Thecuriousmanspodcast

Matt Crawford speaks with author Michael Benson about his book, Gansters VS. Nazis. The year is 1939 and Fascism is on the rise in not only in Europe but in the U.S as well. Nazi groups are recruiting, marching, starting youth camps and a town in Long Island has even named a street after Hitler. Well, a Jewish judge decides this cannot stand and sets up a meeting. A judge, a Rabbi and a Jewish gangster step in a room and decide to convince these Nazis that they shouldn't be meeting, and that Jews are no pushovers. What follows is the impossible to put down story of how a network of gangsters tamped down Fascism in the U.S. 

Matt Crawford speaks with New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap about his book, Blue Fire. After Hell Day- a world war that shut down anything electronic and any communication, people are struggling to survive. What is left of the U.S government is struggling to be useful, and everyone must now live like they did in the 1800's. A one-time congressional representative Victoria Emerson has become a beacon of light in the small town of Ortho, West Virginia. As the towns leader she is struggling to balance protecting those in the town and still welcome those that need help. When a band of supposed National Guardsmen show up and intend to take Ortho's resources for their own, the town is put to the test. This is a great read that has many parallels to the world we live in today. It stirs quite a few questions in your mind and makes you wonder what you would do in these situations and who you would be in these difficult times.

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks with Dr, guide and author Jahan Khamsehzadeh about his book, The Psilocybin Connection. For too long, psychedelics have been vilified and cast in the wrong light. This book is a comprehensive look into psilocybin and how humanity has co-evolved with it. Shown to actually create new pathways in our brains, psilocybin truly is an amazing drug that needs to better understood, this is the book to do just that. Khamsehzadeh shares his journey and 20+ years of experience in this field in an easy to understand and follow format, for even the most layperson. An exciting and thought provoking read.

Matt Crawford speaks with author David De Jong about his book, Nazi Billionaires. This is a groundbreaking investigation of how the Nazis helped German tycoons make billions off of WWII by stealing Jewish property and companies and utilizing slave labor to line their pockets. These practices, which the United States allowed them to get away with, would be the financial footing to take these companies into the 21st century and allow their heirs to enjoy exorbitant wealth. A truly horrific and disgusting tale of injustice that should be shouted from the rooftops.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Kevin Maurer about his book, Damn Lucky. This is the kick in the teeth, hold on to the seat of your pants story of, Second Lieutenant John "Lucky" Luckadoo. The world was at was and Luckadoo wanted to serve, Pearl Harbor would be the final straw and the United States Air Force would be his branch. Trained as a pilot and assigned to the 100th Bomb Group, 25 missions were required, and you had a 1 and 10 chance of surviving that call to duty. Maurer puts us in the cockpit with "Lucky" and shares his story in a way only he could. You will shiver and your pulse will quicken as you read along and I hopw you do.

Matt Crawford speaks to author Emma Loewe about her book, Return to Nature. Most of us spend up to 87% of our day inside, and with sitting being described as the new Cancer we all need to get up and get out even more than ever. Loewe shows us how to do just that and how doing so can improve our health both physically and mentally. Included are scientific studies proving the health benefits as well as ideas on how to get outside, to bring the outside in and exercises to practice while adventuring. A prescient and enjoyable read that we should all bring with us on our next outing.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Keith O'Brien about his book, Paradise Falls. This is the amazing story of an unlikely group of mothers who in the 1970's discovered Hooker Chemical's deadly secret of Love Canal. These women exposed one of America's most devastating toxic waste disasters and sparked the modern environmental movement. An amazing story of grit and resilience, this is a story we should all read and share.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Michael Meyer about his book, Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet. At the end of his life, Benjamin Franklin gifted Philadelphia and Boston 2000 pounds to be lend out to tradesmen over the next 2 centuries. Each loan was to be repaid with interest over 10 years and the eventual windfall to be paid out in 1991. Meyer takes us along to trace where and to whom that money went and how it was managed by the two cities. A fun detailed and amazing read that shows just how phenomenal Franklin was. 

Matt Crawford speaks with author Mark Follman about his book, Trigger Points. A story about the team of forensic psychologists, FBI agents, and other experts that prevent mass shootings in America and dispels the narrative that these perpetrators just snap and that these horrible events could not have been foreseen or prevented. A book that needs to be read and provides the information in an unbiased and apolitical tone.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Derek Baxter about his book, In Pursuit of Jefferson. In 1784 Thomas Jefferson was reeling from personal and professional loss, this led him to Europe to clear his mind and to explore. More than 200 years later, stuck in a rut, Derek Baxter discovers Jefferson's guide to that trip- Hints for Americans Traveling Through Europe, that would be the seed for this phenomenal book. Baxter takes us along on his physical, emotional and historical journey in this personal story of discovery and evolution as he follows in Jefferson's European footsteps. An unfiltered and honest look at our history and ourselves. I hope you will all give this a read.