![](/assets/artwork/1x1-42817eea7ade52607a760cbee00d1495.gif)
955 episodes
![](/assets/artwork/1x1-42817eea7ade52607a760cbee00d1495.gif)
EconTalk Russ Roberts
-
- Education
-
-
4.7 • 4.1K Ratings
-
EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious is an award-winning weekly podcast hosted by Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford's Hoover Institution. The eclectic guest list includes authors, doctors, psychologists, historians, philosophers, economists, and more. Learn how the health care system really works, the serenity that comes from humility, the challenge of interpreting data, how potato chips are made, what it's like to run an upscale Manhattan restaurant, what caused the 2008 financial crisis, the nature of consciousness, and more. EconTalk has been taking the Monday out of Mondays since 2006. All 900+ episodes are available in the archive. Go to EconTalk.org for transcripts, related resources, and comments.
-
Does Parenting Make You a Better Person? (with Erik Hoel)
Does parenting make you a better person? Can it improve your life? Neuroscientist Erik Hoel makes the self-interested case for parenting arguing that it makes you less jaded and more heartbroken (in a good way) for how you experience the world. Listen as new father Hoel speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the universal and particular truths surrounding parenting, and why the perception presented by the media is often at odds with our own experience. Topics include different parenting styles and their effects, how parents shape children's personalities and preferences, and the famous children's books that both men love and hate. The conversation closes with a discussion of the reliability of recent studies condemning homeschooling.
-
Lessons from Lincoln, Then and Now (with Diana Schaub)
What lessons can we take from the speeches of Abraham Lincoln for today's turbulent times? How did those speeches move the nation in Lincoln's day? Listen as political scientist Diana Schaub of Loyola University, Maryland talks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about three of Lincoln's most important speeches and what they can tell us about the United States then and now.
-
Reading, Writing, and Fighting (with Mark Helprin)
For many men, surviving the test of battle intensifies the joy of being alive. A provocative claim, perhaps, but to novelist Mark Helprin, simply a fact, and one that drives his new book about men who commit themselves fully both to service during wartime and to the women they love. Listen as Helprin tells EconTalk's Russ Roberts how his service in the Israeli and American militaries, his decades of journalism and outdoor adventure, and his long career in defense and foreign policy enabled him to write The Oceans and the Stars, a lyrical and thrilling look at leadership in the crucible of war--and at sea. They also discuss Helprin's writing routine and sources of inspiration, his analysis of Israel's real-life war against Iran and its proxies, and his thoughts on the state of American culture today.
-
Is Israel Occupying the West Bank? (with Eugene Kontorovich)
To international law expert Eugene Kontorovich of George Mason University, all the arguments that make Israel out to be an occupying force collapse under the weight of a single, simple fact: A country cannot occupy territory to which it has a legal claim. Listen as Kontorovich speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the legal issues surrounding occupation as well as the moral issues of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. They also discuss the crazy-quilt legal environment of jurisdiction in the West Bank in the aftermath of the Oslo Accords of 1993. Finally, they explore the likely outcomes of current proposals for a Palestinian state in the West Bank.
-
René Girard, Mimesis, and Conflict (with Cynthia Haven)
If you're always imitating others or aspiring to be something else, what's left of the "authentic" you? According to the French philosopher René Girard, not much: Nothing can be truly authentic, he argued--everything comes from somewhere else. This is just one of the many original and counterintuitive claims put forth in Girard's sweeping approach to human history. He argues it is sameness, not our difference that leads to conflict, and he sees religion as a way to contain the chaos as opposed to its first cause. Listen as Stanford University scholar Cynthia Haven speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about Girard's theories of desire and violence. The conversation also includes a discussion of the power of forgiveness to put a stop to conflict's rinse-and-repeat.
-
Does Market Failure Justify Government Intervention? (with Michael Munger)
Economics students are often taught that government should intervene when there is market failure. But what about government failure? Should we expect government intervention to outperform market outcomes? Listen as Duke University economist Michael Munger explores the history of how economists have thought about this dilemma and possible ways to find a third or even fourth option beyond government or markets.
Customer Reviews
Glenn Loury Tells All
Thanks for this podcast, Russ. I could have listened for another hour. As a Christian, in my 70s, I especially wanted to hear about Glenn’s struggles as a Christian now, at age 75. I only really fully understood the gospel about 15 years ago (30 years into my walk, knowing Christ— been a Christian 45 years now). The gospel, the good news is, we are lousy at best. We look to Christ for our perfection and rest in His righteousness, by our faith in Him. So glad to hear about your life, Glenn. I looked: your book is available today!! From a Wyoming listener 😉
If only the real world worked like the fantasy of theory!
I listen to this podcast for the fantastic guests, but the almost laughable lack of any concrete understanding of real people in real situations on the part of the host makes it painful to listen to. Facile back-of-the envelope math based on averages and ‘should mean’ theory-based conclusions combine with willful ignorance about options and sources of capital and connections for most people make this podcast seem stuck in a mystical neo-liberal world that bears little resemblance to reality. Perfect for people who want to remain comfortable in their comfortable libertarian myth bubble!
I used to love this show.
But i cannot bare listening to this pro-israel mumbo jumbo nonstop. Russ should stop sacrificing the show. But his show, his choice. I don’t need to listen. It’s a shame.