In this episode, we chat with Samuel C. Spitale, author of How to Win the War on Truth. We cover the history of propaganda, the creation of Public Relations, and the rise of think tanks in our politics. Samuel walks us through the history of psychology of misinformation in the US and helps us understand what we can do it about it. We hope you enjoy!

Check out How to Win the War on Truth here:

https://villagewell.com/item/SbFnEzAaxwfbggoETgjPQA

And check out Samuel's recommendation for Economix here:

https://villagewell.com/item/yw4NwECvkwLFSnpnnaucvQ

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen.

In this episode, Jen and Shira sit down with DEI consultant Monique Marshall for a conversation about identity and belonging. Monique shares some excellent children's book recommendations for sparking conversations around identity with kids. She also discusses her own journey and offers suggestions for teaching children about DEI topics.Check out Monique's WebsiteMonique’s Recommendations- Our Skin by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli, and Isabel Roxas- All the Colors We Are by Katie Kissinger- The Colors We Share by Angélica DassThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen.

On this special holiday episode, the staff of The Village Well recommends gifts for 2025! See what we picked out below:

Fiction

• King Sorrow by Joe Hill
• The True True Story of Raja the Gullible by Rabih Alameddine
• Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

Nonfiction

• Empire of AI by Karen Hao
• Stitching Freedom by Gary Tyler
• The Dry Season by Melissa Febos

Kids/YA

• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
• Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen.

On this episode, Judith sits down with Amy Tangerine to talk about her book Craft a Life You Love. It’s a “permission slip to be creative” and encourages readers to tap into artistic expression without all the judgement. You can check out more of Amy’s work at the links below:

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/amytangerine/?hl=en

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/amytangerine

Website

https://www.amytangerine.com/

Amy’s Recommendations

Die With Zero by Bill Perkins

https://villagewell.com/item/kUXGnazpfgvwGOQdZLm_Gg

Guided by Laura Lynne Jackson

https://villagewell.com/item/ZoOPMvNQhqbQrVdbWihWqQ

The work of Katherine Center

https://villagewell.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1xdWsi3CCJI0w

This episode is dedicated to Conor Proffitt. If you are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please know you are not alone. You can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also reach the CalHOPE Warm Line at 833-317-4673 or Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services at 424-362-2900.

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen.

This week on the pod, Jen sits down with author, advocate, and producer Kathy Eldon to chat about her new book Boundless. They had a great conversation, touching on justice, creativity, and healing from grief. We hope you enjoy!

Check out Creative Visions:

https://www.creativevisions.org/

Kathy’s Recommendations:

Real Magic by Dead Radin

https://villagewell.com/item/rgHmVQkJfJ5x-Tv7qbHSVw

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

https://villagewell.com/item/Jbk-o9rCuFfi-iAqY5Zewg

Living in the Light by Shakti Gawain

https://villagewell.com/item/gzKvR2TDU-pF6xFBexgBxA

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

In this episode, Tom Rubio, facilitator of the SciFi/Fantasy book club at Village Well, hosts a conversation with two of the club's regulars to discuss last month's pick, Katabasis by R. F. Kuang. Click here to grab a copy:

https://villagewell.com/item/MEgaIBq6_d8cx8Dg3TPwTw

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Colin Hinckley (our very own author of ⁠The Black Lord⁠) sat down with author Sarah Langan to talk about her recent book ⁠Pam Kowolski is a Monster!⁠, her upcoming work Trad Wives, and the joys and terrors of the horror genre. Check out Sarah’s Instagram and give her a follow!

Sarah’s recommendations:

• Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
• Flesh by David Szalay
• Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
• Headlights by CJ Leede
• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

On this episode, Tom sits down with members of the SciFi/Fantasy book club to discuss The Murderbot Diaries. They had a great conversation and saved all the spoilers till the end (don’t worry there’s a warning).

If you’d like to grab a copy check out the link below:

https://villagewell.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1yOIlKI7t1ZFQ

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week, Jen sat down with Andrea Tetrick from Publishers Group West and Two Rivers to talk about exciting releases for 2025. We hope you enjoy!

Andrea's Picks:

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

Mona's Eyes by Thomas Schlesser

Heart the Lover by Lily King

The Enduring Wild by Josh Jackson

Rocks and Riches by Gary L Prost

Britannica All New Kids' Encyclopedia edited by Christopher Lloyd

Andrea's Personal Faves:

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

Mother’s Milk by Edward St. Aubyn

They by Kay Dick

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Jen and Brett sat down with writer, producer, and newly published author David Meyer. They chatted about his new book Five Minutes From a Meltdown, and got to the heart of poetry, or something like that.

David's Recommendations:

- You Don't Have to Have a Dream by Tim Minchin

- How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur

- Egghead by Bo Burnham

The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!