companies pay our guest this week a lot of money to make sure they get it right.

Marty Cagan is a founding partner of the Silicon Valley Product Group, where he helps companies create winning product strategies and develop the skills of their product organization as well as the techniques they use to create successful products. During the past 20 years, Marty has served as an executive responsible for defining and building products for some of the most successful companies in the world. He was most recently senior vice-president of product management and design for eBay, where he was responsible for defining products and services for the company’s global e-commerce trading site. Prior to that, Marty was vice-president of product at AOL and Netscape Communications, and a software engineer at HP Labs.  Marty wrote an awesome book that dives into product management titled, Inspired: How to Create Products That Customers Love. 

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‘Why Smart Executives Fail’ by: Sydney Finkelstein

Sydney Finkelstein – Steven Roth Professor of Management at Dartmouth, author, expert on strategy and leadership.

Businesses fail all the time.  Such is the nature of the beast.  It’s survival of the fittest, healthy competition, may the best man win.  So you would think, when the cream rises to the top and a company takes over the thrown, it’s going to stay there a while.  The rationale goes, whoever led you to the mountain top, can easily keep you there.  All-star executive teams are put in place and every guru, ninja, and consultant is at your disposal.  The logic seems sound to me.  But if this were the case, why is it that so many companies fall so far, so fast? At an alarming rate, a company will be anointed the golden child of an industry one year, and the laughing stock the next.  What gives? It turns out that success may in fact “go to your head” (cough…Tiger Woods…cough… Petraeus…Clinton…Armstrong). But we aren’t here to pick on athletes and politicians – we already knew those guys are all messed up.  We are talking about big time execs such as Jill Barred at Mattel, Dennis Kozlowski at Tyco, Jean Marie Messier at Vivendi, Robert Pitman at AOL Time Warner, Wolfgang Schmitt at Rubbermaid, and yes, Mark Zuckerberg of the evil empire (be sure to check us out on Facebook though!).

Our guest this week is Dr. Sydney Finkelstein, author of the bestselling book, Why Smart Executives Fail: And What You Can Learn from Their Mistakes.  Our conversation with Dr. Finkelstein revolves a lot around what makes a great executive, what makes those same executives fail miserably, and how can we prevent these mistakes in our own lives.  There are definitely patterns of behavior that you want to steer clear of, especially if you see them at a company you are considering working for. Plus, there’s nothing more fun them some good old fashion hater-aid on rich, old, white guys running companies!

Dr. Finkelstein is a true genius in his own right.  He is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He teaches executive education and serves as the Faculty Director of the flagship Tuck Executive Program. He holds degrees from Concordia University and the London School of Economics, as well as a Ph.D. from Columbia University in strategic management.  Professor Finkelstein has published 11 books and over 60 articles.

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‘Social Media is Bullshit’ by: Brandon Mendelson

Brandon (BJ) Mendelson – Author of Social Media is Bullshit

If you are one of the lucky few that has thousands upon thousands of twitter followers, congratulations….it means nothing.  Your company has 50,000 facebook likes? Sorry, but they only did it for the coupon you offered them.  You post the most amazing infographics on Pinterest? Well – that’s cool… I’m not sick of Pinterest yet.  But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why?  Why do you put SO much effort into crafting this web of social media interaction?

At its core, social media can be a fairly useful community tool.  You can get quick updates from friends you would have otherwise lost touch with.  You can get up to the second news from anywhere across the globe.  You can even get an endless stream of baby pictures, baby stories, baby advice, baby videos and baby articles.  On that note, PLEASE stop posting all things baby on Facebook. No one thinks your kid is as cute as you do.  The point is, I truly believe the original intent of the social media revolution was to increase our connectivity.  But then big business got their grubby little hands on our virtual community and they mind f*#ked us into thinking it was a revolution in marketing and we all got scared we were going to miss the boat.

To find out what I mean, you are going to have to listen to the interview, but I’ll leave you with these thoughts.  In the gold rush of 1849, who made all the money? It wasn’t the guys digging for gold, it was the guys selling the shovels.  In the tech bubble at the end of the 20th century, who made all the money? Not the guy who invested in PSINet, Webvan, Pets.com, Nortel Networks, etc.  It was the investment bankers, executives, traders, and guys selling advice.  In the real estate bubble that burst in 2008, who made all the money? Not the guy who refinanced his house 3 times.  Hell – he’s lucky to still HAVE his house.  It was the brokers that were telling you how it was both a great time to buy AND a great time to sell (I mean hey, commission is commission!). As with any fad, you have to be skeptical about where you get your information.  With this one, we have listened to the media tell us how great the ….well….media is.  So before you go spending your hard earned marketing budget on social media gurus, ninjas, experts, consultants, or whatever the newest term might be – listen to this episode of smart people podcast.

Our guest is Brandon (B.J.) Mendelson, former marketer turned journalist and social critic.  His new book, Social Media is Bullshit sheds a new light on the social media craze and tells you the right AND wrong ways to utilize all of the social media tools.  He has contributed to The Huffington Post, CNN, MTV’s O Music Awards, Mashable, Forbes, the Eisner-nominated ComicsAlliance, and other national outlets.

The Facebook book Brandon mention during the interview is called The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World 

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‘The Morality of War’ by: Brian Orend

Brian Orend, Ph.D. – philosopher, professor, author, speaker

“War, huh – yeah, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing” – Edwin Starr (Lyrics to the song WAR)

War is good for absolutely nothing. People die, civilizations are destroyed, earth is scorched, humanity is tarnished.  It should be avoided at all costs. Why can’t we all just get along…….right? Not so fast.  Did you know there is actually an entire theory that goes back thousands of years that outlines when a war may be considered just.  It’s called….well…just war theory.  At it’s core, just war theorists combine both a moral abhorrence towards war with a readiness to accept that war may sometimes be necessary. It’s weird to think about war being necessary.  I have always considered myself to be somewhat of a pacifist, sometimes even entertaining the idea of being a hippy (without the smelly hair).  However, I still remember watching two planes fly into the twin towers and saying out loud, “someone is going to pay for this, we are at war.”  I then rejoiced upon hearing the news of the killing of Osama Bin Laden.  So much for that pacifism, huh?

The thing is, war is ugly; it does bring out the worst in us.  But it is also a part of us.  It has been around since the first tribes stumbled upon each other and it will be here up until the last tribe is wiped off of this planet (or any other planet we inhabit).  Some may say we are a nation of warmongers and we are too quick to engage in violence.  At first glance, it may seem they are on to something.  We sure like to throw the term around.  We have the war on drugs, the war on terror, the war on obesity…the list goes on and on.  But no matter how hard we try to escape it, war is a fact of life, so we might as well try to understand it.

This week we talk Professor Brian Orend.  Orend is the author of the book, The Morality of War, which is considered to be “the single most comprehensive and important book on just war for this generation.” It is a required textbook at universities, and military academics throughout the world.  Orend is the Director of International Studies, and a Professor of Philosophy, at the University of Waterloo in Canada. His Ph.D. is from Columbia University in New York City. He has taught at Columbia, Waterloo, and the University of Lund in Sweden. He has delivered hundreds of invited lectures around the world. Orend is an active, award-winning writer and public speaker. He focuses on three topics: 1) war and peace; 2) human rights; and 3) happiness. He is perhaps best-known for his work on “justice after war”, i.e., the ethics of post-war reconstruction.

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Peter Webster & Kyle Robertson of iCare

Peter Webster & Kyle Robertson: Founders of iCare

There is a major social revolution taking place right now thanks to social media and mobile technology.  For the first time in history, it is easier to get one million people to donate $1 than it is to get one person to donate $1 Million.  On top of that, the nonprofit sector wastes so much money every year on outdated marketing methods such as direct mailers and telemarketing companies.  Both donors AND nonprofits are asking for a change, so Peter and Kyle decided to be that change.

This is the first time in SPP history that we actually interview two people at the same time! Kyle Robertson is the Founder and CEO of iCare, and Peter Webster is the co-founder and CMO.  They spent the past year developing a mobile fundraising application that has the potential to become the standard medium for how people can connect with charity.  iCare brings charitable fundraising and volunteering right to the mobile phone in a free application.  iCare just officially launched a few days ago, be sure to check it out at www.icarecause.com.

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‘Walking with Justice’ by: Dr. Mollie Marti

Dr. Mollie Marti – lawyer, author, psychologist, professor

It’s funny how, as a child, you are amazed at how much other people know.  Whether it be your older sibling, a neighbor, or your parents, the things they know are astounding.  But as we grow older, something funny happens.  We tend to focus our attention inward on our own journey and experiences, and we start to believe we have all of the answers.  This isn’t always a bad thing, it’s good to feel competent and capable.  But it becomes a problem when you refuse to accept the help or guidance of others.  We must remember that, although no two people experience the exact same thing, there is a lot to be learned from those that have taken a similar path.  It is for this reason that mentors can play such a big role in our lives, and Jon and I encourage you to seek one out.  In that same token, if you see someone in need of a mentor, don’t hesitate to be of assistance as well.  Because we are only as good as the knowledge we pass on.

Our guest this week is Dr. Mollie Marti.  Dr. Marti is a psychologist, lawyer and adjunct professor at the University of Iowa.  She is a leading authority on resiliency, servant leadership, mentorship, and business ethics.  We talk with her about her newest book, Walking with Justice: Uncommon Lessons from One of Life’s Greatest Mentors.  In this book, Dr. Marti talks about how her clerkship with Judge Max Rosenn changed her life and set her on a course of philanthropy and love.  A truly uplifting, holiday theme!

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Skeptoid with Brian Dunning

Brian Dunning – Skeptoid podcast producer, professional myth-buster, author, entrepreneur.

Did you know that 98% of all statistics are made up? Did you know I just made THAT statistic up? In an age of information overload, it’s very hard to sift through it all.  For every question, I can find you two very convincing answers, with just a simple Google search.  For example, if you were to ask me if peanut butter is good for you, I could say yes and provide you with this Harvard study - http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/Is-peanut-butter-healthy.  But then I could turn around and say NO – most peanut butter is bad for you, and I could send you this - http://www.thehealthyboy.com/2010/06/whats-really-in-your-peanut-butter.html.  Dammit, now I don’t even know if it’s good for you or not.  Anyway, the point here is that any help you can get should be welcomed.  And that’s what we are all about here at SPP – helping you help yourself.  So when the bullshit get’s deep, here’s your shovel.

This week we interview Brian Dunning, the producer of the Skeptoid podcast.  Skeptoid is one of the most popular podcasts around, getting hundreds of thousands of downloads EVERY episode…and for good reason.  Dunning takes a methodical approach to not only debunking common misconceptions, but also providing the listener with awesome scientific explanations of what is actually going on.  As he mentions in this episode, he wants to make sure he is giving you something, rather than just taking something away.  So here we are, just a few podcasters providing you with some awesome sauce – enjoy!

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‘Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love’ by: Fran Hawthorne

Fran Hawthorne – Author of Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love

There’s a reason why the largest corporations also have the largest marketing budgets.  With all of the competition out there today, a company’s image is just as important as the products that it sells.  For example, hear the word Lexus and what do you immediately think about? Luxury, indulgence, perhaps a big red bow wrapped around your car? Do you even own a Lexus? Well I sure as heck don’t, but I still know what it’s supposed to represent.  But sometimes, that image doesn’t quite tell the whole story.  This is especially true when companies try to portray an aura of social responsibility.  It’s easy to tell the public they do what’s right, but it’s much harder to act on it – especially when it comes down to the bottom line of profitability. So let’s see what we can do to pull back the curtain on 6 of today’s most beloved companies (yes, one of them is Apple).

Our guest this week is Fran Hawthorne.  Fran is a prize-winning author and journalist with over 20 years of experience specializing in health care, retirement issues, and the nexus between business and public policy.  She writes regularly for The New York Times, Newsday, The Scientist, Institutional Investor and more.  We discuss her two most recent books, Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love and The Overloaded Liberal: Shopping, Investing, Parenting, and Other Daily Dilemmas in an Age of Political Activism.

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‘Billionaires’ Ball: Gluttony and Hubris in an Age of Epic Inequality’ by: Linda McQuaig

Linda McQuaig – Prolific journalist, critic, and author of “Billionaires’ Ball: Gluttony and Hubris in an Age of Epic Inequality”

Don’t forget to use our amazon link for all of your cyber Monday (and future) purchases.  Click here to go straight to amazon and get your shop on!

How about a few fun facts, just to start your day off right:

• A mere 0.5% of the world’s population owns an eye-popping 38.5% of its total wealth
• Meanwhile, the bottom 2/3 of the population only account for 3.3% of the total wealth
• One-third of the world’s millionaires live in the United States, more than the next 3 countries combined
• According to Credit Suisse, “The past decade has been especially conducive to the establishment of large fortunes”. You can download the entire report here.

What? You aren’t one of these rich people? Sucks for us, doesn’t it?

The last bullet point is an important one.  We are always going to have wealthy people, but the circumstances that allow for the accumulation of wealth have never been better.   Taxes are at a historical low, regulation on investment has been minimized, capital gains taxes are low, and tax loopholes greatly favor the rich! Seems tough for the little guy.  With the most recent election, the country made a statement about the need for equality in all aspects of life – specifically from a financial perspective.  But how do we do that? Listen to this week’s episode…that’s how.

Linda McQuaig is a prolific and well-known Canadian journalist, columnist, non-fiction author and social critic.  Her most recent book, “Billionaires’ Ball: Gluttony and Hubris in an Age of Epic Inequality”, was written alongside Professor Neil Brooks, a tax professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.  In this book, McQuaig and Brooks talk about the dangers that come with such concentrated wealth.

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CEO and Co-Founder of Help Remedies, Richard Fine

Richard Fine – CEO of Help Remedies/drug dealer (don’t worry, it’s legal).

I had a long day at the office today and it left me with a raging headache.  I sauntered to the nearest pharmacy, stood in the painkiller aisle, looked at the plethora of choices, and you know what happened…my headache got worse.  What brand do I want? Which type of pain killer? Do I need extra strength, mega strength, or kill me strength? These are way too many questions to answer considering it feels like I have a midget taking a mallet to my brain.  But then, as if delivered from the heavens, a beautiful green and white box jumps out at me and it literally says, “help, I have a headache”.  No questions, just answers.  And so began my love affair with Help Remedies.  (For the record, this story was made up.  My love affair actually began with a blue box that said “help, I have a blister” – but I tell that story in the interview).

Help Remedies, Inc. puts a simple new spin on your every day over-the-counter drugs.  Their products are made with only one active ingredient, because drugs are the epitome of less is more.  Why relieve 6 symptoms when you only have one?  Their products are in more environmentally friendly packaging and they use fewer coatings and dyes.  But perhaps most importantly, their products are beautiful and simple – a description more likely to be given to an iMac than a ibuprofen.  It leaves you wondering, who’s the genius behind this stellar product?  Answer: Richard Fine and Nathan Frank.  We were only able to get one of them on the show.

Richard Fine is the CEO and Co-Founder of Help Remedies, Inc.  Find out more about Help at www.helpineedhelp.com.

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‘The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People’ by: Dr. James Serpell

Dr. James Serpell – Expert on human-animal interaction, author, Professor, Director of the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society.

If you own a dog, I can almost guarantee that at one point you have found yourself having an entire conversation with them.  You have sat down with your dog, just as if you were talking to your spouse, and told them all about your day.  You have told them your deepest secrets, you have told them your biggest regrets.  You have taken them with you on vacations and you let them sleep in your bed. You have brought them into every facet of your life.  In essence, they are family.  And you know what?  This seems completely normal.

The fact is, in the eyes of many, the domestic dog is more human than animal.  So with that in mind, don’t you think you should know more about your family member? I mean, most parents won’t have a baby before they read 9 different baby books, why should it be any different for your furry friend.  It doesn’t need to be.  Tune in to this week’s episode as we teach you all about man’s best friend.  We get answers to some of the most puzzling doggy questions such as why they try to lick your mouth and how emotional are they.

Welcome to the show Dr. James Serpell.  Dr. Serpell is an expert on human-animal interaction, specializing in our relationship with the modern day domestic dog.  Dr. Serpell is a Professor of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also directs the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society. He also serves on the editorial boards of animal welfare, applied animal behavior, and human-animal interaction publications. Dr. Serpell is the author, editor, and co-editor of several books including “The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People”  and “In the Company of Animals: A Study of Human-Animal Relationships”.

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Mark Malkoff from MyDamnChannel.net

Mark Malkoff – Filmmaker, adventurer, comedian

We all know that guy.  The ideas guy.  The non-action guy.  The guy that say’s things like “Dude, I KNEW I should have bought Apple stock when it was at $60,” or “I can’t believe that business stole my idea,” or “as soon as work slows down I’m going to write a book.”  I have to admit, I’ve been that guy numerous times in my life and I’m not proud of it.  That guy is annoying.  He thinks that just having an idea is as good as actually making something happen.  My favorite quote from the movie The Social Network is when the actor playing Mark Zuckerberg says, “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you would have invented Facebook.”  The point of all this is, you’re only as good as what you do, NOT what you think about doing.  Do whatever fires you up, whatever gets you out of bed in the morning.  No matter how crazy it is, or how unrealistic it seems – go after it.  That’s exactly what this week’s guest, Mark did and it has brought him some pretty cool places.

Mark Malkoff is a comedian, a filmmaker, and more importantly, he’s a do-er.  He comes up with cool stuff to do, and makes it happen.  Mark had an idea on how to overcome his fear of flying, and next thing you know, he’s literally living on an AirTran jet for 30 straight days.  He also visited and purchased something from all 171 Starbucks franchises in New York City in 24 hours.  He lived in an IKEA for a week.  What’s even better, is he turns his adventures into fantastic films, and it’s become his full time job.  Mark has made headlines worldwide for his exploits and he’s enjoyed every second of it. Check out the hilarity that ensues at http://www.mydamnchannel.com/channel/mark_malkoff_3327.aspx.

I’m not going to sit here and give you a motivational speech, but we’ve said it time and time again.  There’s always a million reasons why it won’t work, doesn’t make sense, or seems impossible.  You have to power through those thoughts, those excuses, and get it done.

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‘The Emotional Life of Your Brain’ by: Dr. Richard Davidson

Dr. Richard Davidson – Harvard educated professor, expert in emotions, author and long time friend of the Dalai Lama.

Do you know how long “meditate daily” has been on my to-do list? Probably twice as long as “go to the dentist” has been on yours.  For me, the act of meditation represents everything that is calming, and the fact that I never meditate represents everything that is hectic.  In a world where you have so many worries including your family, bills, career, and more, when do you have time to sit in a room and think about….well….nothing?

The truth is, our brain wasn’t meant to be so over stimulated every second of the day.  With the pace of life increasing at an almost unimaginable rate, it becomes more imperative to sit down, relax,  get out of the way, and let your brain just be.  Especially given all of the research that shows, the better we treat our brain – the better it will treat us.  The cool thing is, meditation is just one tool in our tool belt that we can use to change the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we experience the world. Given the plasticity of the brain, there are many ways to improve the quality of our life through optimizing our brain.  Want to learn more about it? That’s what I thought.

This week we interview Dr. Richard Davidson, a true expert in the field of neuroscience. Dr. Davidson is the Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, and Founder and Chair of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Psychology and is the author of the new book, The Emotional Life of Your Brain.  Oh, and Dr. Davidson has the Dalai Lama on speed dial – they’re that tight.

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‘Zapped’ by: Ann Louise Gittleman

Ann Louise Gittleman – “The First Lady of Nutrition”

Consider your typical day.  You cook in your microwave, you call people on your cell phone, you work all day on your laptop – wirelessly connected to the world of the interwebs, you read books on your kindle, you listen to the radio in the car, you relax in front of the TV…the list goes on and on.  Electronics are an integral part of our lives, and we rely on them more and more every day.  There’s no denying that these gadgets and gismos make life better; however, can all of this electronic pollution have a negative impact on our health? We here at SPP believe the jury is still out on this one, but it never hurts to get a little more information.  Take a listen to this week’s episode and make the decision on your own.

This week we speak with author and nutritionist, Ann Louise Gittleman.   Ann Louise received her Master’s degree In Nutrition Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned a Certified Nutrition Specialist credential from the American College of Nutrition, a non-profit nutritionist organization, in 1993. Ann Louise has appeared on:  20/20, Dr. Phil, The View, The Early Show, Good Morning America, Extra, Fox News, PBS, CNN, Good Day New York, 700 Club and more.  Her most recent book is titled Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution.

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Reggie Freeman – Assistant Fire Chief / Deputy Director of Emergency Management

Reggie Freeman – Fire Chief, Emergency Management, CEO & President of The Freeman Group, LLC

Catastrophe is all around us.  Massive snow storms, excessive heat
waves, floods, power outages and hurricanes are all part of life on
earth.  Whether you call it climate change, the zombie apocalypse or
the end of the Mayan calendar, it is becoming increasingly important
for us to be prepared for disaster. Unfortunately, most emergency
management personal isn’t properly trained to deal with the wrath of
Mother Earth.  Luckily, Jon and I want you to survive…you’re welcome.

We consider this episode to be a diamond in the rough.  We interviewed
this week’s guest, Reggie Freeman, at the urging of one of our
listeners and he blew us away.  Reggie is an Executive Fire Officer
serving in the capacity of Assistant Fire Chief for the City of
Hartford, CT. He also serves as the city’s Deputy Director of
Emergency Management.  However, Reggie’s impressive resume doesn’t
stop there.  He took the knowledge and the discipline he gained in the
above mentioned roles and translated them into his own “All Hazards”
consulting company, The Freeman Group.  And to top it all off, Reggie
is finishing up his book, “The New Fire Officer,” which addresses the
history and tradition of the fire service coupled with the schematics
of fire departments in today’s society along with the demographics of
new officers across the country.  This guy stays busy!

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‘First Cameraman: Documenting the Obama Presidency in Real Time’ by: Arun Chaudhary

Arun Chaudhary – First ever official White House Videographer

This podcast is recorded exactly 6 miles from the White House.  My day job office building is literally a pitching wedge away from the front steps of the President’s home.  And yet, every time I pass those huge white pillars and that rolling green lawn, I can’t help but to stop and stare and wonder.  What is going on inside there?  Is Barry in? Is a sniper pointing his gun at me right now?  Thousands flock to the gates of the White House every year and ask themselves these same questions (except perhaps the sniper part, that might just be me).  And it’s no wonder we are all enamored.  This building houses arguably the most powerful man in the world, President Barack Obama.  A man so cool, that he actually does NOT put his pants on one leg at a time – he jumps into both (listen to find out of this is true).  But if you want to catch a glimpse of the POTUS and learn more about who he really is, don’t feel like you have to fly to our Nation’s Capital – just go to YouTube!

President Barack Obama has been dubbed the YouTube president.  His YouTube channel, BarackObama.com has nearly a quarter of a million subscribers and over 225 million views (slightly more than our YouTube channel which will soon have all of our episodes available – along with video of recent interviews! Check out our trailer here).  Many have credited his tech savvy “New Media” team for utilizing things like YouTube, facebook and other social media tools, in helping Obama win the presidency.  So it’s only fitting that he is the first President to have his very own dedicated videographer to record his every move.

This week’s guest, Arun Chaudhary, served as the first official White House videographer from 2009 to 2011 and was also a key member of Obama’s New Media team during the 2008 campaign.  He recently released his book, First Cameraman: Documenting the Obama Presidency in Real Time. He previously worked in film in New York and was a member of the NYU Graduate Film Department faculty.  He received his MBA in filmmaking from NYU and his BA in film theory from Cornell University.  He has been profiled by The New York Times, the BBC, National Journal, Politico, Fortune, and now….. Smart People Podcast.  Enjoy.

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‘The Righteous Mind’ by: Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt – morality, emotion and politics: ”Morality binds people together into teams that seek victory, not truth, and it closes hearts and minds.”

Taking the moral high ground is considered noble.  Being morally sound is an admirable trait.  But who determines if your moral stance is correct? Ultimately you do…don’t you?   I mean, as this week’s guest points out, even the Nazi’s thought they were morally just in their beliefs.  Hmmm, not so clear cut now is it?  Think about issues such as abortion, gun control, the death penalty, religion.  Morality becomes murky water when you start discussing the difficult issues. And if you’ve followed this show at all, you know that when there is murky water, there’s Jon and I, drinking it up with an enormous straw. Bring on the expert.

This week’s guest is Dr. Jonathan Haidt.  Dr. Haidt is a professor at New York University Stern School of Business. For 16 years he taught psychology at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on the psychological bases of morality across different cultures and political ideologies. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He was awarded the Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology in 2001. In his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, Haidt explains how morality plays a large role in the current political stalemate that grips America.  Learn more about his drive for a more productive and civil politics on his website www.CivilPolitics.org. Explore your own morals at www.yourmorals.org.

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‘Find Your Happy’ by: Shannon Kaiser

Shannon Kaiser –  travel writer, inspirational author, motivational speaker

Sometimes here at SPP, we judge a book by it’s cover…literally.  We will see the most recent NY Times Bestseller and we fawn over the author.  The more designations, recommendations,  and accolations (hey, it’s a word in  Urban Dictionary) a person has, the more insight they must have into the world of knowledge.  Well, this week we are standing up for those that hold a 4.0 GPA from the most prestigious institution there is, Real World University (RWU).  Before you dismiss the legitimacy of Real World University, let me give you a few statistics:

• RWU is the most difficult university to get into…ever….period.  As a matter of fact, only 1 in 400 trillion will be allowed to attend.
• The cost of attending RWU is exponentially more than any other university.  As a matter of fact, if you attend RWU in the United States, your parents will shell out approximately ONE MILLION DOLLARS for your freshman year tuition.    Usually they make you cover the bill after that.
• The average student of RWU will attend 588,672 hours of instruction!

As you can see, Real World University is only for the truly amazing. So congratulations, you made it! However, as I just mentioned, it’s expensive, it’s difficult, and it’s the longest thing you’ll ever do – so you might as well make the best of it.  But how? It’s a question we all ask ourselves.  How do we make our time here on Earth (you got the metaphor of RWU…right?) the best and most meaningful we can?  You get a damn good guidance counselor, that’s how.  And for that reason we bring you this week’s guest, your guidance counselor for 30 minutes, Shannon Kaiser.

Shannon is a travel writer, inspirational author, motivational speaker and founder of  playwiththeworld.com , a wonderland of adventure, fun and fulfillment. She is the travel tip editor for Healing Lifestyles and Spas, and a Destination Travel Editor for Examiner.com. A handful of her motivational stories have been published in the uplifting best-selling book series “Chicken Soup for The Soul” and her opinions have been shared on ABC AM Northwest KATU Morning Show.  She is the author of the book “Instant Inspiration” and the forthcoming book, “Find Your Happy, an Inspirational Guide on Loving Life to the Fullest.”

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‘Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think’ by: Brian Wansink

Dr. Brian Wansink –  Director of the Cornell Food & Brand Lab, marketing guru, author and MUCH more.

The Boston Medical Center indicates that approximately 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion on weight-loss products in their pursuit of a trimmer, fitter body.  I’d be willing to bet, if you are reading this, you have tried SOME form of diet in your lifetime.  I would ALSO be willing to bet, that you didn’t stick with that diet very long.  So let me just say in advance…you are welcome! Jon and I are here to tell you to stop worrying about what you eat.  Stop fretting every time you make a food decision, you are GOING to screw it up.  I can almost hear your brain asking “Is this a trick? Why should we listen to you schmucks?”.  And our response, don’t listen to us – listen to this week’s episode!

If you were to interview someone about technology, you would want it to be Bill Gates (RIP Steve Jobs).  If you were to interview someone about investing, you would want it to be Warren Buffett.  If you were to interview someone about how our environment and the food industry influences eating habits, you would want to talk to Dr. Brian Wansink….so that’s exactly what we did.

Dr. Wansink earned his Ph.D. in marketing at Stanford and is currently a Professor of Marketing and the Director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab (which he founded) at Cornell University. The Food & Brand Lab focuses on the psychology behind what people eat and how often they eat it.  The lab itself is a series of test kitchens, restaurants, and cooperating grocery stores that are used to understand how consumers “choose and use” foods. With the help of researchers from psychology, history, food science, cultural anthropology, and agricultural and consumer economics, the mission of the Food & Brand Labs’ studies is to help consumers eat more nutritiously and behave responsibly. His research on consumption volume has won national and international awards for its relevance to consumers. His research has been widely featured on 20/20, BBC News, The Learning Channel, all news networks, and on the front pages of the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times. ”

From 2007-2009, Wansink accepted a White House appointment as the fourth Executive Director of the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). At CNPP, he oversaw the development of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, the Healthy Eating Index, the Cost of Raising a Child Index, and he is charged with promoting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, in the form of MyPyramid. In 2011, Wansink was elected to a one-year-term as president of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior .

A lot of the topics we cover in this episode are covered in greater detail in his fascinating book, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think.  Learn more about Dr. Wansink at  http://brianwansink.com/ and more about his book at  http://mindlesseating.org/index.php .

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‘The Nine Modern Day Muses’ by: Jill Badonsky

Creativity is like a fire hose.  Once you turn it on it’s hard to control, it spews out haphazardly, and if you don’t have a firm grasp on it, it can whip you in just about any direction.  The power that it yields is immense; however, one small malfunction can completely stop the flow and you better have some knowledge and tools to get it up and running again. That’s where this week’s guest, Jill Badonsky, comes in.  She knows the most common reasons your fire hose breaks and how to fix it.

I have to admit, I don’t really know the extent of Jill’s knowledge about fire hoses, but I will tell you she knows a heck of a lot about creativity.   I’ll also admit, that Jill’s approach to dealing with creativity, working through the process, and overcoming obstacles is a bit odd.  In her most recent book, The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard): 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration for Artists, Poets, Lovers, and Other Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence, Jill introduces us to her 10 imaginary friends that each represent a different creative concept designed to help us overcome creative blocks and let go of the fear that holds us back from doing what we want to do.

Jill Badonsky, M.Ed., is an internationally recognized workshop leader, keynote speaker and creativity coach. She has consulted with national magazines, filmmakers, comedians, artists, writers, women in business, and spiritual groups through-out the country. Her background is in occupational therapy, writing, marketing, educational media and instructional design. Find out more about Jill at  http://www.themuseisin.com.

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‘Fake Science 101′ by: Phil Edwards

For most of us, our high school textbooks were nothing more than a paper weight.  Maybe if we would have actually opened them, we wouldn’t need to rely on talking to smart people, but that’s neither here nor there.  The main reason we didn’t care what was inside those massive bound bundles of  boring (yay for alliteration) was because they didn’t draw us in, there was no fun, and no play.  In steps this week’s guest, Phil Edwards.  Phil, as he puts it, is a “writer of mysteries and humor. Sometimes mysterious humor as well.” He had an idea to mesh together a passion of his, comedy, with an annoyance of his, boring text books.  The result of this idea is his brand new book, Fake Science 101, a witty, funny, easy read that takes the structure of a text book and turns it into laughs.  Our personal favorite part of this interview is the way Phil takes us through the writing process, how to turn your idea into reality, get a literary agent, market your work, and make some money!

You can find out more about Phil and his other creative creations at philedwardsinc.com.

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“Beyond Human Nature” by: Jesse Prinz

This week we cover some seriously heavy topics.  What plays a bigger role in who you are, your experiences or your genetics? Are emotions strictly a biological response to an event, easily defined by the chemical that they are related to?  Are we born as moral beings, or is even morality subject to circumstances? What flavor of ice cream is better, vanilla or chocolate? Wait, sorry – that was a separate argument that Jon and I had.  Anyway, it takes some serious smarts to even attempt to answer these questions (especially the ice cream debate), good thing this week’s guest is basically a genius.  Join us as we chat with Dr. Jesse Prinz.

Dr. Prinz is a Distinguished Professor of philosophy at the City University of New York, Graduate Center where he is also the director of the Committee for Interdisciplinary Science Studies. He works primarily in the philosophy of psychology and has authored several books and over 100 articles, addressing such topics as emotion, moral psychology, aesthetics and consciousness. Some of Dr. Prinz’s most notable books include, Beyond Human Nature, Gut Reactions, and The Emotional Construction of Morals.

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Let’s learn more about our brain by speaking with author David DiSalvo.  David is a science writer and public education specialist who writes about the intersection of science, technology and culture. His work has appeared in Scientific American Mind, Psychology Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Mental Floss, Salon, Esquire and other publications, and he is the writer behind the widely read blogs, Neuropsyched, Neuronarrative and The Daily Brain. He is frequently interviewed about science and technology topics, including appearances on NBC Nightly News and CNN Headline News. David has also served as a consulting research analyst and communications specialist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several public and private organizations in the U.S. and abroad. His first non-fiction book, What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, has been translated into 10 languages and is available worldwide. He is currently working on his second book, due out in Fall 2013.

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‘Steal Like an Artist’ by: Austin Kleon

2. Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.

3. Write the book you want to read.

4. Use your hands

These are just 3 of the 10 pieces of wisdom that this week’s guest, Austin Kleon, wants to pass along.  But wait…where is #1? Ahhh, good question.  The first piece of advice is also the title of his most recent, New York Times best seller, Steal Like an Artist. So what does THAT mean? Well literally it means that all art has already been created in some fashion; therefore, anything that is now created is partly stolen from someone, somewhere.  But more figuratively, it means a lot of things.  It is an idea, a mantra if you will.  It means how to be creative, how to generate ideas, how to use what HAS been done as a way to figure out what CAN be done.  Nothing is new.  Personally, this book jumped out to me for one reason.  Every day of my life I come up with some new idea or invention (I know, I know – I’m not alone here) and I get all excited until I type it into google just to realize it has already been done in some fashion.  But what Steal Like an Artist says, is that just because it’s been done doesn’t mean it can’t be done BETTER.  It’s time to get creative with Austin Kleon.

Austin is a writer, artist, speaker, and New York Times best-selling author. He’s written two books: Steal Like An Artist, and Newspaper Blackout.  His art has been called “brilliant” by New York Magazine and The New Yorker said his poems “resurrect the newspaper when everyone else is declaring it dead.” His work has been featured on 20×200.com, NPR’s Morning Edition, and PBSNewshour, and in Time, The Atlantic, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. He’s spoken about creativity, visual thinking, and being an artist online for organizations such as Pixar, Google, SXSW, TEDx, andThe Economist.  Visit him online at www.austinkleon.com.

*Remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

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‘How NASA Builds Teams’ by: Charlie Pellerin

Do you know what astrophysics is? I’m not going to lie, I had to wikipedia it.  This week we speak with the guy who Invented Astrophysics! ….Ok, not really, that guy has been dead for like centuries, BUT we basically get to talk to the next best thing in Dr. Charles Pellerin.  Dr. Pellerin is the former director of astrophysics at NASA where he led the team that built the hobbled Hubble Space Telescope and then redeemed himself by leading the mission to fix it - so he’s kind of a big deal in a lot of ways.  Actually, let’s discuss how big of a deal he is:

• Charlie received Goddard Space Flight Center’s highest patent related award for inventing a “Two-axis Fluxgate Magnetometer”. His design then flew on missions to the planets.
• He earned a PhD in Astrophysics publishing in Solar Physics and the Astrophysical Journal.
• Catholic University awarded him their Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science.
• After the Harvard Business School’s “Program for Management Development,” NASA appointed Charlie Director, Astrophysics. He led this program for a decade launching 12 satellites.
• NASA awarded him an Outstanding Leadership Medal and the American Astronautical Society gave him their highest award, the Space Flight Award.

So I’ll say it again….he’s kind of a big deal and we’re pumped to have him on the show.  We start off with some really nerdy questions about inhabiting Mars, which we WILL do sometime soon according to Dr. P.  Then we dive into the Hubble disaster and how Charlie was able to take that life lesson in a fantastic direction as he outlines in his AMAZING book How NASA Builds Teams.   You will learn all about Dr. Pellerin’s new 4-D approach that is being used by some of the largest companies in the world such as Texas Instruments and Raytheon Co, just to name a few.  The systems and ideas are all outlined for free at http://www.nasateambuilding.com/ or http://www.4-dsystems.com/ . He has a LOT of free information available on there that can help ANYONE from small business to large corporations and especially to the individual employee.  In today’s business environment you really have to be a team player, why not take some advice from one of the smartest guys to ever give it!  

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‘The Defining Decade’ by Dr. Meg Jay

Welcome back everyone to our first official episode of Season 2!.  We are glad to see you back and we look forward to another year of awesomeness.

Our twenties are supposed to be the time of our lives, right?  A time where you can do whatever you want and use the excuse, “I’m just trying to find myself.”  You can backpack through Europe for as long as you want and finance it all on your 3 new credit cards!  You can date anyone and everyone that will wink at you on match.com or buy you a drink at a bar.  And you can jump from job to job every 3 months because loyalty is dead and that’s what young adults do these days.  The craziest part of it all is that your parents are not only OK with this, but they encourage it!  They explain to you that they wish they traveled more when they were your age and took advantage of all that youth has to offer.  But you know what’s funny…they didn’t do any of that.  Yes I’m generalizing, but for most of modern history, your twenties were a time to find the best job you can with your skill set, work hard, start your family and begin to take on responsibility.

Nearly 80% of life’s most significant events take place by age thirty-five whether you want them to or not – so it’s kind of important that you are making good decisions.  The career path you choose, or at least the experience you gain, is going to impact your future earnings in an extremely skewed fashion.   The people you meet in your twenties are going to have a more profound effect on who you become than at any point in the future. And, not to scare you too much, but if you are thinking about having a family at some point, these years are the time to start planning.  At age 30 a woman is 1/2 as fertile as she was just 5 years prior and by age 35, she is just 1/4 as fertile.  So what do you do? With all of these things happening in such a short period of time, it’s extremely easy to become anxious, scared and confused.  Well you’re in luck, because Smart People Podcast is here to help you on your way.

This week we speak with Dr. Meg Jay.  Dr. Jay (www.drmegjay.com) is a clinical psychologist who specializes in adult development, and twenty-somethings in particular.  She is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Virginia, and maintains a private practice in Charlottesville, VA.  Dr. Jay earned a doctorate in clinical psychology, and in gender studies, from the University of California, Berkeley.  In this conversation with Meg we cover everything from dating and relationships to what your career path is and who you want to become and much more.  We dive into Meg’s AMAZING brand new book, The Defining Decade: Why your twenties matter – and how to make the most of them now.  If you’re still lucky enough to have all or part of your twenties ahead of you, this is simply a MUST read.  However, if you’re twenties have come and gone, there is still much to be learned and perhaps you can help pass on these words of wisdom to your own children.  Whatever your reasoning is, we can promise you that this is one episode you really can’t afford to miss.  Do it for yourself, do it for our youth!

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David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards

If you’re anything like me (Chris) and nothing like the other host (Jon) you absolutely hate surfing the internet to find the next big thing. I mean, by the time I learned about Myspace, there was a movie being made about Facebook. But let’s face it, the web is where it’s at people.  Not understanding the inner workings of the interwebs is the equivalent of being the last caveman to discover fire…you’re dead.  And with all of the URL’s, HTML’s, WWW.’s and HTTP’s the majority of us struggle to keep up.   That’s why you need to be a lot like me (Chris) and become really good friends with a computer nerd (Jon) to ensure that you are kept up to speed.  But just in case you are unable to make friends, we have brought the best of the internet to you in this week’s episode.

This week we call upon the only man to have reached the end of the internet, David-Michel Davies (DMD for short – coolest nickname ever BTW).  DMD is the Executive Director of the Webby Awards, a leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet.  Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, the Webbys is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which includes an Executive 1,000-member body of leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities. Just listening to DMD makes you feel like you have your finger on the pulse of the internet.   And if you do ONE thing after listening to this week’s episode, go to netted.net, you can thank us later.

This week we tackle:

• The Best of SXSW
• Where is the internet heading?
• App culture
• Netted.net – the email you seriously shouldn’t miss
• Internet influence on various types of media (when is the last time you bought a CD?)

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Craig Koslofsky, author of "Evening's Empire: A History of the Night in Early Modern Europe"

Craig Koslofsky, author, Associate Professor of History at the University of Illinois .

Can you imagine a time without electricity and modern technology? First of all, HOW would you download this podcast?

In Craig Koslofsky’s book, Evening’s Empire: A History of the Night in Early Modern Europe, Craig discusses “the history of night” and what it meant to people during those times. During this period of history, the night was changed when it came to religion, literature, socialization, and art. Check out this week’s podcast to learn more!

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Dr. Srini Pillay, CEO of NeuroBusiness Group

Dr. Srini Pillay – Neuroscientist, Psychiatrist, Executive Coach…amazing. The human brain is a miracle, no one can question that.  The brain is the source of all of our cognition.  It stores our memories, it creates our identity and it interprets the world in which we live.  It’s also a mechanism that can be exercised and fine tuned to help us reach our greatest potential.  But how the heck does it work? I mean, thinking about thinking is damn near impossible. That’s why we leave it up to experts such as this week’s guest Dr. Srini Pillay.

After graduating as the top medical student in his class, Dr. Pillay trained in Psychology at McLean Hospital (the nations top psychiatric hospital) and Harvard Medical Institute.  He graduated as the resident with the most number of awards at any training program at Harvard Medical School and one of the top three award winners in the US.  He was also the Founder and Director of the Outpatient Anxiety Disorders Program at McLean Hospital.  He has also authored numerous books including, Your Brain and Business and, Life Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear.  So needless to say, he’s got a little bit of experience on his side. Join us as we blow your mind…er…brain.

Please check out his website! http://srinipillay.com/

Tackled this week:

• What motivates people to be more productive?
• Harmonious Passion vs. Obsessive Passion
• How do you use the science behind the brain to improve leadership skills?
• AND MORE!

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Drew Dudley, founder of 'Nuance Leadership Development Services Inc'

Drew Dudley – Leadership and Motivation Expert: Be prepared to look at leadership in a new light after this one.  According to this week’s guest Drew Dudley, leadership is no longer a description reserved for kings, presidents, and executives. It’s something we all possess and we need to use it to change the world. Drew believes we’ve made leadership into something bigger than us, something beyond us.  And Jon and I think he’s on to something.  We all find times in our lives when leadership of some sort is necessary and we don’t realize that we willingly jump to the challenge.  Whether it comes when you’re lost on a long road trip, or put in charge of that project at work or even when you notice other’s around you not recycling, there are things that happen every day that force us into a leadership role and most of the time we succeed.  So why are we so hesitant to consider ourselves leaders? Perhaps we are thinking of leadership in the wrong context….and that’s exactly what Drew Dudley is going to explain.

Drew Dudley is a leadership and motivation expert and founder and chief catalyst of Nuance Leadership. He can also be found on Twitter: @nuancedrew. Please take a look at one of his TED talks below.

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Nobel Prize Co-Recipient, Dr. Richard Alley

Dr. Richard Alley – Geologist & Climate Change Specialist: It is no longer a matter of if, how or how long…it’s real & it’s happening.  The amount of greenhouse gasses within Earth’s atmosphere are increasing at an alarming rate which is causing a continuous and unsustainable rise in the Earth’s climate. This is not alarmist, I’m not preaching, it’s just true.  When Al Gore released released the documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” it was a wake up call for many and we began to realize the effect that our industrialization, specifically regarding our food supply, is having on our world. So what exactly is happening? How do we KNOW about global warming? And most importantly, what can we do about it?

Funny you should ask, it just so happens these are the exact questions we answer this week when we interview American geologist and Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Richard Alley.  He has authored more than 170 refereed scientific publications and is recognized by the Institute for Scientific Information as a “highly cited researcher.” AND, Dr. Alley was a contributor to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Prize with Al Gore so add a Nobel Laureat to the SPP resume!

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Josh Klein, author of "Hacking Work: Breaking Stupid Rules for Smart Results"

Josh Klein – Technologist & Computer/Life Hacker: Many of today’s systems and organizations still operate on the same processes that became popular during the industrial revolution, but no longer prove relevant. Think about it, a company decides they want to be innovative and productive. They need their employees to be creative and forward thinking. So what do they do? They make you sit in a make-shift jail cell that inhibits any type of creativity and brainstorming and they tell you to work within the confines of your role. How does that help? Plain and simple…it doesn’t. This is when they hire Josh Klein (this week’s guest) to come in and basically tell them to get with the times and stop following the norm. But in this episode we don’t stop at making fun of companies – we cover it all. Can the music industry stop complaining that file sharing is killing the industry and just realized that it IS the industry? How about the fact that students in India are getting a perfectly good education for FREE using Khan Academy  There are endless opportunities to use technology and the new virtual network to better our lives for cheaper, if we would just accept a change.

Josh Klein is a technologist who uses systems thinking to create alternative methods of succeeding in divergent fields. Basically, in common speak, that means he uses his love for technology and his lifelong affinity for how things work and how they can work even better to solve problems across many areas. Josh has written two books, his most recent titled Hacking Work: Breaking Stupid Rules for Smart Results tells employees how to break the rules at work to be more productive. In addition, Josh has participated in numerous start ups, he works for the US Intelligence Community and has done speaking engagements at many forums including Davos and TED. Now he can add SPP to that list. Enjoy!

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Debra Benfield of 'Body in Mind Nutrition'

We got the chance to sit down with Debra Benfield to discuss nutrition and  the concept of mindful and intuitive eating around healthy food choices. You’ll also get a look into some of our weird eating habits!

Debra is a Master’s Level Nutritionist (M.Ed.), a (Registered Dietitian (R.D.) AND a Licensed Dietitian/ Nutritionist (L.D.N.) with over 25 years of experience. So as you can see, she definitely fits the mold of who we seek out to talk to on Smart People Podcast! Head over to Debra’s page, Body in Mind Nutrition to read up on what she has to offer!

For those of you that didn’t recognize the voice at the beginning of the podcast, that is Vanessa Ragland of the Pop My Culture podcast. She is running for California Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Woman of the Year. In support of her campaign, all donations that come through our donation button will be sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Hit that donate button and help in any way you can!

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Rebecca Woodcock, co-founder of Cake Health

Let’s be honest. No one likes to deal with medical and health insurance bills. It’s confusing, it’s complicated, and it really is a huge pain.

This is where Rebecca Woodcock’s new startup, Cake Health comes in. Cake Health is a website that helps you manage and understand your health care bills. It helps break down your health care bills, show your true costs, and helps you save money. It is such a good idea, that insiders in the tech industry are calling it the Mint of the health care industry… which is a compliment of the highest degree.

This week, we speak with the co-founder of Cake Health,  Rebecca Woodcock. She graduated from Santa Clara University and has worked in a wide variety of jobs within the technology industry. She also graduated from the Founder Institute, a start-up incubator that grooms entrepreneurs into becoming CEOs.

You can see Rebecca’s Tech Crunch Disrupt presentation:

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“The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” by: Brené Brown

“Know Thyself”.  It was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo, it has been referenced by everyone from Plato, to Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  It’s an idea that is deeply ingrained in our culture…and rightfully so.  Perhaps no other journey is as important as trying to figure out who you are and who you want to become.  However, as with most things in life worth their salt, you gotta eat a lot of pepper to figure it out. You will learn a better description of what shame is and how it creeps into all of our lives.  You will realize that EVERYONE has their insecurities, everyone has the same worries as you and it’s ok to embrace these insecurities and learn from them.  When you walk into a room full of people that you don’t know, does it feel like everyone is looking at you, judging you? Well don’t worry, because they aren’t! We will discuss different guideposts such as letting go of what you’re supposed to do, perfectionism and fear that have been established over years of research.  I say it in the intro and I say it again now, this is one of my favorite episodes to date!

This week, Jon and I try to help you in this journey as we speak with researcher, writer, and professor Dr. Brene Brown and discuss her AMAZING new book, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Dr. Brown is a member of the research faculty at the University of Houston Graduate College, where she has spent the past ten years studying a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness.  Her work has been featured on PBS, Oprah, Self magazine and Elle magazine.  She was recently named one of the “50 Most Influential Women of 2009″ and she gave an amazing Ted talk that we recommend you check out as well.

Spread the love!

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"Double Double" by: Cameron Herold

Happy New Year! Glad you could join us for the first episode of what we are sure is going to be the most amazing year ever.  We kick 2012 off with a bang and interview business & entrepreneurial Coach, Cameron Herold.   If you’ve ever thought about owning your own business OR if you are just one of those people that can’t stop coming up with ideas, this is YOUR guy.  CEO’s, individuals and businesses pay a pretty penny to have this guy come speak with them, we give it to you for free….you’re welcome.

Cameron Herold has taken 20 years experience operating some of the biggest business success stories in North America and turned it into a flourishing career as both a motivational speaker and management consultant. Cameron is a business coach and mentor to several small businesses, and a CEO coach to large corporations throughout Canada and the United States. There’s no secret to his business success: Cameron loves helping entrepreneurs make their dreams come true. He is the CEO of his consulting firm Back Pocket COO and author of the incredible book Double Double.

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"The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less" by: Barry Schwartz

Try to walk into a grocery store, an electronics store, or even a coffee shop without being faced with hundreds of options. Do you want the 50″ 3d LCD TV or the 52″ LED 1080p TV? Everyday, we are faced with hundreds of decisions.

This week, we interview Barry Schwartz and talk to him about his book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. In this book, Barry discusses how all these choices have become a problem instead of a solution.

Enjoy the interview and have a great holiday! We will talk with you guys around the new year!

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Fojol Brothers Food Truck

Remember when you would be starving, walking around a large city looking for a quick bite and the only thing you could find was hot dogs from street carts that tasted like moist paper towel rolls? Well finally, those days are gone.  There has been an epidemic within the past year or two in food trucks, which are in essence, kitchens on wheels.  These food trucks serve legitimately amazing food at a good price and they bring it right to the doorstep of your office or home.  These food trucks have taken the largest cities by storm (i.e LA, NYC) and they have made their way into the nation’s capital and our home, Washington, DC.  This week we speak with Justin Vitarello, the founder, creator and driver of the Fojol Brothers – one of the first and most popular food trucks to hit the streets of Washington, DC.  Justin gives us some insight into his business and why he decided to bring great food and great fun to the streets.

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"You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself" by: David McRaney

You delude yourself every day. You might not realize it, but you do. Our guest this week is David McRaney and he wrote a book called,  You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You’re Deluding Yourself. In this book, David discusses many topics that will help you see how unaware of how unaware you truly are. You can also check out David’s writings at his blog, http://www.youarenotsosmart.com.

This video on procrastination is what drove me to read the book. Check it out. It is definitely worth the read!!

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"Lost Decades: The Making of America's Debt Crisis and the Long Recovery" by: Jeff Frieden

70% off! 50% off! Buy one, get one free! I’m sure you saw  all of these this past weekend… it was Black Friday after all. We’ve been told that shopping this past weekend would help the economy, but many of us don’t have the funds to do the shopping….but we still do it anyway. We’re supposed to, right?

We should be saving more, consuming less, and paying down debts. This last decade has been quite the shock for many Americans. We just aren’t used to this type of thinking. We’ve been hit with a slowing economy, high unemployment, and a government that doesn’t know which direction to take us.

Jeff Frieden’s book, Lost Decades: The Making of America’s Debt Crisis and the Long Recovery, explains the origins of United States’ financial crisis and attempts to spell out the long-term effects. This is a must read for any financially inquisitive American!

The post Episode 40 – Jeff Frieden appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why" by: Laurence Gonzales

If you were in a plane crash, got lost while hiking in the mountains, or were faced with other life or death situations, what would you do? Would you be able to survive or would you be like the 90% of people who would freeze or panic in the situation?

This week, we speak with Laurence Gonzales, author of the book, “Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why“. In his book, Gonzales shares many survival stories and studies the psychological, physiological, and spiritual qualities that help people survive life or death situations.

The post Episode 39 – Laurence Gonzales appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President," by: Ron Suskind

Whether you are a democrat, republican, or independent, watching the President’s first couple of years in office is always very interesting. Will they maintain all the promises made during their campaign? What will happen if they are faced with a serious situation in office? All these things are very telling of their character. But even more telling of their character, are the changes they make during the last years of their Presidency.

This week we talk to Pulitzer Prize winner and author, Ron Suskind. Ron went to the University of Virginia and received a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He wrote the book Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President  which he provides an intimate view inside the White House during the economic crisis.

Ron’s book, Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President can be purchased online or at your local book store. It is definitely a great read. Go check it out!

The post Episode 38 – Ron Suskind appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

New York Times bestseller, Steve Almond

To this day, ‘History of Rock and Roll’ was one of my favorite classes in college. The artists inspired me. The stories blew me away. The lifestyle seemed to be something only imaginable in books and movies.

New York Times best selling author, Steve Almond has many books on his resume, but it was Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life that really caught my attention. In this book, Steve describes how he is a “drooling fanatic” and shows how music and  life come together in his life.  As you dive into the book, you begin to realize how important music is to your life and just how much of a time-machine music really can be.

Steve’s newest book, God Bless America is available online and at bookstores in your area. You can also find it at http://www.lookout.org/godblessamerica.htm. To find out more about Steve, please visit his website.

Please enjoy Steve’s deconstruction of the lyrics of the song (I Bless the Rains Down in) Africa, by Toto.

The post Episode 37 – Steve Almond appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda" by: Thom Shanker

“There was this explosion. A cloud. Red Mist. He self-detonated.  A suicide vest. As sometimes happens with suicide vests, shoes and shins still stood on the roadway, disconnected for eternity from their owner.”
-Thom Shanker, Author and this week’s Guest

The war on terror has now been underway for 10 years and over this time the United States intelligence division has undergone a complete restructuring.  Prior to 9/11, the idea of waging a war on an “unidentifiable” threat was unheard of.  What do you do when there is no clear enemy? This is the question that a group of military analysts asked themselves in early 2005 when the United States realized it was time for a new approach.

This week we speak with leading Pentagon correspondent for the NY Times, Thom Shanker.  Thom recently published the book Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America’s Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda.  In his book, Thom takes readers through the events beginning September 11, 2001 all the way to the dramatic May 2011 raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed.  You will get an in depth, well-researched account of exactly what the United States military has done since the fall of the twin towers to try to stay one step ahead of terrorists both at home and abroad.

Thom spent two years in the master’s degree program at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, specializing in strategic nuclear policy and international law. He joined The Times in 1997, and was assistant Washington editor. He was named Pentagon correspondent in May of 2001 and has since conducted numerous reporting trips to Iraq, and has embedded in the field with units from the company level through battalion, brigade, division and corps.Shanker has been published in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The New York Review of Books, The New Republic, The American Journalism Review and Military Review. He is a contributor to “Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know,” an anthology published by Norton. He also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The post Episode 36 – Thom Shanker appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism," by: Roger Simmermaker

Made in America. We all (well, maybe) remember when that used to mean one thing. Quality. As times changed and we moved towards become larger consumers, companies shifted their manufacturing to places in order to take advantage of lower wages. Usually, this meant moving the manufacturing out of the good ole’ US of A.

Roger Simmermaker decided to take it upon himself and put together a book on how Americans can once again buy American. Roger is a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, and has appeared in the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and many other publications.

Check out Roger’s book, How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism.

The post Episode 35 – Roger Simmermaker appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Cathy Davidson

It’s a topic that we have brushed up against before on the podcast, but haven’t completely jumped into.  How does all of today’s technology and instant gratification affect our ability to pay attention.  Are computers and video games the reason for the outbreak of diagnosable attention disorders or is it something different entirely? Actually, one of our hosts (and it’s not Chris) literally can not go 3 minutes without checking either a social networking site, email, some iPhone, etc. and is a true testament to this new type of attention blindness.

Join us this week as we speak with Duke Professor Dr. Cathy Davidson about what she calls “Attention Blindness.” Her most recent book, Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn, was named by Publishers Weekly “one of the top ten science books” of the Fall 2011 season. Dr. Davidson has served in leadership roles at Duke and a variety of organizations and has authored or edited eighteen books. Her work for the last decade has focused on technology, collaboration, cognition, learning, and the digital age.

The post Episode 34 – Cathy Davidson appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

'Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America' by: Jeff Ryan

The 60′s had the space race to the moon, the 70′s had peace, love and hippies and the 90′s had the internet.  BUT, the 80′s had the best thing of all…..wait for it…..wait for it…..NINTENDO, and more specifically the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).  We probably don’t need to explain to you how fantastic NES was, but take our word for it…..it was epic. In fact, in 2009, the NES was named the single greatest video game console in history by IGN Entertainment, out of a field of 25.  As children of the 80′s, the NES holds a dear place in our hearts here at SPP.  Having grown up on games such as Super Mario, Zelda, Bubble Bobble, Baseball Stars, Ninja Turtles, Contra (I could keep going), we couldn’t WAIT to host this weeks episode.  Actually, we were so excited, we actually just kept recording well after the interview which can be heard in an upcoming post.

This week we interview author, video game expert, blogger and admitted nerd, Jeff Ryan in hopes of getting an inside look into his new book, Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America. Jeff’s career began in the 1990′s when he joined the then popular news and entertainment website, Katrillion.com.  As the video game reporter (and copy editor for the entire site), he reviewed over 500 games. He toured Nintendo, interviewed its top designers, and became just an all out expert. Jeff puts on his Nintendo knowledge cap for us this week and schools us on Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America.

The post Episode 33 – Jeff Ryan appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Chris and I have a discussion about Nintendo following our interview with Jeff Ryan. As you can tell, we had a lot of fun discussing Nintendo this week.

Leave your top 5 games in the comments section!

The post Nintendo Overtime appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

New York Times' best selling author, Seth Godin

A lot of the ways companies reach you on a daily basis can be tied back to one man.  This same man was recently dubbed “America’s Greatest Marketer” by American Way Magazine.  Well, it just so happens that this week we had a chance to interview this man – his name is Seth Godin.  Seth is a fantastic author who has written thirteen books that have been translated into more than thirty languages. Every one has been a bestseller. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, and marketing. His book Free Prize Inside was a Forbes Business Book of the Year in 2004, Purple Cow sold over 150,000 copies in more than 23 printings and The Dip was a Business Week and New York Times bestseller. His most recent books, Linchpin and Poke the Box are both remarkable reads.

Seth is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded numerous companies such as Yoyodyne and Squidoo.com.  Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Seth Godin graduated from Tufts University in 1979 with a degree in computer science and philosophy. Godin earned his MBA in marketing from Stanford Business School.

For more info on Seth, please visit his site: http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/bio.asp.

The post Episode 32 – Seth Godin appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

'Four Kitchens' by Lauren Shockey

We’ve all had the thought before. “That’s it. I’m quitting my job and I am going to culinary school. I am becoming a chef or opening my own restaurant.” Personally, I’ve had this thought many times. I’ve contemplated opening a food truck, a restaurant, or a hot dog stand. I love food. Who doesn’t love food? It is one of the things that makes most of the people in this world happy.

This week we talk to food critic/chef Lauren Shockey. Lauren decided to quit her job, go to culinary school and travel the world as a chef. Not only did her passion lead her to her current job as a food critic, but it also provided the stories for her book, Four Kitchens.

Lauren has an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago. She also holds a diploma from The French Culinary Institute and a Master of Arts in food studies from New York University. Currently, Lauren is a staff writer at the Village Voice.

The post Episode 31 – Lauren Shockey appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Dr. Geoff Marcy

Take a look into the sky tonight and try to imagine how many planets are out there. As of February 2011, there are 1,235 unconfirmed planetary candidates out there. It is widely estimated that there are billions of planets in our galaxy alone. Did you know that one man is responsible for discovering 70 of the first 100 extrasolar planets? That man is Dr. Geoff Marcy. He did not accomplish this feat alone, but it is still an incredible one.

Dr. Marcy received his BA from UCLA and his PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has won countless awards including the Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences, The Shaw Prize, and the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement.  Please join us as we have a wonderful discussion about the universe with Dr. Marcy.

For more on Dr. Marcy, check out his autobiography at: http://astro.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/Autobiography_marcy.pdf

The post Episode 30 – Dr. Geoff Marcy appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"The Happiness Project" by: Gretchen Rubin

How many times have you found yourself wondering why you are not as happy as you could be? There are plenty of times that I am sit at my desk and I start to wonder things like, “am I on the right career path?,” “what would make me truly happy?,” or “what does being happy really mean?”.

Gretchen Rubin asked herself the same question one day and decided to do something about it. In the process of doing so, she documented her steps on the path of becoming “happy”. The resulting product was the New Your Times bestseller, The Happiness Project.

Gretchen received her undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University and was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. She was also a clerk on the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and served as a chief adviser to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt. You can find out more about Gretchen at her website, http://www.gretchenrubin.com/.

For more on The Happiness Project, head over to http://www.happiness-project.com and http://happinessprojecttoolbox.com/.

The post Episode 29 – Gretchen Rubin appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

'Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value' by: William Poundstone

This week’s guest is a guy I would love to emulate.  His profession goes a little something like this.  Find interesting subject, research the hell out of interesting subject, write about interesting subject in a clear and interesting manor, and make bank.  Not too many writers perform this process nearly as well as our guest, William (Bill) Poundstone. Poundstone is the best-selling author of eleven books. His Fortune’s Formula was Amazon Editors’ Pick for #1 nonfiction book of 2005. In our interview with Bill, we focus mainly on 4 topics he has written about: How can we change the way we vote in America, why do companies ask stupid riddles during job interviews, how are price’s determined, what is the best system for betting, gambling and the stock market.  Bill has written for The New York Times book review and op-ed page, the Village Voice, Esquire, Harpers, The Believer, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review. He has appeared on the Today Show, David Letterman, CBS Morning News, Larry King, and hundreds of radio talk shows throughout the world.

Bill’s newest book, Priceless: The Myth of Fail Value can be found at Amazon and your local book store.

To find out more about Bill Poundstone, please visit his website: http://home.williampoundstone.net/

The post Episode 28 – Bill Poundstone appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts" by: Dr. Gary Chapman

Do you ever reflect on your relationship and wonder why your partner does some of the things they do? “Honey, can you mow the lawn?” “Why don’t we ever sit down and talk?” “I feel like our physical relationship is lacking.” These are all things that most of you have heard from your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner at one time or another. Often, these things can lead to many arguments in a relationship.

In this week’s interview, we speak with Dr. Chapman as he addresses these “languages” in, “The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts”. Take a listen and try implementing Dr. Chapman’s advice in your relationships. Who knows, maybe you will find more happiness in your relationships!

You can find your love language by taking Dr. Chapman’s quiz at his site: Five Love Languages.

The post Episode 27 – Dr. Gary Chapman appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success" by: Kerry Patterson

This week’s episode is one that we probably should be airing closer to the New Year.  See, most people start off the new year with lofty goals for the future – the infamous new years resolution.  However, we all know the problems with these.  Come March, that beer gut is still highly visible, those cigarettes are still just as addictive and that treadmill is still just as annoying.  Well this week, we here at Smart People Podcast arm you with the tools to make those resolutions reality.

This episode we interview Kerry Patterson, author of Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success. Cofounder of VitalSmarts, Kerry has coauthored four New York Times bestselling books as well as designed the company’s line of award-winning training programs. He received the prestigious 2004 BYU Marriott School of Management Dyer Award for outstanding contribution in organizational behavior. He also did his doctoral work in organizational behavior at Stanford University.

Based upon the latest research in a number of psychological and medical fields, the authors of CHANGE ANYTHING will show that traditional will-power is not necessarily the answer to these strivings, that people are affected in their behaviors by far more subtle influences. CHANGE ANYTHING shows how individuals can come to understand these powerful and influential forces, and how to put these forces to work in a positive manner that brings real and meaningful results.

The post Episode 26 – Kerry Patterson appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Why School? Reclaiming Education for All of Us" by: Dr. Mike Rose

What does it mean to be educated? What does intelligence truly mean? These are tough questions, but luckily we get the chance to sit down with Dr. Mike Rose to discuss them

Dr. Rose received a B.A. from Loyola University, an M.S. from the University of Southern California, and both an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has taught in a wide range of educational settings, from kindergarten to adult literacy programs. Currently, Dr. Rose is on the faculty of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

Rose has written a number of books and has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Grawemeyer Award in Education, and the Commonwealth Club of California Award for Literary Excellence in Nonfiction. He has also been honored by the Spencer Foundation, the McDonnell Foundation Program in Cognitive Studies for Educational Practice, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Modern Language Association, and the National Academy of Education. He is the author of ten books including the book we discuss with him, Why School? Reclaiming Education for All of Us.

You can find out more about Dr. Rose at his website: http://mikerosebooks.blogspot.com/.

The post Episode 25 – Dr. Mike Rose appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"What's Your Type of Career?" by: Donna Dunning

People enjoy doing things that they are good at – this is no secret.  However, many people don’t even know how to assess themselves and find their strengths.  How can you find your path, what truly makes you happy, if you don’t even have a good grasp on who you are? This is something so many people suffer with (or at least ponder on a regular basis).  Here at Smart People Podcast, we have a theory.  Ya see, this Millennial Generation is having a hard time.  This generation is perhaps the first ever (maybe there were a few lucky individuals before them) to have the time and the means to focus on themselves.  In the past, people were just happy to have a paying job that allows them to support their family.  But these days, with a boost in productivity and creativity due to technology, along with the fairly solid financial foundation that has been laid by those before us (relatively speaking – back in the day if you didn’t have a job, you didn’t eat – period!) people are allowed to sit back and try to figure out what they REALLY want.  What is REALLY going to make ME happy? We have the resources to learn about all of these different opportunities.  The world is at our fingertips.  But at times, this can be as much of a curse as it is a blessing.  What happens if we pick the wrong career or calling?

Join us this week as we interview Donna Dunning, PhD.  Donna is a psychologist, author, consultant, certified teacher, and member of the MBTI® International Training Faculty. She specializes in the areas of career development, learning, and work performance.   For over twenty-five years she has provided consulting services including counseling, training, assessment, research, writing, evaluation, program development, and performance management. Donna has written numerous books on the subject such as What’s Your Type of Career?: Find Your Perfect Career By Using Your Personality Type and 10 Career Essentials: Excel at Your Career by Using Your Personality Type.  Please check out her website for tons of amazing insight at http://www.dunning.ca/

Also, we here at SPP recommend the following site for taking the Myers Briggs and finding out your personality type.  You will be surprised at what you learn. http://www.personalitypage.com/ It costs $5 (which is much cheaper than any other out there).  This is in no way associate with us, just a great site that we both used!

FINALLY, don’t forget to use this link for all of your amazon purchases: Smart People Podcast Amazon Page - It helps out the podcast at NO COST TO YOU!

The post Episode 24 – Donna Dunning appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Jeff Eisenberg: author of "The Bed Bug Survival Guide"

You’ve all had the feeling before. You’re laying and bed and you start to itch somewhere on your body. Then that itch spreads. After a few moments panic is running through your head. “Oh man. What if I have bed bugs?!!?” It’s an awful feeling, but what if it were true? Would you know what to look for? Would you know what to do?

This episode, we interview Jeff Eisenberg, who is widely known as an expert in the field of bed bugs. He has been interviewed by The NY Times, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal.

Jeff recently wrote a book called The Bed Bug Survival Guide (proceeds are donated to charity. Buy a book and help out!). You can buy Jeff’s book at Amazon and other bookstores. His company’s website can be found at www.pestawayinc.com.

The post Episode 23 – Jeff Eisenberg appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Andrew Breitbart, author of, "Righteous Indignation"

This week on the podcast we have the very polarizing author and political commentator, Andrew Breitbart.  Andrew got his first break in 1995 when he contacted Matt Drudge and became part of the now infamous Drudge Report.  As he proclaims in our interview, he was “a slacker that just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”  Soon after, he was put in touch with Arianna Huffington and the two of them created yet another hugely popular website called the Huffington Post.  With these two slam dunks on his resume, Andrew began to get his hands into various aspects of life, primarily concentrating his efforts in the political arena.  Breitbart’s work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, National Review Online and the Weekly Standard Online, among others. He writes a weekly column for The Washington Times, which also appears at Real Clear Politics.  In this episode we cover numerous aspects of Andrew’s background, beliefs and ideas – primarily in relation to his new book titled Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World, which discusses his political transition from liberal to conservative and his self-declared yet unconvincing hopes of creating a more transparent media. 

You can find more of Andrew at www.breitbart.com and www.biggovernment.com/

The post Episode 22 – Andrew Breitbart appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Nicole Daedone: author of, "Slow Sex: The Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm"

Warning: SEX
We spend the majority of this episode talking about sex and the female orgasm.  Ohhhh, so NOW you’re interested?? You pervert (just kidding!).  Join us this episode as we speak with author, sex coach and therapist Nicole Daedone about her brand new book “Slow Sex: The Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm“.  Nicole is the founder of OneTaste, a coed live-in commune and for-profit business dedicated to female orgasm, that promotes greater personal awareness and interpersonal connectivity through the practice of Orgasmic Meditation and Slow Sex. Nicole’s slow sex practice has been covered by The New York Times, New York Post, EnlightenNext, the Huffington Post, ABC News Nightline and more.

This weeks episode covers a lot of really interesting, exciting and especially embarrassing topics regarding sex that are bound to make even the most shameless listener blush – Jon and I sure did. However, Nicole is a true professional.  She really makes you sit back and feel at ease and we guarantee you will quickly find yourself engaged in the conversation.  And as with all of our episodes here on Smart People Podcast, we have a feeling you’re going to learn a thing or two – you can thank us later (and so can your spouse).

Nicole also has a great website worth checking out: OneTaste

The post Episode 21 – Nicole Daedone appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Jancis Robinson of www.jancisrobinson.com

Jancis started her academic career at Oxford University studying mathematics and philosophy. After working for a travel company, she decided that she wanted to follow her passion and became the assistant editor for Wine & Spirit. Jancis is now an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and a Master of Wine. She writes for the Financial Times and on her website, www.jancisrobinson.com.  She has written many books and even provides advice for Queen Elizabeth II’s wine cellar.

If you want to learn anything about wine, you don’t need to look further than The Oxford Companion to Wine. Jancis wrote and edited this book, which is considered to be the most comprehensive wine encyclopedia in the world. Enjoy the interview AND a nice glass of wine!

The post Episode 20 – Jancis Robinson appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Dr. Pamela Rutledge

Be honest. How often do you check social media sites throughout the day? How much do you now rely on carrying around a cell phone on a day to day basis? Do you ever stop to think about all the interaction we have with technology? Dr. Pamela Rutledge does just that. She is a media psychologist that studies the interaction of human experience and media technologies.

Dr. Rutledge received a BA from Pomona College in Studio Art, an MBA from the Drucker School of Business at Claremont Graduate University, and an MA and PhD in Media Psychology from Fielding Graduate University. She is currently the Director of the Media Psychology Resource Center and the co-found of A Think Lab, which is an organization that focuses on a synthesis of psychology, media and technology, neuroscience, culture, and creativity.

The post Episode 19 – Dr. Pamela Rutledge appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse" by Dr. Thomas Woods

Almost everyone in America felt the effect of the latest financial crisis. From foreclosures to lay offs, many of us have tried to come up with a solution to our financial woes. The government tried to do it’s part with a bailout, but the majority of Americans didn’t think this was the right solution.  As we look to our government for help, Dr. Woods offers  a different opinion in his book, Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse. He believes we are on the verge of a financial collapse unless we completely change our understanding of government.

Dr. Woods is a New York Times-bestselling author. He graduated from Harvard and has a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University.

The post Episode 18 – Dr. Tom Woods appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Jim Hopkinson of SalaryTutor.com and Wired.com

What is the one thing you dread when going on an interview? If you’ve prepared for the interview and updated your resume, you are probably pretty confident that the interview is going to go well…. up until the salary negotiation that is. How many people have been taught how to negotiate salary? I know that we here, at Smart People Podcast have not been. You’re in luck because that is exactly what Jim Hopkinson’s new book, Salary Tutor: Learn The Salary Negotiation Secrets No One Ever Taught You (also available in paperback for pre-order) is about. Head on over to Amazon and check it out!

Jim Hopkinson lives in New York City and is a Marketing Director overseeing the online marketing and social media strategy for Wired.com. He hosts a popular marketing blog and podcast called The Hopkinson Report, which mixes entertaining coverage of new media marketing trends, interviews with entrepreneurs, and analysis of companies driving the growth of the digital age. His energetic and passionate approach has been called “audible caffeine.”

Jim is also a contributing writer to Wired.com’s “Epicenter” business blog, and teaches a class on social media strategy at New York University. He enjoys serving as a mentor for young business professionals, and was named one of min’s “Top 21 Social Media Superstars” in 2009.

The post Episode 17 – Jim Hopkinson appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

The Chakra System - Dr. Anodea Judith

Here in the Western Hemisphere, we tend to believe that we have all of the answers.  We make ourselves feel that with our large brains, our frontal lobes and our fancy laboratories we can solve any sickness, illness or problem with a little white (or sometimes perhaps yellow) pill.  However, the rest of the world realizes that humans have been treating most of these problems for thousands of years with a combination of medicines, therapies, etc.  Although I am a firm believer that Western medicine has played a major role in increasing life expectancy and decreasing sickness, I do think that a combination of numerous approaches is always going to be the best.  For this reason, we here at Smart People Podcast are always keeping our calendar open to speak with educated professionals in various medical fields.  This week’s guest is Dr. Anodea Judith – one of the country’s foremost experts on the combination of chakras and therapeutic issues and on the interpretation of the Chakra System for the Western lifestyle.  She is the founder and director of Sacred Centers, and holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in Psychology and Human Health, is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher, with lifelong studies of healing, history, sociology, and systems theory. Expand your knowledge and culture yourself a little with this week’s episode!

Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self

The post Episode 16 – Dr. Anodea Judith appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science," by; Dr. Lawrence Krauss

Fact: Your body is comprised of matter from old stars.

Fact: The universe is expanding.

Fact: This week’s guest, Dr. Lawrence Krauss, is smart.

Dr. Krauss is an American Theoretical Physicist who is Professor of Physics, Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Director of the Origins Project at the Arizona State University.  He is the only physicist ever to have been awarded the highest awards of all three major US Physics Societies: the American Physical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the American Institute of Physics. Dr. Krauss’ research covers numerous topics in the field of physics including the interface between elementary particle physics and cosmology, where his studies include the early universe, the nature of dark matter, general relativity and neutrino astrophysics. Now, I know a lot of this may just sound like mumbo-jumbo, but Dr. Krauss is able to break a lot of his research down so that the average podcast hosts can understand it.  We even had a chance to ask him if he believes in aliens, but you’ll have to listen to the episode to see what he thinks! He also has numerous extremely interesting lectures available on iTunes (our favorite, and his most popular, is shown below).

He is the author of several bestselling books, his most recent books is titled Quantum Man: Richard Feynman’s Life in Science.  You can click on the picture to the left to take a look at the book on Amazon.

The post Episode 15 – Dr. Lawrence Krauss appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by: Tony Hsieh

First, we at Smart People Podcast wanted to say welcome!  Many of you may be listening to us for the first time due to this week’s fantastic guest.  If you want to expand your mind and hear all of our incredible interviews in the future, you can subscribe to us on iTunes here. Thanks for checking us out – feel free to contact us via the tab at the top of the page with any questions, comments or suggestions!

This weeks guest sold his first company to Microsoft for $265 MILLION when he was just 24 years old.  After dabbling in poker, day trading and venture capitalism he eventually went to work for a little known start up called Zappos.  This week’s guest is Tony Hsieh – CEO of online shoe and clothing shop Zappos.com. In 1995, Hsieh (pronounced Shay) graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Computer Science. After college, Tony worked for Oracle but quit within 5 months to found a company called Link Exchange.  After just over a year creating Link Exchange Tony sold the company to Microsoft for $265 million.  Soon after, in 1999, Nick Swinmurn approached Tony with the idea of selling shoes online. Tony was initially skeptical, and almost deleted Swinmurn’s initial voice mail. After Swinmurn mentioned that “footwear in the US is a 40 billion dollar market and 5% of that was already being sold by paper mail order catalogs,” Tony decided to invest. Two months later, Tony joined Zappos as the CEO and within 10 years, Tony helped increase sales from virtually nothing to over $1bb annually while at the same time making Zappos one of Fortune Magazines best places to work for.  On July 22, 2009 Amazon.com announced the acquisition of Zappos.com in a deal valued at approximately $1.2 billion.

Zappos differentiates themselves by being incredibly dedicated to delivering the best possible customer service.  Their incredible corporate culture and kindness was evident in every and all conversations we here at Smart People Podcast had with the company.  We can promise they at least have 2 more customers for life!

Tony’s book is Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.

The post Episode 14 – Tony Hsieh appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error" by Kathryn Schulz

“Why is it so fun to be right? As pleasures go, it is, after all, a second-order one at best. Unlike many of life’s other delights – chocolate, surfing, kissing – it does not enjoy any mainline access to our biochemistry: to our appetites, our adrenal glands, our limbic systems, our swoony hearts.  And yet, the thrill of being right is undeniable, universal, and (perhaps most oddly) almost entirely undiscriminating.  We can’t enjoy kissing just anyone, but we can relish being right about almost anything.”

-Kathryn Schulz, Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error

Admit it, you HATE being wrong.  You will go out of your way to try to prove that you are right, even when you know you aren’t! But why is that? Why do humans take such pride in being right and feel so defeated when proven wrong? You often hear that there is much to be learned from our mistakes, but I know personally, often times I am too stubborn to care to learn from my mistakes. I would rather emphatically insist that I, in some way, am correct.  So when I stumbled across this weeks guest, I wanted her to explain to me the art of being wrong.  This week we interview Kathryn Schulz, the author of Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error.   Kathryn Schulz is a journalist, author, and public speaker with a credible (if not necessarily enviable) claim to being the world’s leading wrongologist.  Her freelance writing has appeared in theNew York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, TIME Magazine, the Boston Globe, the “Freakonomics” blog of The New York Times, and the New York Times Book Review, among other publications.  She was a 2004 recipient of the Pew Fellowship in International Journalism (now the International Reporting Project), and has reported from throughout Central and South America, Japan, and, most recently, the Middle East.   A graduate of Brown University and a former Ohioan, Oregonian, and Brooklynite, she currently lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

The post Episode 13 – Kathryn Schulz appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

The Investment Answer, by: Dan Goldie

When Wall Street veteran Gordon Murray told his good friend and financial advisor, Dan Goldie, that he had only six months to live, Dan responded, “Do you want to write that book you’ve always wanted to do?” The result is an incredible book titled, The Investment Answer.  This week we interview the co-author of this book and founder of his own Financial Services Company, Dan Goldie.  In this episode Dan shares some of his financial wisdom so that the rest of us won’t be so lost. Dan discusses his take on where to put your money, investing in international markets and if you should invest in gold or other precious metals.

For nearly two decades, Dan has devoted his professional career to helping individual investors and their families realize their investment and financial goals.  A former NCAA singles champion, Dan began his investment career as an independent financial advisor in 1991 after retiring from the men’s professional tennis tour, where he was ranked as high as 27th in the world.  Today, Dan is one of the leading independent advisors in the wealth management industry. He has been recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the top 25 Bay Area independent advisors, and by Barron’s Magazine as one of the top 100 independent financial advisors in the United States.

Dan holds an A.B. in economics from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Walter A. Haas School of Business, at the University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of San Francisco and has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant.

For more information on Dan’s book: http://www.theinvestmentanswerbook.com/

For more information about Dan’s services: http://www.dangoldie.com/index.html

The post Episode 12 – Dan Goldie appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Rita Schulte, author of: "Sifted As Wheat: Finding Hope and Healing through the Losses of Life"

Our lives are full of stress and anxiety… but have you ever taken the time to talk to someone about it? This week’s guest, Rita Schulte, is a licensed professional board certified counselor, who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and bereavement. We take the time to discuss a matter that is close to both hosts of the show… anxiety and panic attacks. Both Jon and Chris suffered from panic attacks shortly after graduating college. In this episode, we ask the questions of why it happens, what is really going on, and what you can do to help move past the attacks.

Rita is also in the publishing stage of her book, Sifted As Wheat: Finding Hope and Healing through the Losses of Life, which focuses on the losses of life and how they affect us. You can get more information on Rita’s book at her site: http://www.siftedaswheat.com/.

The post Episode 11 – Rita Schulte appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

"How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One," by Stanley Fish

Have you ever said to yourself, “Ya know, one day I’m gonna write a book”?  Most people have but they haven’t the slightest clue on how to correctly form INTERESTING sentences.  Sure, you can put words together in a straight line, but if you really want to learn about the art of writing then you will love what this week’s guest has to say.  Meet Stanley Fish.  Professor Fish is the Davidson-Kahn Distinguished University Professor of Humanities and a professor of law at Florida International University, in Miami, as well as Dean Emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the author of 12 books. Professor Fish has also taught at the Cardozo School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and Duke University.  He received his bachelors from UPenn and his PhD from Yale. Fish has also written extensively on the politics of the university, having taken positions supporting campus speech codes and criticizing political statements by universities or faculty bodies on matters outside their professional areas of expertise.

You can find Stanley’s book, How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One, at Amazon and other book stores.

As mentioned in the interview:

The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion & The Pilgrim’s Progress

The post Episode 10 – Stanley Fish appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Our Culture, What's Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses. By: Theodore Dalrymple

Is man inherently good or is that just something comforting we like to tell ourselves? This week’s guest is Dr. Anthony Daniels and he spent the majority of his professional career working as a prison doctor and psychiatrist. Due to his fascination with evil, Dr. Daniels (who’s pen name is Theodore Dalrymple) sought out those who did evil so that he may better understand it.  His studies have brought him all over the world, from the slums of Eastern London to the huts of Sub-Saharan Africa.  His first hand experience with crime and murder have led him to some very interesting conclusions.  He goes in great depth on the subject in his most famous book Our Culture, What’s Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses, published in 2005.  Additionally, Dr. Daniels’ work frequently appears in The British Medical Journal, The Times, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, Salisbury Review, etc. and he has authored a number of books.  Daniels is a contributing editor to City Journal, published by the Manhattan Institute, where he is the Dietrich Weismann Fellow.

Updated – Thanks to the listener Clint, for the website http://www.skepticaldoctor.com/

The post Episode 9 – Dr. Anthony Daniels appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Eat To Live, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

In the last episode of Smart People Podcast, Aubrey de Grey explained how he believes that if you can manage to keep on chuggin’ for the next 30 years or so, there is a good chance you will live well past a few hundred years due to scientific advancements.  In this weeks episode, Dr. Joel Fuhrman explains how the “Nutritarian” diet can help you stay healthy so that you can make it at least those necessary 30 years.  Dr. Fuhrman specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods. He has been practicing for more than 20 years and established the Center for Nutritional Medicine located in Flemington, New Jersey. His signature book Eat To Live: The Revolutionary Plan for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, first published by Little, Brown & Company in 2003 spawned multiple foreign editions and over 20 reprintings. Dr. Fuhrman has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, Today, Good Morning America, the Discovery Channel, TV Food Network, CNBC and many more.

You can find Dr. Fuhrman’s website at http://www.drfuhrman.com/.

You can also find Dr. Fuhrman’s book, “Eat to Live” on Amazon.

The post Episode 8 – Dr. Joel Fuhrman appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime. By: Aubrey de Grey

Can you imagine living a healthy life to the ripe old age of 1,000? How about a world without cancer, Alzheimer’s or diabetes? Our guest on this episode of the podcast believes we are only 25 years from making this dream a reality. This man is Aubrey de Grey, an English author and theoretician in the field of gerontology, and the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation (http://www.sens.org/). In 1999, Aubrey completed a book titled, The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging which prompted the University of Cambridge to award Aubrey a PhD. His most recent book titled, Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime gives a much more in depth look at the subjects we cover in this weeks interview.  Enjoy!

The post Episode 7 – Aubrey de Grey appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Jamie Flam, of the Long Shot podcast!

Jamie Flam is a funny person from LA. You can find Jamie’s work all across the internet. He is a host on The Long Shot Podcast and has written/starred in many internet comedy videos. He is also the creator of the Immaculata, which you can read up on at http://immaculatize.com/. You can find out more about Jamie and his comedy on his website, JamieFlam.com.

If you’re ever in the LA area and have a chance to check out any of his shows or The Long Shot Podcast, I highly recommend doing it!

The post Episode 6 – Jamie Flam appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Bob Barron of Custom Prosthetic Design, Inc

He has been called a living miracle worker. He has been featured on Oprah, Fox, The Today Show and NBC’s “most memorable people”.  He gives people their lives back….one body part at a time.  Meet Mr. Bob Barron.  A 24 year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, Mr. Barron’s disguises have been used by American spies around the world.   However, Mr. Barron claims his greatest accomplishment has nothing to do with the CIA, but rather the many lives he has changed since then.  He created the company Custom Prosthetic Designs, Inc. where he uses his background in disguises to create unbelievably realistic prosthetic pieces for people who have physical disfigurements.

Custom Prosthetic Designs, Inc

The post Episode 5 – Bob Barron appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

This edition of the podcast features Dr. Barry Bernfeld, Associate Director of the Primal Institute in Los Angeles, California.  The Primal Institute attracts thousands of patients every year from across the world who come to be treated using primal therapy.

Primal therapy is a trauma-based psychotherapy stating that neurosis is caused by the repressed pain of childhood trauma. These repressed feelings can cause tension which frequently brings on depression and anxiety. It can be resolved only by re-experiencing these feelings that has been blocked away from consciousness for so long.

The post Episode 4 – Dr. Barry Bernfeld appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Due to Jon’s love of the radio and podcast industry, we reached out to Robb Spewak of The Mike O’Meara Show podcast and he agreed to an interview. Robb has been in the radio industry for over 15 years and is currently on The Mike O’Meara Show Podcast. They have had unprecedented success with the show, as they have been downloaded over 4 million times in over 145 countries.

Check out their show at www.mikeomearashow.com and subscribe to the show on iTunes. You can also catch Robb spinning records on Robb Radio which airs on KCJJ.

We hope you enjoy the interview as much as we did!

The post Episode 3 – Robb Spewak appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

Finding Your Zone: Ten Core Lessons for Achieving Peak Performance in Sports and Life

Tiger Woods….David Duval….Nate Kaeding and Lucid Dreams.  What do they all have in common? They are topics of conversation in this week’s episode of Smart People Podcast! On this episode, we interview world renowned sports psychiatrist Dr. Michael Lardon.  Dr. Lardon is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, in addition to being author of Finding Your Zone: 10 Core Lessons for Peak Performance in Sports and Life.  He has worked with numerous professional athletes and is a desired motivational speaker.

The post Episode 2 – Dr. Michael Lardon appeared first on Smart People Podcast.

 

Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Dr. Walter Willett

For our first podcast, we were extremely lucky to be able to speak with Harvard Professor, Dr. Walter Willett. Dr.Willett is an American physician and nutrition researcher. He is a Professor of Epidemiology, Nutrition and Medicine and the Chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University.  He has published over 1,000 scientific articles regarding various aspects of diet and disease and is the second most cited author in clinical medicine. In the public eye, Dr. Willett is perhaps best known for his 2001 book Eat, Drink and Be Healthy. Tune in to hear us discuss the downfall of the no-fat diet, the shift in the food pyramid and the truth about anti-oxidants.

Dr. Willett’s book, “Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy” can be found on Amazon and at bookstores near you. If you enjoyed what Dr. Willett had to say, please check it out!

 

 

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