Books and Insight with Frank Lavin

Frank Lavin talks with Rebecca Fannin, founder of Silicon Dragon and author of "The New Tech Titans of China," a look at where China is going in tech, with some important messages for the U.S.  There are several critical technology segments in which China leads the U.S., but the U.S. has a set of advantages as well. In addition to her book, Rebecca also suggests reading Walter Isaacson's biography, "Elon Musk."

Frank Lavin talks with Ron Drabkin, Japan-hand, venture capitalist, and author of "Beverly Hills Spy," one of the great spy stories of World War II and the inter-war years. In addition to the story of espionage and betrayal, Ron also shines a light on the historical context of World War I and 1920s Hollywood, leaving the reader with a rich cast of characters and a historical tapestry. In addition to his book, Ron also suggests reading Trent Hone's book about Chester Nimitz, "Mastering the Art of Command." 

Frank Lavin talks with Barry Strauss, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the author of  "Jews vs. Rome" to discuss the complicated history of ancient Rome and its efforts to subdue the Jewish states in its empire. Barry also shines a light on the birth of Christianity and how those events of two thousand years ago continue to shape our world of today. In addition to his book, Barry also suggests reading John William's book, "Augustus."

Frank Lavin talks with Eli Merritt, Professor at Vanderbilt and the author of  "Disunion Among Ourselves," to discuss the critical issues the Continental Congress faced at the dawn of the American republic, with the most important failure being the failure to eliminate slavery. Eli discusses how the sectional differences and the need to forge some type of political consensus drove the Founders to leave this issue unresolved. In addition to his book, Eli also suggests reading Jeffrey Rosen's book, "The Pursuit of Happiness," which explores how the Founders were inspired by classical discussions of virtue.

Frank Lavin talks with Chris Kirchhoff, defense innovation guru and the author of "Unit X" to discuss the importance of tech in U.S. national security. The adaptation of tech in the U.S. military is as urgent as it is complicated, and Chris observes that we are burdened by our success. Chris also suggests reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk, "Elon Musk."