Podcast
Not Dead Yet
Hosted by Ricochet · EN
We’re all dying, but some of us have been brought face to face with that reality. Reflecting on this certainty is part of a life well lived. However long we’ve got, it’s up to each of us to redeem the time. In this new podcast, hosts Ben Sasse and Chris Stirewalt talk with their guests about lives lived with gratitude, grit, and joy.
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
H.R. McMaster
3d ago01:03:40Summary readyEveryone knows the Warrior Poets get the headlines, but do Warrior Historians deserve the recognition? Do free societies produce better soldiers? How do leaders know when to be disagreeable? H.R. McMaster joins the guys to talk about the history of tanks, the dynamics of leadership and teamwork, and his reading list of American heroes.James Webb — Fields of Fire James R. McDonough — Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat Charles B. McDonald — Company Commander: The Classic Infantry Memoir of World War II Leo Tolstoy — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories Michael Shaara —The Killer Angels Anton Myrer — Once An Eagle John Keegan — The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme Lewis Sorley — Thunderbolt: General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Time Carlo D'Este — Patton: Genius for War, A – The Definitive Portrait of the Complex and Misunderstood American Warrior
SummaryMegan McArdle
1w ago01:05:07Summary readyEverything’s great and nobody’s happy? Megan joins the guys to talk about affluenza. Each generation has to figure it out — so take some risks, make some bad decisions, and embrace scar tissue.
SummaryKen Burns
3w ago01:15:49Summary readyHistory, storytelling, and America, baby! Ken Burns joins the guys to talk about the work he’s done to translate the American experience to a wide audience. What makes a good documentary? What’s the deal with professional historians? Is “The Ashokan Farewell” a true playlist banger?
SummaryDana Gioia
3w ago01:08:59Summary readyOk, they’ll bite. What is poetry? Poet and critic Dana Gioia joins the guys to talk about poetry. How do poems reward the reader? What can verse tell us about memory? What’s the deal with poets?
SummaryJeffrey Rosen
Jul 701:05:06Summary readyAs America celebrates 250 years, the guys talk with Jeff Rosen about the pursuit of happiness. Did Ben Franklin and John Adams really see it the same way? Does self-government depend on reading and virtue? How was Milton an influence on the Founders? Also… poetry?
SummaryKatherine Boyle
Jun 3001:13:16Summary readyBen and Chris talk with one of the most interesting people in Silicon Valley who isn’t actually in Silicon Valley. Ben’s got morphine fog. Katherine’s got parenting sleep deprivation. Perfect conditions to talk about intergenerational family life, American dynamism, and the case for optimism.
SummaryDavid Zahl
Jun 2301:06:10Summary readyDave talks with the guys about the problem of replacing faith with the cheap imitations of disordered goods, the need for thick community, the emptiness of striving, and the need for grace. Come for the critique of moral therapeutic deism — stick around for David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech and Emo Philips’ stand-up.
SummaryJack and John Harbaugh
Jun 1601:14:54Summary readyHappy Fathers Day! While Chris is pulled away for journalism stuff, Ben talks about more important things with America’s football family. Jack and John Harbaugh talk about building character, raising families, and living with gratitude. “Who's got it better than us? Nobody!” Listeners: Always run out your pop flies, or Jack Harbaugh will make you — and probably your brother — walk home.
SummaryMitch Daniels
Jun 901:21:13Summary readyIndiana is better than West Virginia, nobody disagrees — except Chris. Ben, Chris, and the former Governor — and reality TV star? — Mitch Daniels talk about higher education, the need to deliver competency for taxpayers, and the looming debt crisis.
SummaryWilliam McRaven
Jun 201:13:02Summary readyBen can’t do pull-ups anymore, so it’s a great time to talk to Admiral William McRaven. The guys talk about the fine line between swagger and arrogance, the importance of clear communication, and the way McRaven built his teams of Navy Seals. Lots of conversation about failure as a teacher and McRaven’s top-5 must-read book recommendations.Show Notes:Admiral McRaven's book recommendations:— Marcus Aurelius: Meditations— Anton Myrer: Once an Eagle— Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front— Will Durant— Ella Wheeler Wilcox— Rudyard Kipling— Stephen M. R. Covey: The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything— Ian MacHorton: The Hundred Days of Lt. MacHorton
Summary