David von Drehle, an acclaimed author and journalist known for his insights on national affairs, discusses his recent book about 109-year-old Charlie White. He shares Charlie's remarkable outlook on life shaped by Stoic principles. The conversation dives into the significance of resilience, the joy of intergenerational friendships, and the wisdom gleaned from historical adversity. They explore how life's challenges can lead to personal growth and the importance of maintaining connections across generations for a fulfilling, meaningful life.
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Richard Overton's Longevity
Ryan Holiday befriended Richard Overton, the oldest man in the world at the time.
Overton lived to be 112 and enjoyed whiskey, cigars, and ice cream daily.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Meeting Charlie White
David von Drehle moved to Kansas City and met his 102-year-old neighbor, Charlie White.
Von Drehle developed a friendship with White over seven years, until White's death at 109.
insights INSIGHT
The Limits of Time
We may meet people born later than Richard Overton, but never someone born earlier.
This encounter with the distant past raises existential and philosophical questions.
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A Farewell to Arms is a semiautobiographical novel that captures the harsh realities of war and the pain of lovers caught in its sweep. The story follows Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American ambulance driver on the Italian front, and his passionate relationship with Catherine Barkley, an English nurse. The novel interweaves themes of love, war, loyalty, and desertion, reflecting Hemingway's own experiences as an ambulance driver during World War I. The book is known for its vivid and deeply felt portrayal of war and its impact on individuals, as well as Hemingway's distinctive writing style that emphasizes immediacy and simplicity[2][3][4].
Triangle
The Fire That Changed America
David von Drehle
This book by David von Drehle provides a detailed and riveting history of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire that occurred on March 25, 1911. The fire resulted in the deaths of 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, and was a pivotal event in American labor history. The book explores the conditions leading up to the fire, the tragedy itself, and the subsequent manslaughter trial of the factory owners. It also delves into the broader historical context, including the labor movement, immigration, and the political environment of the time. The narrative includes discussions on Tammany Hall, the Women's Trade Union League, and the reforms that followed the disaster.
The Book of Charlie
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David von Drehle
The Vanishing American Adult
Ben Sasse
In *The Vanishing American Adult*, Senator Ben Sasse argues that America's youth are facing a coming-of-age crisis due to overprotective parenting and ineffective government programs. He proposes practical solutions for parents to cultivate self-reliance and character in their children, emphasizing the importance of hard work, travel, literacy, and physical health. Sasse believes these traits are essential for the future of American democracy.
David von Drehle is an author and deputy opinion editor and columnist at The Washington Post whose work focuses on national affairs and politics. Prior to joining The Post in 2017, David worked at Time magazine, where he wrote more than 60 cover stories as editor-at-large, including high profile pieces on the 2008 Person of the Year (Barack Obama), Glenn Beck, and the deaths of Michael Jackson and Osama Bin-Laden. He started his career in journalism at the age of 17 as a sports writer for The Denver Post. David is also the author of five books, including the award-winning bestseller “Triangle: The Fire That Changed America.”
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