Category

Non Fiction

Environment, Nature, Non Fiction, Science, Wildlife

Dec 04: Barrett Klein with The Insect Epiphany

December 4, 2024

How Our 6-legged Allies Shape Human Culture

The Insect Epiphany with author Barrett Klein

The impact insects have on our shaping human culture is staggering … far beyond what most of us realize. Today’s guest, entomologist Barrett Klein, shares some of the insights from his latest book, THE INSECT EPIPHANY: How Our 6-legged Allies Shape Human Culture.

We explore the many things we take for granted that happen as a direct result of insects … and what life without them would be like. We discuss how we use insects’ bodies for silk, pigments, food, medicine. How we try to recreate them for flight technology, architecture, social structures. And how we mimic them for fighting (think Kung Fu and Muhammad Ali) yoga, music, and even fashion.

Full of photos, art, illustrations, fascinating stories, and fun facts and anecdotes, The Insect Epiphany is a great way to nerd out and learn things you never knew you needed to learn!

Meet Entomologist Barrett Klein

Barrett Klein investigates mysteries of sleep in societies of insects, creates entomo-art, and is forever on the search for curious connections that bind our lives with our six-legged allies. Barrett studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona. He fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, worked with honey bees for his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, and spearheaded the Pupating Lab at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

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Essays, Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Nov 20: Peter Himmelman with Suspended By No String

November 21, 2024

A Songwriter’s Reflections on Faith, Aliveness, and Wonder

Suspended By No String with author Peter Himmelman

From Emmy and Grammy-nominated musician, writer, and the creative force behind BIG MUSE, comes the timely and insightful book, Suspended by No String: A Songwriter’s Reflections on Faith, Aliveness, and Wonder.

Peter Himmelman shares thoughts and reflections on universal subjects from grief and meaninglessness, to struggles with the pain that surrounds us. Written as a way through his own struggles in life, Peter offers a view outside our myopic world, and the daily onslaught of social and news media surrounding us.

Focusing on what we can control, we discuss what Peter means by creativity, and share insights from his book, including some his own turning points in life, how Peter’s mentors impacted him, and valuable lessons learned along the way.

Meet Songwriter and Author Peter Himmelman

With over 25 critically acclaimed recordings to his credit, this singer-songwriter has been inspiring fans across the globe with his spiritually tinged Americana rock and roll for more than 40 years. Peter Himmelman is the founder of Big Muse, a company that teaches creative thinking, leadership skills, and deeper levels of communication in all facets of life – from personal to professional. His clients include The Wharton School, UCLA, and The Ross School of Business, The United States Army War College, and international bra//nds such as McDonald’s, Adobe, and Gap Inc.

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Biography, History, Memoir, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Relationships, Travelogue, Writers on Writing

Nov 13: Eric Weiner In Search of a Founder’s Formula for a Long and Useful Life

November 13, 2024

Ben & Me

Ben and Me with author Eric Weiner

When Eric Weiner followed Benjamin Franklin’s journey from Philadelphia to Paris, and Boston to London, in addition to discovering Ben’s life lessons, this self-described philosophical traveler discovered many of his own.

BEN & ME is a wonderful combination of Franklin’s biography, Weiner’s memoir, and a travelogue. It’s a guide to thinking well. Living a useful life. It’s about curiosity, diligence, constant learning. And – most of all – the elusive goal of self-improvement.

Eric Weiner shares how asking someone to do you a favor could improve your relationship – a psychological phenomenon known as The Ben Franklin Effect. We discuss Franklin’s seemingly conflicting views, his biggest strengths, human flaws, and what Eric found most disappointing about Ben. Eric also shares what he discovered about himself on this literal and metaphorical journey.

Meer Eric Weiner – Author, Speaker, Philosophical Traveler

Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and speaker, Eric Weiner‘s latest book is Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder’s Formula for a Long and Useful Life. Weiner’s other books include The Geography of Bliss, The Geography of Genius, Man Seeks God and The Socrates Express. Eric Weiner is a former foreign correspondent for NPR, and reporter for The New York Times. He is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, BBC Travel, and AFAR, among other publications. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

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Non Fiction, Science

Nov 06: The Possibility of Life in the Heavens with Jaime Green

November 6, 2024

Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos

The Possibility of Life with author Jaime Green

It’s human nature to gaze up at the starry skies on a clear night and reflect on the frequently asked but as of yet unanswered question … Are we alone?

Author Jaime Green contends that rather than trying to find a definitive answer to “Is there life out there?”, the question we should be focusing on is “What if there is?”

Jaime explores how our history and culture has been influenced by science, both real and in the fictional worlds of science fiction — think Star Trek and Avatar. And in turn, how our values, fears, anxieties and enduring sense of hope are reflected in our interpretations of scientific evidence. Jaime also reveals if she’s answered the big question for herself … what does it mean to be human?

Meet Jaime Green: Award-winning Science Author

Jaime Green is a freelance writer, editor, and writing teacher. The Possibility of Life was an NPR Science Friday Book Club Pick, a Wired Book to Read for Spring, and a TODAY Show Summer Pick. The series editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing, Jaime Green is a lecturer at Smith College and at the Johns Hopkins Science Writing Master’s Program.

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Non Fiction, Personal Development, Psychology, Self-help

Oct. 16: Feel, Heal & Let That Sh*t Go with Rachel Kaplan

October 16, 2024

Your Guide to Emotional Resilience and Lasting Self-Love

Feel, Heal, and Let That Sh*t Go with author Rachel Kaplan

We’re living in a cultural time where people are finally okay with talking about feeling their feelings. “But,” says psychotherapist Rachel Kaplan, “too many of us don’t know how.”

Today we share insights from Rachel Kaplan’s new book Feel, Heal & Let That Sh*t Go: Your Guide to Emotional Resilience and Lasting Self-Love. Rachel’s unique approach to self-care and personal transformation? Emotional Potty Training™ (EPT).

We explore what EPT is and how it teaches us to feel our emotions by moving them through our body as nature intended. Rachel shares the difference between Reactive vs. Proactive Emotional Release work. How to rethink conditioning around our self-worth. How to customize our lives. How to deal with shame and fear. And how to check in with ourselves, to avoid backsliding.

Meet Rachel Kaplan, MA, MFT

Rachel Kaplan, author of Feel, Heal & Let That Sh*t Go: Your Guide to Emotional Resilience and Lasting Self-Love, is a licensed psychotherapist with a thriving practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Creator and host of the Healing Feeling Sh*t Show, she’s studied yoga, meditation, and alternative hands-on healing practices in India and Nepal, earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and trained in cutting-edge trauma modalities such as EMDR.

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Environment, Non Fiction, Science

Oct 09: The Age of Melt with Lisa Baril

October 9, 2024

What Glaciers, Ice Mummies, and Ancient Artifacts Teach Us about Climate, Culture, and a Future Without Ice.

Age of Melt with author Lisa Baril

Glaciers inspire art & literature. Spark fear & awe. Give & take life. A Story of Ice Patch Archaeology.

In The Age of Melt environmental journalist Lisa Baril unpacks why archaeologists are storytellers, and artifacts their muses.

She explores the deep-rooted, cultural connection between humans and ice, through time. Why hungry farmers migrated to the hills. What ice artifacts tell us about culture and wilderness. What we gain as we explore our relationship to the world. And how ice patch archaeology informs us about our present and future.

Meet Lisa Baril, Science Writer

Lisa Baril is a science writer who has written about national parks across the western United States. As a former traveling ornithologist, Lisa spent 15 years studying birds and their habitats. Half of those years, she spent surveying and monitoring golden eagles, peregrine falcons, and other birds in Yellowstone national Park. The Age of Melt: What Glaciers, Ice Mummies, and Ancient Artifacts Teach Us about Climate, Culture, and a Future Without Ice is Lisa’s debut book. She holds a master’s in ecology from Montana State University, and lives in Wyoming.

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Creativity, Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Science, Self-help, Spirituality

Sep 18: Walk Your Way to More Creativity & Better Health with Michael Gelb

September 18, 2024

Walking Well: A new approach for comfort, vitality, and inspiration in every step.

Walking Well with coauthor Michael Gelb

Walking is one of the most scientifically researched human activities. We know it’s good for us, providing many benefits from improved physical and mental health, to spiritual and emotional wellbeing, to heightened creativity and increased productivity. We also know those benefits increase exponentially if we are outdoors in nature.

To prove a point, today’s guest, Michael Gelb walked as we talked about his new book coauthored with Bruce Fertman, WALKING WELL: A New Approach for Comfort, Vitality, and Inspiration in Every Step.

An expert in creative thinking, Michael Gelb joined forces with movement expert Bruce Fertman to create their new, whole-being approach to find an “easier, kinder, more natural way to walk.” And if you don’t like walking, their Walking Well practice also includes sitting, standing, and lying down.

Meet Coauthors Michael J. Gelb and Bruce Fertman

Michael J. Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, executive coaching, and innovative leadership. He’s a fifth-degree black belt in aikido and a gifted teacher of tai chi and the Alexander Technique. He is the author of 17 books — including the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. Michael Gelb is also a professional juggler who performed with the Rolling Stones.

Bruce Fertman brings 60 years of study as a movement artist and educator to his work. His training includes gymnastics, modern dance, ballet, contact improvisation, the Alexander Technique, tai chi chuan, aikido, chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony), Argentine tango, and kyudo (Zen archery). For the past 30 years Fertman’s taught in Europe, Asia, and the Americas helping people experience the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual life.

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Animals, Humor, Non Fiction, Science

Sep 11: Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice with Your Pets’ Secret Lives

September 11, 2024

The Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors

Your Pets’ Secret Lives with author Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice

Think your dog feels guilty? That your bird lives drama-free? Or that your cat hunts only mice and birds? Think again. While many of us see our pets as family members, our pets see the world in a very different way.

In Your Pets’ Secret Lives: The Truth Behind Your Pets Wildest Behaviors Eleanor Spicer Rice shakes your pets’ family trees, dives into their brains, and sometimes hitches a ride on their poops to discover the meaning behind some of our animal friends’ wildest behaviors.

Meet Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice

Eleanor Spicer Rice, PhD, is an entomologist and the author of many nonfiction books, including Your Hidden Life: Unseen Jungle and Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Spiders. ​Eleanor is also the senior science editor at Verdant Word, a science communication company she co-founded with Robin Sutton Anders. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, sons, dogs, hermit crabs, an assortment of spiders and insects, and a small, valiant flock of homing pigeons.

Your Pets’ Secret Lives was illustrated by Rob Wilson, an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer who has created work for the Washington Post, New York magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, and the covers of best-selling books. He is the illustrator of Your Hidden Life: Unseen Jungle and the creator of the icon for the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Rob Wilson’s work has been featured in galleries in London and New York City.

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Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Science, Self-help

Sep 04: Brain Doctor’s 8-Week Plan to Focus Your Mind, Reduce Stress, Avoid Burnout

September 4, 2024

Dr Romie Mushtaq shares The Busy Brain Cure

The Busy Brain Cure with author Dr. Romie Mushtaq

At the peak of success as a neurologist, Dr. Romie Mushtaq suffered major burnout. “As a brain doctor,” she says “I should have known better.”

As if burnout wasn’t enough, Dr. Romie also needed life-saving surgery, and that gave her the wake up call she needed. Her quest to make significant and lasting change sent her on a global journey, searching for solutions to heal the many negative impacts of stress on our brains, bodies, spirits, and teams.

As we discuss The Busy Brain Cure: The Eight Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety, & Sleep Again, discover why she says you should ditch diets, forget cleanses – and occasionally, why it’s okay to embrace comfort food to calm stress. We share how to reduce dependencies on caffeine by day, and sleep aids at night. Dr. Romie also shares how to remedy the root cause of ADHD, anxiety, and insomnia without addictive medications.

About Dr. Romie Mushtaq, Neurologist & Author

A board-certified physician, award-winning wellness speaker, and the founder of brainSHIFT, Dr. Romie Mushtaq combines more than 20 years of authority in neurology, integrative medicine, and mindfulness to deliver programs and create cultural change. Dr. Romie currently speaks and consults for Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, & global associations. She is also the Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) for Great Wolf Lodge. And was formerly the CWO for Evolution Hospitality, where she scaled a mindfulness & wellness program for over 7,000 employees. Her expertise is featured in the national media, such as NPR, NBC, TED talks, and Forbes.

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History, Journalism, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 07: Michael Castleman Shares The Untold Story of Books

August 7, 2024

A Writer’s History of Book Publishing

The Untold Story of Books with author Michael Castleman

Are physical books here to stay? The answer might surprise you. There are so many interesting stories and trails and fun facts in Michael Castleman‘s The Untold Story of Books: A Writer’s History of Book Publishing that we couldn’t put it down. Whether you’re a writer, reader, bibliophile, librarian, publisher, or just interested in how it started and where it’s at stories, we think you’ll enjoy it too.

Michael shares insights into Bestseller Lists; why they don’t tell the whole story and how they can be manipulated. We explore when and why book dedications began. How a machine designed for pressing olive oil changed the publishing industry, and what that meant for scribes and authors. We also peek into traditional versus independent (indi) and self publishing. How the digital revolution and AI impacted the industry – and where Michael sees it all going.

Meet Author Michael Castleman

Michael Castleman is a journalist and author of bestselling books on sexuality, health, and the history of book publishing. He also writes fiction. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan, Michael Castleman earned an M.A. in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism. He has lived in San Francisco since 1975.

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