Revisionist History

By Pushkin Industries

Society & Culture History

What's Revisionist History about?

Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. From Pushkin Industries. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
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The Rise of the Guinea Pigs

09.29.2022

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment could never be done today. No scientist could get permission to starve 36 healthy people for close to a year. But why? Revisionist History tries to follow the strange logic that governs our thinking about medical ...

Revisionist History episodes:

09.29.2022 The Rise of the Guinea Pigs The Minnesota Starvation Experiment could never be done today. No scientist could get permission to starve 36 healthy people for close to a year. But why? Revisionist History tries to follow the strange logic that governs our thinking about medical ...
09.22.2022 The Department of Physiological Hygiene In the final year of the Second World War, 36 men spent a year in a dingy set of rooms under the University of Minnesota football stadium. They were part of an experiment none of them would ever forget. What ...
09.15.2022 Outliers, Revisited Did Malcolm Gladwell blow it in his bestselling book Outliers? What if all he did was write a primer for neurotic helicopter parents? To find out, Revisionist History descends on the University of Pennsylvania to run a roomful of eager ...
09.12.2022 We’re Back … With More Experiments! Revisionist History returns on September 15th with a saga about self-sacrifice. Plus, Malcolm offers a mea culpa for an unintended consequence of a chapter he wrote in Outliers. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from ...
08.19.2022 Tim Harford Cools Us Down This Summer We’ll be back in September with new episodes of Revisionist History. In the meantime, I got to sit down with my good friend and host of Cautionary Tales, Tim Harford. We discuss his recent trilogy about the epic race between ...
07.28.2022 “I Was A Stranger and You Welcomed Me” Malcolm tells the story of how his parents and their friends sponsored three Vietnamese refugees, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. And wonders: do we underestimate the value of ordinary acts of kindness? If you’d like to keep up ...
07.21.2022 When Will Met Grace You thought the antics of Will, Grace, Jack and Karen were just harmless fun. Oh please. Revisionist History dives deep into a television sitcom that you may not have realized even had a deep end. If you’d like to keep ...
07.14.2022 Star Struck A legendary Hollywood mogul, a famous author, a fatal drunk driving accident, and a brilliant bit of screenwriting, left on the cutting room floor. Revisionist History engages in a pop culture what-if experiment about the 1937 version of A Star ...
07.07.2022 In Triplicate A mystery that begins with the half-baked idea of an obscure California bureaucrat in the 1930’s and ends with one of the worst public crises in American history. Chicken Little said the sky was falling. And sometimes Chicken Little is ...
06.30.2022 Way to Go, Ohio A century ago, a mysterious and disfiguring disease was finally cured by an experiment in Akron, Ohio . . . with a condiment. We ask: it is time to return to Akron, and try the same trick again? Ay, oh, ...
06.30.2022 The Magic Wand Experiment What if you could design any experiment you wanted? Without worrying about money, ethics, logistics, or even the laws of nature? Revisionist History kicks off the season by giving some of the world’s smartest scientists a magic wand to create ...
06.16.2022 Revisionist History Season 7: The Experiment Experience Revisionist History is back! And obsessed with ... experiments. Natural experiments. Thought experiments. Failed experiments. Experiments that end up in salt factories and file drawers filled with carbon copies. Not to mention experimental endings to Hollywood classics and a deep ...
06.14.2022 Relax and Win from Legacy of Speed Sharing a new Pushkin show, Legacy of Speed. When two Black sprinters raised their fists in protest at the 1968 Olympic Games, it shook the world. More than 50 years later, the ripple effects of their activism are still felt. ...
05.18.2022 An Ode to the BMW M5: From Car Show! with Eddie Alterman Malcolm confesses to being an absolute car nut. And now his dream has come true — the launch of a car show at Pushkin. Car Show! is hosted by Eddie Alterman, the longtime editor of Car and Driver. On Car ...
05.11.2022 Finding Yourself with Not Lost Introducing Not Lost, the latest show in the Pushkin podcast slate. It’s hosted by Brendan Francis Newnam, long-time host of the radio show Dinner Party Download, who’s now the force behind many of Pushkin’s audiobook originals. Not Lost is a ...
05.04.2022 See Revisionist History Live! For the first time ever, Revisionist History is hitting the road! On two nights, Malcolm will be working out an episode from the upcoming season 7—with the help of some very smart friends—on stage. We’ve never pulled back the curtain ...
04.05.2022 Michael Lewis on Why It’s Hard to Find Real Experts Malcolm invites best-selling author Michael Lewis back to talk about the third season of his Pushkin show, Against the Rules. On his podcast, Lewis explores what’s happened to fairness in American life through the lens of people who depend on ...
03.17.2022 The Future of Drones from What’s Your Problem We’re hard at work on unearthing new tales of the overlooked and the misunderstood. Season 7 will be ready this summer! In the meantime, we’re welcoming a new member to the Pushkin family. Jacob Goldstein, former Planet Money co-host, hosts ...
02.08.2022 Revisiting Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis This week, we're sharing an excerpt of Michael Lewis' new audiobook. Michael published his first book, "Liar's Poker," in 1989. It’s about his time as a bond salesman on Wall Street — and it was a runaway best seller. For ...
01.24.2022 Who Was Bob Cooley? Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives, how far they’re willing to go in pursuit of a greater cause, and how sometimes, seemingly small decisions can change the course of history. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern ...
12.21.2021 The Revisionist History Holiday Sampler Sharing special previews of Pushkin’s show Bad Women: Ripper Retold and this month’s Pushkin+ episode, ‘The Dog-tor WIll See You Now’ You know the story: In 1888, five female prostitutes were brutally murdered in a London slum-- attacks so violent ...
12.01.2021 Introducing: A Slight Change of Plans, Apple Podcasts' Best Show of the Year Pushkin is thrilled to announce that A Slight Change of Plans was named Apple Podcasts' Best Show of the Year! This week, we're sharing an episode with Revisionist History listeners. A Slight Change of Plans is all about understanding the ...
11.16.2021 Revisionist History Presents Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon Presenting: An Excerpt from Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam. Download the audiobook today at miracleaudiobook.com and receive an exclusive listener's guide pdf featuring additional commentary from Bruce, the producers and editors of ...
11.11.2021 Teaser: Pushkin’s Dirty Laundry In this month’s subscriber-only episode, the Pushkin staff have something to say about Malcolm’s portrayal of their laundry habits. Plus, an unbiased expert answers our most pressing clothes queries. This is a sneak peek at the third in our series ...
10.14.2021 Teaser: The Compromises of Al Levitt In this month’s subscriber-only episode, a look at the complicated and possibly cursed career of Helen Levitt’s other half. This is a sneak peek at the second in our series of subscriber episodes. To hear the rest, subscribe to PushNik ...
09.29.2021 Revisionist History Presents: Climate Change Despondency is Solvable Solvable Host Ronald Young Jr. sits down with Malcolm Gladwell to talk about climate change: the power of individual choices, cultural shifts and what to expect from the business sector too. Meaningful climate action requires thoughtful engagement from across all ...
09.16.2021 At the Movies with Some of My Best Friends Are... Introducing Pushkin's newest show, Some of My Best Friends Are...hosted by Khalil Muhammad and Ben Austen, two best friends who grew up together on the South Side of Chicago in '80s. Khalil and Ben invite listeners into their conversations about ...
09.09.2021 Revisionist Revisited: Extras from the Little Mermaid Series Malcolm revives his Little Mermaid darlings while the editor is away. The first of a series of four bonus episodes. To receive all four, subscribe to PushNik, a subscription program available exclusively through Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
08.26.2021 The Dog Will See You Now If recent times have shown us anything, it’s that many problems can not be fixed by humans alone. In the season 6 finale, Revisionist History turns to another species for a little help. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee ...
08.19.2021 A Serious Game The best way to prepare for the unexpected may not be to make plans, or predictions, but to play games. Revisionist History explores imaginary worlds and the people who love finding out what they don’t know. Learn more about your ...
08.12.2021 Laundry Done Right Is there a right way to do your laundry? Of course there is. A long look at the science of cleaning your clothes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
08.02.2021 Little Mermaid Part 3: Honestly Ever After Revisionist History presents: The Little Mermaid...our way. The grand finale of our three-part series. Featuring the voices of Jodie Foster, Glenn Close, Dax Shepard, Brit Marling, and many more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
07.29.2021 Little Mermaid Part 2: The Fairytale Twist The quest to revise The Little Mermaid continues. This week, we call in the experts. Part two of three. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
07.22.2021 Little Mermaid Part 1: The Golden Contract Revisionist History takes on The Little Mermaid: a deep dive into a world where merpeople present us with a series of vexing moral conundrums. Part one of three. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
07.15.2021 The Judgment of Helen Levitt Helen Slote Levitt was on her way to the good life in 1950s Hollywood. Then one day, her name appeared on a list. The story of an ordinary woman whose world was upended by extraordinary times. Learn more about your ...
07.08.2021 Project Dillard A historically Black university in New Orleans is beloved by everyone – except the US News best colleges rankings. We hack our way back into the algorithm and show how Dillard University can rise to the top. Part two of ...
07.01.2021 Lord of the Rankings For 30 years, US News & World Report has been using a secret formula to rank the best colleges and universities in the United States. As a public service to our listeners, we hack the algorithm and discover the dirty ...
06.24.2021 I Love You Waymo Revisionist History travels to Phoenix, Arizona to learn about the future of the automobile. It’s not what you think. It’s much better. Warning: Some of the actions depicted in this episode are dangerous. Do not imitate Malcolm! Learn more about ...
06.09.2021 Presenting: Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi Presenting a sneak peek of Pushkin’s newest show, Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi. On Be Antiracist, Dr. Kendi discusses policies and practices that sustain injustice in our society, and how we can dismantle racism to build a just, equitable ...
06.03.2021 Introducing Revisionist History Season Six The sixth season of Revisionist History is underway, and Malcolm’s finally out of the house. We play chicken with cars, war games with wonks, and travel deep under the sea. Season six of Revisionist History launches June 24th from Pushkin ...
05.28.2021 Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant Whenever Malcolm and Adam Grant cross paths on the book tour circuit, it's always a good time. Here are pieces of two conversations from Clubhouse: one about Malcolm's The Bomber Mafia and another about Adam's Think Again. Find out more ...
04.27.2021 Presenting: The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell Season 5 of Revisionist History included four episodes on the rise of air power during the Second World War. Listeners met Air Force generals Haywood Hansell and Curtis LeMay and heard about the birth of napalm and the firebombing of ...
03.25.2021 Presenting: Lost Hills We're hard at work on Season 6 of Revisionist History. But in the meantime, here's an episode of a new show from Pushkin that will keep you up at night: Lost Hills. After 35-year-old scientist Tristan Beaudette is murdered in ...
02.26.2021 Presenting: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Art of Public Speaking (from Cautionary Tales) Season six of Revisionist History is coming later this spring. But meanwhile, season two of Pushkin’s great show Cautionary Tales is underway. Host Tim Harford brings us stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. In ...
01.21.2021 Revisionist History Presents: Hasta la Vista, America The news is overwhelming right now. Maybe we all need a laugh. Here's an excerpt from Hasta la Vista, America: Trump’s Farewell Address, an original audiobook parody written by Kurt Andersen and performed by Alec Baldwin. The book imagines Trump ...
12.17.2020 Return to the 404 We're back in Atlanta - this week with jaunts to Jamaica, Kenya, court-side NBA games, and a deep dive into fine art forgery. Plus, Malcolm finally gets his big break in the advertising industry. LISTENER NOTE: No editors were involved ...
12.10.2020 Druid Hills Revisionist History takes a trip to Malcolm's favorite city and gets a tour of Emory University, meets 3000 non-human primates and 8000 rodents, and dusts off an old TV pilot for a dramatic reenactment. Oh, and a season three guest ...
09.10.2020 Revisionist History Presents: Into the Zone Into the Zone, a new show from Pushkin Industries, is a podcast about opposites, and how borders are never as clear as we think. In the 1920s, a messianic visitor to Hari’s family home unveils the connection between Indian Independence ...
08.20.2020 A Memorial for the Living Lessons from the world’s most perfect memorial. Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
08.13.2020 "Oh Howard, You Idiot!” A billionaire turned recluse befriends a minor novelist. Together they seize the public’s imagination. Kind of. The true story behind the greatest autobiography you’ve never read. Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at pushkin.fm. Credits: ...

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