In Episode #224, writer Adam Chandler joins Osi to dive into some of the most debated questions in American life: Is the belief that "hard work leads to success" a myth? Is success something we earn—or something we’re given? Drawing from his book 99% Perspiration, Adam takes a compelling look at how America’s obsession with hard work is unraveling in the face of growing inequality and economic strain. Together, he and Osi explore what happens when effort isn’t enough, how the myth of meritocracy took hold, why it still shapes our culture, and what it’s ultimately costing us.

Link to purchase 99% Perspiration: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723824/99-perspiration-by-adam-chandler/

Adam Chandler is a journalist and author based in New York. A former staff writer at The Atlantic, his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, WIRED, Vox, Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Magazine, Texas Monthly, Esquire, TIME, and elsewhere. Chandler is the author of Drive-Thru Dreams, which was named an NPR Favorite Book of the Year, an Amazon Best Book of the Year, and a Smithsonian Best Food Book of the Year. His second book, 99% Perspiration, explores the culture of work in American life is now available from Pantheon Books (Penguin/RandomHouse).