Thecuriousmanspodcast

This week I'm joined by Robbie Bach, former Chief Xbox Officer at Microsoft and author of The Wilkes Insurrection and its follow up The Blockchain Syndicate.

The Wilkes Insurrection is a high-intensity thriller rooted in real-world technology and geopolitical tension.

We discuss how fiction can reveal the current climate in a way that may surprise most. It also should make us ask the tough questions of how we got here and what can we do to prevent events from arising.

Lets dive in.

In this episode, host Matt Crawford sits down with Dr. James Bellingham, leading ocean engineer and Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy, to discuss his groundbreaking new book How Are Marine Robots Shaping Our Future?

We explore how robotics and AI are transforming ocean science, climate research, national security, global economics, and even the way humanity understands the 70% of Earth that remains unseen. Dr. Bellingham reveals what underwater machines are capable of today — and what they soon will be — as advancements in autonomy, sensing, machine learning, and endurance take us deeper into the ocean than ever before.

From coral reef restoration to autonomous naval fleets, from seafloor discovery to ethical dilemmas, this conversation dives into the future of our oceans — and the robots preparing to explore them.

In this episode, host Matt Crawford sits down with leadership expert, coach, and author George Pesansky to explore his powerful new book Superperformance: 8 Strategies to Reach Your Full Potential for Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.

Drawing from decades of experience guiding leaders and organizations toward peak effectiveness, George outlines how everyday people can unlock extraordinary potential — not by working harder, but by working more intentionally. He dives into the eight strategies that create "superperformance" and shares how individuals, teams, and organizations can transform themselves through clarity, mindset, trust, and aligned action.

This conversation is a roadmap for anyone looking to elevate their leadership, strengthen team culture, build an organization capable of sustained excellence or just to better themselves and their own purpose.

In this episode, host Matt Crawford speaks with writer and leadership collaborator Martha C. Lawrence about her insightful book Catch People Doing Things Right: How Ken Blanchard Changed the Way the World Leads.

Drawing on decades of insight into the leadership principles of Ken Blanchard — the bestselling author of The One Minute Manager and one of the most influential thinkers in modern leadership — Martha breaks down why his philosophy of positive reinforcement is both timeless and urgently needed.

Martha and I explore the stories behind Blanchard's breakthroughs, the real-world application of his principles, and how "catching people doing things right" can transform teams, workplaces, and lives.

In this episode, host Matt Crawford welcomes author, ecologist, and essayist Bridget A. Lyons to discuss her beautiful and thought-provoking book, Entwined: Dispatches from the Intersection of Species.

Blending science, philosophy, and lyrical storytelling, Lyons invites readers to reconsider what it means to be human in a world alive with other intelligences. Her work explores the profound connections—and responsibilities—that come with being part of Earth's living network.

Together, Matt and Bridget explore how empathy, curiosity, and humility can transform our relationships with animals, ecosystems, and each other. From fieldwork encounters to reflections on climate grief and moral imagination, this conversation reveals why understanding our entanglement with other species might be one of the most urgent challenges of our time.

In this episode, I sit down with motivational psychology expert Dr. Bobby Hoffman to explore the fascinating ideas behind his new book The Paradox of Passion: How Rewards Covertly Control Motivation.

Dr. Hoffman unpacks one of the most overlooked truths in human behavior — that the very rewards we use to inspire achievement often end up sabotaging our passion and autonomy. Drawing from decades of research in cognitive and educational psychology, he explains why motivation is more fragile, complex, and deeply human than we tend to believe.

Together, Matt and Dr. Hoffman discuss how to reclaim intrinsic motivation, nurture genuine passion, and resist the subtle ways systems of reward shape our choices and our identities.

In this deeply moving episode, I sit down with author, advocate, and podcast host Kelly Cervantes to discuss her acclaimed memoir The Luckiest: A Memoir of Love, Loss, Motherhood, and the Pursuit of Self.

Kelly opens her heart about the journey through her daughter Adelaide's illness and passing, the complexities of caregiving, and what it means to rediscover identity and purpose in the aftermath of unimaginable loss. With honesty, grace, and resilience, she shares how gratitude, community, and storytelling helped her reclaim her life.

Together, Matt and Kelly explore love that endures beyond loss, the messy beauty of grief, and how writing can become a path toward healing.

In this gripping episode, host Matt Crawford talks with journalist and author Devon O'Neil about his powerful new book The Way Out: A True Story of Survival in the Heart of the Rockies.

Blending the tension of a true survival thriller with the depth of a human drama, O'Neil chronicles an extraordinary real-life story of endurance, fear, and hope in one of the harshest landscapes on Earth. The conversation explores the razor's edge between life and death, how ordinary people find extraordinary strength, and what wilderness reveals about who we really are.

What if the maps we trust most — the ones hanging in classrooms or glowing on our phones — are shaping not just how we see the world, but how we think about it?

In this episode, Matt Crawford speaks with William Rankin, historian of science, cartographer, and author of Radical Cartography: How Changing Our Maps Can Change Our World. Rankin reveals how every map tells a story — and how those stories influence politics, power, identity, and even empathy.

From colonial borders to climate change, this conversation explores how reimagining the art and science of mapping can transform the way we understand ourselves and our planet.

Because sometimes, to change the world, you have to redraw it first.

In this episode, host Matt Crawford speaks with novelist Rick Steinke about his gripping and heartfelt novel Vital Mission: A Jake Fortina Series Love Story. Set against the backdrop of courage, service, and sacrifice, Vital Mission explores what servie and heroism really mean and how novels can evoke feeling history sometime cant. Steinke shares how his military background and life experiences shaped the world of Jake Fortina, a protagonist torn between duty and desire.

Together, they discuss the delicate balance between personal connection and professional mission, the emotional reality behind heroism, and how love itself can be the most vital mission of all.