Keen On
2,195 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★ - 72 ratingsNobody asks sharper or more impertinent questions than Andrew Keen. In KEEN ON, Andrew cross-examines the world’s smartest people on politics, economics, history, the environment, and tech. If you want to make sense of our complex world, check out the daily questions and the answers on KEEN ON.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best-known technology and politics broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running show How To Fix Democracy and the author of four critically acclaimed books about the future, including the international bestselling CULT OF THE AMATEUR.
Keen On is free to listen to and will remain so. If you want to stay up-to-date on new episodes and support the show please subscribe to Andrew Keen’s Substack. Paid subscribers will soon be able to access exclusive content from our new series Keen On America.
keenon.substack.com
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Navigating the labyrinth of Argentina's bankrupt economy
February 27, 2024 04:29 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBIn episode 1972, Andrew talks to Gregory Makoff, author of DEFAULT, about the cautionary tale of Argentina's $100 billion 2001 debt default. Gregory Makoff has been writing about sovereign debt for the past decade and is the author of the forthcoming book Default: The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina’s $100 Billion Debt Restructuring, scheduled to be published by Georgetown University Press in February 2024. For twenty-one years through mid-2014, Gregory worked as an investment banker a...
Why we remember and why we forget
February 25, 2024 14:14 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBIn episode 1971, Andrew talks to Charan Ranganath, author of WHY WE REMEMBER, who unlocks memory's power to hold on to what matters about our lives. CHARAN RANGANATH is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California at Davis. For over 25 years, Dr. Ranganath has studied the mechanisms in the brain that allow us to remember past events, using brain imaging techniques, computational modeling and studies of patients with memory...
Waking Up White
February 24, 2024 23:30 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBIn episode 1970, Andrew talks to Debby Irving, author of WAKING UP WHITE, about how she discovered herself and the story of American racial injustice. Debby Irving brings to racial justice the perspective of working in non-profit organizations and education for 25 years before understanding racism as systemic or her own whiteness as an obstacle to grappling with it. Despite attending diversity workshops and even heading a diversity committee during these years, she struggled to make sense o...
A Brave New World of AI, Virtual Reality and Memetic Culture
February 23, 2024 22:15 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBEPISODE 1969: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter, Keith explains why none of us can stop thinking about our high tech future. Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK-based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously the founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was t...
Against Marriage
February 22, 2024 21:40 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBIn episode 1968, Andrew talks to Peter McGraw, author of SOLO, about how remaining single offers the promise of a remarkable life. Dr. Peter McGraw is a bachelor, behavioral economist, and business school professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He hosts the podcast Solo-The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life, he writes for Single Insights – The Science of Solos, and hosts The Solo Salon. As a global expert on the scientific study of humor, he founded the Humor Research Lab ...
Why the Shadows of Socrates still haunt us today
February 21, 2024 17:11 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBIn episode 1967, Andrew talks to Matt Gatton, author of THE SHADOWS OF SOCRATES, about the heresy, war and treachery behind the trial of Socrates. Matt Gatton is a scholar based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a pioneer of the study of the ritual and aesthetic uses of physical light in prehistory and classical antiquity. Gatton’s groundbreaking work on optical distortions at Lascaux was published in the Journal of Applied Mathematics; and his work on the ritual use of optics at the influent...
The forced erasure of gays from 20th century American life
February 20, 2024 22:54 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBIn episode 1966, Andrew talks to the Atlantic contributing writer Jonathan Rauch on why the U.S. government should apologize to gay people for its crime of erasing gays from public life. Jonathan Rauch is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commen...
The Biggest Liberal Loser or an Iconic Progressive?
February 19, 2024 23:22 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBIn episode 1965, Andrew talks to James Traub, author of TRUE BELIEVER, about Hubert Humphrey's quest for a more just 20th century America. James Traub is a journalist and scholar specializing in international affairs. He is a columnist and contributor to the website foreignpolicy.com. He worked as a staff writer for The New Yorker from 1993 to 1998 and as a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine from 1998 to 2011. He has also written extensively about national politics, urban af...
In defense of geeky intellectuals
February 18, 2024 18:30 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBIn episode 1964, Andrew talks to Marshall Poe, founder of theNew Books Network, about why there's no such as intellectual objectivity but why we are going to miss it when it's gone. Marshall Poe is former history professor, writer and editor at The Atlantic, and the founder and editor of the New Books Network, the internet’s oldest and most prolific podcast network. He is the author of "The Reality of the My Lai Massacre and the Myth of the Vietnam War," (Cambria Press, 2023) and many other...
Why do we seem to have so little free time?
February 17, 2024 23:16 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBIn episode 1963, Andrew talks to Gary S. Cross, author of FREE TIME, about the history of the elusive ideal of leisure time. Gary S. Cross is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Modern History in the Department of History at Pennsylvania State University and author of Freak Show Legacies and Time and Money: The Making of Consumer Culture. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to ...
And the Oscar goes to.....
February 16, 2024 23:06 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBEPISODE 1962: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter, Keith explains how A.I. is about to revolutionize not just Hollywood but also the art (and science) of making movies. Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Lt...
Unpacking the Facebook tragedy
February 16, 2024 20:29 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBIn episode 1961, Andrew talks to David Kirkpatrick, author of THE FACEBOOK EFFECT, about Facebook's unique economic profitability and equally historic moral unprofitability. David Kirkpatrick is a journalist, commentator about technology, and author of the bestselling book “The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World,” published in 32 countries. He spent 25 years at Fortune, and founded and hosted its Brainstorm and Brainstorm Tech conferences. He was ...
Will Putin ever die?
February 15, 2024 23:44 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBn episode 1960, Andrew talks to Paul Starobin, author of PUTIN'S EXILES, about the Russians fighting to build a better country. Journalist and author Paul Starobin is a former contributing editor of The Atlantic and a former Moscow bureau chief of Business Week. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. His latest book, Putin’s Exiles: Their Fight for a Better Russia (Columbia Global Reports) will be published in January...
Should Americans pursue virtue or happiness?
February 14, 2024 23:30 - 38 minutes - 35 MBIn episode 1959, Andrew talks to Jeffrey Rosen, author of THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, about how classical writers inspired the lives of the Founders and defined the ideals of the American Republic. Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor ...
A Case for Reparations
February 13, 2024 23:12 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBIn episode 1958 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to David Montero, the author of THE STOLEN WEALTH OF SLAVERY, who makes his case for reparations David Montero has documented the impact of corruption in South and South East Asia. Formerly a correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor and a regular producer for PBS’s flagship investigative series, FRONTLINE, his work has twice been honored with an Emmy Award nomination as well as the South Asian Journalist Association’s Daniel Pearl Award. Monte...
Exposing Hollywood's most notorious interwar celebrity spy
February 12, 2024 23:12 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBIn episode 1957 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Ronald Drabkin, author of BEVERLY HILLS SPY, about the First World War hero who helped Japan attack Pearl Harbor Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Ronald Drabkin is the author of Beverly Hills Spy and peer-reviewed articles on Japanese espionage. His obsession with espionage history started when he was as a child in Los Angeles, where he vaguely unders...
What chance peace in Israel?
February 11, 2024 23:26 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBIn Episode 1956 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Jason Pack, co-presenter of DISORDER podcast, about Netanyahu, Hamas, Biden and why he still have faith in the Israeli people to come to their senses Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Jason Pack is the Founder of Libya-Analysis LLC, and the co-host of Disorder, a geopolitics podcast co-produced with Goalhanger Podcasts. He is a Senior Analyst for Emerg...
How to write a #1 global bestseller
February 09, 2024 23:37 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBIn episode 1955 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Terry Hayes, author of THE YEAR OF THE LOCUST & I AM A PILGRIM, about why all epic stories are thrillers Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Terry Hayes is the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Pilgrim and The Year of the Locust and is the award-winning writer and producer of numerous movies. His credits include Payback, Road Warrior, and Dead Ca...
How Tucker Carlson's Putin interview captures today's "new, new media" revolution
February 09, 2024 21:19 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBEPISODE 1954: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter, Keith explains how Tucker Carlson's Putin interview captures the vitality of what he calls today’s "new, new media" revolution Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK-based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously the founder at the Palo...
Uncovering the world's mightiest (and tiniest) narco-state
February 09, 2024 01:02 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBEPISODE 1953: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Patrick Winn, author of NARCOTOPIA, about a south-east Asian nation the size of Belgium which controls the region's $60 billion meth trade. Patrick Winn is an award-winning investigative journalist. He mostly covers rebellion and black markets in Southeast Asia. Winn is the author of two narrative non-fiction books:Narcotopia: In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel that Survived the CIA (PublicAffairs / Icon Books) & Hello, Shadowlands: Inside...
in defense of cultural liberalism
February 07, 2024 23:05 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBEPISODE 1952: Andrew talks to Leon Wieseltier, editor of LIBERTIES QUARTERLY, about how to protect traditional liberal values against both right and left wing intolerance. Leon Wieseltier (born June 14, 1952) is an American critic and magazine editor. From 1983 to 2014, he was the literary editor of The New Republic. He was a contributing editor and critic at The Atlantic until 2017. In 2020, he became the editor of Liberties, a quarterly literary review. He is the author of the essay "Sava...
Do nations have psychologies and can they experience collective trauma?
February 07, 2024 18:06 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBEPISODE 1951: In this KEEN ON show, I talk to the Israeli author and clinical psychologist Ayelet Gundar-Goshen about the impact of October 7 on a people trained in both remembering and forgetting their own history. AYELET GUNDAR-GOSHEN was born in Israel in 1982. She is a practicing clinical psychologist, has been a news editor on Israel’s leading newspaper and has worked for the Israeli civil rights movement. “One Night, Markovitch”, her first novel, won the Sapir Prize for best debut. He...
After Rape
February 06, 2024 20:05 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBCeleste Marcus, Liberties Quarterly managing editor, is in the news today. In the Winter 2024 volume of Liberties, she wrote “After Rape: A Guide for the Tormented” - a piece about her own experience of a 2021 rape. And today, she revealed the identity of her rapist on X. “I will not be raped with impunity”, she wrote today to explain why she’s gone public with his identity. As it happens, I sat down with Marcus last week at the Liberties office in Washington DC to talk about “After Rape...
Born in Blood: Scott Gac explains why violence is the defining feature of American history
January 28, 2024 23:14 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBEPISODE 1949: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Scott Gac, author of BORN IN BLOOD, about why violence is the defining feature of American history Scott Gac is Director of American Studies and Associate Professor of American Studies and History at Trinity College and the author of Singing for Freedom: The Hutchinson Family Singers and the Nineteenth-Century Culture of Reform. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broa...
Can the American university survive the 21st century? Nicholas Dirks explains why American universities need to reinvent themselves in our winner-take-all age of social media and AI
January 28, 2024 21:33 - 41 minutes - 46.9 MBEPISODE 1948: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Nicholas B. Dirks, author of CITY OF INTELLECT, about why American universities need to reinvent themselves in our disruptive age of social media and AI NICHOLAS B. DIRKS is an internationally recognized historian and anthropologist, and an important leader in higher education. Well-known for his commitment to and advocacy for accessible, high-quality undergraduate education, to the globalization of the university, and to interdisciplinary...
How to Win the Global Battle to Power our Lives? Ernest Scheyder on the new economic war between China and the West to control critical minerals like lithium, copper and cobalt
January 27, 2024 23:24 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBEPISODE 1947: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Ernest Scheyder, author of THE WAR BELOW, about the new economic war between China and the West to control critical minerals like lithium, copper and cobalt Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent for Reuters covering the clean energy transition and critical minerals, as well as the author of the forthcoming book "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power our Lives." Early reviewers are calling it an “illuminating” a...
Why Scientific Truth Might Be Infinitely Weirder Than Scientific Fiction: Mike Chen on "A Quantum Love Story"
January 27, 2024 21:06 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBEPISODE 1946: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Mike Chen, author of A QUANTUM LOVE STORY, about why scientific truth might be infinitely weirder than science fiction Mike Chen is a critically acclaimed science fiction author based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. His debut novel HERE AND NOW AND THEN was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice, CALIBA Golden Poppy, and Compton Crook awards. His other novels include A BEGINNING AT THE END, WE COULD BE HEROES, LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME, and ST...
Should Elon Musk have publicly visited Auschwitz? Keith Teare on Musk, X, Instagram and the breakdown of civility in our social media age
January 26, 2024 21:08 - 49 minutes - 34.1 MBEPISODE 1945: In our weekly KEEN ON wrap of tech news with Keith Teare, author of the THAT WAS THE WEEK newletter, Keith defends Elon Musk's decision to go to Auschwitz and bemoans the breakdown of civility in our social media age Keith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK-based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously the founder at the Palo Alto in...
Why today's internet is simultaneously autocratic and plutocratic: Ehud Shapiro on the egalitarian architecture necessary to build genuine digital democracy
January 26, 2024 01:29 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBEPISODE 1944: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Ehud Shapiro, a computer scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, about the egalitarian architecture necessary to build genuine digital democracy Ehud Shapiro is a multi-disciplinary scientist, artist, entrepreneur and a Professor of Computer Science and Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. With international reputation, he made fundamental contributions to many scientific disciplines. Ehud was also an Internet pioneer, a ...
Why Writing a Book is an Act of Free Will: Kevin Mitchell on free agency and how evolution gave us free will
January 25, 2024 21:29 - 32 minutes - 37.3 MBEPISODE 1943: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Kevin J. Mitchell, author of FREE AGENTS, about how evolution gave us free will Mitchell is a neurogeneticist interested in the relationships between genes, brains, and minds. He is a faculty member at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, in the departments of Genetics and Neuroscience. He writes the Wiring the Brain blog (www.wiringthebrain.com) and is on Twitter @WiringtheBrain He received an AM and a PhD in economics from Harvard University...
Why Does Everything Need To Be About Race? Keith Boykin on Claudine Gay, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and why the real function of racism is distraction
January 25, 2024 16:04 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBEPISODE 1942: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Keith Boykin, author of WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE ABOUT RACE, about Claudine Gay, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and why the real function of racism is distraction Keith Boykin is a TV and film producer, national political commentator, New York Times best-selling author, and a former White House aide to President Bill Clinton. His latest books are Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America (2021) and Quitting: Why I Left My Job t...
Suburbia and American Disillusionment: Benjamin Herold on the unravelling of both America's suburbs and the American dream
January 25, 2024 15:57 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBEPISODE 1941: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Benjamin Herold, author of DISILLUSIONED, about the unravelling of both America's suburbs and the American dream Benjamin Herold explores America's beautiful and busted public education system. His award-winning beat reporting, feature writing, and investigative exposés have appeared in Education Week, PBS NewsHour, NPR, the Hechinger Report, Huffington Post, and the Public School Notebook. Herold has a master's degree in urban education f...
The War for Israel's Soul: Bernard Avishai on the age old battle in Israel between globalists and messianic Zionists
January 23, 2024 18:29 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBEPISODE 1940: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bernard Avishai, author of the Harper's story "Israel's War Within", about the age old battle in Israel between globalists and messianic Zionists Bernard Avishai: Bernard Avishai is the author of The Tragedy of Zionism and The Hebrew Republic, among other books. He teaches at Dartmouth College and splits his time between New Hampshire and Jerusalem. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the wo...
A Winston Churchill for our TikTok age? Simon Shuster on Volodymyr Zelensky, the workaholic improv politician who needs to be loved by his Ukrainian people
January 18, 2024 15:18 - 37 minutes - 43.4 MBEPISODE 1939: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Simon Shuster, author of THE SHOWMAN, about Volodymyr Zelensky, a workaholic improv politician who needs to be loved by his Ukrainian people Simon Shuster has reported from Russia and Ukraine for 17 years, most of that time as a staff writer for Time Magazine. His coverage of the war began in 2014, when he was the first foreign journalist to arrive in Crimea as Russian troops took over the peninsula. In 2019, he met and interviewed Volodym...
A venture capitalist imagines a world after capital: Albert Wenger on work, leisure and the environment in the AI age
January 18, 2024 14:46 - 21 minutes - 24.3 MBEPISODE 1938: In this special KEEN ON show from DLD in Munich, Andrew talks Union Square Ventures partner, Albert Wenger, about work, leisure and the environment in our smart machine age Albert Wenger is a managing partner at Union Square Ventures. Before joining USV, Albert was the president of del.icio.us through the company’s sale to Yahoo and an angel investor (Etsy, Tumblr). He previously founded or co-founded several companies, including a management consulting firm and an early host...
In Trouble With Gender: Alex Byrne explores slippery sex facts and factual gender fictions
January 18, 2024 06:22 - 42 minutes - 29 MBEPISODE 1937: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Alex Byrne, author of TROUBLE WITH GENDER, about slippery sex facts and factual gender fictions Alex Byrne teaches in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (In the philosophy half of the department.) His main interests are philosophy of mind (especially perception), metaphysics (especially color) and epistemology (especially self-knowledge). A few years ago he started working on philoso...
Can AI produce genuine culture? Martin Puchner on the future of artistic creativity in the age of the smart machine
January 18, 2024 05:38 - 28 minutes - 32.8 MBEPISODE 1936: In this special KEEN ON show from DLD in Munich, Andrew talks to Martin Puchner, author of CULTURE: THE STORY OF US, FROM CAVE ART TO K-POP, about on the future of artistic creativity in the age of the smart machine Martin Puchner, the Byron and Anita Wien Professor at Harvard University, is a prize-winning author, educator, public speaker, and institution builder in the arts and humanities. His writings range from philosophy and theater to culture and technology and have bee...
Radically reinventing America in upstate New York: Susan Danzinger on how to effectively put philosophy into action
January 17, 2024 23:49 - 23 minutes - 27.4 MBEPISODE 1935: In this special KEEN ON show from DLD in Munich, Andrew talks to Susan Danzinger about she is putting radical philosophical ideas into practice in upstate New York Susan Danziger is an investor and entrepreneur, founding a venture capital firm along with several social and environmental impact organizations including Wally Farms—a living research project dedicated to finding a food system that is better for the planet, the economy and the consumer. With their eyes set on the f...
Why Generative AI represents an existential threat to the creative community: Ed Newton-Rex warns about the dire consequences of generative AI companies "scraping" data without acknowledging its creators
January 17, 2024 21:17 - 27 minutes - 31.3 MBEPISODE 1934: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the founder & CEO of Fairly Trained, about the dire consequences of generative AI companies "scraping" data without acknowledging its creators Ed Newton-Rex work sat the intersection of generative AI and music creation. He founded Jukedeck, an AI music generation company that provided music for video, TV, radio, podcasts and games. In 2019, Jukedeck was acquired by ByteDance, where he ran the European AI Lab and later led Product in Europ...
The Cult of the Algorithm: Hilary Mason peers behind the hidden door of AI, gaming and storytelling
January 17, 2024 19:14 - 24 minutes - 27.7 MBEPISODE 1933: In this special KEEN ON show recorded at the DLD conference in Munich, Andrew talks to the Founder & CEO of Hidden Door, Hilary Mason, who peers behind the hidden door of AI, Gaming and Storytelling Hilary Mason is the Founder & CEO of Fast Forward Labs, a machine intelligence research company, and the Data Scientist in Residence at Accel Partners. She co-founded HackNY, and she is a member of NYC Resistor. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew K...
What killed capitalism? Yanis Varoufakis' murder mystery about the death of capitalism and our descent into "techno feudalism"
January 17, 2024 17:27 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBEPISODE 1932: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Yanis Varoufakis, author of TECHNO FEUDALISM, about the death of capitalism ad its replacement with a "cloudalist" totalitarianism Yanis Varoufakis is the former finance minister of Greece and the author of several international bestselling books. And the Weak Suffer What They Must?: Europe, Austerity and the Threat to Global Stability reveals the underlying problems that led to the Eurozone crisis and its ongoing catastrophic mishandling....
Yes, there is an alternative to free market capitalism (and, no, it's not socialism): Nick Romeo on how to build a just economy
January 17, 2024 06:13 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBEPISODE 1931: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Nick Romeo, author of THE ALTERNATIVE, about how to build a just economy Nick Romeo is a journalist, critic, and essayist. His new book, The Alternative: How to Build a Just Economy (forthcoming January 2024 from PublicAffairs and Basic Books), uses extensive original reporting to provide a road map for a sustainable and survivable twenty-first-century economy. He has spent years covering policy and ideas for The New Yorker magazine, where...
Don't Trust Us: Frank Vogl exposes the marketing scammers behind the increasingly mainstream success of cryptocurrency
January 16, 2024 21:50 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBEPISODE 1930: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Frank Vogl, author of THE ENABLERS, about the marketing scammers behind the increasingly mainstream success of cryptocurrency Frank Vogel is the co-founder of two leading international non-governmental organizations fighting corruption -- Transparency International and the Partnership for Transparency Fund (Frank is the Chair of the PTF Board). He teaches at Georgetown University, writes regular "blog" articles on corruption for theGloba...
Why there might be a ghost in all our smart machines: Kenneth Cukier on AI, spirituality and a new humanism in our digital age
January 16, 2024 21:13 - 41 minutes - 48 MBEPISODE 1929: In this DLD special recorded in Munich, Andrew talks to Kenneth Cukier, co-author of BIG DATA, about AI, spirituality and the new humanism in our digital age Kenneth Cukier is the Deputy Executive Editor at The Economist in London and cohost of its weekly tech podcast Babbage. He is coauthor of the award-winning book “Big Data" with Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, a NYT Bestseller translated into over 20 languages. He is a regular commentator on BBC, CNN, and NPR, and a popular keyn...
Unlocking and decrypting 2024: Azeem Azhar on AI's impact on politics, economics and society in the coming year
January 16, 2024 17:59 - 26 minutes - 30 MBEPISODE 1928 : In this special DLD edition, Andrew talks to Azeem Azhar, author of the popular Substack newsletter EXPONENTIAL VIEW, about AI's impact on politics, economics and society in 2024 Azeem Azhar is the creator of Exponential View (www.exponentialview.co), one of the world's leading platforms for understanding the impact of technology on society. His weekly newsletter is read by 200,000 people from around the world, and his chart-topping podcast has featured guests including Yuval...
The Wicked Art of the Gothic Thriller: Abbott Kahler on writing unnerving literature about unnerving times
January 16, 2024 05:35 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBEPISODE 1927: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Abbot Kahler, author of WHERE YOU END, about writing unnerving literature for unnerving times Abbott Kahler (formerly Karen Abbott) is the author of four New York Times bestselling works of narrative nonfiction. A search for an ancestor who went missing in 1905 led her to write Sin in the Second City, which tells the true story of two sisters who ran the world’s most famous brothel and the nationwide battle to shut them down. Her interest ...
10 must read books for 2024: Bethanne Patrick on intriguing fiction and non-fiction to read in the new year
January 15, 2024 23:31 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBEPISODE 1926: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the LA Times book critic, Bethanne Patrick, about her 10 must read books for 2024 Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and Literary Hub. She sit...
Is the current AI boom just another Silicon Valley bubble? John Thornhill separates the truth from the fiction of today's AI hysteria
January 15, 2024 23:18 - 32 minutes - 37 MBEpisode 1925: In this special DLD edition of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to John Thornhill, innovation editor at the Financial Times, who distinguishes the truth from the fiction of today's AI hysteria John Thornhill is the Innovation Editor at the Financial Times writing a weekly column on the impact of technology. He is also the founder and editorial director of Sifted, the FT-backed site for European startups, and founder of FT Forums, which hosts monthly meetings for senior executives. John w...
Confessions of a Disillusioned Social Scientist: Brian Klaas on why we are all random accidents of chance and chaos
January 15, 2024 17:13 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBEPISODE 1924: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Brian Klaas, author of FLUKE, about why we are all accidents of the most arbitrary chance and chaos Dr. Brian Klaas is an Associate Professor in Global Politics at University College London and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is also the author of the book Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us and host of the Power Corrupts podcast. Dr. Klaas is an expert on democracy, authoritarianism, US foreign policy, American p...
How foreign lobbyists in America threaten democracy around the world: Casey Michel on the dirty overseas money sloshing around both sides of American politics
January 09, 2024 20:15 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBEPISODE 1923: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Casey Michel, author of the upcoming FOREIGN AGENTS, about the dirty overseas money sloshing around both sides of American politics Casey Michel is an author, journalist, and director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program with the Human Rights Foundation. He is the author of American Kleptocracy, named by The Economist as one of the "best books to read to understand financial crime." His writing on offshoring, foreign lobbying, authoritaria...