How Do We Fix It?

Our guest is Louis Hyman, author of the provocative New York Times editorial, "The Myth of Main Street." Louis is a Cornell University History Professor and the Director of the Institute for Workplace Studies. Nostalgia for the economy's "good old days" has great appeal for many Americans.For the right, past decades bring back memories of Ronald Reagan, traditional cultural values and U.S. dominance in global affairs. For the left, post-war America was a time of stronger unions and less income inequality.But "Make America Great Again" and other appeals to nostalgia come at a high price. Going back to a past with trade barriers, price controls and lower productivity would damage the living standards of many households they're designed to protect.Want to hear what solutions Louis Hyman suggested? Visit out website: howdowefixit.me

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Have you ever felt a surge of adrenaline after a bike ride, working in the back yard or going to the gym? Salivated at the sight of a sour lemon? Felt turned on by your partner’s voice? If so, says scientific journalist Jo Marchant, you’ve experienced how the workings of the mind can affect your body.In this episode we look at the mind's potential to ease pain, reduce anxiety and even cut the risk of infection, heart disease and other serious medical ailments. Jo discusses how the latest findings in mind-body research: How hypnotherapy, mindfulness techniques, Virtual Reality and social connections can play important roles in healing and prevention.More than one in three Americans have turned to alternative medicine. But do homeopathy, acupuncture and other therapies actually work? What does science say about the use of placebos in medicine?"I believe very strongly in an evidence- based approach that we have to investigate things in a scientific way," Jo tells us in this episode. "On the other hand I also started to feel that science has a bit of blind spot when it comes to the role of the mind in health."Jo Marchant discusses the findings of her New York Times best-selling book "Cure: A Journey Into The Science of Mind Over Body."

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If you're disillusioned, depressed or downright furious at the state of politics today, this episode is for you.Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizen University, says that you're more powerful than you think. We discuss the stories, strategies and ideas raised in his timely new book.The key to fighting back successfully is to have a strategy and know how to read and write power,” but most people have no understanding of power and how to use it.  Political illiteracy is one reason we feel so powerless. “I think the reality of American life, right now, is that so many people have neither the motivation nor the ability to read or write power,” Eric tells us. “They lapse into this “House of Cards” or dark conspiratorial vision that all politics are like "Scandal,” and out of that are born people like Donald Trump as President.” Look for solutions and links to useful sites at our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes.

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This episode highlights four key productivity fixes from New York Times Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Duhigg. His most recent book is "Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and In Business." Charles is also the author of "The Power of Habit."Using cutting-edge science, reporting and real-life stories, Charles explains why being productive isn't just about daily habits, routines and lists.  "Keeping your eye on that thing that matters most to you is the secret to success," Charles tells us. "We need a mental model: a story we tell ourselves about how we expect our day to unfold."Look for solutions and links to useful sites at our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes.

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How can we save good jobs?In part one (Episode #95); we talked to Peter Cappelli, of the Wharton School, about the threat of robots and automation to our workforce. In part 2 Peter explained why this threat is misplaced and he had suggested solutions for the US workforce.Look for solutions and links to useful sites at our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes.

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Here's one less thing to worry about: robots are not going to take your job.Despite the dire predictions of analysts, workplace experts and the government, the impact of robotics and automation on employment may be hugely overstated.Professor Peter Cappelli, the Director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School is our guest. He has written for The Atlantic, The New Yorker Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes Magazine. Peter was recently named one of the “Most Influential Thinkers of the Decade,” by HR Magazine. In this episode Peter explains why we should challenge conventional wisdom about the impact of automation. For more information visit our website http://www.howdowefixit.me/

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The news media is under fierce attack from President Trump; White House Strategist, Steve Bannon; and many other critics.While many claims against the press are overblown, now is a good time to look at arguments for constructive change. We decided to re-air our interview with New York Times journalist David Bornstein, co-founder of SolutionsJournalismNetwork.orgDavid says that solutions journalism focuses on what works now as potential solutions. Using the best available evidence, solutions journalism delves deep into the how-to’s of problem solving, often structuring stories as puzzles or mysteries that investigate problems. One recent example: Initiatives that show success in reducing the dropout rate in public schools. Reporters looked at how these programs work. What are successful school systems doing differently that result in better outcomes?

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Are you happy?  If not, perhaps you’re asking yourself the wrong question.Our culture is obsessed with happiness - a right that’s enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.  But living a life of meaning, instead of the pursuit of happiness, may bring much deeper, longer-lasting satisfaction, says our guest, Emily Esfahani Smith, author of "The Power of Meaning Crafting a Life That Matters. In 2013, comedian Louis C.K. struck a nerve when he spoke of the human condition on the Conan O’Brian show. “Underneath everything there’s that thing - that empty forever.”   The video clip from the “Conan” show went viral with more than 12 million views on You Tube.  We look at solutions for that “empty forever life.”For more information: solutions and links to useful sites go to our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes.

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When did the arguments for free trade and the benefits of immigration go out of fashion?Why is the case for scaling back the power of the financial industry under attack by the Trump administration? Richard and Jim spoke to three experts for this episode of “Fix It Shorts.” Rana Foroohar, explains why the power of Wall Street distorts the economy. “The key lessons of the crisis of 2008 still remain unlearned,” she says. “Our financial system is just as vulnerable as ever.” Rana is the author of "Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business," She is also the Associated Editor and the Global Business Columnist for the Financial Times."One of the prizes, one of the treasures of democracy is freedom of thought, freedom of action, freedom of movement," says Peter Coy, Economics Editor of Bloomberg Businessweek. He argues that immigration, especially legal immigration of skilled workers, is a plus for the economy.Economist Ruchir Sharma, author of the book “The Rise and Fall of Nations - Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World,” tells us that expanding the workforce is a vital part of growth. Reducing immigration, he says, would slam the brakes on the economy.

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Do you know where your information is coming from? Shadowy forces are at work to influence what we think, how we behave, and where we spend our money.They're part of the explosion in pay-to-play. From bots and branded content to political-influence peddlers’, advertisers and even sports programs in public schools, pay-to-play is a growing influence in our lives. Critics of pay-to-play say that instead of "We the people,” the online world is controlled by "We the wealthiest people.” Geoffrey Colon, an expert on marketing, tech and how to get people's attention, is our guest. A communications designer at Microsoft, Geoffrey is the author of "Disruptive Marketing - What Growth Hackers, Data Punks and Other Hybrid Thinkers Can Teach Us About Navigating the New Normal." He's the co-host with Cheryl Metzger of the popular podcast, Disruptive FM.We learn more about the threat from fake news and hate sites alt-right bots to our democracy. Geoffrey guides through some of the recent dizzying changes in the online landscape. Look for solutions and links to useful sites at our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes.

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