Thecuriousmanspodcast

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with Executive Director of Mission Roll Call Garrett Cathcart. Almost half of all veterans are unaffiliated with the VA or any veteran serving organization. The purpose of Mission Roll Call is to coalesce these voices into a cohesive message for our leaders to make sure veterans are served better.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Christian Giudice about his book Macho Time. This is the story of the world famous boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho. I started this book thinking I knew who Hector Camacho was and came away with the understanding that I had no idea who he was. Giudice welcomes you into Camacho's world and shows you an intimate side of this beautiful and complex human being. Whether you are into boxing or not this is just a great book about an amazing person and I recommend it to all.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author William Hazelgrove about his book, Sally Rand: American Sex Symbol. This is the amazing story of a girl who runs away with the circus at fifteen and ends up crashing the 1933 Chicago World's Fair naked on the back of a horse. A nude performance with Ostrich feathers would follow and define Sally's life in both good and bad ways. Listen in and then read this lovely book to learn how Sally became America's first sex symbol.

This episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Jerry Mitchell about his book Race Against Time. This is the powerful story of the reopening of some of the most notorious Civil Rights cases and the search for justice. For almost two decades Jerry Mitchell chased down the Klansmen responsible for the murders of Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers and those responsible in the Mississippi Burning case, just to name a few. A book that needs to be read by all and an instrumental tool in understanding our painful past

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Kenneth C. Davis about his new book Strongman. This is a cautionary tale of how democracies die, not in the shadows as some think but in broad daylight and with the complicity of many. Far too often we focus on the singular figure as the root of all evil and we ignore the machine, sometimes made up of millions that perpetrate the horrors. Required reading by all, Mr. Davis does it again.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Meredith Hall about her debut novel Beneficence. This is a heart-wrenching story about love, loss, family and forgiveness, a story that will truly stay with you long after you have read it. The real beauty of this book is how it captures the human spirit so intimately. I think we can all find a piece of ourselves in this touching work.

Peyton about her and Claire Dale's book Physical Intelligence. What is Physical Intelligence? The way our bodies react to any given situation determines our ability to think clearly and manage our emotions. Physical Intelligence is the understanding of why our body and mind react they way they do, the effect the chemicals released have on us and what we can do to control those chemicals and the reactions the illicit. This book is filled with the information we need to understand it and exercises to fight it

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with Richard Gergel about his book Unexampled Courage. This is the horrifying story of Sgt. Isaac Woodard"s blinding by a local police chief hours after his honorable discharge from the Army. What follows would be Woodard's fight for justice and the foundation for the Civil Rights movement in the south. Judge Waring and the President of the United States were among those who were deeply moved by this case and its outcome. A truly inspiring read that I recommend to all.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Edward Wilson Lee about his book The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books. The story of Hernando Colon, Christopher Columbus' son who like his father was an explorer. Columbus explored the not so known world Hernando explored the world of knowledge and set out to map that world so we could follow. At the age of 18 he sets out to collect everything ever printed and to build the world's largest library to house it. A riveting and thought provoking read I highly recommend.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Catherine Grace Katz about her book The Daughters of Yalta. This book is the Yalta Conference through the eyes of Churchill, FDR and Harriman's daughters who attended as their father's assistants. While the backdrop of this book is one of the most momentous occasions of WWII, this truly is an intimate dive into history. Katz brings us along on the most personal and enriching of levels that cast these larger than life figures in a new and relatable light.