Keen On

Episode 1606: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Evan Thomas, author of ROAD TO SURRENDER, about the three men - two Americans and one Japanese - behind the countdown to the end of World War II Evan Thomas is the author of nine books: The Wise Men (with Walter Isaacson), The Man to See, The Very Best Men, Robert Kennedy, John Paul Jones, Sea of Thunder, The War Lovers, Ike’s Bluff, and Being Nixon. John Paul Jones and Sea of Thunder were New York Times bestsellers. Thomas was a writer, correspondent, and editor for thirty-three years at Time and Newsweek, including ten years (1986–96) as Washington bureau chief at Newsweek, where, at the time of his retirement in 2010, he was editor at large. He wrote more than one hundred cover stories and in 1999 won a National Magazine Award. He wrote Newsweek’s fifty-thousand-word election specials in 1996, 2000, 2004 (winner of a National Magazine Award), and 2008. He has appeared on many TV and radio talk shows, including Meet the Press and The Colbert Report, and ha

Episode 1605: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Natasha Wheatley, the author of THE LIFE AND DEATH OF STATES, about the Central Europe and the transformation of modern sovereignty from empire to democracyAssistant Professor of History at Princeton, Natasha Wheatley is an historian of modern European and international history, with broad interests in intellectual and legal history, Central Europe, and the history of international law. Her book The Life and Death of States: Central Europe and the Transformation of Modern Sovereignty was published by Princeton University Press in spring 2023. It recovers Habsburg Central Europe as a crucible for modern statehood and modern legal thought. The radical mismatch between theories of singular sovereignty and the empire’s plural, layered legal order pushed politicians as well as scholars like Hans Kelsen toward bold new conceptions of the state and the nature of law. The book follows a recurring set of questions about the juridical birth, death, and survival of sta

Episode 1603: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to John Wood Jr, National Ambassador for Braver Angels, about the role of diplomacy, music and conversation in getting Americans of different political persuasions to begin talking to one another againJohn Wood Jr. started as an opinion columnist for USA TODAY in May 2022. He is also National Ambassador for Braver Angels; America's largest bipartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to the work of political depolarization. Prior to that Wood was a nominee for congress in California's 43rd district in the 2014 election cycle, afterwards serving as 2nd Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County (America's largest county level Republican Party). John is highly regarded public speaker on matters of racial and political reconciliation. He is a member of the Progress Network, an initiative of the New America Foundation dedicated to foster civilizational progress through thought leadership across a wide spectrum of views, a field builder with New Pl

Episode 1603: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Eric Yaverbaum, author of PR FOR DUMMIES, about Twitter, Threads and why even 62 year-old guys like himself need to be on social mediaEric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, is a communications, media, and public relations expert with over 41 years in the industry, having co-founded Jericho Communications and served as President from 1985 until its successful sale in 2006. Eric has worked with a wide-range of top-of-their-industry clients, including Sony, IKEA, Progressive Insurance, Domino’s, Beachbody, H&M, and fitness guru Jack LaLanne, with whom he introduced fitness and wellness culture to Middle America in the 1980s, helping kickstart the same movement that brought aerobics and juicing to American households. Eric, a global leader in public relations, has the influence and reach to give his clients the exposure they need, getting them placements in media outlets as varied as the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, CBS This Mor

Episode 1602: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Christian Madsbjerg, author of LOOK, about how to pay attention in a distracted worldChristian Madsbjerg is cofounder of the consulting firm ReD Associates. He writes, speaks, and teaches widely on the practical application of the human sciences. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Financial Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek. He lives in New York City with his family. “Look - How to Pay Attention in a Time of Distraction” is Madsbjerg’s barce new book published with Riverhead in July 2023. Look, explores the key observational skills needed to show how we can recapture our ability to pay attention. Drawing from philosophy, science, the visual arts, and his own life, Madsbjerg offers practical insights and a range of tools for experiencing the world with greater richness and texture. The result is a dynamic approach to rethinking observation that helps all of us to see with more empathy, accuracy, and connection

EPISODE 1601: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the Brookings Institute scholar, Jonathan Rauch, about the seemingly intractable political divisions in America and how we can all discover our braver angels to learn to talk to one another againJonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institute and the author of eight books and many articles on public policy, culture, and government. He is a contributing writer of The Atlantic and recipient of the 2005 National Magazine Award, the magazine industry’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. His many Brookings publications include the 2021 book The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, as well as the 2015 ebook Political Realism: How Hacks, Machines, Big Money, and Back-Room Deals Can Strengthen American Democracy. Other books include The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better after 50 (2018) and Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America (2004). He has also authored research o

EPISODE 1600: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to S.C. Gwynne, author of HIS MAJESTY'S AIRSHIP, about the life and tragic death of the British R101 airship, the world's largest flying machineS.C. “Sam” Gwynne is the author of two acclaimed books on American history: Empire of the Summer Moon, which spent 82 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Texas and Oklahoma book prizes; and Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson, which was published in September 2014. It was also a New York Times Bestseller and was named a finalist for both the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pen Literary Award for Biography. His book The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football, was published in September 2016, and was named to a number of “top ten” sports book lists. Sam has written extensively for Texas Monthly, where he was Executive Editor from 2000-2008. His work i

EPISODE 1599: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to William Harris, the Director of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum,  about the complex civil rights records of Franklin and Eleanor RooseveltWilliam Harris is Director for the Roosevelt (Franklin) Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

EPISODE 1598: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Jacob Mikanowski, author of GOODBYE, EASTERN EUROPE, about both the history and disappearance of what we once knew as "Eastern Europe"JACOB MIKANOWSKI is a historian, a freelance journalist and a critic. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Aeon, Cabinet, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Guardian, The New York Times, newyorker.com, The Point, The Awl, Atlas Obscura, Slate and the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Oregon. Goodbye, Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land (2023) is his latest bookNamed as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives

Episode 1597: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Samuel G. Freedman, author of INTO THE BRIGHT SUNSHINE, about a a young Hubert Humphrey and the fight for civil rights within the Democratic partySamuel G. Freedman is an award-winning author, columnist, and professor. A former columnist for The New York Times and a professor at Columbia University, he is the author of the nine acclaimed books, and is currently at work on his tenth, which will be about Hubert Humphrey, Civil Rights, and the 1948 Democratic convention. Freedman’s previous books are Small Victories: The Real World of a Teacher, Her Students and Their High School (1990); Upon This Rock: The Miracles of a Black Church (1993); The Inheritance: How Three Families and America Moved from Roosevelt to Reagan and Beyond (1996); Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry (2000); Who She Was: My Search for My Mother’s Life (2005); and Letters To A Young Journalist (2006); and Breaking The Line: The Season in Black College Football That Tra

EPISODE 1596: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Tobias Rose-Stockwell, author of OUTRAGE MACHINE, about how social media has amplified discontent and disrupted democracy - and what we can do about itTobias Rose-Stockwell is a writer, technologist and media researcher who explores the effects of social media on society and democracy. Tobias’s work has been featured in major outlets such as FastCompany, Quartz, Medium, NPR, the BBC and many others. As a media researcher, he has advised the directors of Gannett, one of the largest news organizations in America, as well as local news outlets in the US, on digital strategy. Tobias was previously a guest lecturer at Stanford University on the topic of social enterprise design and technology ventures. He is currently a strategic advisor to Jonathan Haidt’s organization, OpenMind, which focuses on depolarizing communities online. He is the author of OUTRAGE MACHINE (2023)Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world

EPISODE 1595: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Hilary Mason, co-founder and CEO of Hidden Door, about how Open Source AI might both democratize Big Tech and empower writers in the creation of role playing gamesHilary Mason is the co-founder and CEO of Hidden Door, a role-playing AI platform. She was previously the Founder of Fast Forward Labs, a machine intelligence research company, and the Data Scientist in Residence at Accel as well as the Chief Scientist at bitly. She also co-founded of HackNY, co-host DataGotham, and is a member of NYCResistor.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight

EPISODE 1594: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the senior editor of the ATLANTIC magazine, Ross Andersen, about the ethics of AI technology and whether we should trust our new overlords of Silicon Valley with this radically disruptive technologyRoss Andersen is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where he oversees the science, technology, and health sections. Prior to joining The Atlantic in 2015, he was the deputy editor of Aeon magazine, and before that, he was the science editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books. In addition to his work as an editor, Andersen is known for his award-winning feature essays, which straddle philosophy, technology, science, history, and the arts. He is currently working on a book about the search for extra terrestrial life in the universe.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is

EPISODE 1593: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks Daniel Hornsby, author of SUCKER, about how to how to radically reimagine an America without big tech's feudal aristocracy Daniel Hornsby was born in Muncie, Indiana. He holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Michigan, where he received Hopwood Awards for both short fiction and the novel, and an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School. His stories and essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, The Missouri Review, and Joyland. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee. His latest novel is SUCKER (2023)world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown c

EPISODE 1592: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Nishanth Injam, the author of THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE, about leaving India, the misery of tech work and the subversive nature of memoriesNISHANTH INJAM received an MFA from the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michi­gan. He received a PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers and a Cecelia Joyce Johnson Award from the Key West Literary Seminar. His work has appeared in The Virginia Quarterly Review, The Georgia Review (which won the 2022 ASME Award for Fiction for its publication of his story), Catapult’s Best Debut Short Stories 2021, and The Best American Magazine Writing 2022. Born in Telangana, India, he now lives in Chicago.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital tech

EPISODE 1591: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Amy Rowland, author of INSIDE THE WOLF, about small Southern town interlopers and imposters and how to slay the ghosts of a violent and racist pastAmy Rowland is the author of two novels. The Transcriptionist received the Addison M. Metcalf Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She is the recipient of fellowships and residencies from the National Endowment for the Arts, MacDowell, the Norman Mailer Center, and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in the New York Times, the Southern Review, the Iowa Review, Literary Hub, New Letters, and other publications. A former editor at the New York Times Book Review , she is currently a lecturer at University of California, Berkeley. She has also taught at Princeton University and the School of the New York Times. Inside the Wolf (2023) is her latest book.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known br

EPISODE 1590: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Matt Birkbeck, author of THE LIFE WE CHOSE, about William "Big Billy" D'Elia and the last secrets of America's most powerful Mafia familyMatt Birkbeck is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of Deconstructing Sammy, The Quiet Don, and A Deadly Secret. He is also the executive producer of the hit Netflix film Girl in the Picture, which is based on his books A Beautiful Child and Finding Sharon. A former newspaper reporter and correspondent for People magazine, he’s also written features for Reader’s Digest, Playboy, The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Boston Magazine, among others. He lives in Pennsylvania.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGI

EPISODE 1589: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Keith explains why the Biden administration is against both wealth creation and innovationKeith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon valley startups including InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the l

EPISODE 1588: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks David Lipsky, the author of THE PARROT AND THE IGLOO, about climate and the conspiratorial science of denialDavid Lipsky is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Magazine Writing, The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, and many other publications. He contributes as an essayist to NPR’s All Things Considered and is the recipient of a Lambert Fellowship, a Media Award from GLAAD, and a National Magazine Award. Lipsky’s the author of the novel The Art Fair; a collection of stories, Three Thousand Dollars; and the bestselling nonfiction book Absolutely American, which was a Time magazine Best Book of the Year.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fi

EPISODE 1587: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Benjamin C. Fong, author of QUICK FIXES, about drugs in America, from Prohibition to the 21st century bingeBenjamin Y. Fong is Honors Faculty Fellow at Barrett, the Honors College and Associate Director of the Center for Work & Democracy at Arizona State University. He is the author of Death and Mastery: Psychoanalytic Drive Theory and the Subject of Late Capitalism (Columbia, 2016) and co-editor with Craig Calhoun of The Green New Deal and the Future of Work (Columbia, 2022). His other work can be found in Jacobin, Catalyst, The New York Times, and Damage Magazine, amongst other placesNamed as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWE