Synopsis
Join Andrew Keen as he travels around the globe investigating the contemporary crisis of democracy. Hear from the world’s most informed citizens about the rise of populism, authoritarian and illiberal democracy. In this first season, listen to Keen’s commentary on and solutions to this crisis of democracy. Stay tuned for season two.
Episodes
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Iron Man, Ant-Man and our relentless thirst for parasocial super heroes: Joana Robinson and Gavin Edwards on the reign of Marvel Studios
07/10/2023 Duration: 47minEPISODE 1766: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Joanna Robinson and Gavin Edwards, co-authors of MCU: THE REIGN OF MARVEL STUDIOS, Iron Man, Ant-Man and our seemingly relentless thirst for parasocial super heroesJoanna Robinson is a writer and podcaster at the Ringer. Previously, she worked at Vanity Fair. She lives in Oakland, California.Gavin Edwards is the best-selling author of The Tao of Bill Murray and twelve other books. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a pub
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The Right Female Stuff: Loren Grush on the story of America's first six female astronauts
07/10/2023 Duration: 30minEPISODE 1765: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Koren Grush, author of THE SIX, about the story of the America's first women astronautsLoren Grush is a reporter for Bloomberg News specializing in all things space. Previously, she was a senior science reporter for the technology news website The Verge and hosted the online show Space Craft, which took her across the country to explore what it takes to train for space. The daughter of two NASA engineers, Grush grew up surrounded by astronauts and Space Shuttles. She has also been published in The New York Times, Popular Science, and Nautilus magazine, and has appeared on several TV networks as an expert commentator. You can find her at LorenGrush.com.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT
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Should environmentalists be utopian? Dickson Despommier imagines the perfect 21st century city
07/10/2023 Duration: 40minEPISODE 1764: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Dickson Despommier, author of THE NEW CITY, about the perfect environmental city of the futureDickson Despommier is author of THE NEW CITY: How to Build our Sustainable Urban Future (2023)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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
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From Suicide Notes to Every Star That Falls: Michael Thomas Ford on 15 years that changed the world of teen mental health and sexual identity
06/10/2023 Duration: 34minEPISODE 1763: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Michael Thomas Ford, the author of SUICIDE NOTES and EVERY STAR THAT FALLS, about 15 years that changed the world of teen mental health and sexual identityMichael Thomas Ford is the author of numerous books, including LILY, SUICIDE NOTES, JANE BITES BACK, WHAT WE REMEMBER, and LOVE & OTHER CURSES. Under the name Isobel Bird, he wrote the 15-book CIRCLE OF THREE series. He has been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker Awards, and has won 5 Lambda Literary Awards. Mike lives in rural Ohio with his partner and two rescue dogs. Things he likes include Tarot cards, scuba diving, coffee, making a mess in the kitchen, Eurovision, creepy clown films, Christmas ornaments, 80's pop music, Doctor Who, and tattoos. He does not like to shave.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To
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Artificial Intelligence or Bust: Keith Teare on why AI might be the most important development in tech since the invention of the internet
06/10/2023 Duration: 32minEPISODE 1762: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Keith acknowledges that AI might be the most important development in tech since the invention of the internetKeith 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 founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon valley startups including InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.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 presenting KEEN ON, he
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Evil colonizers, brave explorers or clueless white men? Peter Slen on the geographical and literary exploits of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
06/10/2023 Duration: 29minIn episode 1761 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Peter Slen, executive producer of the CSPAN series "Books That Shaped America", about the physical and literary exploits of Meriwether Lewis and William ClarkPeter Slen is the senior executive producer and a host at C-SPAN, a television and radio network known for its unbiased coverage of government proceedings.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.subs
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The real McElroy: Isle McElroy on what it means to be a non-binary writer and how it might feel like to be born into the wrong body
06/10/2023 Duration: 28minIn episode 1760 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Isle McElroy, author of PEOPLE COLLIDE, about what it means to be a non-binary writer and how it might feel like to be born into the wrong body.Isle McElroy is a non-binary writer based in Brooklyn. Their debut novel, The Atmospherians, was named a New York Times Editors' Choice. Their second novel, People Collide, will be published in September. Other writing appears in The New York Times, New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The Cut, Vulture, GQ, Vogue, The Atlantic, Tin House, and elsewhere. Isle was named one of The Strand's 30 Writers to Watch. They have received fellowships from The Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, The Tin House Summer Workshop, The Sewanee Writers Conference, The Inprint Foundation, The Elizabeth George Foundation, and The National Parks Service.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long
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The Taylor Swift or Lady Di of the early 20th Century: Shelley Fraser Mickle on Alice Roosevelt, the White House wild child
06/10/2023 Duration: 37minIn episode 1759 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Shelley Fraser Mickle, author of WHITE HOUSE WILD CHILD, about Alice Roosevelt, the Taylor Swift or Lady Di of the early 20th Century.Shelley Fraser Mickle is an award-winning author who has published over a dozen books, which, along with her commitment to literacy and the power of story, led to her being nominated to the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014. Her books have been New York Times Notables, Library Journal’s Best Adult Books and her nonfiction book, Barbaro: America’s Horse (2007) won a Bank Street Award. She lives on her ranch in Gainesville, Florida.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andre
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The Repressive Power of Artificial Intelligence: Kian Vesteinsson on the crisis of freedom on the internet in 2023
05/10/2023 Duration: 38minIn episode 1758 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Kian Vesteinsson, co-author of FREEDOM ON THE NET 2023, about the repressive power of artificial intelligence Kian Vesteinssen is Senior Research Analyst for Technology and Democracy at Freedom House. He project manages and covers Asia for Freedom on the Net, Freedom House’s annual assessment of internet freedom, and previously covered sub-Saharan Africa and western Europe for the publication. Before joining Freedom House, Kian was Senior Law and Tech Policy Officer at Human Rights Watch, where he staffed the office of the General Counsel and contributed to research and advocacy on human rights and technology around the world, focusing on surveillance in the United States. Previously, he worked on digital privacy, police technology, and national security surveillance at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Kian holds a B.A. in Politics and Religious Studies from Pomona College.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen
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All the American demons are there: Jake Tapper on how returning to the late 1970's can help us understand the America of the early 2020's
05/10/2023 Duration: 23minIn episode 1757 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Jake Tapper, author of ALL THE DEMONS ARE HERE, about how returning to the late 1970's can help us understand the America of the early 2020'sJake Tapper is the chief DC anchor and chief Washington correspondent for CNN; he hosts the weekday show The Lead with Jake Tapper and cohosts the Sunday public-affairs show State of the Union. A Dartmouth graduate and Philly native, he lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, daughter, and son. His first novel, THE HELLFIRE CLUB was a New York Times bestseller, debuting at #3 and staying on the list for 4 weeks, and its follow-up, THE DEVIL MAY DANCE, was a national bestseller that has sold nearly 40,000 hardcover copies to-date. Tapper's previous book, The Outpost, a nonfiction account of untold heroism in Afghanistan, was a New York Times bestseller in 2012.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 presenting KEEN ON
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Modern Britain and all that caper: Jonathan Coe on British chocolate, the Royal Family and its decision to marry the wrong Super Power
05/10/2023 Duration: 44minIn episode 1756 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Jonathan Coe, author of BOURNVILLE, about British chocolate, the Royal Family and the country's decision to marry the wrong Super Power.Jonathan Coe was born a few miles from Bournville in 1961. The author of political satires such as What a Carve Up! and Number 11, and family sagas such as The Rotters' Club and The Rain Before It Falls, his novels have won prizes at home and abroad, including Costa Novel of the Year and the Prix du Livre Européen (both for Middle England).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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Disc
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An Old Story Told Differently: Bethanne Patrick on 8 books reimagining the experience of first generation immigrants
04/10/2023 Duration: 30minIn episode 1755 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to LA Times book critic Bethanne Patrick about 8 books reimagining the experience of first generation immigrantsBethanne 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 sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERN
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Against the Romance of Transformation: Leon Weiseltier on America's love affair with the promise of personal and social change
03/10/2023 Duration: 54minIn EPISODE OF 1748 of KEEN ON, Andrew talks to Leon Wieseltier, editor of LIBERTIES, about America's love affair with personal and social changeLeon Wieseltier 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.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribe
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Normalizing China: Gilles Guiheux on China's very ordinary history between 1949 and today
03/10/2023 Duration: 40minIn episode 1747 of the KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Gilles Guiheux, author of CONTEMPORARY CHINA: 1949 TO THE PRESENT, about what he sees as Communist China's very normal historyGilles Guiheux is a professor at Université de Paris, a researcher at CESSMA, and a senior member of the IUF. His work lies at the intersection of history and sociology. He has focused on the conditions for the emergence of the private sector in Taiwan and in mainland China, and on the construction of the social figures of the entrepreneur and the consumer. He is developing a program on garment-industry workers. He recently published La République populaire de Chine (Les Belles Lettres, 2018).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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, TH
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Against Green Capitalism: Charles Derber on how big money fuels extinction and what we can do about it
03/10/2023 Duration: 45minIn this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Charles Derber, co-author of DYING FOR CAPITALISM, about how big money fuels extinction and what we can do about itCharles Derber is Professor of Sociology at Boston College and has written 26 books - on politics, democracy, fascism, corporations, capitalism, climate change, war, the culture wars, culture and conversation, and social change. His bestselling books include The Pursuit of Attention and the Wilding of America. He writes for and has been reviewed in the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Truthout, and other leading media. His books are translated into 14 languages including Chinese, Korean, Tamil, German, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and Polish- and he is a bestseller in South Korea, done extended book tours in German bookstores and blues coffee houses, and has lectured in Italy in June for seven years. Derber is a public intellectual - shortlisted in 2006 by the American Independent Booksellers Association for Hidden Power, the best boo
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No, Men aren't Angels: Peter Slen on why the Federalist Papers is one of the ten books that has most shaped America
02/10/2023 Duration: 28minEPISODE 1745: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Peter Slen, the host of the C-SPAN show, BOOKS THAT SHAPED AMERICA, about THE FEDERALIST PAPERSPeter Slen is the senior executive producer and a host at C-SPAN, a television and radio network known for its unbiased coverage of government proceedings.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
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Dumb devices, dumb bureaucrats and dumb entrepreneurs: Keith Teare on FTC chair Lina Khan, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and why the iPhone is on the brink of becoming radically more intelligent
27/09/2023 Duration: 33minEPISODE 1750: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Keith explains what FTC chair Lina Khan and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried have in common, and why the "passive" iPhone is on the brink of becoming one of the smartest vehicles of the AI revolutionKeith 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 founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011 has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon valley startups including InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the w
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Why Disorder may be the New Order: Jason Pack on how the global system itself has gone rogue and no longer conforms with the textbooks
27/09/2023 Duration: 30minEPISODE 1749: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks with Jason Pack, co-host of the DISORDER podcast, on how the international system has gone rogue and no longer conforms with the traditional textbooks 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 Emerging Challenges at the NATO Defence College Foundation in Rome. In partnership with NDCF, Jason leads a project entitled NATO and the Global Enduring Disorder, which produces a range of content (including the Disorder podcast and series of publications) attempting to sketch out a ‘unified field theory’ of our current era of geopolitics while proposing actionable solutions to our most pressing collective action challenges. 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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy
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Why Artificial Intelligence will make us smarter: W. Russell Neuman presents AI as a progressive moment in human evolution
26/09/2023 Duration: 30minEPISODE 1748: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to W. Russell Neuman, author of EVOLUTIONARY INTELLIGENCE, about why he sees AI as a progressive moment in human evolutionW. Russell Neuman is Professor of Media Technology at New York University. A founding faculty of the MIT Media Laboratory, he served as Senior Policy Analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. His recent books include The Digital Difference: Media Technology and the Theory of Communication Effects.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown
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An Afterword to Words Themselves? Bethanne Patrick on six speculative novels which imagine a world saturated by AI
25/09/2023 Duration: 36minEPISODE 1747: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bethanne Patrick, book critic at the LA Times, about six speculative novels which imagine a world saturated by AIBethanne 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 sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.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 presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO