Thecuriousmanspodcast

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks with author Catherine Musemeche about her book, Lethal Tides. When WWII began the U.S. Navy was unprepared and ill-informed when it came to oceanographic information. How to make wave & tide predictions, coral reef locations, map deep water levels to hide submarines, stability of coastal sand for amphibious landings and even how to prevent barnacles from bottom fouling ships. Enter the virtually unknown Mary Sears, "the first oceanographer of the navy," and her team of scientists. By gathering this information, Sears and her team played a major role in averting further disasters that had plagued earlier amphibious landings. Musemeche weaves Science, biography, military history and adventure into a book that is impossible to put down!

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks with author Gautum Mukunda about his book, Picking Presidents. What do we base our choice for President on? How do we know that when really tested, our candidate will do what's best and what we would desire? Mukunda uses his analysis of filtered and unfiltered to measure how steady at the helm these leaders will be and ask the all-important question: are they up to the job?  From Truman to Buchanan, Andrew Johnson to Theodore Roosevelt, Picking Presidents lays out the framework and walks us through those times to prove out the formula. A great and exciting read that is hard to put down and even harder to stop thinking about after you do.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Jason Steinhauer about his book, History Disrupted. This is the book we all need to read. The way in which we consume information, news and history has shifted, and that has not been a benign shift. Steinhauer analyzes how algorithms and social media have shaped what we think we know about the past and how that can influence the future. A timely read that breaks these issues down in a non-partisan, even keeled manner. 

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks with author William Hazelgrove about his book, Writing Gatsby. We all know the novel, The Great Gatsby. We have all had to read it and one point in time in school. What most of us don't know is that it was a huge flop when published and F. Scott Fitzgerald died broke. Hazelgrove as always finds a story we think we know and turns it upside down. How did The Great Gatsby go from being a dud in 1925 to selling 500,000 copies a year and having multiple movies based on it? Read the book and find out folks!

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks with Ty Burr about his Watchlist. What makes a good movie? Who gets to decide what a good movie is? We do! Ty talks about his Watchlist which culls through all the streaming services and Hollywood to let us know what is out there and what we should be watching. 

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Charlie Robertson about his book, The Time Traveling Economist. Why is it that some countries in Africa and South Asia are still stuck in poverty? Robertson culls through the data and shows us what needs to be addressed and how they can move forward and prosper. Data however can be inuring, and we lose what it represents, which is of course, people. Roberston includes individual accounts and connects us to those numbers in a way that is easy to understand but most importantly, personal. 

Matt Crawford speaks with author Michael Wohl about his book, In Herschel's Wake. Herschel Wohl was many things, twice-divorced, pharmacology professor, novelist, on-the-lam drug-runner, manual typewriter thief, Aikido white belt, possible communist and temp resident of Statia. He was also a father. When Herschel dies unexpectedly, Michael must travel with his siblings to bury his father and overcome decades of resentment. The simple act of burying Herschel turns into an ordeal that tracks with his life and his children are left to unpack what it all has meant.

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks with author Cody Kennan about his book: Grace. As chief speechwriter for President Obama Kennan has chosen ten of the most dramatic days of his presidency. A white supremacist shooting followed by an astonishing act of forgiveness. A national reckoning with race and the Confederate flag. The fate of marriage equality and the Affordable Care Act. Moments that will shape the nation for generations to come and we have a behind the scenes perspective that draws you in with intimate moments and advice from the president himself and the craft of speechwriting at the highest level.

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks with author Ned Bachus about his book: Mortal Things. A truly rich story of love and loss this is a read that pulls you in. Told from alternating perspectives, Bachus weaves three characters together expertly with details that draw you in and make you feel as if you are in their lives. A slow burn of a book that doesn't rush the story and lets the reader think for themselves.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Steven Jones about his book: Universities Under Fire. The view of Higher Education, scholars, historians and academics has shifted lately toward a negative light. Some Universities opt to not have people who espouse dissenting opinions on their grounds. How did we get here. Jones dives into English higher education has lost its way and how we can move forward with new blood and new ideas.