In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Noe' Alvarez about his book Spirit Run. This is an emotional raw and honest book about belonging and spirituality. A son of immigrants who is struggling to find his place in the world and who he wants to be in that world, this is an introspective book that holds up a mirror to our current society. Alvarez uses words like a brush and transports us to his childhood community and takes us along for his run. A book that needs to be read, I hope you all will.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Stephen Coss about his book The Fever of 1721. This is the story of a smallpox epidemic that revolutionized medicine as a political fever raged as well. A year that truly shaped the men who would be at the forefront of the American Revolution, 1721 was pivotal for many reasons. Cotton Mather, James and Benjamin Franklin, Zabdiel Boylston are just some of the amazing men contained within. A truly riveting book that should be read by all.

In this episode, Matt Crawford speaks with author and poet J. Chester Johnson about his book Damaged Heritage. This is an amazing story of reconciliation between a black woman and a white man. Johnson writes about his loving grandfather who raised him and then learning that the same man had participated in the Elaine Race Massacre. Chester then connects with a descendant of that massacre. Truly impactful and moving this is a book that begs to be read now more now than ever.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Daphne Geismar about her family's account of hiding during WWII in the Netherlands. This is a beautiful and heart wrenching book that should be read by all. Geismar gathered her family members personal diaries written before, during and after Nazi occupation. Spliced together to show how each relative experienced these horrible events differently this is a rich narrative that touches you deeply. Family photos and artifacts make this even more personal to read

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with historian and author Daniel Lee about his book The S.S Officer's Armchair. This is an unbelievable story about hidden S.S documents found in a chair. Lee tracks down who these documents belonged to and finds his living relatives. This is a story not of the monsters of the Nazi party but of the everyday workers that kept that machine moving that most of us have given little thought to. A true detective story with twists and turns, this is a hard book to put down.

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks to Author Peter Maquire about the Mayaquez incident as well as a survivor from that battle Ret. Corporal AL Bailey. The last official battle of the Vietnam War the Mayaquez incident was a rescue mission for a ships crew that had already been released. Many heroic acts were performed that day but one in particular stood out, those were the actions of SSGT. Fofo Tuitele. Maquire and Bailey describe what happened that day and the acts of heroism by Tuitele.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with professor and author Stephen F. Knott about his book The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline Into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal. This book sheds a lot of light on why we are a country so divided. Knott tracks back through history and exposes the Presidents and the actions they took that have driven wedges through the voting populace. A necessary, illuminating and thought provoking read to understand our current political climate.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with historian and author Lindsay Chervinsky about her book The Cabinet. When most of us think about The Cabinet it is as a part of our government that we take for granted. Chervinsky's book points out this was not always the case and if not for Washington creating the cabinet our government could look quite different.  A truly informative and enjoyable book about history this is also a book about leadership. For anyone interested in leadership this is a must read book.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Neil Bascomb about his book Faster. A former top driver, a down on its luck automaker and an American heiress who team up to take on Hitler's best drivers and fastest cars. WWII has a lot of incredible stories and Bascomb sure has a way of finding them. This is a fast paced fun and enjoyable read that I can't recommend enough, a true David and Goliath tale.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Dane Huckelbridge about his book, No Beast So Fierce. This is the insane story about a tiger that killed and ate 436 people in Nepal and India in the early 20th century. The legendary hunter Jim Corbett is sent to hunt this man-eater down and the chase begins. While this is a story about a tiger it has so many facets that I did not expect. You will come for the tiger but you will stay for the rich layers of this story. Get cozy and read away!