Historian Daniel Horowitz, author of the book "Happier? The History of a Cultural Movement That Aspired to Transform America," discusses the results of America's draw towards positive psychology and the happiness.

Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs, authors of "How College Works," join the show to talk about their research into the surprising and not-so-surprising factors that create a successful college experience.

Brian Regal and Frank Esposito from Kean University explore the genesis of one of America's oldest monster legends: the Jersey Devil. It's a tale that has less to do with a winged beast and more to do with colonial Quaker infighting, pamphlet wars, publicity stunts, and the absolute villainization of a man who just wanted to bring the Enlightenment to the New World.

Stanford history professor Priya Satia discusses how war, imperialism, and Britian's thriving gun trade acted as the real engine of the Industrial Revolution.

Joseph Crespino, the Jimmy Carter Professor of History at Emory University, traces the origins and evolution of Atticus Finch, the iconic patriarch from Harper Lee's 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird. Crespino won both the 2008 Lillian Smith Book Award and 2007 McLemore Prize for his book In Search of Another Country and is also author to the book Strom Thurmond's America.

Randall Stephens, professor of history and American studies, traces the history of Christian rock from its beginning as "the devil's music" to a billion dollar industry. Stephens is the author of The Devil's Music: How Christians Inspired, Condemned, and Embraced Rock 'n' Roll.

Sociologist Neda Maghbouleh has spent years talking to second generation Iranian Americans about their experiences with racialization in the United States. Although they're legally classified as white, their social experience rarely squares with their legal classification. She joins the show to discuss her research and share her own experiences in the no man's land of Iranian American racial politics.

Adventure and science journalist Leslie Anthony discusses his research into invasive species and the effect they're having on the planet.

Political scientist Jeremy Teigen explores the history of military service and the U.S. presidency and discusses how the status of being a veteran has helped or hindered presidential hopefuls.