In the 1740s, a shipwreck produced stories of heroes and mutineers — but who was telling the truth? New Yorker staff writer David Grann joins host Krys Boyd to discuss a British warship called the Wager, which wrecked in Patagonia, and the conflicting stories of its surviving castaways. And that was just the beginning of the chaos! Grann’s new book is “The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder.”

In these politically divided times, it can be hard to come to a consensus on what makes a good citizen. Richard Haas, president of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why rights alone will not guide the country into a unified future, and why we must ask what democracy requires of us to make it work. His new book is “The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.”

Marginalized communities often feel the impact of climate change the most. Leah Thomas, founder of The Intersectional Environmentalist climate justice collective, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the links between racism, environmentalism and privilege and to offer ways to have underrepresented voices heard in climate policy discussions. Her book is “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet.”

The prevailing narrative is that adult adoptees should be grateful, which ignores the deep trauma that adoption can create. New Yorker staff writer Larissa MacFarquhar joins host Krys Boyd to tell the stories of adult adoptees grappling with their feelings of transracial adoption, international placement and even adoptions that on the outside look like a perfect fit. Her article is called “The Fog.”

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained by Russia last month and accused of espionage – further eroding U.S.-Russian relations. Warren P. Strobel covers intelligence and security in the Journal’s Washington bureau, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the very tricky road ahead to secure Gershkovich’s release. His article is “Evan Gershkovich’s Arrest Marks a New Era of Hostage Diplomacy.”

From disabilities to disfigurements, fictionalized villains are reflections of an ableist worldview. Jan Grue, a professor at the University of Oslo and himself disabled, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss villains from Disney to 007 – and how these portrayals of people with disabilities spread harmful ideas. His article, “The disabled villain: why sensitivity reading can’t kill off this ugly trope,” was published by The Guardian.

Intelligence is better measured across a spectrum, rather than with a simple IQ test. Rina Bliss, associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her work in epigenetics, working to understand how human intelligence grows and changes in response to our surroundings. Her book is “Rethinking Intelligence: A Radical New Understanding of Our Human Potential.”

Thousands took up sourdough baking during the pandemic, but how many actually mastered it? New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what it takes to master a skill and to explain why the real benefit comes not in becoming a virtuoso but, rather, in just forcing your brain to try something hard. His book is “The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery.”

Like countless others, Mary Louise Kelly juggles the demands of a career with motherhood. The host of NPR’s “All Things Considered” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her memoir, which centers on her sons’ final years of high school and her realization that once they graduate, their daily family time spent together is likely at an end. Her book is “It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs.”

Emancipation freed enslaved people, but it didn’t do much to help them succeed. Kidada E. Williams is an associate professor of history at Wayne State University. She joins host Krys Boyd to tell the stories of people trying to rebuild their lives after slavery, and how for many life was just as difficult in the years that followed. Her book is “I Saw Death Coming: A History of Terror and Survival in the War Against Reconstruction.”