Sounds About Right: Audiobooks to Help Us Understand the World

<p>The nonfiction bookclub that’s all about learning new things and challenging our perspectives. In each episode I meet with an author and discuss their book with them. <br><br>Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!</p><p><br></p>

#68: Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness with Nicholas Humphrey

Nicolas Humphrey has been studying the evolution of intelligence and consciousness for over 50 years. He has been a Lecturer in Psychology at Oxford, Assistant Director of the Subdepartment of Animal Behaviour at Cambridge, Senior Research Fellow in Parapsychology at Cambridge, Professor of Psychology at the New School for Social Research, New York, and School Professor at the London School of Economics.I had the pleasure of discussing with him his book titled: Sentience: The Invention ...

10-09
25:05

#67: The Black Lit Fic ( Literary Fiction) Extravaganza with @jpreads6

I had a fascinating conversation with John-Paul (@jpreads6. His TikTok account is one of the most prominent in an engaging and community focused niche, black literary fiction. The books mentioned in the episodes are:Honey and Spice, by Bolu BabalolaThe Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa SekyiamahOpen Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonSmall World by Caleb Azumah NelsonIn Every Mirror She's Black by Lola Akinmade ÅkerströmEverything is Not Enough by Lola Akinmade ÅkerströmLight See...

09-11
22:28

#66: Talking Heads: The New Science of How Conversation Shapes Our Worlds with Shane O'Mara

Shane O'Mara is a Professor of Experimental Brain Research in Trinity College Dublin, and am a Principal Investigator in, and currently the Director of, the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and a member of the academic staff of the School of Psychology.I had the please of discussing with him, his latest book titled: Talking Heads: The New Science of How Conversation Shapes Our WorldsSome of the topics discussed includes:How our memories influence our conversations and the importance ...

09-04
27:56

#65: For The Book Enthusiasts: In Conversation with @NotThatCosta

I had a lovely conversation with Costa (@NotThatCosta) about all things books. His TikTok account is one of my favourite to follow to hear some fascinating book reviews and recommendations. Fair to say that after this episode, my 'to be read list' has grown much larger! The books mentioned in this episode includes:1984, by George OrwellWhy Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverley TatumNatives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by AkalaUnorthodox: T...

08-29
24:38

#64: Free Your Mind: The New World of Manipulation and How to Resist It with Patrick Fagan

Patrick Fagan is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and public speaker, and consults for brands and political campaigns around the world.I had the please of discussing with him, his latest book which he co-authored with journalist Laura Dodsworth titled: Free Your Mind: The New World of Manipulation and How to Resist It.Some of the topics discussed includes:How he came up with the idea of putting the book togetherWhy when it comes to freeing our mind, must we compare ourselves to soldiers on ...

08-21
26:18

#63: What Is a Doctor?: A GP's Prescription for the Future with Dr Phil Whitaker

Dr Phil Whitaker has lived in a variety of locations around the UK including Nottingham, where he studied in medicine, and Oxford, where he undertook postgraduate training in general practice.I had the please of discussing with him, his latest book titled: What Is a Doctor?: A GP's Prescription for the Future. Using stories and case studies from across his thirty-year career as a GP, Dr Phil Whitaker offers insight into the medical movements, political interference and societ...

08-14
29:04

#62: Arguing for a Better World: How to Talk About the Issues That Divide Us with Arianne Shahvisi

Arianne Shahvisi is a Kurdish-British writer and academic philosopher. Raised in Lancashire and Essex, she studied astrophysics and philosophy at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford, and now teaches applied philosophy at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, where her research focusses on gender, race, migration, and health. She writes regularly for the London Review of Books, and her essays have also appeared in the Guardian, Prospect, the Independent, and the Economist.I had the plea...

08-07
37:11

#61: Internet Empire: The Hidden Digital War with Sean F. Ennis

Professor Sean F. Ennis is an economist, author and expert. He focuses on company behavior, competition and regulation. He has developed economic market analysis for governments, academia and the private sector. After receiving a BA Hons from King’s College, Cambridge and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley, he spent more than two decades working on economic and regulatory topics at the OECD, the European Commission and the US Department of Justice. He is now a Professor...

07-31
25:47

#60: Country Capitalism: How Corporations from the American South Remade Our Economy and the Planet with Bart Elmore

Bart Elmore is an award-winning professor and writer who investigates the impact of big business on our environment.I had the pleasure of speaking with Bart about his latest book titled: Country Capitalism: How Corporations from the American South Remade Our Economy and the Planet. Where in the book, he uses the histories of five southern firms―Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Walmart, FedEx, and Bank of America―to investigate the environmental impact of our have-it-now, fly-by-night, buy-on-credit...

07-17
28:57

#59: For the Culture: The Power Behind the World's Most Successful Brands, from Apple to Beyoncé with Marcus Collins

Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice--as the head of strategy at Wieden+Kennedy, NY--and one foot in the world of academia--as a clinical assistant professor of marketing at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. His deep understanding of brand strategy and consumer behavior has helped him bridge the academic-practitioner gap for blue-chip brands and startups alike. Over the course of his career, Marcus ha...

07-11
27:47

#58: BEING HUMAN: How Our Biology Shaped World History with Lewis Dartnell

Prof. Lewis Dartnell is a research scientist, presenter and author based in London, UK.He graduated from Oxford University with a First Class degree in Biological Sciences and completed his PhD at University College London in 2007. He now holds the Professorship in Science Communication at the University of Westminster.He has also published five books: THE KNOWLEDGE was the Sunday Times ‘New Thinking’ Book of the Year and international bestseller, and ORIGINS: How the Earth Made Us is a Sunda...

07-03
29:28

#57: Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race with Mary-Jane Rubenstein

Mary-Jane Rubenstein is Professor of Religion and Science in Society at Wesleyan University, and is affiliated with the Philosophy Department and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. She holds a B.A. from Williams College, an M.Phil. from The University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in from Columbia University. Her research unearths the philosophies and histories of religion and science, especially in relation to cosmology, ecology, and space travel.I spoke to Mary-Jane about her ...

06-26
29:38

#56: Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature with Sarah Hart

She studied at Oxford and Manchester, gaining her PhD in 2000. Postdoctoral research and teaching followed, including a prestigious Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Fellowship, before she was appointed to a lectureship at Birkbeck in 2004. She became Professor of Mathematics there in 2013, and served in various management roles including as Head of Mathematics and Statistics, Assistant Dean, and Programme Director for the MSc Mathematics.Her academic publications have been m...

06-19
28:58

#55: Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve Big Problems with William D. Eggers

William D. Eggers is the Executive Director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights where he is responsible for the firm’s public sector thought leadership. He also serves as a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration, a governance futures council member at the World Economic Forum, an advisory board member at What Works Cities and chairs the Leadership Council for New America.He is the author of numerous books including his newest Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transc...

06-12
28:01

#54: The Poverty Paradox: Understanding Economic Hardship Amid American Prosperity with Mark Robert Rank

Dr. Rank is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts and speakers in the country on issues of poverty, inequality, and social justice. His research and teaching have focused on poverty, social welfare, economic inequality, and social policy. Dr. Rank has published numerous scholarly articles. His first book, Living on the Edge: The Realities of Welfare in America, explored the conditions of surviving on public assistance and achieved widespread critical acclaim. His 2004 book, One Nat...

06-05
23:44

#53: The Torture Doctors: Human Rights Crimes and the Road to Justice with Steven H. Miles

Steven H. Miles is Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Bioethics. His medical career was in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. He is a former Maas Family Endowed Chair in Bioethics at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.Dr. Miles has published thirty chapters and more than 200 medical articles on medical ethics, human rights, tropical medicine, end of life care, and medical torture. He has extensive international experience including global work with refugees and work on b...

05-22
25:04

#52: The Frontier Below: The Past, Present and Future of Our Quest to Go Deeper Underwater with Jeff Maynard

Jeff Maynard is an author and documentary maker specialising in historical subjects. Jeff is renowned for uncovering little-known, or long forgotten historical events. His research is undertaken over many years, and he uses that research to reveal character driven stories.I spoke to him about his latest book The Frontier Below: The Past, Present and Future of Our Quest to Go Deeper UnderwaterSome of the topics we discussed includes: Why Jeff divided the book into 4 understandable ocean z...

05-08
27:27

#51: What We Build with Power: The Fight for Economic Justice in Tech with David Delmar Sentíes

David Delmar Sentíes is a professional designer and interface developer with experience working with award-winning startups, as well as established brands. Before founding Resilient Coders, he was at PayPal, leading a cross-disciplinary team of designers and coders.He helped set up PayPal's startup incubator, Start Tank, and served as its UX subject matter expert. David believes in technology as an opportunity for real meritocracy. And he believes in the resilience of Boston's youth.I spoke t...

05-01
24:59

#50: A Hacker's Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society's Rules, and How to Bend them Back with Bruce Schneier

Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist, called a “security guru” by The Economist. He is the author of over one dozen books—including his latest, A Hacker’s Mind—as well as hundreds of articles, essays, and academic papers. His influential newsletter “Crypto-Gram” and his blog “Schneier on Security” are read by over 250,000 people. He has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, has served on several government committees, and is reg...

04-24
27:43

#49: The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society with Eleanor Janega

Eleanor's current research focuses on the conceptualisation of sex and its influence on society in the medieval and early modern period.She speacialises in sexuality, propaganda, apocalypticism, urbanity, and empire, in the late medieval and early modern periods, with a particular emphasis on Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire. She holds a PhD in History and an MA in Medieval Studies from University College London, and a BA in History from Loyola University Chicago.I spoke to her about her lat...

04-17
29:51

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