Many Americans have been thrust into a period of unprecedented solitude. That can be daunting and lonely — but solitude can also be an opportunity for working on inner strength, balance, and fortitude. It can even be a time to write your most challenging opinions for the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

That is, if you are Judge Ray Kethledge, who joins the podcast to discuss the lessons of his 2017 book, Lead Yourself First. He and Adam discuss how we can learn from models of thoughtful solitude, from Helmand Province, Afghanistan, to Lake Huron, Michigan and from Lincoln to Lawrence of Arabia. They also cover, you know, judge stuff: Whether statutes are ambiguous as they seem, the real meaning of the rule of law, and whether FA Hayek was right about the 9th Amendment.