A few months after Winston&nbsp;Churchill&nbsp;took office as prime minister, the German military began an eight month-long bombing campaign on the United Kingdom which became&nbsp;known as the Blitz. The bombing, which lasted for 57 consecutive days and nights, killed 45,000 Britons. What was life like for the people who experienced the Blitz? My guest today zoomed in on this question by looking at the lives of Winston&nbsp;Churchill&nbsp;and his inner circle during this precarious year of the war.&nbsp; His name is <a href="https://eriklarsonbooks.com/">Erik Larson</a>, and in his latest book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TRVW6VX/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B07TRVW6VX&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">The Splendid and the Vile</a>, he shows readers how the Blitz could be absolutely terrifying, unexpectedly normal, and strangely beautiful at the same time, and does so by profiling how&nbsp;Churchill, as well as his family members and advisers, handled both the unexpected horrors of war and the predictable pickles of interpersonal drama.&nbsp;We begin our conversation discussing the&nbsp;extent of the Blitz, and then spend the rest of our conversation discussing key members in what&nbsp;Churchill&nbsp;called his "sacred circle." We learn how&nbsp;Churchill's wife Clementine supported her husband during the Blitz, how his son Randolph created trouble with his gambling and affairs, how his teenage daughter Mary managed to keep doing typically adolescent&nbsp;activities even while bombs fell on England, and how his advisors contributed to his leadership. These characters offer a great lesson in how life goes on even in the midst of a crisis, and how one can be fearless even in the face of a threat. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/larson">aom.is/larson</a>.

A few months after Winston&nbsp;Churchill&nbsp;took office as prime minister, the German military began an eight month-long bombing campaign on the United Kingdom which became&nbsp;known as the Blitz. The bombing, which lasted for 57 consecutive days and nights, killed 45,000 Britons. What was life like for the people who experienced the Blitz? My guest today zoomed in on this question by looking at the lives of Winston&nbsp;Churchill&nbsp;and his inner circle during this precarious year of the war.&nbsp; His name is Erik Larson, and in his latest book&nbsp;The Splendid and the Vile, he shows readers how the Blitz could be absolutely terrifying, unexpectedly normal, and strangely beautiful at the same time, and does so by profiling how&nbsp;Churchill, as well as his family members and advisers, handled both the unexpected horrors of war and the predictable pickles of interpersonal drama.&nbsp;We begin our conversation discussing the&nbsp;extent of the Blitz, and then spend the rest of our conversation discussing key members in what&nbsp;Churchill&nbsp;called his "sacred circle." We learn how&nbsp;Churchill's wife Clementine supported her husband during the Blitz, how his son Randolph created trouble with his gambling and affairs, how his teenage daughter Mary managed to keep doing typically adolescent&nbsp;activities even while bombs fell on England, and how his advisors contributed to his leadership. These characters offer a great lesson in how life goes on even in the midst of a crisis, and how one can be fearless even in the face of a threat. Get the show notes at aom.is/larson.

The Art of Manliness

#594: How Churchill (and London) Survived the Blitz of 1940

Are you feeling overwhelmed at work? Trying to find a job, but can't seem to get your foot in the door? Have you been knocking your head against a problem over and over again, but haven't made any headway on it? My guest today says you can solve most of these issues by simply asking for help.&nbsp; His name is <a href="https://www.waynebaker.org/">Wayne Baker</a>, he's a sociologist, consultant, and the author of the book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R1PWB2Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B07R1PWB2Y&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">All You Have to Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success</a>. We begin our conversation discussing what the research&nbsp;says are the benefits&nbsp;of asking for help and why people are nevertheless so reluctant to do it. Wayne then provides insights on how to&nbsp;overcome those obstacles in asking for help, the best way to formulate an ask so that it actually gets a response, and how to handle rejection. We then turn to Wayne's research on how organizations can benefit from creating a culture of help-seeking and what you can do within the organizations you belong to to foster such a culture. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/ask">aom.is/ask</a>.

Are you feeling overwhelmed at work? Trying to find a job, but can't seem to get your foot in the door? Have you been knocking your head against a problem over and over again, but haven't made any headway on it? My guest today says you can solve most of these issues by simply asking for help.&nbsp; His name is Wayne Baker, he's a sociologist, consultant, and the author of the book&nbsp;All You Have to Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success. We begin our conversation discussing what the research&nbsp;says are the benefits&nbsp;of asking for help and why people are nevertheless so reluctant to do it. Wayne then provides insights on how to&nbsp;overcome those obstacles in asking for help, the best way to formulate an ask so that it actually gets a response, and how to handle rejection. We then turn to Wayne's research on how organizations can benefit from creating a culture of help-seeking and what you can do within the organizations you belong to to foster such a culture. Get the show notes at aom.is/ask.

#593: All You Have to Do Is Ask

Emerson famously said "society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members."&nbsp; My guest today says things have gotten a lot worse since Emerson uttered those words over a century and a half ago. His name is <a href="http://www.roberttwigger.com/">Robert Twigger</a>. We last had him on the show <a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/micromastery-robert-twigger/">to discuss his book&nbsp;Micromastery</a>. Today we discuss a book he wrote 20 years ago called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0575070293/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0575070293&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World</a>. We begin our conversation discussing how the modern world infantilizes men so they're easier to control, and whether Robert thinks things have changed since he initially published the book. We then dig into the four factors&nbsp;Robert says need to be in&nbsp;place for a man to feel like a man, and why experiencing these qualities has become harder to do in the present age. We then discuss what Robert did to counter the currents of modern malaise like hiking the Pyrenees&nbsp;mountains and learning a&nbsp;martial art, and whether doing those things actually made him feel manlier. We end our conversation with what men can do to start fighting back against the conspiracy&nbsp;against their manhood. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/twigger">aom.is/twigger</a>.

Emerson famously said "society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members."&nbsp; My guest today says things have gotten a lot worse since Emerson uttered those words over a century and a half ago. His name is Robert Twigger. We last had him on the show to discuss his book&nbsp;Micromastery. Today we discuss a book he wrote 20 years ago called&nbsp;Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World. We begin our conversation discussing how the modern world infantilizes men so they're easier to control, and whether Robert thinks things have changed since he initially published the book. We then dig into the four factors&nbsp;Robert says need to be in&nbsp;place for a man to feel like a man, and why experiencing these qualities has become harder to do in the present age. We then discuss what Robert did to counter the currents of modern malaise like hiking the Pyrenees&nbsp;mountains and learning a&nbsp;martial art, and whether doing those things actually made him feel manlier. We end our conversation with what men can do to start fighting back against the conspiracy&nbsp;against their manhood. Get the show notes at aom.is/twigger.

#592: Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World

So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of reaction. We tackle the most urgent tasks. We deal with emergencies.&nbsp;We put out fires.&nbsp; We intuitively know we'd be better off if we figured out a way to be more proactive rather than reactive, thereby preventing fires from starting in the first place, but we can't seem to switch&nbsp;our approach. My guest today explores why that is and what we can do to start solving the problems of business, life, and society before they become problems.&nbsp; His name is <a href="https://heathbrothers.com/">Dan Heath</a> and today we talk about his latest book,&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/3cIyD8i">Upstream:&nbsp;The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen</a>.&nbsp;We begin our conversation discussing the issues that keep us from nipping problems in the bud, including problem blindness, lack of ownership, and "tunneling." Along the way Dan shares insights into how to overcome those roadblocks. We then shift gears and explore how to find the best upstream solutions to problems, which requires getting as close as possible to the problem, while also being able to survey the system it's embedded in from a bird's eye view. Dan explains the principles at play with plenty of real-life examples of how these tactics were used to effectively tackle big, seemingly intractable social problems. Lots of great insights that you can apply to solving problems in your personal life, business, and community. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/upstream">aom.is/upstream</a>.

So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of reaction. We tackle the most urgent tasks. We deal with emergencies.&nbsp;We put out fires.&nbsp; We intuitively know we'd be better off if we figured out a way to be more proactive rather than reactive, thereby preventing fires from starting in the first place, but we can't seem to switch&nbsp;our approach. My guest today explores why that is and what we can do to start solving the problems of business, life, and society before they become problems.&nbsp; His name is Dan Heath and today we talk about his latest book,&nbsp;Upstream:&nbsp;The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen.&nbsp;We begin our conversation discussing the issues that keep us from nipping problems in the bud, including problem blindness, lack of ownership, and "tunneling." Along the way Dan shares insights into how to overcome those roadblocks. We then shift gears and explore how to find the best upstream solutions to problems, which requires getting as close as possible to the problem, while also being able to survey the system it's embedded in from a bird's eye view. Dan explains the principles at play with plenty of real-life examples of how these tactics were used to effectively tackle big, seemingly intractable social problems. Lots of great insights that you can apply to solving problems in your personal life, business, and community. Get the show notes at aom.is/upstream.

#591: Solve Problems Before They Become Problems

Sherlock&nbsp;Holmes is one of the most widely recognized figures of literature and pop culture. But how did the creator of&nbsp;Sherlock&nbsp;Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, come up with a character who has become the universal archetype of the independent&nbsp;detective?&nbsp; In his book,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1632860406/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1632860406&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">Arthur and&nbsp;Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes</a>, my guest today explores the biography of the fictional detective by looking at the life of the real-world author. His name is Michael Sims and we begin our conversation&nbsp;with&nbsp;the early&nbsp;life of Conan Doyle and his experience in medical school studying under a renowned diagnostician who helped inspire&nbsp;the character of&nbsp;Sherlock&nbsp;Holmes. Michael then walks us through the cultural&nbsp;world of Victorian England and how it was the perfect environment&nbsp;for a character&nbsp;like Holmes to be birthed. He shows how writers like Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe laid the groundwork for detective fiction, how the&nbsp;Sherlock&nbsp;stories differed from theirs, and how they were initially received. We then delve into the characterization of Holmes and his crime solving methodology, before ending our conversation discussing Conan Doyle's intense interest in spiritualism and why Holmes is such a captivating figure even in the 21st century.&nbsp; Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/sherlock">aom.is/sherlock</a>.

Sherlock&nbsp;Holmes is one of the most widely recognized figures of literature and pop culture. But how did the creator of&nbsp;Sherlock&nbsp;Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, come up with a character who has become the universal archetype of the independent&nbsp;detective?&nbsp; In his book,&nbsp;Arthur and&nbsp;Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes, my guest today explores the biography of the fictional detective by looking at the life of the real-world author. His name is Michael Sims and we begin our conversation&nbsp;with&nbsp;the early&nbsp;life of Conan Doyle and his experience in medical school studying under a renowned diagnostician who helped inspire&nbsp;the character of&nbsp;Sherlock&nbsp;Holmes. Michael then walks us through the cultural&nbsp;world of Victorian England and how it was the perfect environment&nbsp;for a character&nbsp;like Holmes to be birthed. He shows how writers like Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe laid the groundwork for detective fiction, how the&nbsp;Sherlock&nbsp;stories differed from theirs, and how they were initially received. We then delve into the characterization of Holmes and his crime solving methodology, before ending our conversation discussing Conan Doyle's intense interest in spiritualism and why Holmes is such a captivating figure even in the 21st century.&nbsp; Get the show notes at aom.is/sherlock.

#590: The Creation of Sherlock Holmes

You know how good moving your body is for your&nbsp;physical&nbsp;health. You probably have a vague sense that it's good for your mental&nbsp;health too. But you likely don't realize just how powerful&nbsp;movement&nbsp;truly is for your mind, and that it even affects your sense of hope, courage, connection, and identity.&nbsp;My guest today explores these lesser-appreciated impacts of physical&nbsp;activity in her new book,&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/2Td8FlB">The Joy of&nbsp;Movement</a>. Her name is <a href="http://kellymcgonigal.com/">Kelly McGonigal</a> and she's a research psychologist and lecturer&nbsp;at Stanford University. Kelly and I begin our discussion&nbsp;with the idea of the runner's high, and whether you can get it from doing forms of exercise other than running. We then discuss how exercise can become powerfully addictive, and yet be a uniquely healthy form of addiction that improves instead of destroys mental health. We then discuss the way that moving our bodies with others can generate collective joy, as well as a muscular&nbsp;bonding that makes a group feel bigger and stronger. We also get into what elements go into an ideal pump-up song, how physical&nbsp;movement&nbsp;helps create your sense of self, and why exercising in nature seems to amplify all its beneficial effects. We end our conversation with what you can start doing today to get more of the potent benefits of physical&nbsp;movement.&nbsp; Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/joyofmovement">aom.is/joyofmovement</a>.

You know how good moving your body is for your&nbsp;physical&nbsp;health. You probably have a vague sense that it's good for your mental&nbsp;health too. But you likely don't realize just how powerful&nbsp;movement&nbsp;truly is for your mind, and that it even affects your sense of hope, courage, connection, and identity.&nbsp;My guest today explores these lesser-appreciated impacts of physical&nbsp;activity in her new book,&nbsp;The Joy of&nbsp;Movement. Her name is Kelly McGonigal and she's a research psychologist and lecturer&nbsp;at Stanford University. Kelly and I begin our discussion&nbsp;with the idea of the runner's high, and whether you can get it from doing forms of exercise other than running. We then discuss how exercise can become powerfully addictive, and yet be a uniquely healthy form of addiction that improves instead of destroys mental health. We then discuss the way that moving our bodies with others can generate collective joy, as well as a muscular&nbsp;bonding that makes a group feel bigger and stronger. We also get into what elements go into an ideal pump-up song, how physical&nbsp;movement&nbsp;helps create your sense of self, and why exercising in nature seems to amplify all its beneficial effects. We end our conversation with what you can start doing today to get more of the potent benefits of physical&nbsp;movement.&nbsp; Get the show notes at aom.is/joyofmovement.

#589: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage

Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia at age 19. By age 30 he controlled an empire that spanned from Greece to India. In the two thousand years after his early death, his influence has persisted. Military leaders from Caesar&nbsp;to Napoleon studied his campaigns and imitated his strategies and tactics, and without Alexander, the influence of Greek culture&nbsp;on the world wouldn't have been the same.&nbsp; My guest today has written a very readable, yet academically authoritative&nbsp;biography of this legendary king, commander, and conqueror. His name is <a href="https://philipfreemanbooks.com/author/">Philip Freeman</a>, and he's a classics professor and the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416592814/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1416592814&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">Alexander the Great</a>. Today on the show, Philip takes us on an engaging tour of Alexander's life, beginning with the myths surrounding his birth, and his education under the great philosopher Aristotle. Philip then explains the cloak and dagger intrigue of Macedonian politics and why Alexander's father was assassinated. We then dig into Alexander's political&nbsp;reign and military command and highlight the most famous battles during his decade-long campaign to conquer the ancient world. Along the way, Philip shares the leadership lessons we can learn from Alexander. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/alexanderthegreat">aom.is/alexanderthegreat</a>.

Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia at age 19. By age 30 he controlled an empire that spanned from Greece to India. In the two thousand years after his early death, his influence has persisted. Military leaders from Caesar&nbsp;to Napoleon studied his campaigns and imitated his strategies and tactics, and without Alexander, the influence of Greek culture&nbsp;on the world wouldn't have been the same.&nbsp; My guest today has written a very readable, yet academically authoritative&nbsp;biography of this legendary king, commander, and conqueror. His name is Philip Freeman, and he's a classics professor and the author of&nbsp;Alexander the Great. Today on the show, Philip takes us on an engaging tour of Alexander's life, beginning with the myths surrounding his birth, and his education under the great philosopher Aristotle. Philip then explains the cloak and dagger intrigue of Macedonian politics and why Alexander's father was assassinated. We then dig into Alexander's political&nbsp;reign and military command and highlight the most famous battles during his decade-long campaign to conquer the ancient world. Along the way, Philip shares the leadership lessons we can learn from Alexander. Get the show notes at aom.is/alexanderthegreat.

#588: The Audacious Command of Alexander the Great

Do you have a goal of&nbsp;reading&nbsp;more, but any time you start working on that goal, it feels like a chore? The&nbsp;equivalent of eating your broccoli? My guest today argues that the problem is likely due to the fact that you're trying to&nbsp;read&nbsp;what you think you&nbsp;should&nbsp;be&nbsp;reading, instead of&nbsp;reading&nbsp;what you actually enjoy.&nbsp; His name is <a href="http://ayjay.org/">Alan Jacobs</a>. He's a professor of literature and the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199747490/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0199747490&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">The Pleasures of&nbsp;Reading&nbsp;in an Age of Distraction</a>.&nbsp;At the start of our conversation Alan offers a critique of a certain approach to&nbsp;reading&nbsp;the so-called "Great Books," and makes an argument for choosing what you&nbsp;read&nbsp;based on Whim, with a capital W, rather than following any kind of list. He then makes the case for following that Whim into&nbsp;reading&nbsp;not only the books of your favorite authors, but the books your favorite authors&nbsp;read, which can actually lead you back to the Great Books, but in a way that will allow you to enjoy and appreciate them more. Alan makes the case as well for the value of re-reading&nbsp;books. Alan and I then discuss tactics to get more out of&nbsp;reading&nbsp;in our age of distraction, including his opinion on&nbsp;reading&nbsp;ebooks versus paper copies. We also get into his take on speed&nbsp;reading&nbsp;and whether it's okay to not finish books you're not digging. We end our conversation with what parents can do to raise eager&nbsp;readers.&nbsp; Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/pleasuresofreading">aom.is/pleasuresofreading</a>.

Do you have a goal of&nbsp;reading&nbsp;more, but any time you start working on that goal, it feels like a chore? The&nbsp;equivalent of eating your broccoli? My guest today argues that the problem is likely due to the fact that you're trying to&nbsp;read&nbsp;what you think you&nbsp;should&nbsp;be&nbsp;reading, instead of&nbsp;reading&nbsp;what you actually enjoy.&nbsp; His name is Alan Jacobs. He's a professor of literature and the author of&nbsp;The Pleasures of&nbsp;Reading&nbsp;in an Age of Distraction.&nbsp;At the start of our conversation Alan offers a critique of a certain approach to&nbsp;reading&nbsp;the so-called "Great Books," and makes an argument for choosing what you&nbsp;read&nbsp;based on Whim, with a capital W, rather than following any kind of list. He then makes the case for following that Whim into&nbsp;reading&nbsp;not only the books of your favorite authors, but the books your favorite authors&nbsp;read, which can actually lead you back to the Great Books, but in a way that will allow you to enjoy and appreciate them more. Alan makes the case as well for the value of re-reading&nbsp;books. Alan and I then discuss tactics to get more out of&nbsp;reading&nbsp;in our age of distraction, including his opinion on&nbsp;reading&nbsp;ebooks versus paper copies. We also get into his take on speed&nbsp;reading&nbsp;and whether it's okay to not finish books you're not digging. We end our conversation with what parents can do to raise eager&nbsp;readers.&nbsp; Get the show notes at aom.is/pleasuresofreading.

#587: How to Get More Pleasure and Fulfillment Out of Your Reading

In the winter of 1940, a group of civilian skiers was sitting by a fire in a ski lodge in Vermont shooting the breeze about how the US Army needed an alpine division like the militaries in Europe had. That conversation transformed into a concerted effort to turn their idea into a reality, and the creation of the Army's 10th Mountain Division -- a unit which would play a vital role fighting in the mountains of Italy during World War II. My guest today has written a book on these skiing, snow-born soldiers. His name is Maurice Isserman, and he's a professor of history and the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1328871436/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1328871436&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">The Winter Army: The World War II Odyssey of the 10th Mountain Division, America's Elite&nbsp;Alpine Warriors</a>. We begin our conversation discussing why the US Army didn't have an alpine division before WWII and how a group of civilian skiers led by a man named Minnie Dole spearheaded the movement to create one. Maurice then shares why the 10th Mountain Division heavily recruited from top tier colleges, and how the unusual make-up of the division influenced its unique culture. We then discuss how the military figured out what new equipment this new mountain division needed and the vigorous training its members undertook high in the mountains of Colorado. Maurice then digs into the 10th's involvement in the war and whether they actually got to use the skills they trained for years to hone. We end our conversation discussing the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division, including their role in America's post-war boom in recreational skiing. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/mountaindivision">aom.is/mountaindivision</a>.

In the winter of 1940, a group of civilian skiers was sitting by a fire in a ski lodge in Vermont shooting the breeze about how the US Army needed an alpine division like the militaries in Europe had. That conversation transformed into a concerted effort to turn their idea into a reality, and the creation of the Army's 10th Mountain Division -- a unit which would play a vital role fighting in the mountains of Italy during World War II. My guest today has written a book on these skiing, snow-born soldiers. His name is Maurice Isserman, and he's a professor of history and the author of&nbsp;The Winter Army: The World War II Odyssey of the 10th Mountain Division, America's Elite&nbsp;Alpine Warriors. We begin our conversation discussing why the US Army didn't have an alpine division before WWII and how a group of civilian skiers led by a man named Minnie Dole spearheaded the movement to create one. Maurice then shares why the 10th Mountain Division heavily recruited from top tier colleges, and how the unusual make-up of the division influenced its unique culture. We then discuss how the military figured out what new equipment this new mountain division needed and the vigorous training its members undertook high in the mountains of Colorado. Maurice then digs into the 10th's involvement in the war and whether they actually got to use the skills they trained for years to hone. We end our conversation discussing the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division, including their role in America's post-war boom in recreational skiing. Get the show notes at aom.is/mountaindivision.

#586: The Story of the Skiing Soldiers of WWII

I've dealt with depression in my life. My body temperature also seems to run hot; in fact my wife Kate has nicknamed me "the baked potato." My guest today says that there may be a connection between those two things. His name is Charles Raison, he's a psychiatrist, professor&nbsp;of psychiatry, and the co-author of&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/37ujLX4">The New Mind-Body Science of Depression</a>. We begin our conversation with why Charles thinks it's important to ask the question, "Does Major Depression even exist?" and what we do and don't know about what causes depression. We then turn to the emerging theory that physical inflammation may play a role in depression; Charles describes what inflammation is, and why the body may become inflamed and physically hotter not only in response to physical illness, but psychological stress as well. We then discuss the paradoxical finding that short-term exposure to inflammation in the form of exercise or sitting in a sauna can reduce long-term inflammation, and how hot you probably have to get in a sauna for it to have antidepressant effects. We also talk about how intermittent&nbsp;fasting may have a beneficial effect on inflammation, before turning to whether taking&nbsp;anti-inflammatory&nbsp;drugs could also help, and why you might want to get a blood test to see if your body's inflamed. We end our conversation with Charles' thoughts on how to figure out the right treatment for depression for each individual. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/inflammationdepression">aom.is/inflammationdepression</a>.

I've dealt with depression in my life. My body temperature also seems to run hot; in fact my wife Kate has nicknamed me "the baked potato." My guest today says that there may be a connection between those two things. His name is Charles Raison, he's a psychiatrist, professor&nbsp;of psychiatry, and the co-author of&nbsp;The New Mind-Body Science of Depression. We begin our conversation with why Charles thinks it's important to ask the question, "Does Major Depression even exist?" and what we do and don't know about what causes depression. We then turn to the emerging theory that physical inflammation may play a role in depression; Charles describes what inflammation is, and why the body may become inflamed and physically hotter not only in response to physical illness, but psychological stress as well. We then discuss the paradoxical finding that short-term exposure to inflammation in the form of exercise or sitting in a sauna can reduce long-term inflammation, and how hot you probably have to get in a sauna for it to have antidepressant effects. We also talk about how intermittent&nbsp;fasting may have a beneficial effect on inflammation, before turning to whether taking&nbsp;anti-inflammatory&nbsp;drugs could also help, and why you might want to get a blood test to see if your body's inflamed. We end our conversation with Charles' thoughts on how to figure out the right treatment for depression for each individual. Get the show notes at aom.is/inflammationdepression.

#585: Inflammation, Saunas, and the New Science of Depression

Why do people sometimes fall in love with someone&nbsp;who is all kinds of wrong for them? Their friends and family see lots of red flags about their partner, but they themselves miss these warnings&nbsp;entirely, sometimes to catastrophic consequences.&nbsp; My guest today argues that these kinds of errors in relational decision-making happen when someone lets his heart rule without also heeding his head. His name is <a href="http://www.mylovethinks.com/">John Van Epp</a>, and he's a therapist and the author of the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071548424/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0071548424&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk</a>. We begin our conversation discussing what society's default template for creating a successful relationship looks like, and how it leads people astray. John then defines what makes a jerk, a jerk, and the signs that you're dating a jerk. He then explains why it is that people so often miss these signs, by using a model of how attachment develops in a relationship; I think this model is super useful in understanding relational dynamics and you don't want to miss it. We then discuss why men need to do a better job in helping to pace relationships, instead of only letting women set the tempo. We end our conversation discussing the things you need to know about a person that you're forming a relationship with, including their relationship skills, family life, and values, before you escalate your commitment to them. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/lovethinks">aom.is/lovethinks</a>.

Why do people sometimes fall in love with someone&nbsp;who is all kinds of wrong for them? Their friends and family see lots of red flags about their partner, but they themselves miss these warnings&nbsp;entirely, sometimes to catastrophic consequences.&nbsp; My guest today argues that these kinds of errors in relational decision-making happen when someone lets his heart rule without also heeding his head. His name is John Van Epp, and he's a therapist and the author of the book How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk. We begin our conversation discussing what society's default template for creating a successful relationship looks like, and how it leads people astray. John then defines what makes a jerk, a jerk, and the signs that you're dating a jerk. He then explains why it is that people so often miss these signs, by using a model of how attachment develops in a relationship; I think this model is super useful in understanding relational dynamics and you don't want to miss it. We then discuss why men need to do a better job in helping to pace relationships, instead of only letting women set the tempo. We end our conversation discussing the things you need to know about a person that you're forming a relationship with, including their relationship skills, family life, and values, before you escalate your commitment to them. Get the show notes at aom.is/lovethinks.

#584: How to Avoid Falling in Love With the Wrong Person

Everyone gets old.&nbsp; But not everyone experiences old age the same way. Some folks spend the last few decades of their life sick, sad, and stagnating, while others stay sharp and find great satisfaction in the twilight years of life.&nbsp; My guest today is a neuroscientist who has dug into the research on what individuals can do to increase their chances of achieving the latter outcome instead of the former.&nbsp; His name <a href="https://www.daniellevitin.com/">Daniel Levitin</a> and today we discuss his latest book&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/37bmEMp">Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives</a>.&nbsp;We begin our conversation discussing the societal narratives we have about old age that don't always hold true. We then dig into the fact that while the brain slows in some ways with age, it gets sharper in other ways. Daniel shares the personality trait that's the biggest predictor of a successful elderhood, and the recognizable-yet-surprising&nbsp;reason the idea that memory declines with age is overblown. We also talk about what really works for preserving your memory and keeping your mind agile and keen, and no, it's not doing puzzles and brain games We end our show discussing the question of whether people get happier or sadder as they age. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/successfulaging">aom.is/successfulaging</a>.

Everyone gets old.&nbsp; But not everyone experiences old age the same way. Some folks spend the last few decades of their life sick, sad, and stagnating, while others stay sharp and find great satisfaction in the twilight years of life.&nbsp; My guest today is a neuroscientist who has dug into the research on what individuals can do to increase their chances of achieving the latter outcome instead of the former.&nbsp; His name Daniel Levitin and today we discuss his latest book&nbsp;Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives.&nbsp;We begin our conversation discussing the societal narratives we have about old age that don't always hold true. We then dig into the fact that while the brain slows in some ways with age, it gets sharper in other ways. Daniel shares the personality trait that's the biggest predictor of a successful elderhood, and the recognizable-yet-surprising&nbsp;reason the idea that memory declines with age is overblown. We also talk about what really works for preserving your memory and keeping your mind agile and keen, and no, it's not doing puzzles and brain games We end our show discussing the question of whether people get happier or sadder as they age. Get the show notes at aom.is/successfulaging.

#583: How to Stay Mentally Sharp and Fulfilled as You Age

War puts leadership to the ultimate test. During a war, a leader must make life or death decisions and be held accountable for those decisions&nbsp;while grappling not only with military strategy, but also political, economic, and domestic dynamics. My guest explores the lives of nine wartime leaders and what we can learn from them in his latest book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525522387/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0525522387&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">Leadership in War: Essential Lessons From Those Who Made History</a>.&nbsp;His name is <a href="http://andrew-roberts.net/">Andrew Roberts</a>, and <a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/podcast-544-the-audacious-life-of-winston-churchill/">we last had him on the show to talk about his biography of Winston Churchill</a>. We begin today's conversation discussing how Andrew decided on the leaders to highlight in his book, how he defines a "great" leader, and how that definition&nbsp;includes nefarious dictators like Hitler and Stalin. We then take a look at the leadership style of Napoleon, as well as that of World War II leaders like Churchill, Eisenhower, and Marshall. We also unpack how Hitler and Stalin gained power, despite having serious character defects. We end our conversation with the qualities this varied set of leaders held in common. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/leadersinwar">aom.is/leadersinwar</a>.

War puts leadership to the ultimate test. During a war, a leader must make life or death decisions and be held accountable for those decisions&nbsp;while grappling not only with military strategy, but also political, economic, and domestic dynamics. My guest explores the lives of nine wartime leaders and what we can learn from them in his latest book: Leadership in War: Essential Lessons From Those Who Made History.&nbsp;His name is Andrew Roberts, and we last had him on the show to talk about his biography of Winston Churchill. We begin today's conversation discussing how Andrew decided on the leaders to highlight in his book, how he defines a "great" leader, and how that definition&nbsp;includes nefarious dictators like Hitler and Stalin. We then take a look at the leadership style of Napoleon, as well as that of World War II leaders like Churchill, Eisenhower, and Marshall. We also unpack how Hitler and Stalin gained power, despite having serious character defects. We end our conversation with the qualities this varied set of leaders held in common. Get the show notes at aom.is/leadersinwar.

#582: Essential Lessons From Great Wartime Leaders

We're a month&nbsp;into the new year now. How are you doing on your resolutions? Have you already fallen off the wagon? Maybe the goal you set for yourself was just too big to successfully tackle. You need to think smaller. Tiny, even. That's the argument my guest makes. His name is <a href="https://www.bjfogg.com/">Dr. BJ Fogg</a>, and he's the founder and director of Stanford's Behavior Design Lab, as well as the author of the new book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0358003326/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0358003326&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything</a>. Today on the show, BJ walks us through the three components&nbsp;that drive our behavior, including the simple yet overlooked relationship between motivation and ability. He then explains how to build habits that feel easier and require lower levels of motivation by picking behaviors that are good matches for you and breaking them down into smaller parts. We also talk about the need to tie your habits to turnkey prompts, the importance of celebrating your successes, no matter how small, and the way tiny habits can lead to bigger changes. We end our conversation with why you should think about the process of getting rid of your bad habits as untangling them rather than breaking them.&nbsp;&nbsp; Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/tinyhabits">aom.is/tinyhabits</a>.

We're a month&nbsp;into the new year now. How are you doing on your resolutions? Have you already fallen off the wagon? Maybe the goal you set for yourself was just too big to successfully tackle. You need to think smaller. Tiny, even. That's the argument my guest makes. His name is Dr. BJ Fogg, and he's the founder and director of Stanford's Behavior Design Lab, as well as the author of the new book&nbsp;Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Today on the show, BJ walks us through the three components&nbsp;that drive our behavior, including the simple yet overlooked relationship between motivation and ability. He then explains how to build habits that feel easier and require lower levels of motivation by picking behaviors that are good matches for you and breaking them down into smaller parts. We also talk about the need to tie your habits to turnkey prompts, the importance of celebrating your successes, no matter how small, and the way tiny habits can lead to bigger changes. We end our conversation with why you should think about the process of getting rid of your bad habits as untangling them rather than breaking them.&nbsp;&nbsp; Get the show notes at aom.is/tinyhabits.

#581: The Tiny Habits That Change Everything

Some cultural observers have posited that we're moving from an information economy to a reputation economy. There's so much information to sort through, that figuring out which bits to pay attention to has come to&nbsp;increasingly&nbsp;rely on what&nbsp;we think of the person delivering them. We privilege&nbsp;the messenger over the message. But how exactly do we decide which messengers to listen to or not? What draws us to particular&nbsp;messengers and causes us to tune out others? My guest has spent his career researching, lecturing, and writing about the answers to these questions and he shares his insights in a new book. His name is <a href="https://www.influenceatwork.com/">Steve Martin</a> and he's the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MLRC69J/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B07MLRC69J&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=stucosuccess&amp;linkId=FSXA3GZUT5SFDAZ4">Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don't, and Why</a>. In the first half of our conversation, we unpack why it is that the messenger matters so much, and how people can manipulate these factors in unethical ways to peddle messages and influence that may not be credible. We then shift into how you can also leverage these neutral tools in ethical ways to make yourself more persuasive and ensure your ideas get heard. Steve explains that there are two types of persuasive&nbsp;messengers -- hard and soft -- and walks us through the qualities embodied by each. We discuss the different ways a person can become an effective hard messenger, including competence, dominance, and attractiveness, and what makes a soft messenger persuasive, including warmth, vulnerability, and charisma -- the latter of which incorporates a trait you may not have previously associated with being charismatic. We end our conversation discussing when you should use a hard vs. soft approach as you seek to lead and share your message. Get the show notes at <a href="aom.is/messengers">aom.is/messengers</a>.

Some cultural observers have posited that we're moving from an information economy to a reputation economy. There's so much information to sort through, that figuring out which bits to pay attention to has come to&nbsp;increasingly&nbsp;rely on what&nbsp;we think of the person delivering them. We privilege&nbsp;the messenger over the message. But how exactly do we decide which messengers to listen to or not? What draws us to particular&nbsp;messengers and causes us to tune out others? My guest has spent his career researching, lecturing, and writing about the answers to these questions and he shares his insights in a new book. His name is Steve Martin and he's the author of&nbsp;Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don't, and Why. In the first half of our conversation, we unpack why it is that the messenger matters so much, and how people can manipulate these factors in unethical ways to peddle messages and influence that may not be credible. We then shift into how you can also leverage these neutral tools in ethical ways to make yourself more persuasive and ensure your ideas get heard. Steve explains that there are two types of persuasive&nbsp;messengers -- hard and soft -- and walks us through the qualities embodied by each. We discuss the different ways a person can become an effective hard messenger, including competence, dominance, and attractiveness, and what makes a soft messenger persuasive, including warmth, vulnerability, and charisma -- the latter of which incorporates a trait you may not have previously associated with being charismatic. We end our conversation discussing when you should use a hard vs. soft approach as you seek to lead and share your message. Get the show notes at aom.is/messengers.

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The Art of Manliness

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