Thecuriousmanspodcast

Matt Crawford
Thecuriousmanspodcast

The curious man Matt Crawford interviews authors and interesting people about topics ranging from history to politics to everyday stimulating topics. If you like to learn and are as curious as I am please join in!

  1. 25 MARS

    Cassidy Randall Interview

    Matt Crawford speaks with author Cassidy Randall about her book, Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women's Ascent of Denali. Cassidy Randall draws on extensive archival research and original interviews to tell an engrossing, edge-of-the-seat adventure story about a forgotten group of climbers who had the audacity to believe that women could walk alone in extraordinary and treacherous heights. Grace Hoeman dreamed of standing on top of Denali. The tallest peak in North America, the fierce polar mountain loomed large in many climbers’ imaginations, and Grace, a doctor in Alaska, had come close to the top, only to be turned back by altitude sickness and a storm that took the lives of seven fellow climbers in one remorseless blow. Other expeditions denied her a place because of her gender, and when a letter arrived from a climber in California named Arlene Blum, who’d also been barred from expeditions—unless she stayed in base camp and cooked for the men, Grace got a defiant idea: she would organize and lead the first-ever all-female ascent of the frozen Alaskan peak. Everyone told the “Denali Damsels,” as the team called themselves, that it couldn’t be done: Women were incapable of climbing mountains on their own. Men had walked on the moon; women still had not stood on the highest points on Earth. But these six women were unwilling to be limited by sexists and misogynists. They pushed past barriers in society at large, the climbing world, and their own bodies. And then, when disaster struck at the worst time on their expedition, they could either keep their wits and prove their mettle, or die and confirm the worst opinions of men.

    56 min
  2. 24 MARS

    Howard Lewis Interview

    Matt Crawford speaks with author Howard Lewis about his book, Leave Your Phone at the Door: The Joy of Offline.  Real life happens beyond your phone screen. Leave Your Phone at the Door embraces the OFFLINE philosophy, which is a celebration of the much underrated virtues of randomness and serendipity. Whether sharing stories of unexpected encounters, alarming behavioral trends or the joys of quiet and contemplation, Howard Lewis encourages us to adopt an open mind and a generosity of spirit whenever we are confronted by the unfamiliar or surprising or different. We all have an innate desire to communicate but our constant reliance today upon personal technology is stripping our sensibilities bare. But rather than focusing upon the limitations of social media and phones, Lewis is far more animated by the mindful reframing of our place in the world. He offers his insights on the importance of relating to people in person and advice on developing social skills and habits that enrich our lives. What began as an informal gathering with friends led to the launch of the OFFLINE dinner, which he has hosted for over fifteen years in London. Guests are drawn from all walks of life and invited to engage with one another without the distraction of their phones. OFFLINE is designed to be the antithesis of everything online but also recognizes that veering off road and then back on it is both valuable and necessary. It aims to challenge and provoke, question and answer, stimulate and amuse, nurture and nourish in a delightful and congenial setting. This book is an embodiment of that ethos. Leave Your Phone at the Door acts as a timely and topical reminder to look beyond our phones and enjoy the physical benefits of community, randomness and serendipity. Who knows where it may take you and whom you might meet?!

    1 h 14 min
  3. 20 MARS

    Samuel Ashworth Interview

    Matt Crawford speaks with author Samuel Ashworth about his book, The Death and Life of August Sweeney: A Novel.  Legendary chef August Sweeney has served his final meal, dying in the middle of service in the very restaurant he built to secure his legacy. When Dr. Maya Zhu, a guarded, intense autopsist, is summoned to investigate, she discovers she must operate under strict conditions Sweeney himself dictated before he died. As she digs deeper into his immense body, everything that can go wrong, does, because August Sweeney isn't about to let a little thing like death stop him from raising hell.The Death and Life of August Sweeney finds two people drawn together across the barrier of death. In her ruthless drive to excel as a doctor, Zhu has walled herself off from almost everything. As she dissects Sweeney, teasing out the mysteries hidden in his body, she begins to understand that she is doing an autopsy on her counterpoint: an equally ruthless artist who made excess his muse. As she obsesses over what happened to Sweeney under the strangest conditions of her career, her life– and August' s death– will never be the same.An epic novel about life, death, and the worlds in between, The Death and Life of August Sweeney examines what it means to be driven, to be famous, and to be alive. A true book of the body, the author spent years researching clinical pathology and fine dining alike, spending weeks observing autopsies and working as a stagiaire in a Michelin-starred kitchen.

    58 min
    5
    sur 5
    26 notes

    À propos

    The curious man Matt Crawford interviews authors and interesting people about topics ranging from history to politics to everyday stimulating topics. If you like to learn and are as curious as I am please join in!

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