John Kay's The Corporation in the 21st Century: Why (Almost) Everything We Are Told about Business Is Wrong (Yale UP, 2025) is an accessible and entertaining reappraisal of what business is for and how it works.  Full of history and written in a compelling narrative style, this book describes a shift in the underlying assumptions of the relationship between capital & labor. Kay describes how and why we have come to "love the product" as we also "hate the producer".  Kay discusses areas of particular change such as the relationship between business & finance, the concept of the "hollow" corporation, what we mean when we say "growth", and the motivations and standards of industry leaders.  Old ideas of owning the means of production are redundant as workers are increasingly the means of production. Capital is now often a disconnected service contracted from a specialized supplier, and businesses are run by professional managers whose main skill is exerting authority. Author recommended reading: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt Hosted by Meghan Cochran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth, from Farm to Fable (City Lights Books, 2025) is a groundbreaking investigation of factory farms and the unprecedented measures being taken to hide their impact -- on animals, public health, and the environment -- from the public. Hiding behind the little red barns that dot the landscape of rural America and decorate so many of the animal-based products we consume is a dangerous truth and a very real threat. Little Red Barns is the record of a harrowing journey that took investigative journalist Will Potter from factory farms to international climate summits, from congressional hearings to neo-Nazi fascist groups. As Potter uncovers the frightening truth about animal agriculture's role in accelerating climate collapse, he shows how the authoritarian measures being taken to maintain control over this key aspect of the global food supply chain are directly linked to the proliferation and empowerment of far-right militias. Writing in an engaging, personal style, he invites his reader to accompany him on the journey as he confronts a maelstrom of disturbing information, asking searching questions along the way about the role of a journalist and the impact of "bearing witness" in a world where we're bombarded with images, real and faked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I sat down with Tinatin Japaridze to explore how history shapes her work as a geopolitical risk analyst at the Eurasia Group. We discussed the role of historical context in forecasting geopolitical risks and how historical training fosters deep curiosity about the world. Tinatin shared her unconventional path to the field—one that took her from composing a Eurovision song to journalism, a regional studies MA at Columbia, and even New York's local politics. She reflected on balancing the personal and professional in her work and how these diverse experiences ultimately made her a stronger analyst. We also dove into her book Stalin’s Millennials (2022) and why talking to taxi drivers can be more insightful than you might think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To be successful you need to be Weird, Selfish, Shameless, Obsessed, Nosy, Manipulative, Brutal, Reckless, and Bossy. And that takes courage. As a former Google leader and top career coach who chased an attractive stranger off the subway and later married him, Jenny Wood knows her way around courage. In this book, Wood shatters conventional wisdom about achieving your goals. She gives you permission to ditch your fear and chase after what you want, unapologetically. Wood reclaims nine traits from their negative shackles and teaches you how to apply them in a savvy and sane way to supercharge your success, whether you’re trying to impress your new boss, snag a stretch promotion, or land a life-changing deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The word Leader often brings to mind the heroic image of a charismatic, confident, and persuasive person who seems to "know" what to do in an instinctual, gut-driven way.   In Decision Leadership: Empowering Others to Make Better Choices (Yale UP, 2022), Don A. Moore and Max H. Bazerman offer a well-researched and compelling corrective to this view.  They describe organizations as decision factories in which effective leaders are not lone heroes, but decision architects who design situations and policies that enable those around them to make wise, ethical choices that are consistent both with their own interests and the organization's values.  Built on a foundation of behavioral economics and decision science research, this book is full of real-life stories and concrete examples of the incentives, structures, and systems that can be used to guide negotiations and decision making. This approach avoids many of the common pit-falls of overconfidence and dependence on a few heroic figures, allowing strong leaders to have positive impact far beyond their limited individual range.   Authors recommended reading:  Negotiation: The Game Has Changed by Max H. Bazerman Perfectly Confident: How to Calibrate Your Decisions Wisely by Don A. Moore Also by these authors:  Judgment in Managerial Decision Making by Max H. Bazerman and Don A. Moore Hosted by Meghan Cochran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The workplace is forever facing new challenges. These challenges are also unique in the context of Southeast Asia. Effective team work and leadership are at the core of organisational success. Yet much remains under investigated in how we can best help organisations and their teams and leaders in navigating shifts in the business environment. To think about these issues in a Southeast Asian context, joining the podcast today is Dr Nate Zettna, a Lecturer in Leadership and Organisational Behaviour in the Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney. He completed his PhD specialising in organisational behaviour and management at the University of Sydney Business School. His research examines various aspects of team effectiveness, including team leadership, frontline service teams, and team well-being and performance. Nate has conducted research and worked with international organisations in Thailand and Australia across many sectors including banking, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Library of Mistakes is a library located in Edinburgh, Scotland dedicated to financial and economic history. Russell Napier, the founder and keeper of the library is a professor at The Edinburgh Business School and investment manager. In this wide-ranging discussion, Russell discusses his work as a practitioner and a scholar of financial crises. He also discusses how and why he started a library, in addition to his writing on financial history. Professor Russell Napier is the author of The Solid Ground investment report for institutional investors and co-founder of the investment research portal ERIC- a business he now co-owns with D.C. Thomson. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I spoke with London-based historical consultant Michael Weatherburn about his journey into entrepreneurship, his innovative projects, and the practical implications of his training. Michael shared how he combined his interests in history and organizational metrics to shape his PhD dissertation at Imperial College London and how he continues to develop these themes in his consulting work. He discussed founding his firm, Project Hindsight, experimenting with different client engagement strategies, and using his research expertise to help organizations combat what he terms "memory decay." We also explored the intersections of science fiction, futurology, and their creative relationship with our understanding of the past. Michael shared many valuable tips for anyone interested in building a career at the intersection of history and entrepreneurship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Madison’s Notes, I spoke with Janie Nitze, co-author of Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law (Harper, 2004), a book written alongside Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Janie, a Harvard-educated attorney and former clerk for Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch, discussed the growing complexity of laws in America and their impact on everyday citizens. The book shares stories of ordinary Americans—fishermen in Florida, families in Montana, monks in Louisiana, and more—who find themselves caught in legal mazes created by an overwhelming and often opaque system of regulations. Janie explained that while laws are necessary to maintain order and freedom, the sheer volume and complexity of modern regulations can undermine those principles. She highlighted how excessive laws, many of which are created by unelected agency officials, disproportionately affect those without wealth or power. Through these stories, Over Ruled shows how overregulation can erode trust in the legal system and create unintended consequences for individuals navigating their lives. Janie’s perspective, shaped by her work at the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, provided a clear look at the challenges of balancing regulation and individual liberty. Over Ruled is a timely exploration of these issues, and this episode offers a deeper understanding of the human cost of too much law. Tune in to hear Janie’s insights and learn more about the stories behind the book. Madison’s Notes is the podcast of Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Contributions to and/or sponsorship of any speaker does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers or views presented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are all stuck in a money cage. Money isn’t the most important thing, but it is a thing and you can’t get away from it. Birth costs money and death costs money. So even if you hate talking about money, you need to know the basics, the same way you need to know how to cook yourself a simple meal. The problem with most money books is that they are not written by practitioners and avoid hard truths. Paul Podolsky’s The Uncomfortable Truth About Money: How to Live with Uncertainty and Learn to Think for Yourself (Harriman House, 2024) breaks down walls around financial knowledge. What a weathered investor knows is that stocks are not always good for the long run. They know that being stingy helps accrue wealth. They know the big thing when you buy property has nothing to do with the property. They know the big thing is less what happens to the markets in a day than if the entire system holds together. And they know what to look for if it’s time to pull out. That’s what this book will teach you: a lifetime of money learnings distilled to a thin volume, like a basic cooking recipe you can follow. Paul Podolsky writes about macro–politics and money. For many years, he was the strategist and equity partner at the largest hedge fund in the world. Previous to that, he worked as a reporter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What history skills can be useful in leading a company? The CEO of ReUp Education Terah Crews shared her experiences leveraging her History MA degree in various leadership roles. Terah talked about what drew her to studying history, what pushed her into business, and how she found ways to connect the two domains. She discussed how her history training has been helping her connect with colleagues and clients, and how it shaped her efforts to build a robust company culture built on trust and shared goals. We chat about the resonances between leaders' personal experiences and their companies' missions, and what universities are doing right (and what they could be doing better) to help history grads position themselves successfully in today's economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Critical Management Studies and Librarianship: Critical Perspectives on Library Management Education and Practice (Library Juice Press, November 2024) introduces key concepts in the field of critical management studies (CMS) and critiques dominant theories and concepts in the management field. The aim of CMS is to denaturalize dominant theories in the management field by introducing works and research from other fields (e.g., queer feminist theories, postcolonial studies, critical race theory). In this edited volume, Silvia Vong brings together contributions that offer critical perspectives on dominant CMS issues contextualized in LIS management education and practice such as strategic planning, consumer and assessment culture, and management institutes to name a few. In addition, the book includes discussions around approaches to leading using research and literature outside of the business and management literature to redress epistemic injustice in management education and provide inclusive and diverse perspectives on leadership. Silvia Vong is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream at University of Toronto’s iSchool. She was a professional librarian for 15 years in various roles at different Canadian universities ranging from liaison librarian to head of public services to associate dean of scholarly, research, and creative activities. Her experience in teaching, collections, scholarly communications, and management contributed to her research as a professional in critical management studies in librarianship as well as addressing anti-racism in the profession. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba’s Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast, Matthew talks about his late entry into entrepreneurship, taking advantage of opportunities that emerged as Kindle offered a new way to distribute books. In his career as a journalist with well known business publications he enjoyed talking to entrepreneurs, even having his editor turn down his pitch to interview Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Starting a business was something he had always been open to, but journalism came first until quite late in life. He shares how his initial idea of publishing short-form books from well-known authors pivoted into the bigger opportunity of publishing back catalogues. Matthew describes how and why larger publishers missed the boat due to conservative pricing and a feeling that ebooks might just "go away." He discusses the importance of a "problem-solving mindset," persistence, and being ready to hustle. We learn what being a fiction author has in common with being an entrepreneur, and how crucial it is to handle and manage rejection. Matthew also delves into his path to an exit, the loyalty he felt to his authors and staff, and the challenges of management and leadership. He particularly highlights the learning process of dealing with the fact that the founder is often more motivated than the people they hire. Links relevant to the interview. Matthew’s books Death Force series Lume Books  Joffe Books - acquired by Lume Books Matthew’s Bio Daily Telegraph - columnist - 2013-2024 Money Week - columnist - 2008-2024 Bloomberg - columnist - 1999-2012 The Sunday Times - Reporter and columnist - 1992-2000 Business magazine - reported - 1988-1991 Asiaweek, Hong Kong - 1986-1988 Financial Adviser magazine - 1985-1986 Founder - Lume Books - 2013- 2023 Author Death Force - Hodder Headline - 2010 Fireforce - Hodder Headline - 2011 Shadow Force - Hodder Headline - 2012 Ice Force - Hodder Headline - 2013 Insecurity - Random House - 1997 The Watchmen - Random House - 1999 Education: Balliol College, Oxford. Politics, Philosophy & Economics. Richard Lucas’s TEDx talk on Opportunity Readiness and on Why everyone should embrace rejection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Twitter enters its own adolescence, both the users and the creators of this famous social media platform find themselves engaging with a tool that certainly could not have been imagined at its inception. In their engaging book Twitter: A Biography (NYU Press, 2020), Jean Burgess and Nancy K. Baym (@nancybaym) tell the fascinating and surprising story of how this platform developed from a quirky SMS tool for publicly sharing intimate details of personal life to a major source of late-breaking news, political activism, and even governmental communication. This story explores how many of Twitter's most ubiquitous and iconic conventions were not systematically rolled out from a centralized corporate strategy, but so often driven by users who continued to innovate within the limitations of the platform they had to democratically create the platform they desired. Yet this story highlights the tensions along the way as Twitter has adapted to new and unforeseen challenges, business models, and social consequences as the experiments of social media have become increasingly powerful, influential, and contested. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the wild and changing landscape of internet communication and communities. Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, NBN founder & CEO Marshall Poe talks about his early plans to become Michael Jordan, his journey from a professorship in Russian history to his fascination with communications, and his present role as a podcasting entrepreneur. We chat about the surprising alignments between the craft of history and entrepreneurship, the power of observation, the courage to try new things and fail and fail again, and the great fun of finding a solution to someone's problem. Marshall reminds us how humans are built to watch and listen rather than read and suggests how understanding speech as performance rather than content messaging can help us understand Donald Trump's popularity. We also wonder who will listen to AI-generated podcasts and whether universities do enough to prepare students for situations of ambiguity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The key to a life well-lived is prioritization, but people rarely explain how to do it effectively.   In Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions (Rosenfeld Media, 2024), Harry Max provides a useful guide.  He explains how learning to prioritize is helpful in life as well as at work. He explains how he - and his clients - feel a sense of freedom, as though a weight is lifted, when it's clear what is most important and they are able to focus on those things. In this relatable approach, Max acknowledges that avoidance behavior is natural, and clarifies the need to understand the costs of not prioritizing intentionally. Drawing on methods used at Apple, DreamWorks, NASA, Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and beyond, Harry Max presents a practical method that you can apply either for single large decisions or for ongoing efforts.  In the book he introduces the "daily boot", a way to start the day by clearing out the fog of competing efforts, and his DEGAP® method: Decide, Engage, Gather, Arrange, Prioritize.  Max demystifies common prioritization frameworks by providing guidance on how and when to use them, either together or separately. These include the Eisenhower Matrix, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, Paired Comparison, and Stack Ranking among others.  Mentioned resources: The New How by Nilofer Merchant The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists by Richard P. Rumelt The Kano model by Noriaki Kano. It's not a prioritization framework per se, but a valuable resource for understanding what is important as it relates to customer satisfaction.  Author recommended reading: Wiring the Winning Organization by Gene Kim and Steven J. Spear Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace Hosted by Meghan Cochran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As part of our informal series on artificial intelligence, Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks with Matt Beane, Assistant Professor of Technology Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, about his book The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in the Age of Intelligent Machines (HarperCollins, 2024).  Beane outlines the fascinating forms of research he did - both his own ethnographic work and reanalyzing the data of other ethnographers - to better understand how automating technologies are being adopted in organizational settings and how such adoption may threaten traditional mentor-mentee relationships through which junior workers learn crucial skills. Beane also discusses ways in which the worst negative skill-learning outcomes may be avoided and his own work trying to create new training systems to improve our current situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks to Benjamin Shestakofsky about his book, Behind the Startup: How Venture Capital Shapes Work, Innovation, and Inequality (U California Press, 2024). Shestakofsky is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is affiliated with AI at Wharton and the Center on Digital Culture and Society. His research centers on how digital technologies are affecting work and employment, organizations, and economic exchange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagining After Capitalism (Triarchy Press, 2025) is the culmination of a decade-long exploration of what comes next after capitalism. It leverages previous work in developing foresight methodologies, which are featured in two previous books: Teaching about the Future and Thinking about the Future (2nd edition), both with Peter Bishop. It also leverages my work in identifying long-term values shifts—which are pivotal to After Capitalism—that are highlighted in ConsumerShift: How Changing Values Are Reshaping the Consumer Landscape. Arguing that the absence of compelling positive alternatives keeps us stuck in a combination of fear, denial, and false hope, he offers three “guiding images” for the long-term future: an environmentally driven Circular Commons, a socially and politically driven Non-Workers’ Paradise, and a technology-driven Tech-Led Abundance. Imagining After Capitalism argues “first things first.” Let us first decide where we want to go before building detailed plans for getting there. The three “guiding images” are not the answers, but are intended to provoke discussion about the possibilities. The book offers an alternative to the prevailing doom and gloom and suggests there are indeed positive alternatives out there and it’s time to get started on crafting a different path to the future! Andy Hines brings more than three decades of experience as a futurist to the Imagining After Capitalism work. He has explored the future from multiple vantage points. He is currently an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator at the University of Houston Foresight program. He also spent a decade as an organizational futurist, first with Kellogg’s and then Dow Chemical. His consulting futurists roles included Coates & Jarratt, Inc., Social Technologies/Innovaro and currently his own firm Hinesight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices