About Richard Davies

NBN Episodes hosted by Richard:

Bari Weiss, "How to Fight Anti-Semitism" (Crown, 2019)

February 12, 2020

How to Fight Anti-Semitism

Bari Weiss
Hosted by Richard Davies

Anti-semitism is on the rise in the U.S. and other parts of the world. 6 people died this week in Jersey City, New Jersey, in a shootout at a kosher …

T. Mose "The Playdate" (NYU Press, 2016) and L. Crehan "Cleverlands" (Random House, 2017)

February 5, 2020

T. Mose 'The Playdate' and L. Crehan 'Cleverlands'

Tamara Mose and Lucy Crehan
Hosted by Richard Davies

In this episode we consider vital role of play, and what it does to expand a child's creativity and resilience. Urban sociologist Tamara Mose is an A…

Eleanor Gordon-Smith, "Stop Being Reasonable: How We Really Change Our Minds" (PublicAffairs, 2019)

January 29, 2020

Stop Being Reasonable

Eleanor Gordon-Smith
Hosted by Richard Davies

With today's furious political and cultural divisions, it's easy to shake our heads in exasperation at those who disagree with us. In this episode wi…

Nicci Gerrard, "The Last Ocean: A Journey Through Memory and Forgetting" (Penguin, 2019)

January 22, 2020

The Last Ocean

Nicci Gerrard
Hosted by Richard Davies

Dementia provokes profound moral questions about our society and the meaning of life itself. How much are we connected to one another? In what ways ar…

Elizabeth Economy, "The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State" (Oxford UP, 2018)

January 15, 2020

The Third Revolution

Elizabeth Economy
Hosted by Richard Davies

A trade war with China has dangerous implications for the global economy. What began more than a year ago with President Trump’s decision to impose ta…

Meghan Daum, "The Problem With Everything: A Journey Through The New Culture Wars" (Gallery Books, 2019)

January 8, 2020

The Problem With Everything

Meghan Daum
Hosted by Richard Davies

Modern thought has been damaged by dogma and tribalistic click-bait. Social media and the fractured state of politics reward slick slogans and partisa…

David Brooks, "The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life" (Random House, 2019)

December 18, 2019

The Second Mountain

David Brooks
Hosted by Richard Davies

Colleges and universities can play a virtual role in the moral, intellectual and spiritual development of a student’s life. But there is a growing mis…

Chris Arnade, "Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America" (Sentinel, 2019)

December 11, 2019

Dignity

Chris Arnade
Hosted by Richard Davies

A lot of politicians like to say that there are “two Americas,” but do any of them know what life is really like for the marginalized poor? We spea…