Ken Burns has won countless awards for his documentary films on Mark Twain, Jackie Robinson, the American buffalo, baseball, the Civil War—and his latest takes on the American Revolution. In this two-part episode, Adam and Ken discuss the importance of origin stories and how they help us to construct a collective identity and narrative about ourselves. Ken reflects on his research about George Washington and the nuance required to tell stories about complicated, contradictory people throughout history, and he and Adam unpack why we’re so hesitant to recognize the flaws in our heroes. They also explore what makes a great leader and the building blocks of a compelling story.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Ken Burns (Website: https://kenburns.com/) 

Links

https://www.facebook.com/kenburnspbs

https://www.youtube.com/user/kenburnspbs

https://kenburns.com/films/the-american-revolution/

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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Alain de Botton is a philosopher, bestselling author, and cofounder of The School of Life, known for his fearless engagement with the complexity of human existence. In this special episode, Adam co-hosts alongside former guest RaQuel Hopkins, a therapist, social media star, and fan of Alain’s work. They discuss the roots of and remedies for status anxiety. They also discuss the loneliness and dissatisfaction that many people experience in the quest for happiness and examine how we’ve lost the plot on therapy.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Alain de Botton (Website: https://www.alaindebotton.com/)

RaQuel Hopkins (Instagram: @raquel_the_capacity_expert)

Link

Follow The School of Life (Instagram: @theschooloflifelondon | Youtube: @theschooloflifetv | Website: https://www.theschooloflife.com/)

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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Shannon Hale is the author of more than 50 books for all ages, including the Princess Academy series and her graphic novel memoirs. In this episode, Adam and his daughter Joanna (a longtime fan of Shannon’s books) talk to Shannon about the powerful lessons books teach us about empathy, and take a closer look at how stories can either reinforce or dismantle the gender stereotypes kids learn early on. The three lament the decline in leisure reading, and brainstorm ways to nurture new readers and keep students interested in books.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Shannon Hale (Instagram: @squeetus | Website: https://shannonhale.com/)

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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Margaret Atwood is best known as the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, and she’s won a slew of awards for her novels, poetry collections, and children’s books. Now, at the age of 86, she’s written her first memoir, The Book of Lives. In this episode, Adam and Margaret break down her perspective on what creative jobs AI will and won’t threaten and discuss the evidence on the benefits of reading banned books. They also muse about why heroes need monsters and what it means to be delightfully disagreeable.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Margaret Atwood (Instagram: @therealmargaretatwood | Website: https://margaretatwood.ca/)

Links

https://margaretatwood.substack.com/

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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Slowing the process of aging is something many people are interested in—and there’s a lot of pseudoscience out there about how to do it. Eric Topol is a cardiologist at Scripps and a prolific researcher on the genetics of longevity. In this episode, Eric debunks some common myths about how to live a longer life and shares his surprising findings about what actually determines a person’s lifespan and healthspan. Adam inquires about the efficacy of health supplements, and he and Eric discuss steps for preventing diseases, the role of AI in medicine, and effective practices for living a longer, healthier life.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Eric Topol (Instagram: @erictopol1 | Website: https://drerictopol.com/) 

Links

Books: https://drerictopol.com/books/

Substack: https://erictopol.substack.com/

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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Oz Pearlman has been called the World’s Greatest Mentalist—he’s performed for some of the world’s top celebrities and made it to the finals on America’s Got Talent. In this episode, Oz joins Adam live at Authors@Wharton to show off his tricks and discuss the real skills behind his rise to success. The two reflect on Oz’s time working on Wall Street and the lessons he learned as a pizza parlor magician about gaining confidence, managing failure, and taking smart risks, and Oz wows the crowd by reading audience members’ minds.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Oz Pearlman (Instagram: @ozthementalist | Website: https://www.ozpearlman.com/) 

Links

https://www.youtube.com/@ozthementalist

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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In our rapidly changing world, it might make you feel crazy to look around and see others going about life as usual. There’s actually a term for this phenomenon: hypernormalization. In this episode, Adam talks with Rahaf Harfoush, a digital anthropologist and expert on toxic productivity culture, about the immense pressures of living through “unprecedented times.” Rahaf breaks down the concept of hypernormalization, and Adam explains why it can fuel feelings of destabilization and disconnection. The two challenge the propaganda that promotes productivity for its own sake and explore healthier ways to get things done.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Rahaf Harfoush (Instagram: @foushy | Website: https://rahafharfoush.com/) 

Links

Newsletter: https://rahaf.kit.com/

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

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The Ku Klux Klan is one of the tightest-knit White supremacist groups in America—once someone joins, they’re usually in for life. But since the 1980s, over 200 members have renounced their affiliation, and all give credit to the same man: a Black jazz musician named Daryl Davis. In this episode, Adam is joined by Daryl and Jeff Schoep, a former leader of the largest neo-Nazi group in the US whose life and mind were changed by meeting and befriending Daryl. They discuss techniques for challenging ignorance and prejudice, analyze the cognitive dissonance experienced by members of extremist groups, and reflect on the conversations with Daryl that helped Jeff think again. They also explore the limits of empathy and curiosity.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Daryl Davis (Instagram: @realdaryldavis | Website: https://www.daryldavis.com/) 

Jeff Schoep (Instagram: @jeff_schoep | Website: https://jeffschoep.com/) 

Links

https://beyondbarriersusa.org/

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suleika Jaouad is the author of the memoir Between Two Kingdoms and the new Book of Alchemy—she’s also a lifelong journaler. In this episode, Adam and Suleika reflect on how Suleika’s journaling practice has helped her through cancer, discuss the art and science of journaling, and brainstorm creative ways to incorporate it into reflection and relationships. They also chat about Suleika and her husband Jon Batiste’s shared love of prank calls and bond over a mutual hatred of the common advice to live every day like it’s your last.

Host & Guest

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Suleika Jaouad (Instagram: @suleikajaouad | Website: https://www.suleikajaouad.com/)

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malala Yousafzai is an activist for girls’ education and women’s empowerment, and the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate in history. In her new book, Finding My Way, is her effort to take control of her story after becoming a public figure at a young age. In this episode, Malala and Adam talk about the pressures of childhood fame, Malala’s struggles with saying no, and her journey to rediscover spontaneity and learn to ski and ride a bike. They also discuss how Malala’s thoughts on marriage have changed, discuss the important role men play in changing structures that hold women back, and debate the merits of teasing the people you love. 

Host & Guest

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Malala Yousafzai (Instagram: @malala | Website: https://malalabook.com/, https://malala.org/)

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts

ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.