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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Why Food Stamps Work: Christopher Bosso's political history - and defense - of SNAP
11/10/2023 Duration: 31minEPISODE 1779: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Christopher Bosso, author of WHY SNAP WORKS, about a history, and defense, of the US Food Stamp programChristopher Bosso is Professor of Public Policy and Politics in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University, Boston. His current areas of research and teaching interest are in food and environmental policy. His newest books are Framing the Farm Bill: Interests, Ideology, and the Agricultural Act of 2014 (University of Kansas Press, 2017) and, as editor, Feeding Cities: Improving Local Food Access, Sustainability, and Resilience (Routledge, 2017). His 2005 book, Environment, Inc.: From Grassroots to Beltway, received the 2006 Caldwell Award for best book in environmental policy and politics from the American Political Science Association.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
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Saving Bill Clinton's life and other tales from the operating theater: Craig R. Smith on his life as one of America's most celebrated heart surgeons
11/10/2023 Duration: 33minEPISODE 1778: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Craig R. Smith M.D., author of NOBILITY IN SMALL THINGS, about his life as one of America's most celebrated heart surgeonsAs a surgeon at Columbia University and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Craig R. Smith has been no stranger to pressure—fromperforming President Bill Clinton’s quadruple bypass, to openly massaging patients’ hearts. But when the COVID pandemic shut down non-emergency operations at New York City hospitals, Dr. Smith was presented with a different purpose. He began writing daily email updates from the front lines of the pandemic battle. The updates—designed to inform and reassure—became a balm to his colleagues, and when theWall Street Journal published them in April 2020, they were immediately recognized as essential dispatches from “the pandemic’s most powerful writer.” Dr. Smith has now written a deeply thoughtful new memoir, NOBILITY IN SMALL THINGS: A Surgeon’s Path (St. Martin’s Press; on-sale October 10, 2023), sharing what g
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A New Deal to Save the Earth: John J. Berger outlines the three dimensions to solving the world's climate crisis
11/10/2023 Duration: 44minEPISODE 1777: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to John J. Berger, author of SOLVING THE CLIMATE CRISIS, about the three essential dimensions to saving the earthJOHN J. BERGER Ph.D. is an environmental science and policy specialist, prize-winning author, and journalist. A graduate of Stanford and the University of California, he has written and edited 11 books, including three previous books on climate change, and written over 100 articles on climate change and transitioning to clean energy. His journalism has appeared in Scientific American, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and others. He has been a consultant to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, corporations, utilities, and the U.S. Congress, as well as a newspaperman, editor, and a professor at the University of Maryland. John co-founded the Nuclear Information and Resource Service to assist citizen safe-energy groups and founded Restoring the Earth, to bring environmental restoration to national attention. He lives in El C
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The Emotional Life of Populism in Israel: Eva Illouz on Netanyahu, Hamas and what the left has lost by not embracing the fear, disgust, resentment and love that determine democratic politics
11/10/2023 Duration: 35minEPISODE 1776: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Eva Illouz, author of THE EMOTIONAL LIFE OF POPULISM, about the fear, disgust, resentment and love determining politics in Israel and around the worldEva Illouz is professor of sociology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Her books include Why Love Hurts: A Sociological Explanation, Cold Intimacies: The Making of Emotional Capitalism, Consuming the Romantic Utopia: Love and the Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism, Saving the Modern Soul: Therapy, Emotions, and the Culture of Self-Help, among others.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 Knig
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The October weekend that changed the Middle East forever: Uri Kaufman compares the Yom Kippur war of October 1973 with the Simchat Torah war of October 2023
11/10/2023 Duration: 39minEPISODE 1775: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Uri Kaufman, author of EIGHTEEN DAYS IN OCTOBER, about the 2023 October weekend that changed the Middle East foreverA graduate of New York University School of Law, Uri Kaufman is an award-winning real estate developer, specializing in adaptively restoring historic buildings. He has worked on his 2023 book, EIGHTEEN DAYS IN OCTOBER: THE YOM KIPPUR WAR AND HOW IT CREATED THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST for over twenty years, visiting the battlefields, speaking to participants and reviewing literally thousands of pages of material. He lives with his family in Lawrence, New York.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
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Tripping into our brave new psychedelic world: Andy Mitchell on his odyssey into the new reality of psychedelics
10/10/2023 Duration: 34minEPISODE 1774: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Andy Mitchell, author of TEN TRIPS, about his odyssey into the new reality of psychedelics Andy Mitchell is a neuropsychologist and therapist. He has specialised in treating patients with rare brain conditions, head injuries and epilepsy, and in the application of mindfulness for neurological patients. As a therapist he has worked with people with a range of mental health disorders. Before entering medicine, his first degree was in English Literature at Oxford University. He is originally from Leeds.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, G
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The Blood Years, then and now: Elana K. Arnold on book banning, book burning and what we can learn from Second World War books about good and evil
10/10/2023 Duration: 30minEPISODE 1773: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Elana K. Arnold, author of THE BLOOD YEARS, about book banning, book burning and what we can learn from Second World War books about good and evilELANA K. ARNOLD is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children’s books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets. 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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Disorder, Disorder, Disorder: Jason Pack and Alexandra Hall Hall order our disordered world
10/10/2023 Duration: 13minIn this special guest episode, Andrew hands the KEEN ON mic to Jason Pack and Alexandra Hall Hall, co-hosts of the DISORDER podcast. For more about the DISORDER show: https://linktr.ee/disorderpod?lt_utm_source=lt_share_link#331393001 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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Is peace there for the taking? Jason Pack on Israel, Gaza, the Middle East and beyond
09/10/2023 Duration: 38minEPISODE 1772: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Jason Pack, co-host of the DISORDER podcast, about the disorder in Israel, Gaza, the Middle East and globallyJason Pack is the Founder ofLibya-Analysis LLC, and the co-host ofDisorder, a geopolitics podcast co-produced with Goalhanger Podcasts. He is a Senior Analyst for Emerging Challenges at theNATO Defence College Foundation in Rome. In partnership with NDCF, Jason leads a project entitledNATO 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 show. He is also the author of four prescien
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The All American B***h: Evelyn McDonnell on Joan Didion's artistic sensibility and moral clarity
09/10/2023 Duration: 35minEPISODE 1771: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Evelyn McDonnell, author of THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN DIDION, about Didion's artistic sensibility and moral clarityEvelyn McDonnell is a professor of journalism at Loyola Marymount University. She has been writing about popular culture and society for more than 20 years. She is the author of five books: The World According to Joan Didion (published by Harper One September 26, 2023), Queens of Noise: The Real Story of the Runaways, Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids and Rock 'n' Roll, Army of She: Icelandic, Iconoclastic, Irrepressible Bjork and Rent by Jonathan Larson. She coedited the anthologies Rock She Wrote: Women Write About Rock, Pop and Rap; Stars Don't Stand Still in the Sky: Music and Myth; and Women Who Rock: Bessie to Beyoncé. Girl Groups to Riot Grrrl. She also edited the Music Matters series published by the University of Texas Press. She has been the editorial director of www.MOLI.com, pop culture writer at The Miami Herald, senior editor at Th
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Why politics needs to be relegated to its proper place: Alexandra Hudson offers timeless principles on how to heal society and ourselves
09/10/2023 Duration: 38minEPISODE 1770: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Alexandra Hudson, author of THE SOUL OF CIVILITY, about timeless principles to heal society and ourselvesALEXANDRA HUDSON is a writer, popular speaker, and the founder of Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to beauty, goodness and truth. She was named the 2020 Novak Journalism Fellow, and contributes to Fox News, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, TIME Magazine, POLITICO Magazine, and Newsweek. She earned a master's degree in public policy at the London School of Economics as a Rotary Scholar, and is an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy. She is also the creator of a series for The Teaching Company called Storytelling and The Human Condition, now available for streaming. She lives in Indianapolis, IN with her husband and children.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
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Claudia Goldin, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize for Economics, on women's journey to close the gender gap
09/10/2023 Duration: 52minEPISODE 1769: In this repeat of a KEEN ON show from December 2021, Andrew talks to Claudia Goldin, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize for Economics, about women's journey to close the gender gapClaudia Goldin is the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and was the director of the NBER’s Development of the American Economy program from 1989 to 2017. She is a co-director of the NBER's Gender in the Economy group. An economic historian and a labor economist, Goldin's research covers a wide range of topics, including the female labor force, the gender gap in earnings, income inequality, technological change, education, and immigration. Most of her research interprets the present through the lens of the past and explores the origins of current issues of concern. Her most recent book is Career & Family: Women's Century-Long Journey toward Equity (Princeton University Press, 2021).. She is the author and editor of several books, among them Understanding the Gender Gap: An Economic History of Americ
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The Myth of Progress: Erik J. Larson on Silicon Valley's failure to change anything of any significance since the Fifties
08/10/2023 Duration: 42minEPISODE 1768: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Erik J. Larson, author of THE MYTH OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, about Silicon Valley's failure to change anything since the 1950sErik J. Larson is a computer scientist and tech entrepreneur. The founder of two DARPA-funded AI startups, he is currently working on core issues in natural language processing and machine learning. He has written for The Atlantic and for professional journals and has tested the technical boundaries of artificial intelligence through his work with the IC2 tech incubator at the University of Texas at Austin. Follow Erik on Substack: https://substack.com/@erikjlarsonNamed 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
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My Bath with Hitler: Kenneth Rendell on safeguarding history at a time when fakers are much smarter and more creative than their victims
08/10/2023 Duration: 38minEPISODE 1768: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Kenneth W. Rendell, author of SAFEGUARDING HISTORY, about protecting the truth at a time when fakers are much smarter and more creative than their victimsKenneth W. Rendell has written nine books, co-authored two, and written the Foreword and collaborated on an additional three, for a total of fourteen books. All have to do with different aspects of collecting. Many are standard works in the field; for example, Forging History: The Detection of Fake Letters and Documents, and History Comes to Life. Others relate to areas of special collecting interest to him: the American West and World War II. His latest book is Safeguarding History; Trailblazing Adventures Inside the Worlds of Collecting and Forging History, with a Foreword by Doris Kearns Goodwin.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
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The Human Tragedy and Political Shame of America's Mass Criminal Supervision System: Vincent Schiraldi on probation, parole and the illusion of safety and freedom in contemporary America
08/10/2023 Duration: 37minEPISODE 1767: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Vincent Schiraldi, author of MASS SUPERVISION, about the illusion of safety and freedom in today's American criminal justice systemVincent Schiraldi has extensive experience in public life, founding the policy think tank, the Justice Policy Institute, then moving to government as director of the juvenile corrections in Washington DC, and then as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation. Most recently Schiraldi served as Senior Advisor to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. Schiraldi gained a national reputation as a fearless reformer who emphasized the humane and decent treatment of the men, women, and children under his correctional supervision. He pioneered efforts at community-based alternatives to incarceration in NYC and Washington DC. Schiraldi received a MSW from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Binghamton University.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst
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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