The Art of Manliness

Despite living in one of the most affluent and safe times in human history, a lot of Ameicans are miserable. Jim Rubens wanted to find out why. In his book Oversuccess, Jim Rubens makes the case that it's our obsession with fame and money is the underlying cause of our American malaise. Highlighting research from domains like neuroscience, psychology, and sociology, Rubens deftly shows how our obsession with material success is spiritually killing us and how men are particularly susceptible to this siren song.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a debate that goes back for centuries.Are great athletes made or are they born?In his book, The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance, journalist David Epstein investigates that question. By looking at cutting edge research, he uncovers how much of nature and how much of nurture contributes to creating world class athletes. It's a fascinating book that offers insight into the nature of athletic ability and gives some food for thought to parents out there signing their kids up for expensive personal coaching in the hopes their tyke will be the next Ted Williams.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

During the past few centuries, Christian churches have had some difficulty reaching men. During the late 19th century and even today, Christian churches have created special programs to get men in the pews.But why does trouble exist in the first place? And what can be done about it?In today's podcast I talk to author and speaker Stephen Mansfield about this issue as well as his book Mansfield's Book of Manly Men. If you're a Christian, you'll find Stephen's insights about the church and men interesting; if you're not a Christian, you can still get a lot out of our later conversation about the virtues and ideals Stephen thinks men should strive for and the great men from history we should study and emulate.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maureen Corrigan, an insightful author focused on the significance of 'The Great Gatsby,' delves into its surprising journey from flop to masterpiece. She discusses why the novel resonates today, exploring themes of aspiration, love, and the American Dream. Corrigan emphasizes the complex legacy of Gatsby in academia and its artistic mastery by Fitzgerald. Listeners will also learn ways to enrich their next reading experience, uncovering deeper themes like comedy and class dynamics. This discussion reveals why Gatsby remains a timeless classic.

Today I talk to business owner, author, and public speaker Rory Vaden about his two books, Take the Stairs and Procrastinate on Purpose. Rory and I talk about the principles that will help instill self-discipline in you and how you can be more effective with your time to leave a lasting legacy. Get out your pen and notebook. You'll want to take notes during this episode. Lots of great takeaways you can apply today.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Eric Frohardt is the CEO of StrongFirst, a company dedicated to helping individuals becoming stronger physically and mentally. It was founded by Pavel Tsatsouline, the Father of Kettlebell training here in the U.S. Today in the podcast, Eric and I discuss why strength is skill, the benefits of kettlebell training, and greasing the groove every day to get stronger.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A sunken pirate ship is one of the hardest things to find in the world. But two treasure hunters risked their lives and fortune to find one. In the process, the uncovered the story of one of the greatest pirates to ever live during the Golden Age of Piracy. My guest today wrote a book about the search of this pirate ship. His name is Robert Kurson and he's the author of the book Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship. In today's show Robert and I discuss why pirates are so appealing, why two guys would risk millions of dollar to find a pirate ship, and the legendary story of the pirate who captained this sunken ship. You're not going to want to miss this.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom Ruby served 26 years in the U.S Air Force and held positions as Squadron Intelligence Officer and Chief of Doctrine for Air Force Intelligence. Mr. Ruby served on a General Petraeus' Joint Strategic Assesment Team during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Today, Mr. Ruby spends his civilian life consulting companies on how to better think critically and strategically. Today on the show, Tom and I discuss how the Average Joe can improve his critical thinking and be better strategists. Lots of great takeaways from this show.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alastair Humphreys is a real-life adventurer. He's biked around the world and has even been named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic. But Alastair wanted to show people that you didn't need to travel halfway across the world or spend a lot of money or time to find adventure. So for a year, he did what he called "Microadventures" in his native England. They're small things he could do in an evening after work or on a weekend. He cataloged all of his adventures in a book called "Microadventures" and today on the podcast Alastair and I discuss how the average Joe can find more adventure in his life by going on microadventures.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Until fairly recently, most of the scientific research about parental influence on children usually left out dads. But recent studies have shown that fathers have an important role in the development of children-- from conception into adulthood. Award-winning science writer Paul Raeburn highlights all this new research in his book "Do Fathers Matter?" In today's podcast, Paul and I discuss what we can learn about fatherhood from a hunter-gatherer tribe in South America, how dads can help make their kids more social and verbose, and why every dad should roughhouse with their kids. If you're a dad or plan on being one someday, this is a must listen.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.