Thecuriousmanspodcast

Matt Crawford speaks with author John Langmead about his book, Ballyhoo!: The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling. This book reads more like fiction than reality. Jack Curley was a pivotal figure in helping to foster the sport of wrestling and what it would become today. A character unto himself I doubt there was anyone else with the will and the moxey to pull of what he did. This book does not disappoint and is as entertaining as any Friday night Smackdown.

Matt Crawford speaks with Dr. Parul Dua Makkar about her book, Life Interrupted: Dr. Dua's Survival Guide. Parul shares her brother Dr. Manu Dua's writings while he was being treated for cancer. Eventually he would lose that battle, something which he was aware of while writing. This is such an impactful and uplifting read about grace and hope while suffering through the end of one's life. I cannot recommend this enough. 

Matt Crawford speaks with Andy Lee Roth about Project Censored and their State of the Free Press 2024 Edition. Project Censored highlights their picks for 25 of the most underreported and important stories of the last year, and profiles those brave journalists who continue to fight for media that is free of for-profit benefactors and political agendas. We all consume corporate driven media which has profit as their main objective, Project Censored is the antidote for all those looking to learn, absorb and make their own decisions. Please buy the book and visit their website to stay up to dat with all the work Project Censored is working on.

Matt Crawford speaks with Dr. Stephen Cohn about his book, All Bleeding Stops: Life and Death in the Trauma Unit. With over 40 years of experience Dr. Cohn brings a lot to the table and gives his readers an intimate look at what it is like to work in a trauma center. A good trauma surgeon must be expert in dealing with calamity and Cohn shares some of his funniest and most harrowing cases. This also shows us how policy can affect safety and the volume of cases these surgeons have to deal with. 

Matt Crawford speaks with Dr. Stephen Furlich about his book, Epiphany: Steps to Improve Your Nonverbal Communication. Such an important aspect of how we communicate with one and other often goes overlooked. Dr. Furlich explains just how important our nonverbal communication is and how it is engrained into our DNA. From body movement, pupil dilation, hand gestures, there are so many aspects to this and biology. All communication starts in the brain and there is actually physiological effects to our body based on it. Everyone will be able to utilize these tools in every aspect of their lives, I cannot stress what an important read this is. 

Matt Crawford speaks with author Michael Gerhardt about his book, The Law of Presidential Impeachment: A guide for the Engaged Citizen. Michael Gerhardt is the leading scholar on the law of presidential impeachment. He is the only scholar to have addressed the entire House of Representatives on presidential impeachment and is one of only two scholars who have testified in three presidential impeachment proceedings - Bill Clinton's, Donald Trump's first and Joe Biden's. This is an interesting, nonpartisan read that we should all pick up and then discuss, especially in these fraught political times.  

Matt Crawford speaks with author Dr. Tonya Evans about her book, Digital Money Demystified: Go From Cash to Crypto Safely, Legally, and Confidently. Many of us, including myself are very leery about investing in Crypto currency for a multitude of reasons. Dr. Evans did the heavy lifting for us as she learned about the process of investing and how Crypto works. Who better than a lawyer to ask the questions we would want to know and those questions we may not even realize to ask? A great read that is easy to understand and digest. 

Matt Crawford speaks with author Daniel Schulman about his book, The Money Kings: The Epic Story of the Jewish Immigrants Who Transformed Wall Street and Shaped Modern America. We all know the names, Golman, Sachs, Lehman, Kuhn & Loeb, maybe not so much Seligman and Schiff. Schulman takes us back to the start of what would become our modern financial system to the immigration of Joseph Seligman in 1827, with the equivalent of $100 sewed into his pants. Enter Jacob Schiff and thing really get interesting. This sweeping narrative chronicles the interconnected origin stories of these families, how they navigated the Civil War, financial crashes, WWI and a deep rooted antisemitic upper class that was steeped in all corners of society. A deeply engrossing and phenomenal read. 

Matt Crawford speaks with author Diane Namm about her newest children's book, Latkes & Lefse. Sibling Josh, Nora and Jacob love both Hanukkah and Christmas, latkes and Lefse. When Principal C tells them they can only pick one food for the holiday feast they are torn between their love of both, which represent their different cultures. How will they decide? A great story that represents our society and the mixed race, inter-religion and intercultural families that are more prevalent than ever. 

Matt Crawford speaks with author and poet about his book, Phone Ringing in a Dark House. This is a collection of poetry written over five years and touches on many different subjects. Rolly and I discuss why many of us may be intimidated by poetry because we are not sure what it means, or what it is supposed to make us feel. As I discovered through Rolly's poetry, even the poet doesn't know where their poems will take you and it is up to us the reader to make that journey. This was one of my favorite conversations and I hope you will give a listen and then a read. Follow up with a conversation after that and I am sure it will be inspiring.