Two Percent with Michael Easter

Brian Driscoll, former FBI acting director and Hostage Rescue Team veteran, recounts his unexpected rise to the Bureau’s top job. He discusses resisting political pressure, protecting thousands of agents, and the price of refusing to stay silent. He also explores lessons from counterterrorism, organized crime investigations, crisis leadership, and rebuilding after being fired.

Dan Lieberman, Harvard evolutionary biologist and author of Fed Up, puts popular diets to the test. He explores why modern humans struggle with food choices, what paleo and carnivore diets get wrong, and why nutrition advice keeps changing. They also tackle protein hype, ultra-processed foods, diet tribalism, sustainable eating, and exercise’s role in weight loss.

Lindsay Crouse, former New York Times writer and editor, lifelong distance runner, and author of The Case for Quitting, explores when perseverance turns counterproductive. They discuss missed Olympic goals, meaningful versus pointless suffering, dialing back commitments, workplace overachievement, Bill Withers’s safety net, career reinvention, and how to recognize when it’s time to walk away.

Tim Wu, a Columbia Law professor and author of The Age of Extraction, explores how media and tech learned to capture attention. They trace advertising’s evolution, phones’ takeover of private space, and platforms’ shift from innovation to extraction. They also examine convenience’s hidden costs, tech for public benefit, protecting children from social media, reality TV’s love of conflict, and building a better media diet.

Brady Holmer is an exercise scientist, 2:24 marathoner, and writer of Physiologically Speaking. He explores what fitness trends deserve trust, from creatine’s limits and wearable metrics to HRV and recovery scores. They unpack carb maxing, race weight, protein, the future of running, cardio versus strength, and training with a newborn.

Heather Gay, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, entrepreneur, and author of Bad Mormon, opens up about leaving Mormonism and rebuilding her identity, community, and ambition. She discusses perfectionism, double lives, excommunication, missionary sales tactics, and choosing reality television over religious authority. Plus, she shares behind-the-scenes Housewives takes and her leap from memoir into fiction.

Tamar Haspel, a Washington Post food and agriculture columnist and author of To Boldly Grow, makes a provocative case against lettuce. They explore foodborne illness, wasted resources, the salad health halo, and better staple crops. The conversation also tackles restaurant portions, Italy’s meal culture, protein hype, diet soda, egg taste tests, food dyes, and navigating uncertain nutrition science.

Jessica Tarlov, political strategist, analyst, author, and Fox News co-host, shares her playbook for productive disagreement. She discusses surviving as a left-leaning voice on The Five, breaking free from groupthink, using averages instead of anecdotes, and framing data to create doubt. They also explore when to engage, how to be sharp without being cruel, and rebuilding conversation across political divides.

Christian Craighead, a former British SAS soldier and author of One Man In, recounts entering Nairobi’s 2019 terror attack alone. He discusses courage under fire, the focus danger creates, and how preparation shapes adaptability. The conversation explores leading frightened civilians, giving clear instructions, assessing people accurately, and taking responsibility when no one else is coming.

Jim Kwik, brain coach and author of Limitless Daily, shares his journey from childhood learning struggles to helping others learn faster. He explores how to use AI without weakening critical thinking, why boredom and effort matter, techniques for speedier reading and stronger memory, and how daily habits, attention, sleep, exercise, and intention shape cognitive performance.