Thecuriousmanspodcast

Matt Crawford speaks with educator and author Dan Granger about his children's book, Why Is Sam So SAD. As a sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder Granger was called to write this book. Many children and adults suffer in silence and don't talk about what they go through when Fall arrives. Granger details what it feels like from the perspective of a child to deal with SAD and how we can talk about it and understand those who deal with it.

Matt Crawford speaks with author toby Brookes about his novel, All That She Brings. Matthew Banks loses his wife in a car crash and his life slowly unravels. A job with a Hartford Insurance company places him with an internal therapist which only compounds his despair. Troubles back in California call him home where he must tend to his mother's downfall and an unexpected confrontation with his estranged father. At wit's end, he meets a homeless prophet on the beach on a moonlit night and learns how to look at life from a new perspective. But ghosts from his past Hartford life soon follow him west, and a far different life begins to unfold.

Brookes writes with such nuance and depth that everyone can take something from this read. Delicately writing about trauma and betrayal this is a read that is sure to hit deep.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Timothy Winegard about his book, The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity. For millennia humans and horses have been inextricably linked. Horses were our primary mode of transportation, essential to farming machine, a steadfast companion, and a formidable weapon of war. The automobile has only recently replaced our most trusted accomplice in evolution.

Winegard brings us back to our roots and details how horses have been integral to every facet of our history. Horses revolutionized the way we hunted, traded, traveled, farmed, fought, worshipped, and interacted. They fundamentally reshaped the human genome and the world's linguistic map. They determined international borders, molded cultures, fueled economies, and built global superpowers. They decided the destinies of conquerors and empires. They were vectors of lethal disease, and contributed to lifesaving medical innovations. Horses even inspired architecture, invention, furniture, and fashion.

This is a fast paced and interesting read that will change your viewpoint and just maybe have you looking for a trail ride.

Matt Crawford speaks with Life Empowerment coach Ken Rabow about what it means to be a mentor. The word mentor carries a certain weight and importance that I feel doesn't get the proper recognition. Many of us think that because we are parents that automatically makes us a mentor. Rabow and I discuss the important distinction and how mentorship can change both the mentor and the mentee. 

Matt Crawford speaks with author Fred Waitzkin about his novel, Anything Is Good.

Matt Crawford speaks with photographer and author Robert Monroe about his novel Bungalow Terrace.

Matt Crawford speaks with journalist and author Francis Barry about his book, Back Roads and Better Angels: A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy. Are we as a nation truly as divided as portrayed? If you watch the news you my seem to believe so. Barry took to the road during the pandemic to see what was at the heart of the issue. Miles traveled and many interviews seem to tell a different tale. We have a great conversation about wat he expierienced and so much more. Please give a listen and start your own conversation.

Matt Crawford speaks with journalists and authors Louise Story and Ebony Reed about their book, Fifteen Cents On The Dollar: How Americans Made the Black White Wealth Gap. How is it that today, black American's overall wealth is fifteen cents on the dollar compared with white Americans. Story and Reed took the deep dive and did the research for us. With easily accessible data points and more importantly, personal stories of those living these circumstances, this is a book that will call you to action.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Scott Ryan about his book, The Last Decade of Cinema. What made the 90's such a pivotal moment in cinematic history and will we ever get there again? Ryan and I discuss the movies he chose, why he chose them and their impact on our culture. We also just have a blast talking about these movies in our own lives and how they transcend generations. Buy this book and give it a read, you will be happy you did folks!

Matt Crawford speaks with author Jason Bell about his book, Cracking the Nazi Code. For those that think history is boring this is the book to read. Bell uncovers just declassified information about Winthrop Bell, also known as agent A12. A true Renaissance man Agent A12 uncovered the Nazis before they even had that moniker and also broke Hitler's final solution to the world years before the start of WWII. A truly unbelievable piece of history, this book reads like a spy novel.