#80 Why Science & Reason Are Under Assault: Michael Shermer

December 7, 2016 Richard Davies

This week we go deep and we go long, considering the tide of human history. How science, reason, and rational inquiry contribute to human progress.

Dr. Michael Shermer is our guest. He's the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American and a regular contributor to Time.com.

In his latest book, The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom, he claims that we are living in the most moral period of our history.

#77 Fixes for Feminists in a Time of Trump: Sallie Krawcheck

November 16, 2016 Richard Davies

Anyone who cares about diversity, feminism and closing the gender gap should be fired up about this show.

Author, entrepreneur and - yes provocateur - Sallie Krawcheck is our guest. Her forthcoming 2017 book is "Own It: The Power of Women at Work." Sallie is CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, a digital investment platform and wealth management site for women.

#75 How Can We Get Better At Forecasting the Future: Mark Earls

November 2, 2016 Richard Davies

Almost all of us do a poor job of predicting the future.

This show looks at how we can adapt to the disruption and change the future inevitably brings. Using examples from business and our personal lives, we consider how to be smarter and more successful.

"We over-estimate how bad we might feel if we lose something, and under-estimate how we will feel if something good happens,” says our guest, Mark Earls.

Mark joins Jim and Richard at our living room table in New York. Usually, Mark is based in London where he's a well-known author and consultant on marketing, communications and behavioral change. His books include “Copy Copy Copy”, "HERD: How to Change Mass Behavior by Harnessing Our True Nature” and “I’ll Have What She’s Having

#74 Fixes for an Insular World: Talk to Strangers. Kio Stark

October 28, 2016 Richard Davies

"There are genuine emotional benefits when we connect with strangers," says our guest, Kio Stark. These fleeting interactions are important interruptions in the steady routine of our lives. "They bring connectedness and belonging."

Kio is the author of "When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You." Her popular TED Talk has received more than 1,450,000 views. "My own interactions with strangers resonate with meaning for me," she writes in her book. "You find questions whose answers you thought you knew. You reject the ideas that make us so suspicious of each other."

#70 Electile Dysfunction: A Cure For Our Campaign: Alan Dershowitz

September 28, 2016 Richard Davies

Electile Dysfunction (is), “a terrible pun plus insightful commentary" is how TV host and wit Seth Myers describes" the new book by Professor Alan Dershowitz.

Dershowitz became a professor at Harvard Law when he was 25 years old. In his long and distinguished career, Newsweek described Dershowitz as "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights." We recorded this episode of "How Do We Fix It?" at his Manhattan home. "Electile Dysfunction" is his 35th book.

#68 Why Economic Growth Is Slowing Down: Ruchir Sharma

September 14, 2016 Richard Davies

Get ready for slower economic growth and de-globalization, says investor and writer Ruchir Sharma.

Ruchir invited us to his New York office, where he is the head of emerging markets and chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He is also the author of "The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World."

#67 How Gratitude Can Transform Your Life - Janice Kaplan

September 7, 2016 Richard Davies

On New Year's Eve, journalist and former Parade Editor-in-Chief Janice Kaplan made a promise to herself to be grateful during the coming year and look on the bright side of whatever happens.

As we find out in this episode, it made a big difference to her life. Janice discovered that how she feels has less to do with events than with her own attitude and perspective on life.

Her recent book "The Gratitude Diaries" began after a survey she had done found that 94% of Americans thought people who are grateful live richer lives. But less than half those surveyed say they practiced gratitude on any regular basis.

#62 Playdates & Class Divisions? Tamara Mose How Do We Fix It?

August 3, 2016 Richard Davies

Remember when kids were allowed to play without supervision, when did that change? When did play turn into a playdate?

Today many parents organize playdates. Play is arranged, supervised, and has the parental seal of approval. "

I think we could add more diversity into how our children play with other children,"says our guest, Tamara Mose, Associate Professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College.

Tamara is the author of the new book "The Playdate: Parents, Children and the New Expectations of Play" In this episode we look at how the shift to structured playdates reflects changes in parenting and class. "Let's listen to our children's desires," Tamara urges parents. "I think we've lost the ability to do that because we're so afraid of everything our children interact with.'

We discuss other solutions, including tips for successful playdates and being open to a greater range of children from diverse backgrounds.