Books on Pod with Trey Elling: Recent Episodes
Books on Pod
The legendary Roseanne Barr chats with Trey Elling, ahead of her headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club on June 17th, 18th, and 19th. Topics include:
- Austin & Texas (0:00)
- Independent thought (4:38)
- Bill Hicks (7:15)
- Parenting in 2024 (9:06)
- Belligerent technology usage (12:40)
- Cancel culture (14:22)
- Political correctness in comedy (16:22)
- An ode to standup (20:00)
Comedian and actor Aries Spears chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club from June 13th thru 16th. Topics include:
- Austin's standup scene (0:00)
- Aries' current hour (1:45)
- Seeing a lot of adult things as a kid (3:36)
- Eddie Murphy (9:08)
- Political correctness in comedy (14:32)
- The Spears & Steinberg podcast (17:28)
- Too many 'aw shucks' moments (18:57)
- Admitting mistakes (20:15)
- Being ok with silence on stage (25:29)
- Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul (27:19)
- An ode to standup (30:31)
Magician Michael Carbonaro chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his June 16th show at Austin's Paramount Theatre. Topics include:
- The "Lies On Stage" Tour (0:00)
- A Zoom card trick (3:23)
- A love/hate relationship with magic (5:45)
- Political correctness in comedy (7:43)
- The live show (11:32)
Comedian and actor Brian Posehn chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his shows at Creek and the Cave. Topics include:
- Austin, TX (0:00)
- Brian's new comic, Grommets (3:39)
- 8th grade graduations & the like (10:22)
- Interviewing Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath (16:43)
- The new hour (21:23)
- Brian's skater past (22:40)
- An ode to standup (24:57)
Comedian Mike Vecchione chats with Trey Elling, prior to his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- Back at The Mothership (0:00)
- Philly --> NYC (2:24)
- Teaching special education (8:25)
- Philly sports insanity (14:03)
- Comedy crowds (23:14)
Filmmaker Viggo Mortensen chats with Trey Elling about THE DEAD DON'T HURT, a new Western he wrote, directed, starred in, and scored. Topics include:
- His mom's influence on the story (0:00)
- Vicky Krieps as the female antagonist (2:38)
- Acting is playing (4:34)
- Collaboration (5:36)
- The non-linear structure (7:44)
- Getting the horseback riding right (11:28)
- Believability (13:04)
- What he learned making this film (16:11)
- An ode to filmmaking (17:48)
Phil Rosenthal, star of Netflix's Somebody Feed Phil and creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, chats with Trey Elling, prior to his annual appearance at the ATX TV Festival. Phil also co-hosts the podcast, Naked Lunch. And he's written two books, Somebody Feed Phil The Book and Just Try It!,a children's book co-authored with his daughter, Lily.
Topics include:
- Chicago (0:00)
- A love for television (2:46)
- Meeting Bruce Springsteen (7:14)
- Meeting Larry David (10:03)
- Phones at the dinner table (11:54)
- Food: the key to bipartisanship (13:07)
- Phil's books (16:18)
- Favorite ATX food (18:05)
- Norman Lear (21:08)
- An ode to shared meals (23:16)
Nellie Bowles, currently a writer for The Free Press and formerly with The New York Times, chats with Trey Elling about MORNING AFTER THE REVOLUTION: DISPATCHES FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY. Topics include:
- The book's goal (0:00)
- CHAZ! Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (2:55)
- Cancel Culture (12:21)
- Black Lives Matter (15:03)
- San Francisco (28:06)
- Trans lives matter (37:15)
- Optimistic or pessimistic about things? (48:37)
Comedian Jackie Fabulous chats with Trey Elling, ahead of her headlining shows at Creek and the Cave. Topics include:
- Travel headaches (0:00)
- Getting on stage in a variety of places (7:26)
- Standup etiquette (11:15)
- Austin, TX...Jackie's future home??? (14:44)
- Tattoos (29:40)
- An ode to standup (32:28)
Comedian Chad Daniels chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- The Comedy Mothership (0:00)
- Minnesota sports & Kirk Cousins (2:41)
- Sports heckling (9:05)
- Fatherhood (12:27)
- Opening for Mitch Hedberg (19:57)
- Odes to Minnesota and standup (24:29)
Comedian and actor TJ Miller chats with Trey Elling, prior to his shows at Creek & The Cave on May 17th and 18th. Topics include:
- TJ's warthog (0:00)
- Dad's brain surgery (2:08)
- Austin, TX (4:20)
- Big city living (7:42)
- NYC's rough edges (15:59)
- City bikes and scooters (18:01)
- Standup at Red Rocks (23:29)
- Arrested in Austin (26:51)
- TJ's Crowd Sorcerer Tour (28:25)
- An ode to standup (31:22)
Musician Serj Tankian, best known as front man for System Of A Down, chats with Trey Elling about DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM: A MEMOIR (OF SORTS). Topics include:
- His family in the Armenian Genocide (0:00)
- The Lebanon Civil War (4:48)
- Being an immigrant kid (7:38)
- The music epiphany (10:32)
- Dad's helpful advice (13:11)
- "System Of A Down" meaning (15:05)
- Rick Rubin (16:47)
- His first visit to Armenia (19:47)
- Criticizing the US, post-9/11 (21:31)
- Spurning the Grammys (24:55)
- B.Y.O.B. (28:22)
- Steal This Album! & "Boom!" (29:16)
- Maintaining creative freedom (31:15)
- Compassionate confrontation (32:12)
- Parenthood (33:48)
- System's ONE Armenia show (37:30)
- Showing Bourdain around Armenia (39:08)
- An ode to America (42:42)
- An ode to making music (43:27)
- An ode to being Armenian (45:46)
Investigative writer Max Marshall chats with Trey Elling about AMONG THE BROS: A FRATERNITY CRIME STORY. Topics include:
- Initially chasing this story (0:00)
- The Xanax/benzo epidemic (3:10)
- Introducing Mikey & Rob (7:26)
- Mike & Rob sling Xanax (10:12)
- Zach Kligman enters the picture (14:11)
- Mikey & Waka Flocka (20:08)
- The police get involved (24;37)
- Rob flips on Mikey (28:21)
- Talking to Mikey in prison (34:47)
- Not getting to speak with Rob (38:17)
- Zach Kligman's fascinating "innocence" (40:27)
- What's next for Max (54:21)
Grammy-winning blues musician Cedric Burnside chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his May 9th-11th tour stops in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Topics include:
- His new album, HILL COUNTRY LOVE (0:00)
- Evolving as a musician (3:21)
- His granddad, RL Burnside (7:53)
- His meek childhood (11:18)
- Making it through the hard times (13:33)
- Juke joints (16:34)
- Describing hill country blues (18:44)
- Playing in Austin (20:26)
- Winning a Grammy (23:18)
- His cameo in BLACK SNAKE MOAN (26:25)
- Kitchen skills (28:06)
- Parenting challenges in 2024 (29:30)
- An ode to the blues (34:16)
Comedian Nimesh Patel chats with Trey Elling, prior to his show at the Paramount Theatre on May 3rd. Topics include:
- His newest hour (0:00)
- The importance of family (7:18)
- Doing theaters & playing Austin (9:02)
- A unique path to touring in 2021 (13:30)
- Luck (18:20)
- Approval from Chris Rock (23:46)
- A big question (27:37)
- An ode to standup (29:31)
Comedian & filmmaker Steve Byrne chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- USO tours (0:00)
- Comedy in Austin (3:45)
- Standup thriving b/c funny movies aren't? (8:00)
- Steve's current filmmaking projects (13:48)
- The Pittsburgh Steelers (20:59)
- Steve vs Bobby Kelly (23:52)
- The Mothership and working to create funny (27:20)
- An ode to standup (32:30)
ENCAPSULATE and Atlanta Mushroom Festival founders Paul Grzybowski and Dave Claassen chat with Trey Elling about their amazing supplement, the quarterly festival, and more. Topics include:
- Paul's background (0:00)
- Dave's background (3:46)
- The start of ENCAPSULATE (6:28)
- Reishi mushroom benefits (14:07)
- Lion's mane mushrooms (15:56)
- Cordyceps mushrooms (16:58)
- Chaga mushrooms (18:00)
- Shiitake mushrooms (18:46)
- Turkey tail mushrooms (19:59)
- The Atlanta Mushroom Festival (22:56)
- Emory University's Science on Spirituality (29:21)
- Research on spirituality & positive outcomes (34:35)
- ENCAPSULATE's 3rd party testing (40:02)
- Parting thoughts (44:33)
Comedian, actor, and podcaster Erik Griffin chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- QBs & football (0:00)
- Parenting a newborn (15:37)
- Mortality as a parent (20:01)
- Gun technology lagging (25:07)
- Parenting challenges (29:06)
- Matt Rife (52:52)
- I'm Dying Up Here (56:06)
- An ode to standup (59:51)
Trey Elling chats with writer/director Alex Garland, as well as cast members Cailee Spaeny & Wagner Moura, ahead of the SXSW world premiere of CIVIL WAR.
- Alex Garland (0:00)
- Cailee Spaeny (0:46)
- Wagner Moura (1:58)
Trey Elling chats with the people responsible for the new documentary, CHEECH AND CHONG'S LAST MOVIE, during the film's red carpet premiere at SXSW. Guests include:
- Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong (0:00)
- John Paul DeJoria (1:15)
- Robbi Chong (1:36)
- David Bushell (3:27)
Comedian Paul Conyers chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his Moontower Comedy Fest show at Cap City Comedy Club on Saturday, April 20th at 10pm. Topics include:
- The Sacramento Kings (0:00)
- A hoops background (1:33)
- Being tall kinda sucks (4:37)
- The greatest standup bombing story ever? (8:18)
- Performing in Austin, TX (12:44)
- Connecting with Nate Jackson (17:37)
- Brock Purdy & SF (18:48)
Trey Elling chats with the cast & writers/directors at the SXSW world premiere of SASQUATCH SUNSET. The film hits theaters on April 19th. Guests include:
- Jesse Eisenberg (0:00)
- David Zellner (0:49)
- Nathan Zellner (1:16)
- Christophe Zajac-Denek (1:49)
Comedian Brad Williams chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his show during Moontower Comedy Fest at the Paramount Theatre on April 19th. Topics include:
- Intro (0:00)
- Moontower (2:18)
- Living the good life (8:03)
- The Denver Broncos (11:57)
- The NFL (17:23)
- Out to sea with Chris Jericho (24:36)
- Brad's OJ joke (28:47)
- The Spinal Tap sequel (30:56)
- The Comedy Mothership (32:16)
- An ode to standup (36:32)
Comedian Ms. Pat chats with Trey Elling, ahead of her Moontower Comedy Fest show at the Paramount Theatre on April 18th. Topics include:
- Intro (0:00)
- Getting used to theaters (2:21)
- Standup crowd etiquette (4:13)
- Childhood (9:02)
- Having hard conversations (13:06)
- Customer service for dealing (15:35)
- Richard Pryor & Bill Cosby (17:40)
- Celebrity (21:50)
- An ode to standup (23:33)
Comedian Ari Shaffir chats with Trey Elling, prior to his Wrong Side of History Tour stop at Moontower Comedy Fesitval in Austin, TX on April 20th and special taping in Washington DC on April 26th & 27th. Ari also premiered his new podcast, You Be Trippin', in March. Topics include:
- Intro (0:00)
- The Dallas Cowboys (1:57)
- Personal sports highlights (4:02)
- Hanging with Tiger Woods (9:01)
- Watching cockfights (11:12)
- State of Origin (17:13)
- You Be Trippin' (19:12)
- The Kobe tweet & cancel culture (24:25)
- Basketball (28:14)
- The Wrong Side Of History Tour (31:30)
Actor Alan Ruck chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his screening of FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF during Moontower Comedy Fest at the Paramount Theatre on April 13th. Topics include:
- Austin, TX (0:00)
- John Hughes (2:38)
- Chicago (5:57)
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (11:03)
- Egypt...land (17:52)
- Succession (18:00)
Comedian Martin Urbano chats with Trey Elling, prior to the taping of his new special during the Moontower Comedy Festival at Austin's Stateside Theatre on Sunday, April 14th.
- Texas roots (0:00)
- Filming his first hour (6:10)
- Lived in Austin (9:01)
- Moving to NYC (14:41)
- Working at a wax museum (16:06)
- Jimmy Fallon (21:18)
- Post-Tonight Show (22:48)
- An ode to standup (25:18)
Comedian Margaret Cho chats with Trey Elling, prior to her Moontower Comedy Festival show at the Paramount Theatre on April 11th. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (0:00)
- Network TV Execs suck (5:17)
- Evolving as a standup (7:42)
- "Gay face" (9:54)
- Armenian food (13:20)
- Her upcoming Broadway show (15:29)
- The big question (16:36)
- Sam Rockwell (17:32)
- An ode to standup (18:33)
Ahmed Gallab, aka Sinkane, chats with Trey Elling during SXSW 2024. Sinkane's new album, WE BELONG, hit stores on April 5th, blending funk, afrobeat, disco, southern gospel, Sudanese pop, and more. Topics include:
- The new album (0:00)
- Learning to be a front man (2:55)
- Singing falsetto (9:32)
- Ohio State (12:02)
- Performance art (17:46)
- WE BELONG (19:45)
Rick Doblin, founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), chats with Trey Elling. Topics include the potential medicinal benefits of...
- Intro (0:00)
- Cannabis (2:16)
- MDMA (9:55)
- Ibogaine (24:56)
- Psilocybin (31:56)
- Qualified psychedelic therapists (37:32)
- Total eclipses (42:39)
Comedian Ian Fidance chats with Trey Elling, prior to his shows at Creek & The Cave on April 5th and 6th.
Legendary comedian George Wallace chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his shows at Cap City Comedy Club on April 5th & 6th. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (0:00)
- Making it in comedy (4:51)
- The key to selling (9:12)
- Waiting in line for food (13:01)
- Hanging with Larry David (16:58)
- Working new material (18:25)
- Self-promotion (22:29)
- Traveling & airplanes (24:08)
- The last question (27:53)
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk chats with Trey Elling, ahead of DARKSLIDES & SECRET TAPES: AN EVENING WITH TONY HAWK & RODNEY MULLEN at ACL Live on April 7th. Topics include:
- Parenting (0:00)
- That pesky broken femur (1:46)
- Darkslides & Secret Tapes (4:32)
- The skateboarding community (6:34)
- BACK II THE FUTURE & hoverboards (8:35)
- Skateboarding purists & the X Games (10:08)
- Skateboarding as a metaphor for life (11:56)
- Parenting and social media (12:28)
- Traveling the world with kids (14:36)
- The Skate Park Project (16:44)
- The big question (17:22)
Comedian Robert Kelly chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership on April 5th & 6th. Topics include:
- Eclipses (0:00)
- Hanging in the woods (3:33)
- Kids and their feelings (14:04)
- The border (21:56)
- The Comedy Mothership (24:26)
- Current projects (30:57)
- Steve Byrne (35:12)
Legendary musician John Oates chats with Trey Elling during SXSW 2024. Topics include:
- Attending the first SXSW (0:00)
- Starting out in the music biz (1:30)
- Willie Nelson (5:15)
- The solo career (6:17)
- The story behind "Get Your Smile On" (7:42)
- "Maneater" (11:00)
- Taking a 10-year break in 1986 (13:16)
- Failing at country music (18:25)
- Artificial intelligence (20:50)
- Electric cars (23:35)
- Making music & telling stories live (25:33)
- His new album, Reunion (28:53)
- Mortality & the afterlife (30:54)
Trey Elling chats with the legendary Bootsy Collins and up-and-coming musician Fantaazma during SXSW 2024. Bootsy premiered his new single at South By. "The Influencers" features Fantaazma, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, and more. Topics include:
- How Bootsy and Fantaazma met (0:47)
- The One (3:05)
- Bootsy's alien encounter (8:17)
- "The Influencers" (12:54)
- Bootsy gives a nickname to Trey (16:03)
Trey Elling chats with the cast of ROAD HOUSE, ahead of the film's premiere at SXSW 2024. The guests included Jake Gyllenhaal, Connor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Jessica Williams, Billy Magnussen, BK Cannon, Dominique Columbus, Breland, and Bob Menery. Topics include:
- Intro (0:00)
- Jake & Connor teaching each other (0:58)
- Remaking a classic (2:52)
- Modern Jeff Healy (4:25)
- Last real fight (5:15)
- Filming in the DR (8:22)
- Fighting Connor in real life (9:16)
Actor Skeet Ulrich chats with Trey Elling, prior to the March 31st premiere of PARISH on AMC. Ulrich is also driving the honorary pace car prior to NASCAR's EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX on March 24th. Topics include:
- Skeet's deep connection to NASCAR (0:00)
- Having open-heart surgery at 10 (4:15)
- Driving the honorary pace car (8:52)
- His mischievous Parish character (10:38)
- Getting the Cajun accent right (13:17)
- A passion for woodworking (15:34)
- That big question (18:38)
Comedian and filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwait chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his shows at Vulcan Gas Company on March 22nd & 23rd. Topics include:
- Bobcat the standup comedian (0:00)
- The early days (1:19)
- Testing new material (4:24)
- ATX standup (6:02)
- Finding hid true voice on stage (8:50)
- Directing the Jimmy Kimmel Show (11:46)
- Befriending Robin Williams (14:31)
- Making World's Greatest Dad (16:58)
- Bobcats Mike Tyson story (20:31)
- Hitting it big in LA (22:50)
- Remembering Bill Hicks (23:52)
- Directing standup (25:29)
- Performing standup (26:50)
Jermaine Dupri & Luther Campbell chat with Trey Elling about FREAKNIK: THE WILDEST PARTY NEVER TOLD, ahead of the Hulu documentary's world premiere at SXSW 2024. Topics include:
- Why this story needs to be told (0:00)
- What Freaknik was all about (2:20)
- Jermaine's Super Bowl outfit (5:24)
- The direction of college football (6:46)
Actor Thomas Haden Church chats with Trey Elling about ACCIDENTAL TEXAN, which opened in theaters on March 8th. Topics include:
- Accidental Texan (0:00)
- The Texas Hill Country (1:41)
- Self-sabotage as a young actor (5:52)
- Total eclipse of bachelor party? (9:04)
Robert Smigel has made people laugh though SNL, Conan, Leo on Netflix, and much more. He chats with Trey, ahead of his appearances at SXSW 2024, to discuss four decades of creating comedy. Topics include:
- Austin, TX (0:00)
- Chicago (2:13)
- SNL (11:13)
- Replacing Lorne Michaels (19:45)
- Triumph (22:01)
- Norm (25:39)
- Imitating Norm (28:01)
- Is comedy harder in 2024? (29:43)
- Cancel culture & comedy (38:12)
- Armenia (42:07)
- Watching movies in a theater (43:30)
- Shameless promotion time (51:49)
- Where's Triumph? (53:50)
Former pro baller Evan Turner chats with Trey Elling, ahead of Evan and Andre Iguodala bringing their Point Forward podcast to SXSW on March 10th for a conversation with Megan Rapinoe. Topics include:
- Da Bears (0:00)
- Jay Cutler (2:16)
- Austin, TX (4:14)
- Interviewing Megan Rapinoe at SXSW (5:51)
- Post-NBA adjustment (6:41)
- Starring at THE Ohio State (9:40)
- Staying in school (12:36)
- Parenting in 2024 (15:10)
- Learning how to be a pro (17:08)
- The AAU system (18:12)
- Moving the 3-point line back (19:47)
- The big question (20:33)
Emmy-nominated actor Stephen Root chats with Trey Elling, ahead of the 25th anniversary reunion of the Office Space cast & crew at SXSW 2024. Topics include:
- Making Office Space (0:00)
- NewsRadio (6:53)
- Improv in Barry (8:14)
- Mike Judge's brilliance (9:51)
- Betting on yourself (11:15)
- The end of Barry (14:09)
- Working with Norm MacDonald (16:24)
- Rebooting King of the Hill (17:39)
- The Lasting legacy of Office Space (19:54)
Comedian Steve Treviño chats with Trey Elling, prior to his Good Life Tour to Bass Concert hall in Austin, TX on March 8th. Topics include:
- Moving back to Texas (0:00)
- Working out new material (4:03)
- Youth sports (6:28)
- Non-offensive standup (16:44)
- Kids and cussing (19:49)
- Theaters vs clubs (23:39)
- Helicopters For Heroes (28:27)
- Renae, aka Captain Evil, joins in (30:34)
Comedian Mark Normand chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his Ya Don't Say tour stopping in Austin on March 1st & 2nd. Topics include:
- His career blowing up (0:00)
- Austin, TX (1:52)
- Brian Simpson (2:47)
- The Comedy Mothership (3:22)
- Larry David (5:31)
- The We Might Be Drunk podcast (8:36)
- Bodega Cat Whiskey (10:18)
- Shane Gillis on SNL (11:32)
- Two 'taboo' words that are back in fashion (12:46)
- A downtown Austin lunch rec (15:38)
- The current tour (17:04)
Comedian Christopher Titus chats with Trey Elling, prior to his Feb. 29 - Mar. 2 shows at Cap City Comedy Club. Topics include:
- Stupid people (0:00)
- Stupid drivers (2:13)
- Carrying Monsters (4:51)
- Dark (standup) comedy (8:17)
- A Bill Hicks story (10:10)
- Standup & cancel culture (12:13)
- A Titus family history lesson (16:01)
- A boost from Dana Carvey (17:07)
- Parenting (19:57)
- A question he's pondering (27:19)
1 New York Times bestselling author Mark Greaney chats with Trey Elling about THE CHAOS AGENT, the 13th installment in his Gray Man series. Topics include:
- Focusing on Artificial Intelligence (0:00)
- Only using actualized technologies (2:59)
- AI being allowed in military warfare (7:06)
- Disturbing AI discoveries from his research (10:42)
- Parenting (13:59)
- The creative process (17:48)
- Failure (21:21)
- Maladaptive daydreaming (24:15)
- Appearing on JRE (26:58)
- Key to a good story (28:22)
- Ode to the Gray Man (30:40)
Comedian, podcaster, and actor Bryan Callen chats with Trey Elling, prior to The Fighter And The Kid broadcasting live from Vulcan Gas Company on February 15th at 10pm. Topics include:
- TFATK live broadcast (0:00)
- Parenting in 2024 (3:09)
- The cult of the amateur (8:01)
- Challenging your kids (11:59)
- Pursuing of acting (15:53)
- The theme for his next special (20:05)
- THE question he's pondering (22:11)
- The death of Los Angeles (24:06)
Actor & comedian Tim Meadows chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his Feb. 16-28 shows at Cap City Comedy Club. Topics include:
- Cheese plates (0:00)
- Starting standup late (1:41)
- Finding his standup voice (6:38)
- The Detroit Riots (14:16)
- The Talking Heads (15:57)
- Shane Gillis hosting SNL (20:23)
- Forgiveness (22:23)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm (24:36)
- A question he's pondering (27:27)
- An ode to standup (28:14)
Renowned guitarist and blues musician Kenny Wayne Shepherd chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his "Dirt on My Diamonds' Tour passing through Austin at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre on February 17th. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (0:00)
- Dirt On My Diamonds, Vol. 1 (3:22)
- His evolution as a singer (6:33)
- Studio songs that don't translate live (9:34)
- Listening to albums, start to finish (10:50)
- Opening for The Eagles in the mid-'90s (14:50)
- Making optimistic music (16:01)
- Parenting joys & challenges (17:41)
Comedian & filmmaker Steve Byrne chats with Trey Elling, prior to his headlining shows at Creek & the Cave on February 9th and 10th. Topics include:
- Austin as a standup mecca (0:00)
- The Joe Rogan of Nashville? (2:42)
- Moving out of California (5:06)
- Parenting challenges in 2024 (6:38)
- A bum hit on his wife while shitting (12:24)
- A Cinematic Xmas Journey podcast (15:56)
- Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (19:07)
- Steve Byrne, the filmmaker (22:35)
- Eating humble pie as a young comic (25:57)
- The Pittsburgh Steelers (31:13)
Jeff Schaffer is Larry David's writing partner, as well as an executive producer and one of the main directors of Curb Your Enthusiasm. In this episode, Jeff chats with Trey Elling about the 12th--and final--season of the iconic comedy and more. Topics include:
- Still shooting Curb (0:00)
- Larry having to do press (2:02)
- The end...really this time (3:07)
- The series finale (4:40)
- Favorite Curb episode (6:11)
- FX's Dave on hiatus (8:10)
- Dave & Brad Pitt (9:42)
- The Seahawks (12:02)
- Michigan's championship (18:45)
- Larry's call with The Rock (23:24)
- Future Curb plots? (26:08)
- What's next? (27:44)
- "Larry David Moments" (28:30)
Comedian and actor Maz Jabroni chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Creek & The Cave on February 2nd & 3rd. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (0:00)
- Starting standup (4:25)
- The Comedy Store's return to greatness (6:46)
- Working new material (9:19)
- Getting good at standup (12:23)
- a Sam Tripoli story (16:23)
- Doing hard things. (18:38)
- Working on Curb Your Enthusiasm (24:05)
Legendary standup comedian and actor Lenny Clarke chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at The Comedy Mothership from February 2nd thru the 4th. Topics include:
- A comedy club for comedians (0:00)
- Hecklers (3:48)
- Coming up with new material (5:16)
- Looking out for others (7:39)
- Encouragement (10:33)
- On-stage therapy (14:37)
- Performing in Austin w/ Kinison (16:17)
- Bill Hicks (20:10)
- Extended Family on NBC (21:26)
- Marriage (25:26)
- Near-death experiences (26:26)
- Annoying people on airplanes (29:53)
- Getting passed by Mitzi (32:13)
- A love for standup (33:52)
Comedian, writer, podcaster, and actor Moshe Kasher chats with Trey Elling about SUBCULTURE VULTURE: A MEMOIR IN SIX SCENES. Topics include:
- The book's inspiration (0:00)
- Getting sober at 15 (3:09)
- Soberly loving raves (8:36)
- Hearing among the deaf (17:15)
- Burning Man (23:52)
- Being Jewish (24:56)
- The "art" of standup (29:17)
- Natasha Leggero going "Kreischer" (35:11)
Musician, comedian, and actor Craig Robinson chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club from January 25th thru the 28th. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (0:00)
- Craig's standup evolution (1:20)
- Killing It (7:26)
- An epiphany (8:46)
Legendary comedian and actor Brian Regan chats with Trey Elling, prior to his January 28th show at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX. Topics include:
- Touring through Texas (0:00)
- Brian's comedic style (1:56)
- The death of etiquette (7:13)
- Social media (10:35)
- Darts champion (13:44)
- Loudermilk (15:34)
- Bible joke (18:22)
- Standup & outside input (21:29)
- A pivotal moment in life (22:58)
Comedian Natasha Leggero chats with Trey Elling, ahead of her headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club. Topics include:
- Cap City Comedy Club (0:00)
- Parenting challenges in 2024 (4:37)
- Millennials and their feelings (11:56)
- The happiest "animal" (13:05)
- Pivotal moments in life (16:09)
- Who she's currently jamming to (20:21)
- The importance of standup (21:44)
Comedian, writer, and sandwich maker Joe DeRosa chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- The Comedy Mothership (0:00)
- The greatness of sandwiches (2:53)
- Ingredient distribution & bread (6:57)
- Texas BBQ or breakfast tacos? (11:54)
- Covering the Texas Senate in 2001 (15:23)
In this bonus episode with sports betting icon Billy Walters, the guys discuss some specifics from the two chapters Billy spent detailing his system for sports gambling success in his memoir, GAMBLER: SECRETS FROM A LIFE AT RISK. You can hear part one of their conversation HERE. Topics include:
- Why he'd share such valuable info (0:00)
- The value of the half-point (4:19)
- Home field advantage (6:35)
- When to bet the money line (13:15)
- Sports betting money management (15:45)
- Taxation of sports gambling winnings (17:57)
- Buying points (21:22)
Iconic sports bettor Billy Walters chats with Trey Elling about GAMBLER: SECRETS FROM A LIFE AT RISK. Topics include:
- Intro (0:00)
- Why Billy wrote it (1:10)
- His grandmother's importance (2:14)
- Pool hall childhood (3:43)
- Billy's first bet (4:55)
- His grandmother's death (7:12)
- Becoming a teen husband/dad (9:03)
- Getting good at selling cars (14:27)
- The first trip to Vegas (18:36)
- Near-death experience (19:44)
- Why his wife Susan is so important (22:00)
- Fighting Guy Clark (24:24)
- Getting into bookmaking (27:57)
- Moving to Vegas in 1982 (30:11)
- Money management lessons (32:51)
- The Computer Group (36:23)
- Becoming enemies with Steve Wynn (41:32)
- Giving up casino games (50:37)
- Favorite golf tip (53:04)
- Winning the Pebble Beach Pro Am in 2008 (56:12)
- Being found guilty of insider trading (1:02:13)
- How prison was like sports betting (1:10:10)
- Why he shared his sports betting secrets (1:11:40)
- Working for prison reform (1:20:51)
Actor, writer, & comedian Marlon Wayans chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club in Austin on January 5th & 6th. Topics include:
- Marlon's standup evolution (0:00)
- Finding your voice (2:31)
- Keenan's compliment (5:17)
- The stage is therapy (7:00)
- Damon Wayans (11:32)
- Requiem For A Dream (16:05)
- The world needs the Wayans...& vice versa (20:16)
- Entertainment needs risk-takers (24:38)
- The brilliance of God Loves Me (26:50)
- Trans females in women's sports (30:20)
Comedian & actor Steve Rannazzisi chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership, January 5th - 7th. Topics include:
- Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (0:00)
- The New York Giants (2:55)
- Good offensive line play (6:41)
- Performing at the Mothership (12:25)
- Comedy crowd etiquette (14:30)
- Moving back to New York (22:49)
Comedian, musician, & writer Reggie Watts chats with Trey Elling about GREAT FALLS, MT: FAST TIMES, POST-PUNK WEIRDOS, AND A TALE OF COMING HOME AGAIN. Topics include:
- Why now was a good time to write a memoir (0:00)
- Reggie's first social hack in Great Falls, MT (1:31)
- Two people crucial to Reggie's growth as a kid (3:13)
- A complicated relationship w/ dad (6:00)
- "Because I said so" (7:34)
- Reggie's "Breakfast Club" experiment (9:33)
- A revelation in Cleveland (12:55)
- Moving to Seattle, post-high school (14:47)
- Maktub (16:09)
- Mirman & Showalter's assist w/ his comedy career (17:58)
- Touring with Conan (21:09)
- The Comedy Mothership (23:07)
- Advice to comedy club attendees (26:10)
- What Reggie's mom means to him (29:02)
Comedian Tony Rock chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club. Topics include:
- Intro (0:00)
- Newspaper background (3:03)
- Parenthood (5:23)
- Hoops conspiracies (10:03)
- The Comedy Mothership (13:57)
- Dealing with hecklers (15:41)
- A timeline for Ton'y next special (17:19)
Former pro wrestler Chavo Guerrero Jr chats with Trey Elling about serving as the wrestling coordinator and playing "The Sheik" in THE IRON CLAW. The film tells the tragic story of the Von Erich family, in and out of the wrestling ring. Topics include:
- How Chavo got involved in the film (0:00)
- His initial responsibility (1:21)
- Getting the wrestling scenes right (3:01)
- Which star was most natural in the ring (5:09)
- Serving as a liaison for the Von Erichs (6:35)
- What he loves about the film (8:02)
- Future directing aspirations (8:39)
Comedian Louis Katz chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Creek & The Cave on Dec. 22nd & 23rd. Topics include:
- Louis' new special, PRESENT TENSE (0:00)
- Starting comedy in SF (3:28)
- Performing in Austin (6:11)
- The Comedy Mothership (12:41)
- Getting married in 2023 (13:48)
- Japan's brilliance (15:07)
- Bidet talk (18:32)
- Performing in China & Russia (20:02)
- Skankfest (23:25)
- Helping comedy club noobs (25:01)
- Music recommendations (27:57)
In episode #381, comedian Felipe Esparza chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- Performing at the Mothership (0:00)
- Little Boy & Fat Man (3:16)
- Conspiracy theories (4:18)
- TikTok rabbit holes (5:47)
- Hush puppies (7:24)
- Mexican food variations (8:54)
- South Padre (12:32)
- A near-decapitation in Austin (15:00)
- Famous homeless people (17:19)
- Bigfoot (19:20)
- La Llorna (20:32)
- UFOs (21:45)
Austin American Statesman & Austin360.com food critic and reporter Matthew Odam chats with Trey Elling about his 2023 Austin Dining Guide. The guide details the 20 best new restaurants in Central Texas and three Austin 360 Food Hall of Fame inductees. Topics include:
- An overview of this year's guide (0:00)
- Ezov (2:12)
- Uptown Sports Club (6:20)
- Este (9:58)
- Ramen Del Barrio (12:51)
- Wee's Cozy Kitchen (15:18)
- Underdog (16:42)
- Holiday on 7th (18:47)
- Uchi in the HOF (23:05)
- Jo's Bakery & Coffee Shop in the HOF (28:36)
- Magnolia Cafe in the HOF (30:16)
- Predicting Austin's next big food trends (35:20)
- Houston Astros talk (38:59)
- Texas vs Washington in the CFP (42:11)
- NOLA food recs (42:58)
Comedian Owen Smith chats with Trey Elling, prior to his headlining shows at The Comedy Mothership on December 8th & 9th. Topics include:
- Selling out the Mothership (0:00)
- Raising young kids (1:11)
- Why Owen loves LeBron (2:36)
- Personal sports highlights (8:50)
- Attending Notre Dame (14:28)
- Coaching youth sports (17:34)
- Reffing youth sports (22:21)
- Mothership expectations (25:48)
- Standup goals (26:47)
- Writers' strike memories (29:27)
Comedian John Crist chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining show at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin on December 8th. Topics include:
- Different standup venues (0:00)
- Knowing your audiences (2:55)
- Unwritten rules of standup (7:17)
- Nashville's standup scene (13:46)
- John's ridiculous cancellation (18:40)
- "Christian comedian" (25:26)
Comedian Donnell Rawlings chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership on December 1st thru 3rd. Topics include:
- Trey's apology to Donnell (0:00)
- Cancel culture (1:13)
- Raising resilient kids in 2023 (5:50)
- The Comedy Mothership (10:48)
- The power of laughter (13:10)
- Comedy Club unwritten rules (14:27)
- Achieving standup enlightenment (18:48)
- What he loves about Einstein & Marley (24:05)
- What he wants to be remembered for, other than standup (26:20)
Comedian Sean Patton chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Creek & The Cave on November 25th and 26th. Topics include:
- Calling the Comedy Cellar home (1:07)
- The legitimacy of 'soaking' (3:17)
- Sean's karaoke injury (5:51)
- New Orleans (15:01)
- Comedy Club etiquette (20:42)
- Giving the audience what you want (26:11)
- Being a New Orleans Saints fan (29:26)
- Baton Rogue tamping Sean's love for LSU (45:23)
- FX picking up a new comedy Sean stars in (48:40)
Comedian and actor Faizon Love chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club. Topics include:
- Snoop Dogg forcing Faizon to retire from weed (0:00)
- Where he draws his standup material from (4:00)
- Having his first kid at 50 (4:33)
- The difficult art of standup comedy (7:23)
- Starting his standup career at the Comedy Store in the mid-1980s (10:11)
- Faizon's first encounter with Richard Pryor (13:25)
- Sam Kinison (14:31)
- Comparing standup and comedic acting (15:52)
- A scene from Elf as an example of comedic timing (19:08)
- Learning to surf for Blue Crush (20:10)
Comedian & podcaster Sam Tripoli chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his Tin Foil Hat Comedy show at the Vulcan Gas Company on November 17th. Topics include:
- Armenians unite! (0:00)
- His show with Eddie Bravo at Vulcan (2:17)
- The LA comedy scene is down (4:25)
- Would Sam move out of California (7:32)
- Austin vs Cali homelessness (10:00)
- American politics (12:51)
- Sports conspiracies (26:39)
Actor & environmentalist Ed Begley Jr chats with Trey Elling about his new memoir, TO THE TEMPLE OF TRANQUILITY...AND STEP ON IT! Topics include:
- Carrie Fisher's influence on this book (0:00)
- What Ed Begley Sr was like as a dad (1:37)
- Smoking a joint with Charles Manson (2:44)
- Doing standup with Michael Richards at the Comedy Store in its first week (4:36)
- How a cop routine got him into trouble (6:10)
- Having John Lennon fanboy on Ed (9:49)
- Working for Norman Lear in the 1970s (11:20)
- Endearing himself to Richard Pryor while filming Blue Collar (12:28)
- How Jack Nicholson helped him as an actor when making Goin' South (13:50)
- Recognizing the good fortune he was born into (16:24)
- How St. Elsewhere improved him as an actor (18:19)
- Hosting SNL in 1984 (20:43)
- Ed's Larry David story (22:57)
- Having to squash Marlon Brando's dream (24:25)
- Bruno Kirby's influence on Ed as a person (27:25)
- How Christopher Guest saved his career (28:58)
- Working on Arrested Development (30:58)
- Living with Parkinson's Disease (32:51)
- Why the phrase "This is It" means so much (34:56)
Alonzo Bodden chats with Trey Elling, before his headlining shows at the Comedy Mothership in Austin, TX. Topics include:
- His initial impressions of the Mothership (0:00)
- Austin's comedy crowds (3:40)
- Performing for the military (7:33)
- Dealing with a heckling klansman (9:41)
- Performing outside the US (13:54)
- Expectations for this year's LA Clippers (17:12)
- Electric and driverless vehicles (20:54)
Mark Burg & Oren Koules chat with Trey Elling about SAW X, shortly after the film's premiere at Fantastic Fest 2023. Burg and Koules have produced all ten projects for the franchise, beginning with the original in 2004. Topics include:
- Making this one for the casual viewer (0:00)
- The components of making these films (1:04)
- Contributing ideas on the traps (1:49)
- Making SAW films for two decades (3:39)
- Maintaining good relationships with the crew for 20 years (4:58)
- Killing it on social media (6:40)
- Potential future (8:25)
- Jeopardizing a kid for the first time (9:59)
- Shooting in Mexico City (11:03)
- Final thoughts (12:30)
Actor Jesse L. Martin chats with Trey Elling about RE: UNITING, ahead of the film's world premiere at the Austin Film Festival on October 28th. Topics include:
- What drew Jesse to this project (0:58)
- The film's striking the right emotional cords (2:27)
- Why Jesse doesn't live with regret (4:25)
- Movies that make Jesse cry (7:12)
Actor Ed Begley Jr chats with Trey Elling about DON'T TELL LARRY. The dark comedy thriller's world premiere is at the Austin Film Festival on October 27th. Topics include:
- What initially drew Ed to the film (0:34)
- Ed as a man of the people (2:57)
- Taking both comedic and dramatic roles (3:31)
- Kiel Kennedy as 'Larry' (4:41)
- Where Ed's sense of humor comes from (6:01)
- Ed's favorite comedic actor (7:27)
3x Grammy-winning musician Bruce Hornsby chats with Trey Elling. Topics include:
- The 25th anniversary of Spirit Trail (0:42)
- Changing how he played piano for the record (3:47)
- Taking several new things at once (6:24)
- The key to telling a story through music (10:43)
- Appearing in World's Greatest Dad (12:15)
- Playing with the Grateful Dead (14:45)
- How Jerry Garcia influenced him (18:06)
- Bruce's favorite song by The Dead (19:42)
- Tupac sampling "The Way It Is" (20:40)
- Fondest memories of playing in Austin (26:18)
- Finishing with some bars from "Low" by Cracker (28:57)
Musician Ben Folds chats with Trey Elling, ahead of a stop in Austin on his US theatre tour in support of his new album, What Matters Most. Topics include:
- How the tour is going (0:42)
- What he loves about the new album (2:05)
- Learning to care less about criticism (3:54)
- Ben's uncompromising artistic integrity (6:42)
- Evolving on exploring & experimenting (9:15)
- Producing William Shatner's 2004 album (15:02)
- If he wants to write a musical (18:33)
- What Ben loves about Austin (20:54)
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert & advocate Rener Gracie chats with Trey Elling about THE 32 PRINCIPLES: HARNESSING THE POWER OF JIU-JITSU TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS. Topics include:
- A 32 principles overview (1:16)
- BJJ as a blueprint for life (6:59)
- The Connection Principle (10:11)
- Detachment as a learned skill (14:25)
- The Velocity Principle & slowing down (19:25)
- Rener’s invention and the River Principle (21:19)
- The Kizushi Principle & the value of “I don’t know” (27:44)
- The Fork Principle as the highest level of BJJ (34:00)
- Rener’s favorite quote about Jiu-Jitsu (39:00)
Comedian Brad Williams chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club from October 5th thru 7th. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (1:09)
- Cap City Comedy Club & man spas (3:09)
- Taylor Swift & the NFL (5:26)
- Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos (7:02)
- The Dolphins beating the Broncos by 50 (8:38)
- The Josh McDaniels era in Denver (10:41)
- Hitler ruining certain waves and mustaches (12:01)
- Brad's fondest Broncos memory (14:10)
- USC Trojans football (16:34)
- Brad's thoughts on fatherhood (22:32)
- Unwritten rules of comedy club etiquette (24:12)
Legendary BBQ pitmaster Aaron Franklin chats with Trey Elling about FRANKLIN SMOKE: WOOD. FIRE. FOOD. Topics include:
- Why he decided to complete a "trilogy" with this book (2:20)
- Turning what you love into a career (3:22)
- Aaron's willingness to share his "secrets" (4:00)
- How he has evolved with cooking brisket (7:05)
- What got him interested in the science of cooking BBQ (9:59)
- Recalling his restaurant's fire in 2017 (11:45)
- Why he loves about his for-home Franklin Pits (14:33)
- Aaron Franklin respects wood, specifically post oak (16:42)
- Tannins and firewood (19:05)
- Cutting wood (20:30)
- Cooking with fire (23:15)
- Aaron's smoke sensitivities (27:23)
- Spending less time cutting meat for lunches (29:27)
- Uptown Sports Club (30:28)
- Is his next restaurant going to be a taco place? (33:41)
- The whole Branzino recipe in FRANKLIN SMOKE (38:35)
- "Hot n' Fast" brisket (39:55)
- Reverse searing (41:04)
- Favorite places to grab meat to cook at home (46:14)
- Austin's current food scene (48:08)
- How Aaron would cook humanely harvested human (51:20)
Comedian and author Sam Tallent chats with Trey Elling about standup and his debut novel, RUNNING THE LIGHT. Topics include:
- Typical radio interviews (1:05)
- Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership (3:08)
- Gary Clark Jr (4:49)
- Austin's comedy scene (7:22)
- Doug Stanhope (9:18)
- Daily life in Bisbee, AZ (10:58)
- Inspirations for RUNNING THE LIGHT (12:10)
- Sam's love for writing (15:47)
- Authors who influence Sam (18:39)
- Having comics read different chapters for the audio book (19:54)
- A favorite memory from Sam's recent trip to France (23:11)
- Making Ecuadorians laugh with limited Spanish (28:05)
- Unwritten rules of watching standup comedy in person (28:42)
Eleven-time Emmy winner James Burrows chats with Trey Elling about DIRECTED BY JAMES BURROWS: FIVE DECADES OF STORIES FROM THE LEGENDARY DIRECTOR OF TAXI, CHEERS, FRASIER, FRIENDS, WILL & GRACE, AND MORE. Topics include:
- The best lesson he learned from his dad, Abe (1:15)
- Entering TV during a transformative time (2:34)
- Dying with your boots on (5:54)
- The difficulty of Taxi (10:04)
- Andy Kaufman (12:27)
- Louie De Palma (16:11)
- Having Sam & Diane to hook up in Cheers (17:11)
- The inspiration for Cheers (19:30)
- The challenges of setting a show in a bar (22:06)
- Replacing Coach with Woody Harrelson (24:07)
- Cheers never jumping the shark (27:44)
- The Cheers finale (28:39)
- Why he worked so well with Glen & Les Charles (30:15)
- Kelsey Grammar's brilliance (31:25)
- Will & Grace (35:22)
- The importance of 'butterflies' (40:05)
- Directing the Friends pilot (40:54)
- NewsRadio (46:15)
- Jason Bateman (50:01)
- Drawing the best out of an actor (51:54)
- Why he thinks of himself as lucky (53:38)
Actor & comedian David Koechner chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club. Topics include:
- Evolving beliefs in parental influence (0:57)
- Performing in Austin, TX (10:10)
- The perils of cell phones (12:45)
- Some of David's less-discussed roles (23:35)
- Making Larry David laugh on Curb (30:28)
- A favorite serious role (33:18)
- Covid & tech crushing our kids (34:25)
- Artificial Intelligence (37:40)
- The key to happiness (44:28)
- Daily triumphs (47:22)
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls chat with Trey Elling, ahead of the South By Southwest premiere of IT'S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL, a documentary on the band's musical and social impact over more than 35 years. Topics include:
- Why now felt like a good time for a documentary (1:22)
- Something that surprised them about their own story (2:54)
- The 'Indigo Girls' name (6:03)
Inside Texas writer, scholar, and humorist Paul Wadlington chats with Trey Elling about THINKING TEXAS FOOTBALL, his annual preview of the Texas Longhorns football season. Topics include:
- Why Paul is buying the preseason optimism (2:15)
- Quinn Ewers (4:59)
- The UT running backs (9:42)
- An talented WR corps (13:27)
- The Texas offensive line (15:45)
- The second most important TE (20:02)
- Impressive depth on the D-line (21:59)
- Anthony Hill (24:30)
- Replacing Overshown (25:40)
- The secondary (27:40)
- University of Texas Stress Disorder (33:01)
- How Texas can win at Bama in week 2 (35:15)
- The most difficult conference game (39:23)
- Tougher game: at Baylor or at home against Texas Tech? (41:06)
- College football players as university employees (45:56)
- The conference realignment end game (50:48)
- Longhorn prediction (56:16)
Austin native & actor Ben McKenzie chats with Trey Elling about EASY MONEY: CRYPTOCURRENCY, CASINO CAPITALISM, AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF FRAUD. Topics include:
- Finally releasing a book that was nearly two years in the making (1:00)
- How "The Emperor's New Clothes" & cannabis inspired the book (1:43)
- What clued him in on crypto as a scam (3:32)
- Being a skeptic in a sea of crypto hysteria at SXSW 2022 (5:32)
- Visiting the largest crypto mining facility in the US (10:02)
- Seeing the effects of El Salvador making Bitcoin a legal tender (14:55)
- Interviewing Sam Bankman-Fried in the summer of 2022 (19:22)
- A surprising aspect of the SBF/FTX/Alameda takedown (21:30)
- Ben testifying in front of the Senate Banking Committee (22:58)
- Is he considering a film adaptation? (24:30)
- What he loves about his hometown of Austin, TX (26:37)
Comedian, podcaster and actor Bryan Callen chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Cap City Comedy Club, August 3-5. Topics include:
- Authors and their books (2:03)
- The return of BEST OF, WITH BRYAN CALLEN (4:24)
- The magnificence of the Redwoods (5:31)
- Awe (9:25)
- Sharing the stage with Alex Jones at Minds Fest (12:32)
- Cap City Comedy Club (13:47)
- Jon Stewart (15:22)
- Race (16:42)
- Gavin Newsom (18:32)
- The new comedy hour (24:05)
- Hitting 'both' sides of a taboo subject (25:49)
- What awed Bryan in Israel this summer (28:28)
- Gender identity politics (36:47)
High school creative writing teacher and first-time author BT Hayes chats with Trey Elling about EXPECTATIONS. Topics include:
- The feeling of being published for the first time (0:35)
- The basis of Expectations (1:32)
- A timeline for the book (2:10)
- Enjoying the research (3:28)
- Picking up teenage dialogue thru his day job (5:33)
- His fears for his own daughter manifesting in the book (7:25)
- Have his kids read the book? (9:07)
- A nervousness in sharing a morbid piece of work (9:24)
- Why the title is "Expectations" (11:13)
- Playing with preconceived notions (11:50)
- A lesson from writing his first novel (14:16)
Legendary former casting director Joel Thurm chats with Trey Elling about SEX, DRUGS, & PILOT SEASON: CONFESSIONS OF A CASTING DIRECTOR. Topics include:
- Joaquin Phoenix’s influence on the book (0:00:57)
- Growing up on a dairy farm in Brooklyn, NY (0:02:58)
- David Merrick’s influence on Joel’s career (0:08:16)
- How Pearl Bailey got Joel to Hollywood (0:13:03)
- LSD, a puffy shirt, & Jesus Christ Superstar (0:16:21)
- Learning how to handle people from Ethel Winant (0:21:12)
- The Minutes on CBS (0:23:46)
- Charlton Heston (0:27:18)
- Casting Susan Sarandon The Rocky Horror Picture Show (0:28:03)
- Why Aaron Spelling Leonard Goldberg made such a good team (0:30:49)
- The Boy In The Plastic Bubble (0:33:14)
- Grease as an example of Joel’s philosophy on money & creativity (0:38:45)
- Olivia Newton John’s “Slutty Sandy” scene (0:40:52)
- Getting the team back together for Grease Live in 2019 (0:43:26)
- The joys of working on Taxi (0:47:11)
- Airplane! (0:55:36)
- Why Peter Graves & Kareem Abdul Jabbar getting cast (0:59:06)
- Leslie Nielsen reinventing himself with Airplane! (1:00:55)
- Ted Danson, Shelly Long, & Cheers (1:03:10)
- Choosing Claire Huxtable for The Cosby Show (1:06:59)
- Joel bucking “casting couch” stereotype (1:11:39)
- What he would’ve done differently (1:20:25)
- Why he stopped casting in the early 1990s (1:23:24)
- Joel’s last casting job (1:25:30)
Standup comedian Ai Siddiq chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership on July 28th & 29th. Ali's new standup special, DOMINO EFFECT II: LOSS, is out now. Topics include:
- His impressions of the Comedy Mothership (0:54)
- Focusing on 'loss' in his new special (1:56)
- Letting your kids lament their trivial problems (4:54)
- Why he operates the way he does (6:53)
- The biggest challenge for parents in 2023 (16:36)
- The importance of playing sports (22:48)
- Good boxers--and athletes--remaining positive (29:02)
Actor Jake Johnson chats with Trey Elling about MINX, ahead of the season 2 premiere at the ATX TV Festival. The new season premieres on STARZ on July 21st. Topics include:
- Austin, TX (0:42)
- Acting in a 1970s period piece (1:27)
- The story being told in MINX (2:35)
- Where season 2 picks up (3:34)
- Jake's first job (4:10)
- Not putting success over relationships (5:15)
- A hilariously weird scene from season 1 (7:02)
- The key to a good story (8:39)
Daniel Wu, Ben Wang, and Gene Luen Yang chat with Trey Elling on the red carpet, ahead of the premiere of Disney's AMERICAN BORN CHINESE at South By Southwest 2023. Luen Yang wrote the original graphic novel that the series is based on, Wang stars as "Jin Wang", and Wu plays "The Monkey King".
- Gene Luen Yang (1:04)
- Ben Wang (3:46)
- Daniel Wu (8:41)
Austin-based standup comedian Brian Simpson chats with Trey Elling. Brian regularly performs at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership, including hosting "Bottom of the Barrel" on Tuesday nights. And he's taping his new special there August 25th thru 27th. Topics include:
- Austin's thriving standup scene (1:37)
- Serving in the Marines (5:40)
- Taping his special at the Mothership at the end of August (8:02)
- The first time he went up on stage (9:44)
- Being starstruck by Tony Woods (11:48)
- Why so many good comics come out of DC (14:12)
- Brian's biggest fear (15:26)
- What he loves about the Comedy Mothership (18:57)
- Making it (19:30)
- ATX food (20:36)
- ATX politicians (25:37)
Personal trainer and fitness expert Ben Carpenter chats with Trey Elling about EVERYTHING FAT LOSS: THE DEFINITIVE NO BULLSH*T GUIDE. Topics include:
- What separates this work from other fat loss books (0:30)
- Obesity tripling in the last 50 years (2:37)
- The ‘cafeteria diet’ (6:30)
- How the game is rigged against food consumers (8:27)
- Food quality vs quantity (12:35)
- The perils of ultra-processed foods (14:36)
- Why quick-fix diets are bad for weight loss (16:23)
- Exercise and weight loss (20:28)
- Paying too much attention to the scale (25:06)
- Quantifying food habits (27:03)
- Is sugar fattening (28:49)
- Why fruit juice is bad for you (30:51)
- Sugary drinks and dietary compensation (32:49)
- Sleep quality and weight loss (34:22)
- Eating fast (or slow) and appetite regulation (36:01)
- The best lifestyle choices for a healthy weight (37:17)
Neuroscientists Steven Chase & Aaron Batista chat with Trey Elling about research they conducted on monkeys to learn why we struggle to learn under pressure. Topics include:
- The genesis of this research (1:34)
- How the monkeys were tested (2:23)
- The monkeys’ ‘jackpot’ (3:35)
- What the research found (4:41)
- The activity in the monkeys’ brains (5:51)
- The role of the motor cortex (7:41)
- Examining rhesus macaques over bonobo chimps (9:46)
- What led Steven and Aaron to studying the brain (11:37)
- Defining ‘the mind’ (15:14)
- Examples where Steven and Aaron failed AND succeeded under pressure (18:54)
Former Green Beret and Fieldcraft Survival CEO Mike Glover chats with Trey Elling about PREPARED: A MANUAL FOR SURVIVING WORST-CASE SCENARIOS. Topics include:
- The book's goal (0:33)
- Growing up with preparedness (1:11)
- How preparation saved his life while serving in Iraq (1:52)
- Defining ‘mindset’ (4:10)
- The resilience crisis(5:26)
- The importance of failure (7:50)
- Fight or flight or...playing possum? (9:34)
- Combating self-doubt in stressful situations (12:36)
- How to start contingency planning (14:07)
- Arrogance as a foil to planning (15:49)
- The dichotomy of situational awareness (18:34)
- Hands & demeanor as potential threat signals (20:13)
- Tom Flanagan and making good decisions (23:13)
- Making the choice to use deadly force (27:04)
- Everyday carry EDC & physical preparation (30:02)
- Mobility & physical preparation (31:31)
- The death of common sense (33:41)
- The versatility of Mylar blankets (35:50)
- Why people get their homestead wrong with preparation (37:12)
- Are MREs valuable as a backup food plan (40:06)
- The importance of community (41:58)
Legendary comedian Tony Woods chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership July 7th-9th. Topics include:
- Falling asleep in the theater watching Star Wars in 1977 (0:27)
- Comedy clubs should be uncomfortable (4:39)
- Posting old ravel photos (6:22)
- Different ways of touring through Europe (7:33)
- The evolution of Tony’s jokes (13:11)
- Fighting a kid with a ‘turkey leg’ arm (14:55)
- Being ‘off the grid’ (19:40)
- Seeing a merman in Africa (25:09)
- Getting maimed by pygmy goats (29:01)
- National Lampoon’s Comedy Playoffs with Leslie Nielsen (34:50)
- Stealing candy from- and doing comedy with Dave Chappelle (37:17)
- Washington DC as a hotbed for comedians (40:30)
- Martin Lawrence (43:34)
Grammy-winning musician, actor, & community activist Tip "T.I." Harris chats with Trey Elling about his 18 months of trying to make it as a standup comedian. Austinites can catch Tip at Cap City Comedy Club on June 29th & 30th. Topics include:
- What made him want to try standup comedy (0:36)
- Something that has surprised him about performing standup (3:21)
- The topics that make up his bits (5:37)
- Getting booed at the Barclays Center two months in (7:17)
- Good advice from established comedians (8:03)
- The HaHa Mafia (9:28)
- Other rappers with standup potential (10:07)
- Something that has surprised him about performing standup (12:14)
- The importance of doing open mics (13:26)
- A failure in his career and the lesson learned (14:36)
- Helping a suicidal Scott Stapp (17:30)
- Tip’s favorite Creed song (18:24)
- If Kill the King will still be T.I.’s final album (18:36)
Standup comedian Rich Vos chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- Moving houses (0:40)
- Remain comedically relevant over decades (4:11)
- Bert Kreischer's Fully Loaded Comedy Festival (8:40)
- Woodstock '99 (10:28)
- Fathering daughters (16:52)
- A love for standup comedy (21:43)
- Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership (24:27)
- Shooting a new special (29:35)
- What Rich would tell his younger self (31:37)
Actor Ethan Suplee chats with Trey Elling about his new film, GOD IS A BULLET, which premieres in theaters on June 23rd. Topics include:
- Too many European weddings this summer (1:34)
- How he ended up in God Is A Bullet (2:41)
- Playing a violent, psychopathic character (4:43)
- Getting extremely tatted up for the role (7:14)
- Sharing scenes with Jonathan Tucker (8:42)
- Whether he read the book that spawned this film (9:44)
- The ideal European vacation (11:56)
Award-winning, University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist Kelsy Burke, Ph.D., chats with Trey Elling about THE PORNOGRAPHY WARS: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF AMERICA'S OBSCENE OBSESSION. Topics include:
- How she ended up writing this book (0:50)
- A definition of ‘pornography’ (2:02)
- The subjectivity of ‘offensive’ (3:33)
- The genesis of the US porn wars around Civil War times (4:17)
- George Francis Train as one of the first porn defenders (6:24)
- J. Edgar Hoover’s “Obscene File” (8:22)
- Both sides of the porn wars feeling empowerment in 1957 (10:00)
- Common ground on porn for hardcore feminists & Christian women in ‘60s & ‘70s (12:37)
- Nixon’s war on porn backfiring (14:03)
- What sparked a golden era for porn in the 1970s (17:14)
- Rev. Jerry Falwell’s impact on the porn wars (18:39)
- The VHS saving porn (21:33)
- The relationship between the internet and porn (22:45)
- An explanation of sex trafficking (24:50)
- How often sex trafficking is a part of porn (26:27)
- Similarities between diametrically opposed sex trade expos (28:43)
- The complications of a California bill to require male porn actors to wear condoms for intercourse (31:28)
- A horrifying example regarding the complications of consent (33:31)
- Where women go to work when they try to leave the sex industry (36:28)
- Feminist porn (38:04)
- How watching porn is potentially harmful (41:08)
- Is porn addictive? (42:49)
- Youth sex education & porn (46:06)
- Is ‘porn’ sex 'real’ sex (50:47)
Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton and director Steve James chat with Trey Elling at the red carpet premiere of THE LUCKIEST GUY IN THE WORLD. This two-part documentary is the newest addition to ESPN's 30 for 30 franchise and takes a look at Walton's whimsical life on and away from the court.
- Steve James (0:45)
- Bill Walton (3:51)
Comedian Tom Papa chats with Trey Elling about WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER...SO MAKE SOME ROOM. Topics include:
- Performing at the Comedy Mothership (0:37)
- Whether Tom enjoys writing books (4:38)
- The idea of being ‘normal’ (6:32)
- Parenting (9:41)
- The unwritten rules of #2ing yourself (10:47)
- Regret (13:37)
- Dying of jazz and laughter (17:55)
- Feelings (20:56)
- The disappearance of basic manners (27:24)
- Airplane pet peeves (30:04)
- Coaching the Special Olympics, hypothetically (31:19)
- True love usually takes time (33:10)
- What Tom hope’s they’ll say when he’s gone (36:35)
Brothers Joey, Matthew, and Andy Lawrence chat with Trey Elling, ahead of their appearance at the ATX TV Festival, to discuss their Brotherly Love podcast and more. Topics include:
- Coming to Austin (0:50)
- Being close as kids, despite a sizable age gap (2:12)
- How they survived childhood fame (6:07)
- Their Brotherly Love podcast (9:06)
- Combatting the hyper-politicized nature of modern times (12:11)
- Having open-minded conversations (17:00)
- The brothers' Philly sports fandom (20:30)
Filmmaker Billy Corben chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his panel discussion at the ATX TV Festival. Topics include:
- Austin (0:39)
- Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat (2:27)
- The key to telling a good story (7:06)
- The common quality in the stories Billy tells (9:57)
- Billy’s “Because Miami” podcast (11:51)
- Florida Man (14:01)
- Florida’s iguana problem (19:26)
- The University of Miami pushing NIL boundaries (20:11)
Professional bullriders Chase Outlaw and Zeke Mitchell chat with Trey Elling, ahead of the ATX Television Fest premiere of THE RIDE, a new Amazon Prime docuseries that follows the lives of several riders competing in the inaugural season of the PBR's team series. What does it take to get atop one-ton animal that is angrily trying to get buck any rider off his back? If not riding bulls, what do you fear? The guys answer these questions and more.
- Chase Outlaw (0:35)
- Zeke Mitchell (22:28)
Comedian and podcaster Greg Fitzsimmons chats with Trey Elling, ahead of hi headlining shows at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- The perfect club for comedians (0:35)
- Disposing of comedy club hecklers (5:04)
- Greg and his wife nearing empty nester status (7:10)
- Parents losing to their offspring (8:56)
- Sports as a way for men to safely express emotion (17:19)
- Baseball's ridiculousness (18:39)
- Trading fight stories (22:49)
- Whether Greg would ever write another book (28:17)
- Helping spread the word on Tom O'Neil's CHAOS (30:17)
- The current health of the standup business (33:45)
Comedian Ehsan Ahmad chats with Trey Elling. Ehsan's Solid Comedy Show, co-hosted with Deric Poston, can be seen most Wednesdays at the Comedy Mothership and this Saturday (May 27th) at Vulcan Gas Company. Topics include:
- Why he decided to move to Austin in 2021 (0:46)
- Finding success in comedy before moving to Texas (2:28)
- Hosting the Solid Comedy Show with Deric Poston (3:44)
- Hanging around Dave Chappelle (6:35)
- Applying cognitive neuroscience in his standup (7:25)
- What he loves and dislikes about Austin (9:50)
- A love for Bay Area pro sports teams (12:19)
- The Warriors (14:37)
- The 49ers (17:12)
- The toughest act he's had to follow in standup (22:24)
The New Yorker's Adam Gopnik chats with Trey Elling about THE REAL WORK: ON THE MYSTERY OF MASTERY. Topics include:
- The book’s goal (0:38)
- The importance of learning new skills (3:26)
- Defining ‘mastery’ (6:12)
- The mystery of performance (8:19)
- Jamy Ian Swiss and the real work (13:15)
- “The method is not the trick” (16:33)
- Learning about mastery from David Blaine (19:11)
- The mystery of identity and intention (23:53)
- The challenge of Adam learning to drive a car in his 50s (29:07)
- How learning to drive in NYC changed his perception of the city (32:38)
- Courtesy waves (34:54)
- The mystery of interiority (36:24)
- The mystery of meaning (40:17)
- The mystery of late style (46:22)
- Overcoming a shy bladder (49:32)
- Whether learning how to draw altered Adam’s perception as an art critic (55:13)
Actor Everett Osborne chats with Trey Elling about starring as the title character in SWEETWATER, a movie about Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, aka the Jackie Robinson of the NBA. The film is now available to stream. Topics include:
- The key to unlocking Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (1:51)
- Starring in this film, despite being fairly new to acting (4:00)
- Learning from an impressive supporting cast (5:20)
- Sharing a scene with Gary Clark Jr. (6:27)
- Serving as president for all student athletes at UTRGV (9:12)
- A favorite highlight from playing college hoops (11:10)
- Playing professional basketball in Australia (12:43)
- Everett's love for psychology (15:24)
- Everett's greatest failure, and the lesson he learned from it (19:02)
- Starring in a Nike short film with LeBron and Durant (21:00)
Standup comedian and podcast/radio host Robert Kelly chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership. Topics include:
- Robert's initial impression from performing at the Comedy Mothership (0:37)
- Comparing Austin's comedy scene to Boston from decades back (3:48)
- Standup as a destiny (9:01)
- Performing in arenas vs comedy clubs (14:40)
- Boston sports hitting the skids over the past few weeks (18:08)
- Robert's brilliant disarming of fans at Yankee Stadium when rooting for the Red Sox (19:48)
- Robert's son betraying him by rooting for Tampa (21:32)
- Soccer as a second-rate sport (23:49)
Actor, travel writer, director, and bestselling author Andrew McCarthy chats with Trey Elling about WALKING WITH SAM: A FATHER, A SON, AND FIVE HUNDRED MILES ACROSS SPAIN. Topics include:
- A brief explanation of the Camino de Santiago (1:19)
- Andrew's first journey on the Camino (2:44)
- Why leaving a city is more agreeable to the nervous system than walking into one (7:56)
- When his son's attitude changed during the journey (10:02)
- The importance of teaching your kids to be present (12:09)
- Whether Andrew handled the Meseta better the second time around (14:28)
- Bicyclists on the Camino (16:06)
- Andrew's revelation on the impact his films had on 1980s kids (17:10)
- The key to telling a good story (20:30)
- Experience being relative to the individual (22:28)
- The problem with sunflowers (25:20)
- How the Camino provided for Andrew and his son (25:59)
- The mental re-adjustment of getting back to daily life after the Camino (27:26)
Standup comedian and podcaster (Soccer Comic Rant) Ian Edwards chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his headlining shows at Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership club. Topics include:
- Austin's standup transformation (0:25)
- The ebbs and flows of LA's standup scene since covid (1:32)
- How Ian crafts jokes from scratch (4:13)
- Getting passed by Mitzi Shore at The Comedy Store (7:08)
- The toughest act he's had to follow (10:32)
- The importance of failure (13:11)
- Weirdest place he performed standup (14:41)
- His current soccer passion (18:56)
- The MLS improving in quality (24:06)
- US Men's Soccer taking steps forward (26:47)
- Whether soccer should change the offsides rule (29:40)
Comedian, and radio/podcast host Big Jay Oakerson chats with Trey Elling. Jay’s new comedy special, Dog Belly, is available now on his YouTube channel. Topics include:
- Getting love for the new comedy special (0:36)
- Ari Shaffir helping out (2:17)
- Learning from Dave Attell (3:54)
- How Jay crafts new jokes (5:34)
- Comedy audiences (7:58)
- Austin’s burgeoning comedy scene (12:05)
- P. Terry’s as a late-night powder keg in Austin (16:52)
- The Philadelphia Eagles (17:49)
- Jay’s best and worst moments with his fellow Philly fans (23:45)
Filmmaker Kelly Fremon Craig chats with Trey Elling about ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET. The movie, written and directed by Fremon Craig, is an adaptation of the 1970 Judy Blume book of the same title that has resonated with generations of girls maneuvering early adolescence. Topics include:
- What Kelly loved about telling this story (1:26)
- Why Abby Ryder Fortson was perfect as Margaret (4:01)
- A favorite moment from Kelly fostering an improv environment (5:29)
- Benny Safdie as Margaret’s dad (6:56)
- Kelly answers a fun, three-question prompt from the film (9:02)
- The key to a good story (10:57)
- What she hopes people take away from the film (11:50)
Fitness expert, bestselling author, podcaster, and business coach James Smith chats with Trey Elling about HOW TO BE CONFIDENT and embarking on a North American speaking tour for the very first time. Topics include:
- Connections in Austin, TX (1:09)
- James’ upcoming North America tour (3:32)
- The inspiration behind HOW TO BE CONFIDENT (8:04)
- The importance of failure (10:56)
- One of James’ favorite quotes (16:58)
- Nature vs nurture (19:16)
- The value of being bored (22:53)
- Feelings and resilience (25:11)
- Seeking out discomfort (30:55)
EVIL DEAD RISE stars Lily Sullivan & Alyssa Sutherland, writer & director Lee Cronin, and the EVIL DEAD O.G Bruce Campbell chat with Trey Elling, ahead of the film's premiere at SXSW 2023, about the most discomfort they experienced making the latest movie for the supernatural horror franchise.
- Lily Sullivan (1:11)
- Alyssa Sutherland (1:42)
- Lee Cronin (2:23)
- Bruce Campbell (3:36)
Numerous cast & crew from the new Netflix series BEEF chat with Trey Elling on the red carpet, ahead of its premiere at SXSW 2023. Directors Hikari & Jake Schreier, creator & showrunner Lee Sung-jin, and stars Ali Wong & Steven Yeun each answer the following questions:
- What do you love about the story being told in BEEF? (0:47)
- What's your biggest driving pet peeve? (3:17)
- What's your worst driving habit? (5:31)
Standup comedian, tv personality, and actor Howie Mandel chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his April 19th show at Moontower Just For Laughs comedy festival in Austin. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (0:51)
- Serving as a punchline at the start of covid (1:37)
- The value of discomfort (2:28)
- Getting passed by Mitzi Shore at the Comedy Store (4:03)
- His swift ascent in entertainment (7:57)
- Austin’s rise as a standup mecca (10:44)
- Howie’s memories of Bill Hicks (11:56)
- Why standup seems so healthy in 2023 (13:19)
- Howie taking chances on stage, in contrast to his network persona (15:51)
- People not washing their hands after using the restroom (17:36)
- Howie’s limits with Stanley Cup (19:07)
- A fantastic Stanley Cup joke (20:39)
- The joy of getting to host the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast with hist daughter (21:13)
Standup comedian, podcaster, and actor Bryan Callen chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his participation in Minds Fest at Vulcan Gas Company on Saturday, April 15th. Topics include:
- An explanation of Minds Fest (1:36)
- The importance of having hard conversations (3:04)
- A concerning potential relevance of certain conspiracies (7:03)
- Questioning the nefariousness of covid policies (8:36)
- Stylebender’s knockout win in the UFC over the weekend (12:19)
- The last time Bryan got knocked out (14:39)
- Bryan’s initial dream in entertainment (16:26)
- The value of pursuing dreams (19:41)
- Checking out Joe Rogan’s Comedy Mothership (23:20)
Actors Jeremy Piven and Cary Elwes chat with Trey Elling about SWEETWATER. The film tells the story of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, aka the Jackie Robinson of the NBA, and is out in theaters on April 14th.
- Jeremy Piven (1:31)
- Cary Elwes (10:36)
Actor, writer, and storyteller Patterson Joseph chats with Trey Elling about THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLES IGNATIUS SANCHO: A NOVEL. Sancho is an important figure in British history, who on top of being an 18th century abolitionist, writer, and composer, he was also the first British African to vote in Great Britain. Topics include:
- A brief introduction of Charles Ignatius Sancho (0:46)
- What Patterson most connects with about Sancho’s story (4:34)
- How Sancho’s actual writings influenced Patterson’s novelization of his life (8:54)
- Writing of Sancho dealing death through his own grief experiences (13:52)
- How much Patterson enjoyed writing his first book and what he enjoyed about the process (18:37)
- The key to a good story (23:14)
- Patterson’s performance on HBO’s The Leftovers (27:45)
- The cringeworthy joys of Peep Show (34:33)
Emmy-winning filmmaker Pat Kondelis chats with Trey Elling about CATCHING LIGHTNING. The new four-part documentary series on Showtime, directed by Kondelis, details the life of "Lightning" Lee Murray, a British MMA fighter with superstar potential, whose career and freedom came to an end abrupt after he was discovered to have pulled off the largest cash heist in British history. Topics include:
- Why he wanted to tell this story (1:24)
- Who Lee Murray is (2:42)
- What it took to get Lee’s wife on the record for the first time (4:28)
- The unique circumstances of Lee getting caught and punished (6:38)
- Whether he tried to speak with Lee in Moroccan prison (7:19)
- The one question he would ask Lee (8:37)
- The legendary story involving Lee & Tito Ortiz in a London street brawl (10:57)
- How he’s so good at re-create stories being told (12:59)
- How would’ve won a fight in 2004 between Tito Ortiz and Lee Murray (14:32)
- The most surprising element of Lee Murray’s story (16:12)
- Why he’s serving his punishment in Morocco and not England (18:07)
- Whether this series could help get his sentence overturned (19:12)
- The nature vs nurture element of Lee’s mistakes (22:01)
The main cast of AIR, chats with Trey Elling, ahead of its world premiere at @SXSW . The film tells the story of how Nike and a young Michael Jordan came together for a shoe deal, whose long term effects completely altered the social fabric of basketball, shoe culture, and life. Interview subjects include:
- Writer Alex Convery (2:10)
- Chris Messina (6:06)
- Chris Tucker (8:40)
- Jason Bateman (12:07)
- Viola Davis & Julius Tennon (14:55)
- Matt Damon (17:56)
- Ben Affleck (22:37)
Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Health Policy and Politics at Lehigh University Eduardo J. Gómez chats with Trey Elling about JUNK FOOD POLITICS: HOW BEVERAGE AND FAST FOOD INDUSTRIES ARE RESHAPING EMERGING ECONOMIES. Topics include:
- The book's inspiration (0:52)
- Why he focused on Mexico, Brazil, India, Indonesia, China, and South Africa (4:10)
- What he means by 'junk food industry' (5:15)
- How junk food politics is a two-way street (6:21)
- How the junk food industry is operating on its own fear (7:22)
- NAFTA's influence on the rise of junk food consumption in Mexico (10:33)
- Why these countries' presidents allow junk food to sway public health policy (12:19)
- Whether Mexico's soda & junk food tax has helped (16:09)
- Coca Cola exploiting feminism in India (18:18)
- Why junk food consumption exploded in Brazil in the mid-1990s (19:49)
- Junk food's influence on Brazil's Zero Fome public health campaign (23:11)
- The role of India's agricultural sector and food production in its junk food problems (25:59)
- India's history of malnourishment harming parents' perception of what makes for a healthy kid (27:33)
- India's attempts to limit junk food around schools (29:55)
- Coca Cola's roller coaster historical relationship with China (33:11)
- Snacking as a reflection of China's unique history (35:20)
- Big Junk Food's blatant marketing to kids in China (36:36)
- Coca Cola embedding itself into China's academic community (38:40)
- Nelson Mandela's initial hostility toward Coca Cola in the early 1990s (39:49)
- Indonesia unique relationship with junk foods& beverages (44:06)
- The Indonesian government's revolving door problem (46:29)
- A country that does a good job combatting junk food politics for the good of public health (47:22)
- Whether Eduardo is optimistic or pessimistic about the future (52:12)
Bob Odenkirk & Mireille Enos chat with Trey Elling on the red carpet at SXSW 2023, ahead of the premiere of their new AMC series, LUCKY HANK. Plus, a surprise interview with Mireille's husband, actor Alan Ruck!
- Mireille Enos (1:54)
- Alan Ruck (5:09)
- Bob Odenkirk (7:55)
New York Times-bestselling author, screenwriter, and journalist Dan Lyons chats with Trey Elling about STFU: THE POWER OF KEEPING YOUR MOUTH SHUT IN AN ENDLESSLY NOISY WORLD. Topics include:
- The book's inspiration (0:38)
- 'Talkaholism' compared to alcoholism (1:25)
- Neurological differences in over-talkers (3:21)
- Talkaholism at its worst (5:49)
- How over-talking can worsen anxiety (9:53)
- The value of shutting technology off (13:06)
- STFU on social media (25:19)
- How STFU can positively impact your health (32:07)
- STFU at work (43:28)
- STFU parenting (50:20)
- STFU for love (54:30)
- STFU while emailing (1:04:20)
- Leading by STFU, per Jeff Bezos & Richard Branson (1:09:45)
- Why listening is so hard for people (1:19:02)
- Whether Dan is better at STFU after writing the book (1:25:17)
Renowned security technologist and New York Times bestselling author Bruce Schneier chats with Trey Elling about A HACKER'S MIND: HOW THE POWERFUL BEND SOCIETY'S RULES, AND HOW TO BEND THEM BACK. Topics include:
- A definition of hacking (1:03)
- The “Double Irish with a Dutch Sandwich” tax hack (2:30)
- Defending against ‘bad’ hacks (3:34)
- Why kids are such natural hackers (9:06)
- Hacking the airlines (12:05)
- Hacking sports (18:09)
- Hacking heaven in the 1500s (24:51)
- A simple computer financial exchange hack (26:47)
- Luxury real estate as a money-laundering hack for the super-rich (28:05)
- ‘Too big to fail’ as a hack (29:29)
- Venture Capital funding as a hack (34:36)
- How Uber hacks the system (37:09)
- How elected officials hack lawmaking (39:20)
- Why US elections are so expensive (42:39)
- Antitrust laws as a solutions to social media companies hacking cognitive systems (49:20)
- Solving the political bot problems (52:22)
- How AI will take hacking to a completely different level (54:55)
Oncology and hematology expert Chadi Nabhan, MD, chats with Trey Elling about TOXIC EXPOSURE: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE MONSANTO TRIALS AND THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE. Dr. Nabhan served as the expert witness on Non Hodgkin Lymphoma for plaintiffs in the first three cases against Monsanto and glyphosate, the primary ingredient in their Roundup herbicide. Topics include:
- How Chadi’s medical training took focus on oncology and hematology (1:12)
- Explaining Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (4:23)
- What made him want testify as an expert witness against Monsanto (5:59)
- The shadiness behind glyphosate’s initial approval in 1974 (9:58)
- The EPA’s role in glyphosate not being labeled a carcinogen (13:47)
- Chad’s first deposition (17:55)
- Initially meeting the first plaintiff, Lee Johnson (20:14)
- Swedish research linking glyphosate and cancer (21:45)
- The Who’s 2015 report that shed light on glyphosate (24:48)
- Taking the stand in Lee John’s case against Monsanto (28:29)
- Learning of the guilty verdicts against Monsanto (33:54)
- Chad’s thoughts on the second and third trials (35:58)
- Why glyphosate is still allowed commercially, even though it’s no longer sold residentially in the US (37:38)
- Chad’s podcast, “Healthcare Unfiltered” (41:53)
- Ideas to help the broken US healthcare system (43:59)
University of Texas at Austin faculty member Sam Woolley, whose expertise focuses on the use of propaganda in new media and emerging technologies, chats with Trey Elling about MANUFACTURING CONSENSUS: UNDERSTANDING PROPAGANDA IN THE AGE OF AUTOMATION AND ANONYMITY. Topics include:
- The book’s goal (1:12)
- How propaganda initially came to be (2:20)
- Jacques Ellul’s influence on Sam’s belief’s (6:05)
- Defining computational propaganda (8:55)
- Social media bots (12:43)
- ChatGPT (16:06)
- Governments loving Facebook & Reddit for computational propaganda (17:53)
- Propaganda-bred apathy (20:55)
- Democratizing propaganda being bad for democracy (22:39)
- Why social media is bad for civil discourse (24:41)
- What he’s taken from recent #TwitterFiles & congressional testimony revelations (28:04)
- Treating social media companies as public utilities (31:07)
- If its possible to quantify the number of social media bots (34:02)
- Encrypted messaging like WhatsApp as a propaganda tool (38:23)
- The danger of automated political influencers (41:56)
- How journalists have been crucial in Sam’s understanding of political bots (45:28)
- Journalists leaning on social media posts for articles (48:33)
- Journalists using bots for good (49:29)
- Bots writing news stories (51:24)
- ChatGPT usage at the college level (52:52)
- China using social media to spread propaganda abroad (57:29)
- Why Sam is still optimistic about the future (59:00)
In the second of a two-part conversation, investigative journalist and bestselling author Jeff Guinn chats with Trey Elling about WACO: DAVID KORESH, THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS, AND A LEGACY OF RAGE. You can find part 1 of this interview HERE. This time around, the focus is on the 51-day seige, and fatal mistakes made by ATF- and FBI leadership. Topics include:
- How the ATF ended up on the Branch Davidians’ trail (1:22)
- How ATF agents were misinformed on two crucial elements before the initial raid (6:10)
- The ATF’s plan of action (9:30)
- Why the Treasure Department reversed their decision to nix the ATF’s planned raid (13:34)
- How the ATF’s raid lost its element of surprise (16:55)
- Whether choppers fired on the Branch Davidian compound during that initial raid (21:14)
- What the ATF agents who took part in the raid still resent the most (27:01)
- The no-win situation for the ATF agents on the ground that day (30:50)
- Two conflicting internal factors at play when the FBI took over (32:09)
- The likelihood of the FBI ever apologizing for mistakes they made in Waco (41:16)
- Whether Koresh close to surrendering before that final, fateful day (41:36)
Award-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author Jeff Guinn chats with Trey Elling about WACO: DAVID KORESH, THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS, AND A LEGACY OF RAGE. In the first- or a two-part conversation, Jeff and Trey discuss the evolution of the Branch Davidians and David Koresh's rise within the religious organization. Topics include:
- The book's genesis (1:26)
- 20 ATF agents going on-record about Waco for the first time (2:51)
- How the group originally settled in Waco, TX in the early 1930s (5:44)
- Legally becoming the “Branch Davidians” (8:24)
- Koresh’s early days with the Branch Davidians (12:00)
- Koresh’s first taste of a gun fight (18:41)
- How the Branch Davidians got into illegal firearms in the early 1990s (21:00)
- Koresh’s sexual proclamations and the cost of losing Marc Breault as a follower (25:44)
- Why some defend Koresh’s pedophilia (29:12)
Yale School of Medicine physician and researcher F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE, chats with Trey Elling about HOW MEDICINE WORKS AND WHEN IT DOESN’T: LEARNING WHO TO TRUST TO GET AND STAY HEALTHY. Topics include:
- Goal with the book (0:00)
- Pharma’s role with patient mistrust (1:57)
- Pharma’s influence on doctors (6:49)
- Generic drugs not such an easy fix (10:22)
- How medical errors commonly lead to death (12:34)
- Surrogate outcomes (15:50)
- Getting patients to change their minds for GOOD reasons (17:44)
- Combatting motivated reasoning (20:44)
- The “biggest secret in medicine” (26:22)
- Factoring in side effects when considering a drug (29:32)
- Doctors’ responsibility to help patients with despair (31:28)
- Randomized controlled trials, aka RCTs (37:48)
- How RCTs go wrong (44:19)
- The difficulty with replication (47:29)
- Why “open data” isn’t already the standard with RCTs (50:35)
- The problem with the “middle man” in patient care (53:39)
- An alternative to the current US healthcare system (57:06)
- How patients can move closer to doctors by embracing uncertainty (1:00:15)
Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin chats with Trey Elling about PUNK PARADOX: A MEMOIR. Topics include:
- Goal with the book (0:00)
- His first taste of live music (2:40)
- Trauma in rural Kansas in 1976 (4:18)
- The initial appeal of punk (7:57)
- A love for The Jackson 5 (10:25)
- The ugly reality of punk in 1984 (12:11)
- How lizards are like lead singers (13:41)
- A change in Bad Religion’s crowd in the late ‘80s (16:22)
- Bad Religion’s Christmas Songs album (17:21)
- The concept of “selling out” (18:35)
- Putting his academic career on hold for the band (21:31)
- Recovering from a string of traumas in the mid-1990s (23:04)
- Fostering his children’s love for music (25:35)
- Brett Gurewitz’s break from the band in the late 1990s (27:29)
- The one Bible verse he quoted in PUNK PARADOX (29:28)
- An interesting factoid about ants (33:11)
- The Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA championship in 2021 (34:28)
- Rooting for an outspoken Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers (36:30)
- Whether Greg is still ‘punk’ (40:26)
New York Times bestselling author James Rickards chats with Trey Elling about SOLD OUT: HOW BROKEN SUPPLY CHAINS, SURGING INFLATION, AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY WILL SINK THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. Topics include:
- Book's goal (0:00)
- The magnitude of the supply chain (2:50)
- The new science of supply chain management (7:19)
- The start of an ongoing trade war between the US and China (11:39)
- How Covid 19 contributed to supply chain problems (15:34)
- Vaccine mandates and the supply chain (20:07)
- Cargo ships and the supply chain (25:56)
- A major truck driver shortage (29:24)
- Energy and supply chain management (32:00)
- China as the biggest loser in a global supply chain failure (34:35)
- Apple moving some semiconductor production out of Taiwan (44:08)
Standup comedian Gianmarco Soresi chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his shows at Cap City Comedy Club on January 6th & 7th. Get tickets HERE. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (0:00)
- Suffering through the Whole 30 diet (1:47)
- Cutting his teeth in NYC at LOL Comedy Club in making it to the Comedy Cellar (3:45)
- Feedback (5:45)
- Taking a comedy class at Caroline's Comedy Club (7:49)
- How to pull off dark humor on stage (11:26)
- Receiving validation from other comedians (16:06)
- Working out a gun violence joke (18:26)
Heather Radke, a writer and contributing editor/reporter at Radiolab, chats with Trey Elling about BUTTS: A BACKSTORY. Topics include:
- Heather's goal with Butts (0:00)
- The gluteal cleft (2:13)
- Why humans evolved to have butts (3:31)
- How the butt is a Swiss Army Knife (5:26)
- Male peacocks and the female human butt (7:07)
- The modern objectification of the female butt beginning with Sarah Baartman 200+ years ago (10:56)
- Scientists' creating racial hierarchy with butts (and more) in the 1800s (14:44)
- The bustle in the late 1800s (17:16)
- The flapper of the 1920s (20:20)
- Josephine Baker's butt nearly ending European civilization (23:50)
- Attempting to define "normal" in the mid-1900s (26:08)
- The model responsible for how many clothing companies determine the fit for women's pants (29:23)
- Buns of Steel (32:29)
- The start of 'fat fitness' in the 1980s (35:53)
- Sir Mix-A-Lot and Baby Got Back (38:13)
- Why women's butts have been more openly discussed since around 2000 (42:59)
- Beyonce and "Bootylicious" (46:30)
- 2014 as the 'Year of the Butt' (49:20)
- The next big thing in butts (51:22)
Dr. Rick Johnson chats with Trey Elling about NATURE WANTS US TO BE FAT: THE SURPRISING SCIENCE BEHIND WHY WE GAIN WEIGHT AN HOW WE CAN PREVENT--AND REVERSE--IT. Listen to part one of their conversation HERE. Topics in part two include:
- Why sugar/fructose can fuel problems like ADHD (0:00)
- Drinking vs eating fructose (10:42)
- Fructose in vegetables and fruits (17:51)
- Dairy and the 'survival switch' (22:11)
- Exercise and the 'survival switch' (24:24)
- Obesity rates increasing while sugar consumption have decreased since 2000 (27:53)
- Rick finishing the book, and this chat, with 'An Ode to Sugar' (31:33)
Physician, researcher, and author Dr. Rick Johnson chats with Trey Elling about NATURE WANTS US TO BE FAT: THE SURPRISING SCIENCE BEHIND WHY WE GAIN WEIGHT AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT--AND REVERSE--IT. Topics include:
- The book's goal (0:00)
- When & why excess weight is beneficial to animals (2:32)
- Why humans evolved to be so sensitive to fructose (8:40)
- Uric acid's connection to fructose and weight gain (17:36)
- Negative health effects of fructose consumption beyond excess fat (26:17)
- The line where salt goes from good to bad (35:05)
Washington Post food expert Mary Beth Albright chats with Trey Elling about EAT & FLOURISH: HOW FOOD SUPPORTS EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. Topics include:
- The book's inspiration (0:28)
- "How" we eat impacting mental health (2:09)
- The health benefits of eating together (4:32)
- How the nervous system connects food and emotions (7:47)
- Sound as the secret sensory ingredient to food (9:49)
- Celebrating accomplishments with food (15:25)
- The science of "hangry" (16:07)
- The benefits of switching from an ultra-processed to Mediterranean diet (18:30)
- How ultra-processed foods change our brains (21:33)
- Blood sugar spikes and accelerated food cravings (23:46)
- Comfort food (25:29)
- The sense of smell and mood (27:16)
- The gut microbiome and mood (29:27)
- "Diet" (34:21)
- Prebiotics (37:49)
- Chronic inflammation and emotional well-being (40:11)
- The microbiome's effect on excess weight (43:34)
- High-carb versus high-protein breakfasts and decision-making (44:21)
- The book's recipes (48:06)
In episode #303, multi-platinum record producer-turned-neuroscientist Susan Rodgers chats with Trey Elling about THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE: WHAT THE MUSIC YOU LOVE SAYS ABOUT YOU. Susan is best known for her work with Prince during his peak creative years (1983-87).
- Susan’s unique path from award-winning sounder engineer and record producer to neuroscientist (1:43)
- How Miles Davis changed her perspective on listening to music (3:40)
- The beauty of record pulls (7:36)
- The messy “brilliance” of The Shaggs (11:37)
- What we visualize when we listen to music (15:52)
- Why a preference for ‘real’ versus ‘abstract’ isn’t consistent across artistic mediums (19:34)
- The connection between novelty and an appetite for risk (22:21)
- A McGill study on the link between musical novelty and mental rewards (28:41)
- Why the melody is a record’s heart (29:55)
- Songs whose lyrics and instrumentation tell different stories (33:36)
- Ambiguity as a valuable lyrical tool (34:52)
- How the Barenaked Ladies fooled Susan’s brother with fictitious lyrics (37:06)
- Rhythm as Susan’s favorite musical dimension (38:29)
- Evidence that some animals can experience musical rhythm (41:25)
- Explaining timbre (45:48)
- How Susan received a lesson on the power of timbre from Prince with “When Doves Cry” (48:43)
- The importance of synthetic listening to music producers (53:18)
- What happens in the brain when we feel ‘love at first listen’ with a song (58:26)
New York Times Bestselling author Jeff Pearlman chats with Trey Elling about THE LAST FOLK HERO: THE LIFE AND MYTH OF BO JACKSON. Topics include:
- How he got the nickname "Bo" (0:26)
- Why young Bo cleaned his act (1:30)
- Bo the high school football player (3:16)
- Choosing college football over pro baseball and Auburn over Alabama (4:06)
- How Bo helped "kill" Bear Bryant (5:39)
- Bo's first season in college baseball (8:18)
- Bo showing his human side (11:56)
- Bo's The Natural moment in college (13:25)
- Bo's soap opera life when he won the Heisman (16:15)
- Bo's senior baseball season ending abruptly (17:52)
- Bo's terrible first impression with his future Royals teammates (19:40)
- How Bo ended up in pro football, despite insisting otherwise (20:34)
- Bo befuddling Matt Millen in his first practice with the Raiders (22:17)
- Bo killing The Boz (23:14)
- Why Bo was an a-hole when he returned to Royals spring training (24:42)
- The Kevin Seitzer incident (25:55)
- The "Bo Knows" ad campaign (27:18)
- Bo running up and down an outfield wall (29:52)
- The hip injury (31:59)
- Returning to baseball after the injury (33:22)
- Techmo Bo (34:03)
- Bo's enriching 1993 baseball season (35:17)
- Bo's penile legend (36:07)
- Bo's role in the Nolan Ryan-Robin Ventura brawl (37:06)
- The hardest part of writing a biography on Bo (38:38)
Humanitarian Nate Boyer chats with Trey Elling about MVP, a film Nate co-wrote, directed, and starred in. Topics include:
- The starting point for this project (:30)
- When it was decided he would play the lead AND direct (5:46)
- Relating to the most emotional moments in the film (12:12)
- One of the themes in the film that everyone is f-ed up. (17:25)
- Nate's thoughts on Longhorn football under Steve Sarkisian (27:45)
- Whether Nate is optimistic or pessimistic on America's direction (32:38)
Actor Frank Grillo chats with Trey Elling about LAMBORGHINI: THE MAN BEHIND THE MAN BEHIND LEGEND. The film tells the wild story of Ferruccio Lamborghini, played by Frank, and what it took to create one of the most recognizable luxury sports car brands on the planet. Topics include:
- Whether Frank broke his disciplined diet white shooting on location in Italy (1:11)
- How Frank pulled off the Italian accent (2:51)
- A surprising detail from Ferruccio Lamborghini's story (3:55)
- Riding in a $28-million-dollar Lambo (5:16)
- What Frank loves about the film (6:07)
Award-winning writer David Sax chats with Trey Elling about THE FUTURE IS ANALOG: HOW TO CREATE A MORE HUMAN WORLD. Topics include:
- How the pandemic exposed the flaws of going too digital (0:22)
- The value of working at an office with your coworkers (3:28)
- The false promises of technology evolving education (18:45)
- What schools could learn from kindergarten (26:42)
- The initial vision of e-commerce vs what it became in this era of Amazon (36:19)
- The analog value of cities (45:38)
- The importance of shared, live experiences (49:32)
- Analog conversations healing loneliness and depression through "social prescribing" (54:09)
- Unplugging for the good of the soul (59:25)
- David's thoughts on the Metaverse (1:07:05)
Two-time UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and her trainer & fiancé Pat Barry chat with Trey Elling about THUG ROSE: MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST from the red carpet, prior to its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival. The film documents the highs and lows from Rose's life and career.
- Pat Barry (0:00)
- Rose Namajunas (3:37)
Rose Namajunas and Marius Markevicius chat with Trey Elling about THUG ROSE: MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST. The documentary about Namajunas' life and career, directed by Markevicius, premieres on November 9th on UFC Fight Pass.
James Beard- and Emmy-winning chef, tv personality, and author Jacques Pépin chats with Trey Elling about ART OF THE CHICKEN: A MASTER CHEF'S PAINTINGS, STORIES, AND RECIPES OF THE HUMBLE BIRD. Topics include:
- What he loves about chickens (1:32)
- Giving recipes in a narrative style (3:05)
- Cooking over live fire (5:28)
- Working at Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris (6:29)
- Moving from France to NYC in 1959 (7:43)
- Choosing Howard Johnson over the Kennedy White House (8:39)
- Making chicken cracklings (13:18)
- The value of a cooked chicken carcass (14:41)
- Deboning chickens, quickly and correctly (15:00)
- Why he & Julia Child were lampooned by SNL (15:47)
- Eggs, the MOST valuable ingredient (18:41)
- A love for painting AND painting chickens (19:19)
Joe Maddon, a longtime MLB manager who led the Tampa Bay Rays to their first ever World Series appearance and the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series title in more than 100 years, chats with Trey Elling about THE BOOK OF JOE: TRYING NOT TO SUCK AT BASEBALL AND LIFE. Topics include:
- The book's goal (2:14)
- Slogans helping to get a message across (4:08)
- A football coach who shaped his leadership style (7:24)
- How he got into coaching baseball (8:53)
- His favorite championship (10:52)
- The importance of struggling (12:48)
- The hardest player he ever had to cut (16:08)
- Gene Mauch's impact on Joe (17:58)
- The Cubs' mistreatment of Joe, heading into his final season with the team (19:50)
- The next ideal managerial situation (21:45)
- Whether computers should call balls and strikes (24:11)
European history and nuclear arms policy expert Benjamin Abelow chats with Trey Elling about HOW THE WEST BROUGHT WAR TO UKRAINE: UNDERSTANDING HOW U.S. AND NATO POLICIES LED TO CRISIS, WAR, AND THE RISK OF NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE. Topics include:
- NATO's expansion east over the past 30 years (0:35)
- Why NATO would've promised not to expand east in the early 1990s (2:46)
- NATO adding Poland is a member in the late '90s (6:09)
- George W. Bush withdrawing the US from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in late 2001 (8:48)
- NATO's failed attempt to add Georgia and Ukraine in 2008 (11:00)
- The US's role in Ukraine's 2014 coup (17:16)
- Russia's response to the coup (26:26)
- US actions in Romania in 2016 (29:50)
- Trump surprisingly continuing aggressive policies toward Russia (33:53)
- NATO & US diplomacy with Ukraine intensifying in 2021 (38:20)
- The immediate future of the current conflict (47:15)
- The likely culprit(s) of the Nord Stream Pipeline attacks (53:25)
- Ben's concern about a nuclear weapon being used (1:02:40)
Award-winning television producer and documentary filmmaker Natasha Lance Rogoff chats with Trey Elling about MUPPETS IN MOSCOW: THE UNEXPECTED CRAZY TRUE STORY OF MAKING SESAME STREET IN RUSSIA. Topics include:
- Why Sesame Street asked her to bring the show to Russia (2:00)
- Starting with getting past Russia's gatekeepers (8:29)
- Finally finding Russian financing (14:42)
- The difficulty of convincing Russians to diversify the show's music (17:07)
- The Russian production team not understanding America's racism (23:59)
- Russia's culture and values worth exposing to its children with Sesame Street (30:11)
- Important details for the Russian Sesame Street neighborhood (39:05)
- The sadness involved with casting Russian child actors (43:41)
- Creating the Russia-specific Muppet puppets (47:27)
- Finally getting to the television premiere in October 1996 (52:26)
- The lasting legacy of Russian Sesame Street (54:41)
George Mason University Professor of Economics and New York Times bestselling author Bryan Caplan chats with Trey Elling about DON'T BE A FEMINIST: ESSAYS ON GENUINE JUSTICE. Topics include:
- Feminism (0:22)
- Orwellian 'othering' (13:49)
- Public school classes are too touchy-feely (18:41)
- Happiness (22:39)
Decision-making expert, bestselling author, and former professional poker player Annie Duke chats with Trey Elling about QUIT: THE POWER OF KNOWING WHEN TO WALK AWAY. Topics include:
- Why we have have a hard time quitting (2:17)
- Richard Pryor (5:26)
- Why NYC cabbies in the 1990s were bad quitters (8:17)
- The difficulty of quitting in the red (13:03)
- California's high speed train money pit (16:22)
- Monkeys and pedestals (21:13)
- Sears not being able to quit itself (24:48)
- Daniel Kahneman providing a blurb for QUIT (29:29)
Comedian John Crist chats with Trey Elling about DELETE THAT (AND OTHER FAILED ATTEMPTS TO LOOK GOOD ONLINE). Topics include:
- Writing a memoir at 38 (:31)
- John's unique childhood (2:20)
- Failure (6:58)
- Early affirmations from a comic who had 'made it' (10:47)
- Louie Anderson's generous offer (13:51)
- Getting over a fear of discussing his spirituality on stage (17:00)
- Mocking both sides of a topic (22:22)
- A Sophie's choice for John (25:51)
- Those little motivators early in a standup career (29:52)
Renowned child psychologist and author Susan Linn chats with Trey Elling about WHO'S RAISING THE KIDS: BIG TECH, BIG BUSINESS, AND THE LIVES OF KIDS. Topics include:
- How a commercialized, digitized society affects kids' brain development (3:45)
- Nurturing 'awe' in children (6:14)
- Mr. Rogers encouraging silence (14:12)
- Mattel trying to hook babies with Aristotle (19:03)
- Screens substituting for real-life interactions (21:38)
- Amazon's Alexa for kids (24:16)
- Minecraft (28:49)
- Brand tribes (33:31)
- "Reducing friction" when marketing to children (35:15)
- Digitizing analog toys like Legos (39:01)
- Pokémon Go, -Smile, and -Sleep (42:09)
- Screens and advertising in public schools (50:30)
- Prodigy (54:23)
- Is there cause for hope? (58:51)
Bestselling author Meg Gardiner chats with Trey Elling about HEAT 2. Gardiner co-authored the book with Michael Mann, which serves as the sequel to Mann's 1995 crime thriller HEAT, starring Al Pacino, Robert Deniro, and Val Kilmer. Topics include:
- How she and Mann linked up (0:35)
- Where the book picks up from the film (6:48)
- Writing dialogue for characters that already exist on the big screen (13:30)
- The balance of paying tribute to a classic film, while making the current project its own thing (16:06)
- Turning HEAT 2 into a film or limited tv series (21:03)
- Running track at Stanford (23:00)
- Her previous career as an attorney (23:50)
- Advice for aspiring writers (25:40)
- Winning Jeopardy! three times in the late 1980s (27:43)
Randall Balmer, an Episcopal priest and John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College, chats with Trey Elling about PASSION PLAYS: HOW RELIGION SHAPED SPORTS IN NORTH AMERICA. Topics include:
- Baseball as counterculture to the Industrial Revolution (2:32)
- Football benefitting from the US Civil War (17:08)
- Hockey as a metaphor for Canada (28:24)
- Basketball's similarities to American urbanization (35:50)
- Are sports the new opiate of the masses (43:56)
Louise Willder, a copywriter at Penguin Books whose written around 5,000 blurbs over nearly three decades, chats with Trey Elling about BLURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: AN A-Z OF LITERARY PERSUASION. Topics include:
- Defining “blurb” (0:29)
- The profession of “blurbing” (3:09)
- Adjectives begetting laziness (7:10)
- Subtitles (10:24)
- Why some authors despise blurbs (14:10)
- Do authors ever write their own blurbs? (17:14)
- Charles Dickens: trailblazing self-promoter (21:00)
- What makes a book ‘classic’ (27:35)
- Louise’s blurbing pet peeves (30:34)
- The greatness of cuss words (32:43)
- The greatness of…the ellipsis (36:18)
- Blurbing a book that sucks (39:03)
- Rules for blurbing self-help books (41:30)
- Blurbing the Bible (44:09)
- Blurbs in the US vs the UK (46:46)
Jim DiEugenio, a foremost expert on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, chats with Trey Elling about JFK REVISITED: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. The book provides annotated transcripts of Oliver Stone's recent two- and four-hour documentaries, co-written by Jim, that present the most recent evidence uncovered by the Assassinations Record Review Board (ARRB). Topics include:
- The ARRB's importance for this project (2:45)
- JFK's autopsy confusion (12:57)
- The mystery of a press conference held by the two Dallas doctors who tried to save JFK on 11/22/63 that has been dashed from history (20:07)
- The three Texas Book Depository secretaries whose testimony was ignored (30:06)
- A meeting between JFK, Allen Dulles, and Lyman Lemnitzer that showed Kennedy at odds was with the US military industrial complex (37:11)
- CIA MK-Ultra psychiatrist Jolly West paying a visit to Jack Ruby in prison, after he killed Oswald (1:09:25)
- Who was most responsible for killing JFK, and LBJ's complicity in the plan (1:20:44)
Journalist and author Henry Sanderson chats with Trey Elling about VOLT RUSH: THE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE RACE TO GO GREEN. Topics include:
- Why electric vehicles didn't catch on initially in the early 1900s (2:01)
- How Exxon gets partial credit for discovering the lithium battery (4:37)
- China as the world's 'battery superpower' (7:54)
- Lithium's path from ground to battery (11:40)
- Cobalt's path from ground to battery (18:11)
- Nickel's path from ground to battery (26:04)
- The shocking amount of copper needed in electric vehicles (30:21)
- Deep sea mining as the next 'great' frontier for EV materials (35:03)
- Possible solutions to a finite amount of inhumanely sourced materials (38:44)
Portland-based writer and author Kristin Ohlson chats with Trey Elling about SWEET IN TOOTH AND CLAW: STORIES OF GENEROSITY AND COOPERATION IN THE NATURAL WORLD. Topics include:
- Harvesting trees while keeping a forest healthy (1:14)
- Dead salmon's contribution to the forest network (5:17)
- Bees sometimes cheating mutualism with pollenating flowers (7:03)
- Relaxed selection versus natural selection (9:10)
- How viral infections helped with human evolution (13:57)
- Humans emit a lot of bacteria and...fungi? (16:15)
- The spread of germs can be beneficial (17:33)
- The effect of sugary junk food on the gut microbiome (20:13)
- How an area in Nevada transformed from desert into wetland (21:52)
- Regenerative agriculture (28:42)
- Coral snot and island bid poop as other examples of mutualism (35:31)
- Whether cities' attempts to build nature into concrete jungles has paid off (40:01)
Spy. Spook. Intelligence officer. However you label him, Douglas London spent 34 years with the CIA, working as a field operative in countries outside of the United States, establishing relationships with foreign nationals who could help the US with highly sensitive information. And he's sharing his story with Trey Elling as told in THE RECRUITER: SPYING AND THE LOST ART OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE. The book is part memoir, part how-to-spy guide, and part critique of how and why the CIA lost its way since 9/11 and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Legendary actor Anthony Michael Hall chats with Trey Elling about his new film THE CLASS. Topics include:
- THE CLASS as a sort of spiritual sequel to THE BREAKFAST CLUB (0:38)
- Taking a page from John Hughes with rehearsals (5:00)
- Playing a school administrator, and remembering Paul Gleeson (8:53)
- Humanizing the authority figures (13:17)
- Acting class memories (14:59)
Evan Puschak, the guy responsible for the wildly popular The Nerdwriter channel on YouTube, chats with Trey Elling about ESCAPE INTO MEANING: ESSAYS ON SUPERMAN, PUBLIC BENCHES, AND OTHER OBSESSIONS. Topics include:
- Coming into his own as a writer (1:46)
- Lessons learned from Emerson (6:35)
- Articulating like Jerry Seinfeld (10:03)
- The brilliance of standup comedy (12:43)
- Facebook's true customers (15:37)
- The greatness of public benches (23:38)
- Why Venice, Italy is Evan's favorite place to sit (28:11)
- Probing Superman's psyche (30:34)
- The perfect Superman movie (35:13)
- Identity with respect to friendship (38:23)
Philly-based standup David James chats with Trey Elling, a head of his shows at Cap City Comedy Club from Sept. 2nd - 4th. Topics include:
- Getting fired from a paper company (0:25)
- Working as a parole officer (2:35)
- His standup journey (4:33)
- Tik Tok standup "comedians" (5:57)
- Remembering the Alamo while murdering Bills fans in Buffalo (7:36)
- David's terrible NYE in San Antonio (13:29)
- What he hates about Philly (17:13)
Trey takes a break from interviews to discuss his recent departure from 104.9 The Horn, a sports radio station in Austin, TX where he hosted a midday show for the past five-plus years.
Journalist, screenwriter, and New York Times bestselling author TJ English chats with Trey Elling aboutDANGEROUS RHYTHMS: JAZZ AND THE UNDERWORLD. In the second of a two-part conversation with TJ, topics include:
- Jazz thriving through the Great Depression (0:15)
- How gangsters "mobbed up" jukeboxes during the Great Depression (2:40)
- Frank Sinatra as the main figure in the book's second half (4:40)
- Sinatra's mom providing him an 'in' with the Hoboken, NJ mafia (6:16)
- Frank using the mob to help settle a disputes with a fellow, and former, band members (7:36)
- How the mafia had pay those favors back (12:21)
- Why heroin became so popular with jazz musicians at the start of World War II (19:33)
- The Times Square joint Birdland as perhaps the most mobbed up club in history (23:56)
- How 1950s Havana, Cuba was different from other mob-run jazz scenes (29:45)
- Miles Davis reinvigorating US jazz in the late 1950s (32:50)
- Sinatra having the mob give JFK a boost in the 1960 presidential election (38:44)
- When and why the relationship between jazz and gangsters fizzled (44:25)
Journalist, screenwriter, and New York Times bestselling author TJ English chats with Trey Elling about DANGEROUS RHYTHMS: JAZZ AND THE UNDERWORLD. In the first of a two-part conversation with TJ, topics include:
- Why the birth of jazz was about more than merely creating a new sort of language (3:10)
- How lynchings helped form a bond Sicilian club owners and black jazz musicians in early-1900s New Orleans (6:29)
- The origins of the term 'jazz' (10:22)
- "Jellyroll" Morton (14:06)
- The influence of the "Sicilian Black Hand" (16:56)
- The scene surrounding the earliest Kansas City jazz clubs (20:02)
- Not shying away from the ugliness that surrounded jazz in its early days (25:19)
- Louis Armstrong's move from New Orleans to Chicago in 1922 (32:16)
- Al Capone hearts Fats Waller (40:50)
- The birth of the hipster (44:20)
Legendary race car driver and marijuana smuggler Randy Lanier chats with Trey Elling about SURVIVAL OF THE FASTEST: WEED, SPEED, AND THE 1980s DRUG SCANDAL THAT SHOCKED THE SPORTS WORLD. The book details how Randy became one of the most lucrative international marijuana traffickers in US history during the 1980s, part of which coincided with his rapid ascent in professional auto racing, before it all came crashing down.
Comedian, actor, and radio host Earthquake chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his shows at Cap City Comedy Club. Topics include:
- Today's kids being bored by the childhood entertainment of the past (0:44)
- Cancel culture (4:21)
- Why Washington DC cranks out so many funny comedians (5:17)
- How he was shaped by serving 11 years in the Air Force (6:41)
- Audience members attacking comedians (9:00)
- Will Smith going after Chris Rock at the Oscars (10:31)
- How he got the name "Earthquake" (11:18)
- Worst earthquake he's been in (12:43)
- What he loves about Dave Chappelle (16:04)
Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, aka "the Bill Murray of College Football", chats with Trey Elling ahead of the 2022 season. Topics include:
- The collective impact of conference realignment, NIL, and possible playoff expansion on the sport (1:52)
- Wanting to chat with Elon Musk (20:13)
- Mike's offseason (23:33)
- Pikes Peak & Buffalo Bill trivia (28:33)
- Craziness in the Florida Keys (35:16)
- Bigfoot (38:36)
- Previewing Mississippi State football's upcoming season (42:52)
Dolphin social cognition expert and science writer Justin Gregg chats with Trey Elling about IF NIETZSCHE WERE A NARWHAL: WHAT ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE REVEALS ABOUT HUMAN STUPIDITY.
Super Bowl champion and US Rugby Olympian Nate Ebner chats with Trey Elling about FINISH STRONG: A FATHER'S CODE AND A SON'S PATH. The book tells the story of Nate's special relationship with his father growing up, his dad's tragic murder, and how Nate used the lessons learned from his dad to walk on at Ohio State Buckeyes football, win three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, and represent US Rugby at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Nate and Trey discuss some of those details.
Comedian Jeff Ross, aka the Roastmaster General, chats with Trey Elling, prior to his shows at Cap City Comedy Club on August 4 - 6. Topics include:
- Jeff's status as an elder statesman in standup (1:59)
- Performing bits that have nothing to do with trash-talking (3:04)
- How losing Bob Saget and Gilbert Gottfried affected his comedy (3:45)
- Disappearing airport etiquette (4:43)
- Jeff growing to love dogs during the pandemic (5:36)
- A lack of hecklers at his shows (7:51)
- Jeff connecting with his audience after performing (8:36)
- Making roasting an integral part of his act (9:58)
- Initially deciding to pursue standup (13:07)
- Minoring in poly sci in college (14:21)
- Having to turn down 'in memorium' opportunities (15:53)
- Performing comedy in 2022 (17:06)
- Jeff roasts Trey (21:53)
Comedian, podcaster, writer, and actor Bryan Callen chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his standup shows at Cap City Comedy Club on July 28, 29, & 30. Topics include:
- Performing in Austin (4:12)
- Pronoun- & trans-politics (6:58)
- Interviewing Sammy "the Bull" Gravano (15:16)
- Upcoming standup special & cranking out new material (17:36)
- Standup in the 'cancel culture' era (18:54)
- Getting back into standup in 2005 (24:13)
- Places he won't go with his comedy (25:32)
- Failure (27:35)
Speech pathologist, writer, and Harvard lecturer Rebecca Rolland chats with Trey Elling about THE ART OF TALKING WITH CHILDREN: THE SIMPLE KEYS TO NURTURING KINDNESS, CREATIVITY, AND CONFIDENCE IN KIDS.
Legendary filmmaker Ron Shelton chats with Trey Elling about THE CHURCH OF BASEBALL: THE MAKING OF BULL DURHAM: HOME RUNS, BAD CALLS, CRAZY FIGHTS, BIG SWINGS, AND A HIT. The book is part memoir, part screenwriting/directing masterclass, and part oral history of one of the best sports movies ever made.
Molecular biologist Nicklas Brendborg chats with Trey Elling about JELLYFISH AGE BACKWARDS: NATURE'S SECRETS TO LONGEVITY. Topics include:
- Why we age (:51)
- How a certain jellyfish ages backwards (1:29)
- The unique aging of salmon (2:26)
- Large animals outliving small ones (3:17)
- The curious case of the naked mole rat (4:19)
- Genetics and lifespan (6:49)
- Why eradicating major diseases wouldn't extend average lifespan (9:20)
- Distinguishing the queen bee from worker bees (12:04)
- Antioxidant supplements bad for our health? (12:59)
- Hormesis (14:30)
- Heat shock proteins (16:25)
- Human growth hormone (19:30)
- Insulin-like Growth Factor 1, aka IGF-1 (21:25)
- Rapamycin and fungi (2:22)
- Spermadine (25:43)
- Telomeres (26:44)
- The epigenetic clock (28:33)
- Do old people benefit from young blood transfusions (34:13)
- The microbiome and aging (36:31)
- Fecal transplants (39:06)
- Caloric restriction (40:05)
- Insulin and the aging process (45:45)
- Metformin (48:33)
- Exercise (51:35)
Investigative journalists Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins chats with Trey Elling about SALMON WARS: THE DARK UNDERBELLY OF OUR FAVORITE FISH. Topics include:
- The genesis of this book (0:49)
- How the farmed salmon industry is like Big Tobacco and Big Ag rolled into one (3:04)
- How embedded farmed salmon is in our food supply (5:27)
- Properly labelling seafood (7:16)
- The evolution of commercial salmon farming (8:21)
- The Canadian government's role in the rise in that country's open-net farms in the 1980s (9:51)
- Norway's Hydro Seafood and its role in expanding salmon farming (13:39)
- Sea lice and their damage on farmed salmon (16:19)
- The dangers of farmed salmon escaping back into the wild (18:15)
- The concern around Cypermethrin for fish and humans (19:30)
- Alexandra Morton as a hero in this terrifying story (23:30)
- How the farmed salmon industry responds to scientific findings critical of their business (25:36)
- The right way to farm salmon (27:15)
- The reliability of a store claiming its fish is wild caught (30:54)
- Comparing Omega 3 levels in farmed- vs wild salmon (32:32)
- Why salmon farmers add dye to the chemical pellets they feed their fish (36:43)
- What Canada's Cohen Commission uncovered about dwindling wild salmon populations (37:50)
- Whether Norway does a good job of protecting its salmon (41:10)
- The added issue of salmon farm litter (43:19)
- An ecological disaster perpetuated by Cook Aquaculture in 2017 (44:40)
- The Miramichi River as a reason for optimism in the fight for wild salmon (57:56)
- Whether Doug and Catherine are concerned about industry pushback (49:41)
Actress, comedian, and writer Mary Lynn Rajskub chats with Trey Elling about FAME-ISH: MY LIFE AT THE EDGE OF STARDOM. Topics include:
- Covid as the inspiration to write this book (1:10)
- Making the ranch dressing at Denny's (2:32)
- Find a home as a young performer in LA (8:15)
- The evolution of her standup (13:36)
- The key to acting dead (20:37)
- Her million-dollar mansion that housed a women's commune and anus-less dog (21:39)
- Writing about personally difficult experiences (23:08)
Comedian Hans Kim chats with Trey Elling, prior to the standup showcase he's hosting at Vulcan Gas Company on July 10th. Topics include:
- Kill Tony discovering him (2:19)
- Life changing massively in the last year-plus (3:33)
- Moving to Austin (5:28)
- His standup experience in NYC (6:41)
- Getting comfortable on stage (8:44)
- Being funny as a kid (11:20)
- Layers of being funny (13:06)
- Continually honing his craft (14:48)
- Opening for Joe Rogan, in front of 17,000 people (19:40)
- Performing at the Vulcan Gas Company (22:34)
- Comedy club etiquette (24:13)
- Headlining clubs outside of Austin (26:01)
- Standup influences (28:00)
- Having his standup dreams become reality so abruptly (29:24)
Bestselling author and screenwriter Jerry Stahl chats with Trey Elling about NEIN, NEIN, NEIN: ONE MAN'S TALE OF DEPRESSION, PSYCHIC TORMENT, AND A BUS TOUR OF THE HOLOCAUST. Topics include:
- Why he decided to go on a Concentration Camp bus tour a few years ago (0:25)
- Coming to terms with his own depression many years ago (1:12)
- The added challenge of placating Hollywood while on the bus tour (3:23)
- Investing in digitally hip luggage before the trip (5:15)
- Keeping it real on Spielberg’s Schindler’s List while in Kraków (8:18)
- Feeling a “heavy peace” throughout the trip, including at a Kraków synagogue’s cemetery (10:49)
- Nazi porn fetish rabbit holes, no pun intended (12:13)
- One of the many endearing characters on the tour bus through Poland and Germany (15:09)
- An annoying, hipster influence at Auschwitz (17:59)
- Modern Auschwitz’ cafeteria scene (20:08)
- A Dresden, Germany restaurant that would keep kids in line with a fake executioner (23:00)
- A pit stop in Munich, during Oktoberfest (26:51)
- The “Bitch of Buchenwald” (29:27)
- The Nuremberg courtroom being climactic and anti-climactic at the same time (38:36)
- Concentration Camp fatigue syndrome (40:23)
- Unique elements at Dachau’s Concentration Camp (41:19)
Retired four-star Admiral James Stavridis chats with Trey Elling about TO RISK IT ALL: NINE CONFLICTS AND THE CRUCIBLE OF DECISION. Topics include:
- John Paul Jones continuing to fight a battle that was seemingly lost (1:43)
- Lieutenant Stephen Decatur 'cutting out' in Tripoli Harbor (3:08)
- An amazing example of risk-taking from the US Civil War (4:46)
- Gut instinct as an element of good decision making (6:37)
- "Cool Hand" George Dewey and the challenges he overcame with his fleet entering Manilla Bay in 1898 (7:10)
- A heroic example of risk-taking from a low-ranking figure at Pearl Harbor (10:02)
- Admiral William "Bull" Halsey as an example of risky decision-making leading to tragic consequences (13:23)
- The saddest example of lose-lose decision-making in the book (17:42)
- Rear Admiral Michelle Howard and her team's rescue of Captain Jim Phillips from Somali pirates (22:19)
- An unfortunate example of decision-making, relating to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic (27:06)
- A good example of risk-taking in the face of conflict from Jim's career (31:48)
One of Hollywood's brightest, young filmmakers Cooper Raiff chats with Trey Elling about CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH. Raiff wrote, directed and starred in the film, which is available now on Apple+. Topics include:
- Having a hamster as a costar in the film (1:23)
- How his sister serves as an inspiration in CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH (1:45)
- Directing actors of a variety of ages (2:47)
- "Brown Eyed Girl" (4:09)
Legendary musician Don McLean chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his show at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, celebrating the release of "American Pie" 50 years ago. Topics include:
- What the show consists of (2:33)
- The key to a good story (4:03)
- How he handled the success of "American Pie" poorly (8:24)
- Exploring a variety of themes and styles with his music over the past 50 years (13:55)
- Bob Dylan disliking the likelihood that he's the jester character in "American Pie" (17:01)
- The government's role in many of the horrific events from the 1960s that the song discusses (22:49)
- The assassination of JFK in 1963 (23:33)
- Considering the song was inspired by his belief that the world was headed in a terrible direction, was his prediction correct? (29:25)
Actor, writer, producer, and standup comedian Marlon Wayans chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his live shows in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Topics include:
- Whether he has a preferred type of venue to perform standup (1:39)
- What he loves about standup that is unique from making movies and tv shows (2:58)
- Has his brother Damon helped him evolve as a standup (5:26)
- What it'll take to get Eddie Murphy to perform standup again (6:55)
- The key to capturing Richard Pryor's vulnerability in an upcoming project where he's playing the legendary comedian (8:00)
- Whether he has a good Bill Murray story from their time shooting On the Rocks together (10:18)
- Playing the legendary figure George Raveling in a new film on Nike's pursuit of Michael Jordan, directed by Ben Affleck (13:09)
- Could a movie like White Chicks get made in 2022 (14:33)
Following their conversation on Dr. Rolle's new book, THE 2% WAY, Dr. Rolle and Trey Elling discussed several social issues that have been swirling around the world of college and pro sports. Topics include:
- Is the school song for the University of Texas racist? (1:49)
- Should Florida State University consider replacing the Seminoles mascot? (7:28)
- The "Redskins" nickname and high schools flying the Confederate flag (10:04)
- People clinging to symbols (11:35)
To watch/hear our chat on THE 2% WAY, click HERE.
Former NFL player and current pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Myron Rolle chats with Trey Elling about THE 2% WAY: HOW A PHILOSOPHY OF SMALL IMPROVEMENTS TOOK ME TO OXFORD, THE NFL, AND NEUROSURGERY. Topics include:
- An explanation of the 2% way (0:45)
- Why examining one's foundations is important for fulfilling potential (2:26)
- What his mummy was like during his childhood (4:13)
- His dad's response to Myron kicking another kid's butt for calling him the n-word (6:12)
- The benefit of adopting his father's stoicism as an adult (7:43)
- The influence of Dr. Ben Carson's book, Gifted Hands (9:53)
- The opportunities and experiences his football talent afforded him at prestigious prep high schools (12:03)
- Why he decided to play football and attend college at Florida State University (16:08)
- An epiphanous moment at a San Francisco Denny's when the Seminoles were prepping for a bowl game in the Bay Area (20:48)
- Starting a program to assist the young people within the Seminole tribe in Florida (25:08)
- Lessons learned from initially failing to qualify for the Rhodes Scholarship (29:48)
- The exhilaration of winning the Rhodes Scholarship (33:29)
- Why he chose to pursue the Rhodes Scholarship over an NFL career, following his junior year at Florida State (35:12)
- Wonderful advice he received from Dr. Ben Carson the weekend before heading to Oxford (39:31)
- The biggest benefit from his time at Oxford (42:17)
- How he became better from the disappointment of sliding to the sixth round of the NFL draft (45:02)
- Spending the offseason after his rookie year representing the Clinton Global Initiative in Africa (47:25)
- Why his time in the NFL may have been cut so short (50:17)
- The biggest regret about his time in the league (54:00)
- Why 'community' and 'vision' were most important when selecting his residency hospital at Harvard Mass General Hospital (56:05)
- What his wife Latoya means to him (1:02:05)
- His opinion on college athletes finally being allow to profit off of Name, Image, and Likeness (1:05:49)
Multiple Sclerosis ambassador and motivational speaker Tyler Campbell chats with Trey Elling about THE BALL CAME OUT: LIFE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD. Topics include:
- Tyler's goal with the book (3:00)
- The thing that caused him to let his guard down a bit as a kid (4:36)
- Growing up as an African American in an affluent, predominantly white community (7:13)
- How the discovery of football helped him (12:15)
- An mistake that derailed his life as a junior in high school (15:29)
- How his mom and dad reacted to that mistake (19:37)
- Ending up at Pasadena City College in California (27:02)
- Getting that full ride to play at San Diego State (30:10)
- Swallowing his pride in making a name for himself on special teams (33:03)
- The terrifying details of his first experience with Multiple Sclerosis (35:03)
- Continuing to play football through this debilitating condition (41:08)
- Becoming an ambassador for MS and a highly sought-after public speaker (46:48)
- Inheriting Earl's skill as a public speaker (50:18)
- The key to a good story (52:14)
- What his mom means to him (54:51)
- What his dad means to him (55:44)
- What his wife means to him (56:37)
Former world champion debater Bo Seo chats with Trey Elling about GOOD ARGUMENTS: HOW DEBATE TEACHES US TO LISTEN AND BE HEARD. Topics include:
- Bo's goal with the book (0:27)
- Why disagreement is valuable in human interaction (2:30)
- Bo's outright avoidance of conflict changing in 2005 (4:52)
- The importance of topic analysis for debate (10:38)
- Why 'truth' and 'importance' are debate's two burdens of proof to convince a listener (15:49)
- Counterclaims as an embodiment for justifiable hope, according to Aristotle (28:14)
- Why rhetoric has such a negative connotation, and what good rhetoric looks like (32:02)
- Four qualifications that determine whether an argument is worth pursuing (37:02)
- How to disarm a name-calling bully in a debate (44:46)
- The greatest lesson he learned while coaching debate (48:10)
- Side-switching as another tool to prepare for debate (54:42)
Everybody Loves Raymond creator and Somebody Feed Philcreator/host Phil Rosenthal chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his appearance at the ATX TV Festival. The fifth season of Somebody Feed Phil is out now on Netflix!
Actor Briga Heelan chats with Trey Elling, ahead of her appearance at the ATX Television Festival for a GREAT NEWS cast/crew reunion and table read. Briga shares what she loved about the show, lessons learned from working around some legends, where her natural comedic sense comes from, the joys of parenting, and more!
John Gleeson was lead counsel in the successful racketeering-murder trials of John Gotti and Vic Orena, which he talks about with Trey Elling, as detailed in the new book, THE GOTTI WARS: TAKING DOWN AMERICA'S MOST NOTORIOUS MOBSTER. Topics include:
- The allure of working for the Eastern District of New York in the mid-1980s (1:28)
- How he became involved in the first Gotti case (3:15)
- Why his office didn't get along with the FBI's Gambino squad (6:42)
- Gotti's 'allure' in person (10:15)
- The special treatment Gotti received, despite being a defendant (13:17)
- Losing that first trial (15:24)
- The massive evidence obtained by bugging an apartment about the Ravenite club in Little Italy (18:57)
- How Gleeson took the lead on the second case (22:08)
- Nearly losing the case to the Southern District of NY (23:40)
- What they charged Gotti with (24:51)
- Using the bugged recordings to keep the defendants in detention (26:00)
- Getting two attorneys removed from Gotti's legal team (27:38)
- His initial response when learning Sammy "The Bull" Gravano wanted to flip on Gotti (30:10)
- Meeting with Sammy The Bull about flipping for the first time (31:44)
- Having to keep this a secret from his bosses (33:24)
- Learning from Sammy why they lost that first Gotti case (34:49)
- What worried Gleeson, leading into the second Gotti trial (35:45)
- Whether Gotti putting a contract out on his head during the trial worried Gleeson (37:44)
- Earning 'guilty' verdicts the second time around (39:06)
- His emotional response when finding out Gotti had died in the early 2000s (40:50)
Actor Adam Campbell chats with Trey Elling, ahead of a reunion with some of his former GREAT NEWS cast- and crew-mates at ATX TV Festival. Topics include:
- Embarking on his first trip to Austin and Texas (1:25)
- Adam's description of Los Angeles to an outsider (2:53)
- The difficulties of learning the full picture on the issues most impacting the country and world (5:08)
- Adam gaining an appreciation of America when going through the citizenship process (8:50)
- American freedom (10:31)
- What Adam loved about GREAT NEWS (12:19)
- Adam's comedic influences (16:20)
- Ricky Gervais' new standup comedy special (18:36)
- Raising a five-year-old son (22:44)
- Adam's hometown of Bath, Sommerset, England (26:33)
Oscar-winning director Ron Howard and World Central Kitchen CEO Nathan Mook chat with Trey Elling about WE FEED PEOPLE during South By Southwest 2022. The Apple+ documentary, directed by Howard, details the tireless work and humanitarian aid provided by renowned chef José Andrés through his organization, World Central Kitchen.
- Nathan Mook (0:44)
- Ron Howard (3:17)
M. Chris Fabricant, Director of Strategic Litigation for the Innocence Project & expert on forensic science and the US criminal justice system, chats with Trey Elling about JUNK SCIENCE AND THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. Topics include:
- The birth of junk science as a jury-swaying courtroom tool (2:22)
- 'Peer reviewed' as a misunderstood term regarding science (10:33)
- An early 1990s US Supreme Court case favoring Dow Pharmaceuticals helping with the awakening on junk science (19:55)
- The challenge of swaying those whose careers have been built on a belief in junk science (26:14)
- The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) uncovering major flaws with the most popular forensic sciences in 2006 (29:38)
- Debunking the uniqueness and certainty of fingerprints (35:56)
- How it went when the NAS revealed its findings at the annual American Academy of Forensic Science meeting in 2009 (42:59)
- Michael West as an especially belligerent example of dental junk science (47:32)
- Unindicted co-ejaculator theories (52:28)
- The importance of Steven Mark Chaney's story (55:00)
Several people responsible for the new Nolan Ryan documentary, FACING NOLAN, chat with Trey Elling on the red carpet before the film's premiere at SXSW 2022. The interviewees include:
- Bradley Jackson - Director (0:33)
- Reid & Reese Ryan - Executive Producers & Nolan's sons (3:22)
- Nolan Ryan - Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher & Robin Ventura's daddy (9:16)
University of Michigan Philosophy and Law professor Scott Hershovitz chats with Trey Elling about NASTY, BRUTISH, AND SHORT: ADVENTURES IN PHILOSOPHY WITH MY KIDS.
Four of the five members of The Kids in the Hall chat with Trey Elling, ahead of the South By Southwest premiere of their new Amazon Prime documentary THE KIDS IN THE HALL: COMEDY PUNKS. Amazon is also releasing a brand new season of sketches from the Canadian troupe. Throughout this conversation, you'll hear from:
- Mark McKinney (0:45)
- Kevin McDonald (3:40)
- Dave Foley (6:25)
- Scott Thompson (10:09)
Patagonia ambassador, writer, and fly fisherman Dylan Tomine chats with Trey Elling about HEADWATERS: THE ADVENTURES, OBSESSION, AND EVOLUTION OF A FLY FISHERMAN. Topics include:
- What he loves so much about fly-fishing (1:49)
- The allure of steelhead trout (6:24)
- Why he's a catch-and-release fly fisherman (7:32)
- Drinking his yerba mate tea out of a dried goat scrotum in Argentina (8:39)
- The importance of the Skykomish River (11:42)
- Reasons for the steelhead population plummeting in the Skykomish (12:53)
- Whether the federal government is helping conserve steelhead populations (16:12)
- Viable solutions to help steelhead populations rebound (17:17)
- The prefect fly-fishing conditions (21:04)
Tony-nominated actor of stage and screen Raúl Esparza chats with Trey Elling about his role in Hulu's new limited series, CANDY. Topics include:
- What drew him to the role of Don Crowder in CANDY (0:22)
- How much homework he did on the real-life figure the character is based on (1:30)
- His current assessment of NYC as a longtime resident of the city (6:00)
- How Austin and Texas have a soft spot in his heart (9:17)
- An invaluable lesson Raúl learned from acting at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago (10:02)
- Whether he thinks what happened in CANDY was premeditated (11:20)
Actor Jim Piddock chats with Trey Elling about CAUGHT WITH MY PANTS DOWN: AND OTHER TALES FROM A LIFE IN HOLLYWOOD. Topics include:
- The moment he knew he was a good actor (0:24)
- How the sudden death of his dad affected Jim in his mid-20s (9:53)
- Dustin Hoffman's direct and indirect impact on Jim's acting career (18:37)
- Jim's uncomfortable experience with Larry David (22:51)
- Landing his role in Best in Show and just how funny those scenes were with Fred Willard (34:22)
- Invaluable advice he received from Harold Ramis (43:10)
- The importance of exiting your comfort zone (46:45)
- What Eric Idle means to him (50:57)
- Jim's answer to the question, 'What does it all mean?' (54:42)
- The charities that will benefit from the book's sales (59:17)
Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey chat with Trey Elling about co-starring in CANDY. This new Hulu limited series is based on the real story of suburban housewife and mother Candy Montgomery, whose skeletons contributed to the brutal death of fellow housewife and mom Betty Gore. Jessica plays Candy, while Melanie plays Betty. Topics include:
- Jessica taking her career 'by the balls' (1:05)
- What drew Melanie to the part of Betty (2:24)
- Getting the 1980 Dallas accent correct (4:15)
- Whether Jessica tried to track down the real Candy Montgomery (6:30)
- If either Jessica or Melanie has been in a fight and how it turned out (8:32)
Journalist and author Sebastian Mallaby, the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, chats with Trey Elling about THE POWER LAW: VENTURE CAPITAL AND THE MAKING OF THE NEW FUTURE. Topics include:
- A definition of "power law" (0:35)
- An explanation of venture capital (VC) (2:05)
- The "Traitorous Eight" and their influence on the beginnings of Silicon Valley and VC (3:00)
- VC's investment in Atari factoring in "wild-man risk" (6:59)
- VC's responsibility in accelerating DNA-editing technology in the 1970s (12:02)
- Apple is an example of a successful venture network (14:41)
- The counterintuitive concept that weak ties generating a better circulation of info than strong times (18:34)
- What Don Valentine's achievements with Cisco in the `1980s unlocked going forward (21:38)
- Mosaic Communications (aka Netscape) serving as another major step in the Power Law's evolution (26:11)
- How Yahoo's insistence that its search engine remained free altered the way VCs approached internet technology investments (29:44)
- VCs' responsibility with the tech bubble bursting in 2000 (32:59)
- Google playing the investment game so well that created another massive shift with VC (36:08)
- The cause of Peter Thiel's disdain for VCs in the last 1990s and early 2000s (41:37)
- Why Thiel is so good at the VC game (44:52)
- VC's significant role in China's financial advances (49:08)
- Whether Venture Capital has fueled the rise of blockchain and cryptocurrencies (54:27)
- If VCs are making the world a better place, more often than not (55:33)
Grammy-winning musician Sheryl Crow and her longtime manager Scooter Weintraub chat with Trey Elling about SHERYL. The documentary on Ms. Crow's premieres May 6th on Showtime.
- Stephen "Scooter" Weintraub (0:49)
- Sheryl Crow (3:00)
Renowned primatologist Frans de Waal chats with Trey Elling about DIFFERENT: GENDER THROUGH THE EYES OF A PRIMATOLOGIST. Topics include:
- The reason for focusing mostly on chimps and bonobos (0:55)
- Whether young primates make gender-neutral decisions when playing (1:42)
- The difference between gender and biological sex (6:42)
- The effects of raising a genderless child on equality (9:21)
- Emotional differences between primate males and females (12:44)
- Bonobos as evidence that male dominance is not pre-destined (17:26)
- Bonobos' erotic tendencies (19:59)
- Frans' "Faces and Behinds" study (22:54)
- Female sex drive being exploited in pigeon racing (26:43)
- The biggest difference between make and female sex drive (29:46)
- Do primates rape? (31:57)
- How the 'alpha male' ideal has been misconstrued over time (36:28)
- Why it takes about one second for us to determine another person's biological sex (39:28)
- Are primates similar to humans regarding a desire to compete against the same sex? (40:58)
- Why primate and human males tend to get over conflict quicker than females (45:02)
- Whether primate males step up to tend to babies if a female isn't around (47:15)
- Humans, primates, and other animals having sex with no reproductive potential (49:51)
Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet, Naomie Harris, Bill Nighy, and Jimmi Simpson chat with Trey Elling about their new Showtime series, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. The series is a continuation of the story told in the 1963 Walter Tevis novel and 1976 David Bowie film of the same name. Guest timestamps include:
- Naomie Harris, who plays "Justin Falls" (1:35)
- Bill Nighy, who plays "Thomas Jerome Newton" (2:54)
- Jimmi Simpson, who plays "Spencer Clay" (5:37)
- Co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet (9:20)
Comedian, writer, & filmmaker Neal Brennan chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his performances at the Moontower Just For Laughs Austin comedy festival. Topics include:
- Neal's unique style as a comedian & entertainer (1:45)
- His newfound love of the foreign film, The Worst Person In the World (4:31)
- Will Smith's assault of Chris Rock at the Oscars (6:42)
- If an audience member has ever approached him on stage (7:47)
- Any topics that he avoids with his standup in 2022 (8:36)
- People trying to 'cancel' Dave Chappelle (14:27)
- One of Neal's favorite arguments with Chappelle (18:04)
- Whether Half Baked was originally conceived as a dark comedy (19:22)
Comedian Mark Normand chats with Trey Elling, prior to his April 20th performance at the Moontower Just For Laughs Austin comedy festival. To purchase tickets, click HERE. Topics include:
- Austin becoming an epicenter for standup comedy (0:44)
- Mark growing up in New Orleans (3:48)
- An audience member going "Will Smith" once when Mark was performing (5:49)
- The state of comedy in 2022 (7:54)
- Laughing at our differences (10:42)
- Previewing the Moontower show, including a Q&A at the end (13:32)
Comedian and actor Donnell Rawlings chats with Trey Elling before his shows at Moontower Just For Laughs, Austin's premiere comedy festival. To purchase tickets or badges for Donnell's shows, click HERE. Topics include:
- Donnell's fearless mentality when telling jokes on-stage (2:44)
- Working with David Simon on HBO's The Wire (5:38)
- How serving in the military shaped him as a person (9:19)
- Starting standup in Washington DC when it was a hotbed for up-and-coming talent (10:45)
- That epiphanous moment when he realized comedy as a possible career (12:35)
- Whether crowd work is a part of his act (14:47)
- A possible special on the horizon (17:47)
- Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars (19:21)
- Donnell shares an update on his fortunes (23:11)
New York Times bestselling author & Eisner-winning writer Ryan North chats with Trey Elling about HOW TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD: PRACTICAL SCHEMES AND SCIENTIFIC SOLUTIONS FOR THE ASPIRING SUPERVILLAIN. Topics include:
- The book's origin story (0:25)
- What a science experiment called Biosphere 2 that started in the 1990s tells us about what it takes to operate a secret lair (1:26)
- Why it wouldn't be wise for an aspiring supervillain to take land by soft force when trying to start his or her own country (5:48)
- Could bad guys clone dinosaurs like they did in Jurassic Park? (9:19)
- Why is sulfur dioxide a key in possibly controlling the weather? (14:20)
- Ryan's defiant opposition to putting political elections on computers (17:28)
- Why have we not gotten past the crust when attempting to drill to the Earth's core (24:06)
- The lack of importance in knowing why we age in achieving immortality (30:02)
- What Ryan wants to be remembered for (36:44)
Director Sam Jones chats with Trey Elling about the new HBO documentary, TONY HAWK: UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF.
To hear Trey's chat with Sam and Tony Hawk on the red carpet at SXSW 2022, click HERE.
Topics include:
- The first video Sam shot for the documentary (1:00)
- Exploring the lesser known aspects of Tony's private life (2:48)
- Sam's "unfair advantage" of being a part of the Southern California skateboarding scene in the 1980s (4:55)
- Stacy Peralta and George Powell providing a ton of archival skating footage (7:20)
- Getting to watch Tony figure something out (8:58)
- Making the conscious decision to not have Tony comment in modern times about pulling off his X Games 900 in 1999 (10:12)
- The most surprising thing Sam learned about Tony (11:47)
- The most difficult question he asked Tony (15:14)
- Whether Sam worries about Tony and his desire to keep pushing the limits of skateboarding, regardless of his age (18:53)
- Sam's skateboarding limits in 2022 (21:32)
- The key to taking good pictures (25:56)
Decentralized Pictures Foundation (DCP) co-founders Roman Coppola, Leo Matchett, and Michael Musante chat with Trey Elling during SXSW 2022 about blockchain philanthropy fueling the discovery of indie filmmakers and the financing of their films. Topics include:
- An explanation of Decentralized Pictures, or DCP (1:28)
- What inspires Roman to want to help others (1:52)
- Blockchain's role in what DCP is trying to do (3:34)
- Why they're so enthusiastic about DCP (5:00)
- Roman's experiences working with Wes Anderson (9:20)
- What is Roman's "Bill Murray story"? (10:06)
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and director Sam Jones chat with Trey Elling about the new HBO documentary, TONY HAWK: UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF. The film takes a wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career. Topics include:
- Sam Jones interview (2:11)
- The genesis of this documentary (2:11)
- Approaching Tony’s biggest vulnerabilities (3:32)
- They to a good question (5:18)
- Tony Hawk interview (7:06)
- Tony’s middle name being changed to “Fucking” (7:10)
- The most vulnerable he felt during filming (7:59)
- Black Twitter sparing Tony in a hypothetical race war (8:36)
Writer/director Richard Linklater, actors Glen Powell and Lee Eddy, and producer Mike Blizzard chat with Trey Elling about APOLLO 10 & 1/2, available April 1st on Netflix. The film was made with rotoscoping, an animation style similar to Linklater's WAKING LIFE and A SCANNER DARKLY. But seeing as how Rick is prone to rewrite the rules of storytelling, he took this artistic process to an astoundingly detailed new level. Interviews:
- Mike Blizzard (1:37)
- Lee Eddy (5:12)
- Glen Powell (7:19)
- Richard Linklater (10:06)
Several cast & crew members from ATLANTA chatted with Trey Elling and other reporters on the red carpet, prior to the screening of the first two episodes of Season 3 at SXSW 2022. The interview participants included creator and star Donald Glover ("Earn"), Zazie Beetz (Van), Hiro Murai (director & EP), Stephen Glover ("writer & producer), and Stefani Robinson (writer). Topics included:
- What it was like coming back to the ATLANTA world and those characters after the long hiatus (1:34)
- Goals for the finality of the series (2:07)
- Experience in the writers' room as the series has evolved (3:03)
- Were there any 'ripped from the headlines' topics in Season 3 (4:07)
- Donald's next big prediction (4:56)
- Any surprises for the fans in seasons 3 & 4 (6:01)
Pablo Schreiber chats with Trey Elling about playing "Master Chief" in the new Paramount+ series HALO, based on the popular video game. Topics include:
- Pablo growing up without a TV (0:43)
- Ensuring the proper balance of restraint and humanity when playing Master Chief (1:12)
- Empathizing with fans who were upset that his character takes his helmet off (2:29)
Grammy winning musician Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and music industry savant George Howard chat with Trey Elling about revolutionizing the way music is made with blockchain, through Song That Owns Itself, or STOI. Topics include:
- An explanation of STOI (1:37)
- The meaning behind Darryl’s new song, “Million Scars” (4:36)
- The root of Darryl’s willingness to share his struggles with his fans (7:12)
- What people can do at STOI.org (12:09)
- A favorite memory Darryl has from his time in Austin (12:54)
Olympic gold medalist Brittney Reese chats with Trey Elling, prior to her appearance at SXSW 2022. Reese won a gold and two silver medals in long jump during her four Olympic performances for the US. The conversation includes:
- Speaking at South By as part of a panel on serving as a brand ambassador while staying true to yourself (1:15)
- Growing up in Mississippi (2:21)
- The importance of her grandfather, beginning in childhood (3:41)
- When she realized she was good enough at track to pursue it in college and as a professional (4:56)
- Getting back into track after initially choosing to play basketball in college (6:12)
- Why she eventually decided to focus strictly on long jump (8:21)
- Lessons learned from falling short of the goal during her first Olympics in 2008 (10:25)
- Winning gold at the 2012 Olympics (12:00)
- Her happiest moment away from the track (13:52)
- Setting the American indoor long jump record (14:54)
- Settling for silver at the 2016 Olympics (15:50)
- The weirdness surrounding the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (17:39)
- Whether she's dealing with the void that arises for a lot of athletes, after they retire (19:10)
- What fuels her numerous humanitarian efforts (20:09)
Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and teacher Andrew Zimmern chats with Trey Elling, ahead of several appearances at SXSW 2022. The guys discuss:
- Andrew returning to Austin for the first time since before the pandemic (1:15)
- Ways in which food and culture may come together in the future that isn't being talked about enough now (2:19)
- "Big Food" (13:30)
- The roots of Andrew's efforts as a humanitarian (22:27)
- Why restaurants will never adhere to the 'extra crispy" request for Trey's bacon (31:58)
Former RAF fighter pilot and founder/CEO of Red 6 Daniel Robinson chats with Trey Elling about his love of flying, building a "military metaverse", and the issues surrounding Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. Daniel is taking part in a SXSW session on Saturday afternoon, March 12th, titled "Building the Military Metaverse" at Capital Factory. And you don't need a credential to attend!
To RSVP, click HERE.
Gamers First co-founder/CEO and former NFL pro Kenny Vaccaro chats with Trey Elling about his panel discussion at SXSW 2022, titled "Gamers: The New Icons of Pop Culture & Fashion". Gamers First, or G1, is Austin's first professional eSports team. Kenny talks about his entry into professional gaming, the unique challenges and joys of providing leadership in the industry, and some Texas Longhorns and NFL football talk.
Financial journalist and bestselling author Christopher Leonard chats with Trey Elling about THE LORDS OF EASY MONEY: HOW THE FEDERAL RESERVE BROKE THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. The conversation examines how the Federal Reserve's actions over the past 12 years have set the US and world up for an unthinkable financial catastrophe.
Neuroscientists and sleep/dream experts Antonio Zadra (University of Montreal) and Robert Stickgold (Harvard University) join Trey Elling for a second time to discuss WHEN BRAINS DREAM: UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE AND MYSTERY OF OUR DREAMING MINDS. The book is now available in paperback.
To hear Tony and Bob's first conversation with Books on Pod, click HERE.
Independent investigative journalist Alexander Zaitchik chats with Trey Elling about OWNING THE SUN: A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF MONOPOLY MEDICINE FROM ASPRIN TO COVID-19 VACCINES.
Parenting and childhood education expert Julie Bogart chats with Trey Elling about RAISING CRITICAL THINKERS: A PARENT'S GUIDE TO RAISING WISE KIDS IN THE DIGITAL AGE.
US intelligence expert Amy B. Zegart chats with Trey Elling about SPIES, LIES, AND ALGORITHMS: THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE. Topics include:
- The US intel perspective on Russia's war on Ukraine (1:37)
- The use of cyber warfare in this conflict (3:29)
- An element of cyber warfare that US intel was slow to understand (4:42)
- DC and Silicon Valley improving their relationships for the good of cyber warfare (5:43)
- George Washington actually proving to be an adept liar, especially on the battlefield (7:33)
- Improvements to intel gathering by the American Civil War (9:02)
- How the attack on Pearl Harbor shaped intelligence (10:28)
- The CIA's original intent upon its founding in 1947 and how quickly it became something else (11:34)
- How George Church and his 1970s Church Commission further shaped US intel agencies (12:41)
- What it looks like when an Congressional oversight committee does well with the intelligence agencies (14:28)
- Why the long-running disfunction between agencies got worse between the end of the Cold War and 9/11 (16:22)
- How 'unknown unknowns' shape decision-making (17:33)
- Whether intelligence is inherently secretive (19:17)
- The most common characteristic among intelligence officers (20:42)
- Finding Bin Laden as an example of forgetting everything you known to learn the truth (22:56)
- Asymmetrical information as a tool in making accurate predictions (24:35)
- The point where the amount of information goes from helpful to overwhelming when making predictions (26:12)
- Groupthink (one of Amy's 'seven deadly biases') negatively affecting the US intel community's read on Iraq and WMDs earlier this century (27:30)
- How to frame a problem in a manner that helps to avoid those biases (28:44)
- The secret of 'superforecasters' (30:06)
- Whether artificial intelligence is better at analyzing data than humans (31:18)
- The definition of 'counterintelligence' (32:46)
- The benefits of counterintelligence done well (33:04)
- Why intelligence agencies still use polygraphs when the technology has been proven as unreliable (33:47)
- How technology caused a counterintelligence crisis for the US in China a decade ago (36:43)
- Why 'covert action' is such a hotly debated topic within the intel community (38:02)
- How it's both good and bad that intelligence and war fighting are much more connected (41:34)
- What the public gets wrong about US intel agencies and officers dues to the liberties Hollywood takes with their depictions in movies and tv shows (43:22)
- ZERO DARK THIRTY as an example of Hollywood taking major liberties with 'truth' (46:04)
- How it's decided which information gets classified and who makes those decisions (47:25)
- Why chapter nine, titled "Intelligence Isn't Just For Governments Anymore", focused on nuclear threats (48:40)
- What Amy thinks will happen with our response to Russia in the coming days, weeks, and months (51:06)
- Whether China will take this opportunity to gain more of a stranglehold on Taiwan (52:31)
Military vet, writer, naturalist, and filmmaker Doug Peacock chats with Trey Elling about WAS IT WORTH IT? A WILDERNESS WARRIOR'S LONG TRAIL HOME.
Wildlife & science filmmaker Jackie Higgins chats with Trey Elling about SENTIENT: HOW ANIMALS ILLUMINATE THE WONDER OF OUR HUMAN SENSES.
Doctor of internal medicine and pediatrics Jonathan Reisman, M.D., chats with Trey Elling about THE UNSEEN BODY: A DOCTOR'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE HIDDEN WONDERS OF HUMAN ANATOMY. Questions include:
- How did an early love of exploring the outdoors benefit his eventual medical career? (1:21)
- How did an elderly patient help him better appreciate the throat? (3:31)
- Why is the cardiovascular system analogous to the Earth's waterways? (7:14)
- What exactly is the Indian-style way of wiping one's butt? (13:11)
- How are fecal transplants administered, and how do they work? (15:28)
- Why do bodily rhythms come up in the chapter dedicated to genitals? (18:25)
- What exactly is the pineal gland? (23:19)
- Why do our brains swell the further we get from sea level? (26:49)
- Where does the brain end and the mind begin? (30:29)
- Why is the skin 'intelligent'? (33:52)
- What does he love about urine more than any other bodily fluid? (36:29)
- How much of obesity is a medical disease versus a person making continually poor lifestyle choices? (43:44)
- Do medical schools provide adequate training on nutrition? (47:39)
- Why are the lungs a forbidden food in the US? (50:16)
- Why is eye contact an important component of his patient care? (54:04)
- Why is it important to assess the temperature of a finger or toe when treating an injury to the digit? (56:26)
- Why do plastic surgeons use leaches? (58:22)
- Why is empathy crucial for patient care? (1:01:15)
The Wall Street Journal's Hollywood reporter Erich Schwartzel chats with Trey Elling about RED CARPET: HOLLYWOOD, CHINA, AND THE GLOBAL BATTLE FOR CULTURAL SUPREMACY. The book breaks down the complex history of the CCP and American film studios, which has evolved since the 1990s to put China in control over a US industry whose financial successes have become hugely dependent on Chinese money.
Substacker Ian Miller chats with Trey Elling about UNMASKED: THE GLOBAL FAILURE OF COVID MASK MANDATES. Questions include:
- What was the consensus among organizations regarding face masks mitigating the spread of respiratory viruses, and why did that change so drastically shortly after the start of the COVID 19 pandemic? (1:06)
- With asymptomatic transmission touted early in the pandemic as a reason to mask, was there any research conducted in 2020 on the actual threat of asymptomatic spread of this virus? (3:01)
- Why does it matter that this respiratory virus spread through airborne means and not droplets, as it relates to masking? (4:19)
- How were medical professionals justifying the September 2020 claim that masks were more effective against this virus than a potential vaccine? (6:57)
- What was Ian's starting point for the ridiculous claims on masks' effectiveness? (10:10)
- Where does he get his info and how time consuming is it to put together his comparative charts that prove the ineffectiveness of masking and mask mandates? (12:38)
- Considering the drastic differences between the mitigation efforts in California and Florida, how have these to compared since the Sunshine State completely opened back in in September 2020? (14:55)
- How have hospital numbers been manipulated to help the case for masking? (17:04)
- Is the disappearance of the seasonal flu the past two winters a good argument that masking works in some capacity? (21:48)
- Do N95 and KN95 masks protect the wearer more than cloth and surgical masks? (23:44)
- How concerned is he with the longterm effects of the forced masking of kids in schools across the country? (25:06)
- How is the most recent CDC study proving the effectiveness of indoor masking flawed to the point of irrelevance? (29:55)
Journalist, author, and podcaster Florence Williams chats with Trey Elling about HEARTBREAK: A PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC JOURNEY. The book weaves Florence's personal struggle to understand the abrupt ending of her 25-year marriage with a search for the health science of relationships that flourish and, more importantly, dissolve.
Emmy-winning actor Brian Cox chats with Trey Elling about PUTTING THE RABBIT IN THE HAT. Questions include:
- What inspired the book's title? (1:18)
- Brian was eight when his dad died. How did his life change after that? (3:50)
- Why did a schoolyard fight in grade school provide him with his first lesson on acting? (5:22)
- When and why did Shakespeare begin to click for him? (8:24)
- Considering Brian played the first Hannibal Lecktor in the 1986 film MANHUNTER, why has he never discussed the role with his friend Anthony Hopkins? (13:03)
- What were his impressions of working with a young Wes Anderson and Bill Murray on RUSHMORE? (15:01)
- Why does he feel like he only truly became a Scot after leaving the country? (19:17)
- Why is Brian's work in 2006's THE ESCAPIST his favorite screen performance? (21:20)
- How did learning that Logan Kent loved his kids convince Brian to accept the role in SUCCESSION? (25:19)
- As someone who has always pursued 'the reason why', what is that 'why' in 2022? (27:41)
College football hall-of-famer and former Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder chats with Trey Elling about BILL SNYDER: MY FOOTBALL LIFE AND THE REST OF THE STORY. Questions include:
- Did his desire to help others come from his own upbringing? (2:52)
- Who was Dr. Norris Patterson, and how did he help change the trajectory of Bill's life? (4:21)
- Why did he decide to take over a Kansas State program that was considered to be one of the worst in college football history? (8:57)
- What was his first order of business in Manhattan? (17:00)
- Why does he love the story of Pinocchio? (27:41)
- Was there an overriding quality he'd look for when hiring assistant coaches? (31:59)
- What about Darren Sproles made him a perfect prototype player for the K-State program? (36:20)
- As a big fan of hand-written notes, is there a note he cherishes that someone penned for him? (39:22)
- What was his secret for success against the Texas Longhorns? (42:01)
- What does he think of Texas and Oklahoma moving to the Southeastern Conference? (43:51)
- Is he a fan of expanding the college football playoff beyond four teams? (45:57)
- Is Bill glad college athletes can now profit off of name, image, and likeness? (49:40)
- How does he hope to be remembered when he's gone? (52:15)
Addiction psychiatrist and bioethics scholar Carl Erik Fisher, M.D., chats with Trey Elling about THE URGE: OUR HISTORY OF ADDICTION. Questions include:
- When and why did the word 'addiction' come to be? (2:09)
- How did the ancient Greeks think about addiction? (3:39)
- Why is a period from around 1500-1800 known as the "psychoactive revolution? (5:33)
- Why were women supposedly spontaneously combusting in mid-18th century London? (8:10)
- When and why did the concept of temperance shift from moderation to total abstinence? (15:12)
- Why did America's first opioid epidemic fire up in the mid-1800s? (17:46)
- Who was Margaret "Marty" Mann, and what was her importance to Alcoholics Anonymous? (24:05)
- How did the pharmaceutical industry respond to the learned addiction potential of amphetamines following their heavy usage by US troops in WWII? (29:46)
- Did Nixon's "War on Drugs" really begin with a therapeutic focus? If so, why did it change? (38:57)
- Why did a US senator warn of the addiction treatment field becoming an "alcohol and drug industrial complex" in the mid-1970s? (43:16)
- What does pop culture get wrong about dopamine's role with addiction? (45:18)
- Do interventions typically help those struggling with addiction? (48:57)
- How might harm reduction help with addiction? (51:10)
- Does drug decriminalization or legalization help with addiction? (53:37)
Acclaimed writer and photographer Bill Hayes chats with Trey Elling about SWEAT: A HISTORY OF EXERCISE. Questions include:
- When did the word 'exercise' come to be? (2:03)
- The ancient Greeks literally collected the sweat of their best athletes. How did they do so, and what did they use the perspiration for? (7:54)
- Why was the book DE ARTE GYMNASTICA, originally written in the 1500s, the centerpiece of the story Bill told in SWEAT? (10:43)
- Why did GYMNASTICA not consider sports to be exercise? (17:17)
- What caused humans to evolve to sweat emotionally, as well as thermally? (20:58)
- How did GYMNASTICA justify 'laughter' as exercise? (29:19)
- What contribution did Harriet Beecher Stowe's sister make to exercise in the mid-1800s? (35:54)
- When did yoga come to be, and at what point did it shed mysticism in focusing on the physical body as a way to reach enlightenment? (42:44)
- Why are the 1970s so crucial for modern exercise? (49:00)
- How did Jane Fonda end up providing praise for SWEAT that ended up on the back cover? (50:20)
Zoologist and science writer Jo Wimpenny chats with Trey Elling about AESOP'S ANIMALS: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FABLES. Questions include:
- From "The Crow and the Pitcher", why did one researcher refer to corvids as "feathered apes" in 2004? (4:50)
- Inspired by "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing", are there animals more likely than wolves to use deception in capturing prey? (14:09)
- Based on "The Ass Carrying the Image", ancient cultures lauded donkeys. So why did our collective opinion about them change? (19:27)
- From "The Fox and the Crow", why did one wildlife biologist call foxes the "catlike canine"? (28:03)
- Inspired by "The Lion and the Shepherd", is the lion's mane a defense mechanism? (36:24)
- Based on "The Ant and the Grasshopper", can humans take any valuable traffic tips from ant highways? (49:17)
- From "The Tortoise and the Hare", why did a team of mechanical engineers argue a few years ago that the fastest animals and vehicles are neither the biggest nor fastest over a lifetime? (52:01)
Actor Tye Sheridan chats with Trey Elling about the new Amazon Prime film, THE TENDER BAR, co-starring Ben Affleck and directed by George Clooney. Questions include:
- What sort of prep goes into a role where he plays the author and main character of a film based on a memoir? (1:27)
- Based on his character's belief that getting into Yale was a "lucky break," what is a lucky break from Tye's career, and how did he handle things after getting past the idea that he didn't belong? (4:19)
- His character was a voracious reader from a young age. What is a book that Tye holds dear? (7:01)
- A question that would be considered highly offensive, IF the listener hasn't seen the film (9:01)
University of Notre Dame philosophy professors Meghan Sullivan & Paul Blaschko chat with Trey Elling about THE GOOD LIFE METHOD: REASONING THROUGH THE BIG QUESTIONS OF HAPPINESS, FAITH, AND MEANING. Questions include:
- What is the Good Life Method? (1:25)
- What is our function as humans? (4:05)
- How does 'bullshit' keep one from the good life? (7:08)
- Why are philosophers so enamored with 'caves' as a metaphor? (15:12)
- How important is financial wealth for the good life? (18:01)
- Why is taking responsibility an important quality? (24:46)
- What is the attentive mind as it relates to love? (38:46)
- What question do they like to ask people to get to know them better? (42:43)
- What is God? (48:34)
- Why does stoicism come up when they write about contemplating one's purpose? (53:28)
- How have Paul and Meghan prepared for death? (1:02:23)
Primetime Emmy-winning actor Tony Hale chats with Trey Elling about the new animated film, POUPELLE OF CHIMNEY TOWN, for which Tony voiced the title character. Questions include:
- What is POUPELLE OF CHIMNEY TOWN? (01:01)
- Does he seek out projects with positive, uplifting themes in 2021? (01:57)
- Based on his character's secret skill, what surprising skill does Tony possess? (03:34)
- What is Tony's biggest fear? (04:41)
- Since his character got jumped in the film, when was the last time Tony got into a fistfight, and how'd it turn out? (05:36)
- What is an example of modern oppression that Tony loves to see people pushing back on? (06:26)
- What is the proper Christmas tip for the garbage man? (07:05)
- Who are what led to Tony conducting himself in such a gracious manner in an industry with a reputation of doing the opposite? (08:31)
Former zoo & aquarium senior leader and leadership consultant Julie C. Henry chats with Trey Elling about WISDOM FROM THE WILD: THE NINE UNBREAKABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.
- What is leadership? (00:57)
- What is the mangrove method, as it relates to change? (01:17)
- What does Julie mean by, "one person's spider is another's sea otter"? (04:02)
- Why are baby sea turtles worth remembering during difficult changes? (04:56)
- What can leaders learn from the relationship between giraffes and termites? (07:19)
- How can a coral reef help with the structural foundation of a team? (08:22)
- Why are pelicans so resilient? (09:32)
- How are sea cucumbers good examples of thriving? (10:37)
- What's so special about the platypus? (12:30)
Nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, and nutritional specialist Dr. Uma Naidoo chats with Trey Elling about THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON FOOD: AN INDISPENSABLE GUIDE TO THE SURPRISING FOODS THAT FIGHT DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, AND MORE. Learn all about the foods and beverages that can have a positive or negative impact on mental health issues such as:
- Depression (05:06)
- Anxiety (12:31)
- PTSD (18:08)
- ADHD (20:29)
- Dementia & brain fog (21:20)
- OCD (24:35)
- Bipolar disorder & schizophrenia (26:50)
Award-winning filmmaker Sean Baker, whose credits include THE FLORIDA PROJECT and TANGERINE, chats with Trey Elling about RED ROCKET. The dark comedy stars Simon Rex as an aging porn star who returns to his hometown and a cadre of people from his past, most of whom are leery of parasitic ways. Questions include:
- Why did he chose Texas City, TX as the film's locale? (01:32)
- How did he land on Simon Rex to play the lead? (03:05)
- What convinced Sean to cast Suzanna Son as 'Strawberry'? (04:28)
- Was it tough to get NSYNC to sign off on the film's usage of "Bye Bye Bye"? (06:06)
- Is there a specific film or director that influenced his abrupt audio cuts? (06:48)
- Why does he like telling stories through socioeconomically disadvantaged lives? (07:56)
- What's the key to telling a good story? (09:47)
- Was it a prosthetic? (12:38)
- Does he typically consider where his story is headed after the end credits roll? (12:57)
Journalist and science writer Emily Willingham chats with Trey Elling about THE TAILORED BRAIN: FROM KETAMINE, TO KETO, TO COMPANIONSHIP, A USER'S GUIDE TO FEELING BETTER AND THINKING SMARTER. Questions include:
- Why does the brain burn so much energy, even when it isn't doing much? (03:04)
- Can brain game apps translate to increased performance in real life? (10:41)
- Do any drugs enhance cognitive load, a la Bradley Cooper in Limitless? (13:53)
- How much does exercise help with cognition? (14:45)
- Can socioeconomics impact cognitive functioning? (18:04)
- Neurologically speaking, how does empathy work? (20:27)
- Is there a common mistake made when thinking about stress in modern times? (25:44)
- Do psychedelics help with anxiety? (28:45)
- Why do 'memory athletes' remember so much better than the average person? (32:58)
- How can temporary depression be valuable to the individual? (36:50)
- Can psychedelics help with depression? (39:20)
- Do Omega 3s or vitamin D combat depression? (40:48)
- How does sugar negatively affect creativity? (43:41)
Durham University psychologist and neuroscientist Amanda Ellison chats with Trey Elling about SPLITTING: THE INSIDE STORY ON HEADACHES. Topics include:
- The common mechanism of most headaches
- Brain freeze
- Why sinus congestion causes headaches
- Snot
- Cluster headaches
- Migraines
- Dehydration as a catalyst for headaches
Award-winning professor and writer Bart Elmore chats with Trey Elling about SEED MONEY: MONSANTO'S PAST AND OUR FOOD FUTURE. Questions include:
- What does Coca Cola have to do with Monsanto's earliest days?
- When did Monsanto get into agricultural chemicals and pesticides?
- Was Monsanto actively covering up the potential harms of the chemicals the produced 50+ years ago?
- What is the Technology Use Agreement (TUA) Monsanto requires farmers to sign who use their genetically engineered seeds?
- How big a problem was the radioactive phosphate slag that the EPA discovered at Monsanto's Soda Springs, ID facility in the 1970s?
- How did Monsanto react to farmers reporting of Roundup-resistant weeds in the early 2000s?
- How influential is Monsanto within local, state, and federal governments?
- Why did Bayer buy Monsanto in 2018, considering all of the legal problems piling up for the latter?
- Have GE crops improved food production, like MOnsanto has promised since the 1990s?
Environmental & social justice advocate, journalist, and bestselling author Michael Shellenberger chats with Trey Elling about SAN FRANSICKO: WHY PROGRESSIVES RUIN CITIES. Questions include:
- What caused San Francisco's problem with homelessness to worsen over the past decade? (00:47)
- Why did then-mayor Gavin Newsom's 10-year plan to combat homelessness fail so miserably? (03:00)
- How do people misinterpret Portugal as a utopia for drug decriminalization/legalization? (05:09)
- What did he learn from two trips to the Netherlands in 2019 about productively assisting the homeless? (07:19)
- How big an issue is people profiteering off of a 'homeless industrial complex'? (11:54)
- What is contingency management intervention, and why is it effective at helping drug addicts? (16:01)
- Why does labeling drug addicts and the mentally ill as 'homeless' manipulate our thinking? (19:40)
- How did an attempt at a Tent City utopia in Seattle in the summer of 2020 ultimately turn out? (22:06)
- What is a lesser-known aspect of the Harvey Milk's story that's helpful when considering solutions for homelessness? (28:02)
Standup comedian, director, actor, and bestselling author Bob Saget chats with Trey Elling for episode #4 of our NO BOOKS REQUIRED series, ahead of his show at Austin's Paramount Theatre on Friday night. Questions include:
- How did it feel when Mitzi Shore passed him at the Comedy Store in the late 1970s?
- What are his memories of the late Bill Hicks?
- Why did he end up in one of the most memorable scenes in HALF BAKED?
- Did the studio as that they tone down the film DIRTY WORK to avoid an 'R' rating?
- Was Dave Coulier the mystery man in Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know"?
- Is there a story from his friendship with the late, great Norm Macdonald that accurately reflects the sort of person Norm was?
Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone chats with Trey Elling about JFK REVISITED: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. The documentary organizes revelations from the most recent batch of declassified documents of Kennedy's assassination, combined with prior evidence, to debunk the Warren Commission's final report on the killing. while also showing who did it and why. JFK REVISITED premieres on Showtime on the 58th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's murder in Dallas.
Paul A. Offit, MD, an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases & the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a professor of vaccinology and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, and member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee chats with Trey Elling about YOU BET YOUR LIFE: FROM BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS TO MASS VACCINATION, THE LONG AND RISKY HISTORY OF MEDICAL INNOVATION. Questions include:
- Did any ethical issues arrive with human-to-human heart transplants before brain death was internationally defined in 1968? (03:12)
- Why were blood transfusions disappear after several were performed in the mid-1600s? (05:58)
- How did the rise of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s impact blood transfusions? (08:08)
- How was nationalism a hindrance to anesthesia in its early days? (10:14)
- Regarding antibiotics, what was the Elixir Sulfanilamide disaster of 1937? (14:35)
- When examining the history of vaccines, why did he focus on the creation and administration of the polio vaccine? (17:25)
- What are x-rays? (28:55)
- What does mustard gas have to do with the advent of chemotherapy? (31:05)
- Does the general public need a COVID vaccine booster six months after receiving their initial shots? (39:07)
- How should those with immunity acquired from previous infection be looked at? (41:55)
Renowned film critic and historian Leonard Maltin chats with Trey Elling about STARSTRUCK: MY UNLIKELY ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD. Topics include:
- What was the first film that made him fall in love with movies? (02:47)
- How did he start expressing his passion for tv and cinema through the media? (07:15)
- How did he land the Entertainment Tonight gig in the 1980s? (14:06)
- Why did Burt Reynolds threaten to punch him out at the Golden Boot Awards? (16:30)
- What is the film class he has taught at USC for more than two decades, and why does he love it? (21:53)
- What is Mel Brooks like to be around? (26:26)
Renowned psychiatrist and medical director of Stanford Addiction Medicine Dr. Anna Lembke chats with Trey Elling about DOPAMINE NATION: FINDING BALANCE IN THE AGE OF INDULGENCE. Questions include:
- What is dopamine, and what does popular culture get wrong about it? (01:27)
- How does the dopamine economy play into the compulsive abuse of substances and activities? (03:59)
- How has helicopter parenting contributed to the rise of compulsive behaviors? (05:42)
- Is mental illness that requires medication being overdiagnosed? (07:08)
- How do pleasure and pain work like a balance in our brains? (07:49)
- What effect does gambling have on dopamine release, and how might that help explain social media addiction? (10:53)
- How does learning increase dopamine firing? (14:48)
- What is dopamine fasting? (16:55)
- How does pain become pleasurable? (23:06)
- Why do people respond so positively to 'radical honesty'? (26:08)
- What is prosocial shame, and how can parents implement it with their children? (28:16)
- What is the proper point of moderation? (32:11)
Tony-winning actor of stage and screen, singer, activist, and writer Alan Cumming chats with Trey Elling about BAGGAGE: TALES FROM A FULLY PACKED LIFE. Questions include:
- Why was he in such a bad headspace at the age of 29, and what led him to changing his course? (04:46)
- Around this time, he and his brother confronted their dad about the abuse he subjected them to. How'd that go? (07:03)
- How big was it to land the role of Sandy Frink in ROMY AND MICHELLE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION? (09:55)
- What was his first impression of Stanley Kubrick on the set of EYES WIDE SHUT, and how'd that experience positively impact him? (15:10)
- Is there a profound aspect of starring in CABARET on Broadway that he doesn't get to speak about enough? (19:14)
- How'd it go when Alan and his castmates, clad in their superhero outfits, confronted Bryan Singer on the set of X2: X-MEN UNITED? (23:20)
- What does his husband Grant mean to him? (26:23)
- What did he learn about himself from researching the book? (27:26)
Cartoonist, illustrator, writer, and former circus clown Joe Lee chats with Trey Elling about the graphic novel he wrote and illustrated, titled FORGIVENESS: THE STORY OF EVA KOR, SURVIVOR OF THE AUSCHWITZ TWIN EXPERIMENTS. Joe shares the details of Eva's life, which proves inspirational as a result of unfathomable trauma and tragedy at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.
Zoologist and bestselling author Bill Schutt chats with Trey Elling about PUMP: A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HEART. Their discussion starts the importance of the hearts and circulatory systems of blue whales, horseshoe crabs, squids and octopuses, giraffes, crocodiles, and bats. Plus the ins and outs of the human heart, including the evolution of our understanding of this crucial muscular organ.
Cannabis journalist Josiah Hesse chats with Trey Elling about RUNNERS HIGH: HOW A MOVEMENT OF CANNABIS-FUELED ATHLETES IS CHANGING THE SCIENCE OF SPORTS. The guys discuss the physiology behind "the runner's high", the comprehensive nature of our internal cannabinoid system, the demonization of cannabis in the early 1900s after it had been used as a plant medicine for thousands of years, research over the past 70 years that is correcting the 'lazy stoner' trope, the convoluted logic behind World Anti-Doping Agency labelling cannabis as a performance-enhancing drug, and more.
Dr. Cassandra Leah Quave, who serves as the herbarium curator and associate professor of dermatology and human health at Emory University, chats with Trey Elling about THE PLANT HUNTER: A SCIENTIST'S QUEST FOR NATURE'S NEXT MEDICINES. The book chronicles Dr. Quave's efforts to unite Eastern and Western medicines through an understanding of the medicinal powers of plants, a path inspired by her own experience in dealing with unique medical difficulties since birth.
Adventurer, mountaineer, writer, filmmaker, and environmentalist Rick Ridgeway chats with Trey Elling about LIFE LIVED WILD: ADVENTURES AT THE EDGE OF THE MAP. Rick tells Trey about numerous jaw-dropping experiences he's gone through in the mountains, oceans, and everywhere in between. Occasionally these expeditions would literally become life-and-death, with Rick surviving while his friends did not. How did he cope with such traumas, and what lessons did he learn along the way? Rick discusses these things and much more.
Intel, military, and law enforcement veteran and bestselling author Myke Cole chats with Trey Elling about THE BRONZE LIE: SHATTERING THE MYTH OF SPARTAN WARRIOR SUPREMACY. In both the book and this chat, Cole explains why much of what modern society believes about this seemingly-superhuman group of people in ancient times is greatly exaggerated.
Former FDA high-ranking official and expert on food safety and nutrition Richard A. Williams chats with Trey Elling about FIXING FOOD: AN FDA INSIDER UNRAVELS THE MYTHS AND THE SOLUTIONS. Williams provides a comprehensive look at the bureaucracy behind decisions made at the agency responsible for food and drug safety in the US. The rationale and influence behind policies aren't always pure, which led to RIchard arguing from a statistical argument why something did (or didn't) make sense for the public.
New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author Susan Orlean chats with Trey Elling about ON ANIMALS. Questions include:
- Why does she feel a lifelong connection with animals? (01:10)
- Why is she most interested in animals that straddle the line between domesticated and wild? (03:03)
- How does someone get comfortable enough with a lion to keep it as a pet? (14:54)
- What impresses her most about mules? (19:32)
- Why are rabbits the only animals we keep as pets and also readily eat? (25:12)
Writer and editor Laurie Woolever chats with Trey Elling about BOURDAIN: THE DEFINITIVE ORAL BIOGRAPHY. Laurie spent nearly a decade working as Anthony Bourdain's assistant and co-author, before his suicide in 2018. BOURDAIN is a result of conversations with a multitude of important people in Tony's life as a child, aimless college student, lover, cook, addict, writer, tv personality, father, celebrity, and more.
Investigative storyteller and bestselling author Mary Roach chats with Trey Elling about FUZZ: WHEN NATURE BREAKS THE LAW.
Villanova political science professor Mark Lawrence Schrad chats with Trey Elling about SMASHING THE LIQUOR MACHINE: A GLOBAL HISTORY. The guys discuss the history of temperance and prohibition as a tool of the oppressed in:
- Russia
- Sweden
- Germany
- Great Britain
- India
- The United States
And as a bonus, Mark shares a story of drinking too much vodka, on a train from Russia to the Ukraine, that you don't want to miss!
Science journalist Leigh Cowart chats with Trey Elling about HURTS SO GOOD: THE SCIENCE AND CULTURE OF PAIN ON PURPOSE. Questions include:
- What is pain? (01:26)
- Why do endorphins help explain why pain can feel good? (02:25)
- How do fMRI scans differ between the brains of masochists and non when dealing with pain? (08:11)
- What do people get wrong about capsaicin, the chemical that causes the hot spice in peppers? (15:24)
- Why does she tend to notice how attention changes perception? (20:36)
- Where is the line when purposeful pain goes from good to bad? (22:25)
- Why is discomfort good for us? (25:11)
Clinical neuropsychologist William Stixrud and PrepMatters founder Ned Johnson chat with Trey Elling about WHAT DO YOU SAY? HOW TO TALK WITH KIDS TO BUILD MOTIVATION, STRESS TOLERANCE, AND A HAPPY HOME. The book serves as the follow-up to their 2018 bestseller, THE SELF-DRIVEN CHILD.
Particle physicist Dr. Harry Cliff chats with Trey Elling about HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE FROM SCRATCH: IN SEARCH OF THE RECIPE FOR OUR UNIVERSE, FROM THE ORIGIN OF ATOMS TO THE BIG BANG. Questions include:
- Why is carbon the David Bowie of the periodic table? (09:58)
- How did Einstein prove the existence of atoms in 1905? (11:56)
- What makes Ernest Rutherford one of the greatest experimental physicists of all time? (16:34)
- Why is an English lab trying to make a (twinkle, twinkle little) star on Earth, and what exactly does that mean? (21:21)
- How are supernovas important in creating the elements required for life? (24:51)
- How can a particle be left- or right-handed? (48:24)
- Does an answer exist that fully explains the onset of the Big Bang Theory? (49:46)
Benjamin H. Milligan, an active member of the US Navy SEALs from 2001-2009, chats with Trey Elling about BY WATER BENEATH THE WALLS: THE RISE OF THE NAVY SEALS. The book chronicles the US military special forces and individuals who helped shape what ultimately became the US Navy SEALs.
Food writer Matt Siegel chats with Trey Elling about THE SECRET HISTORY OF FOOD: STRANGE BUT TRUE STORIES ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF EVERYTHING WE EAT. Learn all about the histories of:
- Vanilla (05:54)
- Ice cream (09:58)
- America's connection to apple pie (20:46)
- Cereal (22:57)
- Dildo bread (27:03)
- Corn (31:51)
- Honey (37:12)
- Fast food (45:24)
- Rebranded seafood like whore's eggs (49:12)
- Olive oil (51:27)
Filmmaker Nick Scown chats with Trey Elling about TOO SOON: COMEDY AFTER 9/11, which Scown co-directed with Julie Seabaugh. The film examines how September 11th affected the comedy scene, and th comedians and jokes responsible for the artform's rebirth in the weeks, months, and years that followed.
Storytelling expert Frank Rose chats with Trey Elling about THE SEA WE SWIM IN: HOW STORIES WORK IN A DATA-DRIVEN WORLD.
American Ballet Theatre principal dancer James Whiteside chats with Trey Elling about CENTER CENTER: A FUNNY, SEXY, SAD ALMOST-MEMOIR OF A BOY IN BALLET. Questions include:
- Why write a memoir when he's still got so much life to live? (01:10)
- What was his relationship with each of his parents like? (3:04)
- How was his trip to NYC's Lincoln Center as a pre-teen epiphanous? (05:52)
- Was it difficult coming out at the age of 16 in 2001, and why did he decide to do it? (06:38)
- Why did he almost not accept an offer to join the ABT after ten years as a pro? (09:45)
- Is there a glaring example of homophobia in the world of ballet? (13:11)
- What is his favorite Fiona Apple song, and why? (15:42)
- Which personal body image issues used to bother him, and how did he get over those insecurities? (17:49)
Filmmaker Jeremy Elkin chats with Trey Elling about his new documentary, ALL THE STREETS ARE SILENT: THE CONVERGENCE OF HIP HOP AND SKATEBOARDING (1987 - 1997). Jeremy and Trey discuss some details behind how two seemingly different worlds came together in New York City over a crucial ten-year span in the evolution of each.
Paleo f(x) co-founder Keith Norris chats with Trey Elling about PRIMAL UPRISING: THE PALEO F(X) GUIDE TO OPTIMIZING YOUR HEALTH, EXPANDING YOUR MIND, AND RECLAIMING YOUR FREEDOM. Why is living the paleo life NOT necessarily living like a caveman? What is the paleo diet? How does the paleo way of moving combine how our ancestors moved with evolved exercise principles? How does emotional intelligence fit into the equation? Where does 'honesty' rank in building resilient relationships? Keith and Trey discuss these things and much more.
Experimental social psychologist John Petrocelli chats with Trey Elling about THE LIFE-CHANGING SCIENCE OF DETECTING BULLSHIT. What is bullshit? Why do people bullshit? Who is most likely to peddle bullshit? And how can one properly snuff out bullshit. John and Trey discuss these questions and much more.
Neuroscientist Sue Barry, aka "Stereo Sue", chats with Trey Elling about COMING TO OUR SENSES: A BOY WHO LEARNED TO SEE, A GIRL WHO LEARNED TO HEAR, AND HOW WE ALL DISCOVER THE WORLD. Questions include:
- Who is Liam, and how did modern medicine allow him to see after years of being legally blind? (01:46)
- How does 'museum fatigue' help explain some of Liam's difficulties when initially gaining better eyesight? (09:31)
- Why do the newly sighted see lines, edges, and contours instead of whole objects? (12:50)
- How did Liam handle reflections? (15:05)
- Why did Liam struggle with facial expressions, other than 'happy' and 'sad'? (18:40)
- How did she connect with Zohra, and what was she like back then? (24:07)
- What is sound, and how do we hear it? (29:16)
- How much did Zohra's cochlear implant affect her vision? (31:34)
- How was Zohra's love for the rain when she couldn't hear anything enhanced by her cochlear implant? (37:10)
- Why did Zohra struggle to understand speech more than general sounds? (40:22)
Illustrator & bestselling author Greg Ruth and four-time Oscar nominated actor, screenwriter, director, and bestselling author Ethan Hawke chat with Trey Elling about MEADOWLARK: A COMING OF AGE CRIME STORY. This is the duo's second graphic novel, following the success of 2016's INDEH. In a conversation inspired by the book, the guys discuss the creative process, the challenges of parenting teenagers as they're discovering you're human, and even favorite Luby's orders from back in the day.
Los Angeles-based writer and bestselling author Geoff Manaugh chats with Trey Elling about UNTIL PROVEN SAFE: THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF QUARANTINE. The book, coincidentally written before the current pandemic took hold but amended to include the effects of COVID-19, examines the past, present and future of isolation due to unknown perils.
Skateboarder, writer, and Roosevelt University professor Kyle Beachy chats with Trey Elling about THE MOST FUN THING: DISPATCHES FROM A SKATEBOARD LIFE. Questions include:
- How has the definition of 'fun' evolved, and how does that coincide with the growth of skateboarding? (02:30)
- Considering how much Kyle gives to skateboarding, what does he get back? (07:18)
- How do skaters see the world around them differently? (09:37)
- Is skateboarding an activity that is inherently meant to be won or lost, like in the Olympics or X-Games? (17:49)
- Is he concerned that Nike will sink its hooks too deeply into the culture, or has it already? (21:48)
- Which came first...skaters' love of Vans or Vans love for skateboarding, and why is each important to the other? (25:54)
- Is skateboarding becoming too quantified, like every other sport? (35:40)
- What is the most important writing lesson he took from covering David Foster Wallace? (43:51)
- Why does he believe that skateboarding has no journalism? (50:28)
- Was detailing his marriage difficulties the most difficult thing to write about? (52:48)
- What will he do when he can no longer skateboard, and how close is he to that point? (1:00:50)
Former undercover law enforcement officer Giovanni Rocco chats with Trey Elling about GIOVANNI'S RING: MY LIFE INSIDE THE REAL SOPRANOS. The conversation includes:
- Giovanni explains his path to becoming an undercover cop
- How he initially infiltrated the Italian mob
- Unexpectedly putting his family in grave danger at his daughter's soccer tournament
- Continuing to rise through the mafia ranks
- Accidentally smoking crack
- The strange moral dilemma he faced when the decision was made to take down several family members
Two-time Grammy-winning blues musician Bobby Rush chats with Trey Elling about I AIN'T STUDDIN' YA: MY AMERICAN BLUES STORY. Questions include:
- What was it like growing up as a black kid in the deep south in the 1930s and '40s? (02:38)
- How did a 75-cent ticket to see Muddy Waters perform change Bobby's life? (12:58)
- When did Bobby realize he was funny enough to use comedy as part of his act? (17:09)
- How did hanging out with Little Walter lead to Bobby playing more harmonica? (19:19)
- What meant more...the two Grammys or being inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame? (35:00)
- Why does he end interviews with, "I crossed over, but I didn't cross out."? (41:28)
Pioneering music educator Joan Koenig chats with Trey Elling about THE MUSICAL CHILD: USING THE POWER OF MUSIC TO RAISE CHILDREN WHO ARE HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND WHOLE. Questions include:
- What are some ways for parents to connect with their children musically, under the age of 1? (07:09)
- Regarding musical solutions for an upset baby, what is a strategy known as the first intervention? (13:05)
- How do the results for in-person learning and video learning differ? (16:50)
- How does creative play positively impact a child's emotional IQ and social development? (20:44)
- What is music scribbling? (22:17)
- Is there a critical age for musical understanding like there is for language acquisition? (24:05)
- How does music boost self-control, focus, and anticipation, three traits that modern science deems more important than IQ for success and happiness in life? (25:20)
- Why is Joan less concerned with teaching her young students how to read music? (28:21)
- Why is improvisation no longer a cornerstone of classical music? (37:10)
Filmmaker Matt Yoka chats with Trey Elling about his new documentary, WHIRLYBIRD: A SPRAWLING L.A. STORY. The film chronicles the rise, fall, and transition of legendary Los Angeles helicopter pilot/reporter Zoey Tur (née Bob Tur). Tur is responsible for well known footage from the '92 LA Riots and OJ Simpson's white Bronco pursuit, as well as popularizing live streams of high speed police chases. But she was also battling an internal struggle that cost her everything, professionally and personally.
Pulitzer Prize winner and former New York Times investigative reporter Barry Meier chats with Trey Elling about SPOOKED: THE TRUMP DOSSIER, BLACK CUBE, AND THE RISE OF PRIVATE SPIES. Questions include:
- Why does the first chapter of a book on private spies focus on journalism?
- Who are Glenn Simpson and Fusion GPS?
- Why did they connect with Michael Steele in 2016 to take Trump down?
- How did Buzzfeed end up publishing the dossier?
- Have many media outlets apologized for reporting on dossier claims that turned out to be false?
- What does Barry think his strength is as as reporter?
It's episode #3 of our 'No Books Required' series, with legendary standup comedian Andrew Dice Clay, ahead of his performances on August 14th and 15th at Vulcan Gas Company in Austin, TX. Questions include:
- How good does it feel to be out performing standup again? (01:05)
- Is it nicer to do smaller venues than someplace like Madison Square Garden? (04:52)
- Did he ever think at the height of his popularity that he'd eventually become an elder statesman for standup? (09:17)
- Does he recall when the legendary Mitzi Shore passed him at the Comedy Store? (12:43)
- Did he and Bill Hicks ever cross paths?
- Is he concerned that 'cancel culture' will infect standup comedy? (19:25)
Former CIA spy Christina Hillsberg chats with Trey Elling on LICENSE TO PARENT: HOW MY CAREER AS A SPY HELPED ME RAISE RESOURCEFUL, SELF-SUFFICIENT KIDS. Questions include:
- How did she end up working in the Central Intelligence Agency? (01:12)
- Is there a good way to teach kids how to improvise for becoming better prepared? (11:53)
- What is 'getting off the X'? (12:51)
- Why is it important for kids to avoid predictability in being aware of their surroundings? (17:35)
- What is 'you, me, same same'? (23:12)
- How has Christina opened her kids' eyes to the world to help build rapport with others? (26:22)
- Why are analytic lead sentences important for teaching children written communication skills? (32:34)
- Are there good ways to moderate technology with little kids? (37:18)
Ultramarathon legend and bestselling author Dean Karnazes chats with Trey Elling about A RUNNER'S HIGH: MY LIFE IN MOTION. Questions include:
- Why does he run such long distances in grueling conditions? (02:05)
- Is the extreme growth of ultramarathoning over the past 20+ years a good thing? (02:54)
- What's it like in the days after completing an ultra? (08:18)
- What is the greatest lesson running has taught him? (14:47)
- How special was it for his son to be there to help during Dean's most recent participation in the Western States 100?
- Why did he break down crying with less than two miles left in the race? (28:31)
- How many more 100-mile races do his legs and mind have left? (30:39)
Filmmaker Kristine Stolakis chats with Trey Elling about the new Netflix documentary PRAY AWAY. Questions include:
- How did Kristine end up working on this film? (01:02)
- Is gay conversion therapy mostly a religious movement? (04:12)
- Was it tough to find interviewees who had been through gay conversion therapy? (07:25)
- Is Kristine hopeful from society's increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ communities over the past 15 years? (14:53)
- Do those who leave conversion therapy groups typically remain Christian? (17:54)
- What would Kristine ask the modern leaders of conversion therapy who declined her interview requests? (18:41)
- What does Kristine still love about her late uncle, the man who inspired this film? (22:50)
Former Secretary of Agriculture, Kansas congressman, and Chairman/CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America Dan Glickman chats with Trey Elling about LAUGHING AT MYSELF: MY EDUCATION IN CONGRESS, ON THE FARM, AND AT THE MOVIES. Questions include:
- What was it like growing up in a family of "cafeteria Jews" in Wichita, KS? (02:57)
- Why did he switch from Republican to Democrat early in his political life? (06:38)
- What did he learn about agriculture during his first successful congressional run? (08:14)
- How is Dan Glickman responsible for the Pizza Hut pizza served in schools in the early-to-mid '90s? (14:12)
- As someone who originally supported the legislation that created it, has NAFTA been a net positive or negative for the US? (18:03)
- What all is the USDA, which he led as the ag secretary, responsible for? (19:26)
- Has the mainstream press on "both" sides become unreliable to report news without spinning it to fit a specific narrative? (28:37)
- Do we as a country produce and waste too much food? (31:48)
Houston Chronicle & San Antonio Express-News columnist and bestselling author Chris Tomlinson chats with Trey Elling about FORGET THE ALAMO: THE RISE AND FALL OF AN AMERICAN MYTH. Questions include:
- What myth about the Alamo does Chris hope this book dispels?
- Why does he believe slavery is the primary reason Mexico sent troops into Texas?
- What kept Santa Anna from accepting William Travis' surrender before the battle?
- How many of those at the Alamo were actually slave owners?
- Did Davy Crockett die fighting to the death?
- Why was LBJ guilty of "Alamo syndrome"?
- How should the Alamo be taught in schools?
Filmmaker Garret Price chats with Trey Elling about his new HBO Max documentary, WOODSTOCK 99: PEACE, LOVE, & RAGE. Questions include:
- What were his memories of that disastrous festival going into this project?
- How well-prepared were the security guards?
- What insight about the weekend did Moby provide?
- Considering it didn't rain that weekend, why did the grounds get so muddy?
- When did he decide to explore the dichotomy between the social awareness brought about by grunge earlier in the decade, and the machismo physiology that took over when Cobain died?
- How responsible was Fred Durst for the worsening of conditions with his performance on Saturday night?
- When did he decide to use what was the perfect song for the end credits?
- Will there ever be another Woodstock?
Emmy-winning journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Fagan chats with Trey Elling about ALL THE COLORS CAME OUT: A FATHER, A DAUGHTER, AND A LIFETIME OF LESSONS. The book details Kate's relationship with her dad, who died from complications of ALS in December 2019. Questions include:
- What was her dad like as a parent during her childhood?
- Why did he wisely never let her beat him as a kid?
- How did her decision to play college hoops far from home impact their relationship?
- Why did Kate let her mom tell him when she came out as gay?
- What did she go through when he informed her of his ALS diagnosis?
- How did Kate learn that she and her dad slept in the same position?
- Why was the night before Kate's wedding an important moment in her relationship with dad?
- What does she cherish about her mom?
Former jazz pianist and boxing manager Charles Farrell chats with Trey Elling about (LOW)LIFE: A MEMOIR OF JAZZ, FIGHT-FIXING, AND THE MOB. Questions include:
- How did Charles get into music, gambling, and hustling as a kid? (01:56)
- Why John Coltrane is the only musician he ever saw in person who scared him, and how did it impact his music? (06:57)
- What did teenaged Charles do when Janis Joplin tried to seduce him? (08:54)
- Which was the worst of the many mob clubs that Charles played in the 1970s? (10:36)
- How did Charles manage Leon Spinks so late in Leon's career, and what challenges did that pose? (18:30)
- Why does he believe Sonny Liston took dives in both his fights with Ali? (23:39)
- Was Mike Tyson's fight with Peter McNeeley fixed in any way? (33:31)
- What does Charles mean when he refers to Mike Tyson's former trainer Cus D'Amato as a "chickenhawk"? (35:15)
- Did Charles ever get suckered into a boxing bet that cost him big? (40:28)
- Is Charles considering turning his life story into a movie? (54:38)
Neuroscience expert and storyteller Ginny Smith chats with Trey Elling about OVERLOADED: HOW EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE IS INFLUENCED BY YOUR BRAIN CHEMICALS. Questions include:
- How do sea slugs help us better understand human memory? (02:40)
- Why is dopamine not necessarily the pleasure chemical? (06:30)
- What causes some people to urinate themselves when scared? (10:29)
- Why do we sleep? (25:37)
- How does coffee wake us up, and why does it lose its effect over time? (29:48)
- Chemically speaking, why do people overeat? (32:52)
- Does swearing help with pain? (35:17)
Former mayor of Cleveland, US congressman, and Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich chats with Trey Elling about THE DIVISION OF LIGHT AND POWER. The book chronicles Dennis' political rise in Cleveland, fueled by his desire to keep the city from selling its municipal electricity system to a private interest. The fight led to many powerful enemies and more than one attempt on his life, also ultimately costing him two marriages. Dennis and Trey discuss these details and much more.
For the second episode of our NO BOOKS REQUIRED series, Trey Elling chats with Mike Leach, aka 'the Bill Murray of college football'. Questions include:
- Does Mike like Zoom calls? (01:42)
- Is he ever asked about his 'fat girlfriends' quote? (02:47)
- How does Gardner Minshew impress him? (09:07)
- Why did actor Jim Caviezel visit him in Starkville during the spring? (15:56)
- What does Mike's plan for expanding the college football playoff to 64 teams look like? (18:06)
- And just how believable is the internet rumor that Craig James killed five hookers while playing football at SMU? (30:58)
Wildlife biologist, National Geographic journalist, and bestselling author Doug Chadwick chats with Trey Elling about FOUR-FIFTHS A GRIZZLY: A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON NATURE THAT MIGHT JUST SAVE US ALL. What has the human population explosion of the past fifty years done to plant- and animal life? Just how genetically similar are we to other creatures? Why are grizzlys, elephants, and colony insects so impressive? What are the physiological benefits of being out in nature? And how can we take simple steps to positively impact all other lifeforms? Doug and Trey discuss these things and much more.
The Daily Show's CJ Hunt & Roy Wood Jr join Trey Elling for episode #2 of Docs on Pod to discuss their documentary, THE NEUTRAL GROUND. The film, directed by Hunt and executive produced by Wood, chronicles the multi-year fight that led to the removal of several statues in New Orleans that honored Confederate figures. During that time, Hunt explored the strong feelings on both sides of the issue, including taking part in a Civil War reenactment and visiting a plantation museum that shared its history from the slaves' perspective.
THE NEUTRAL GROUND premieres on PBS on July 5th, as the first episode of the 34th season of POV.
New York Times bestselling author and science/psychology/human behavior journalist Claudia Kalb chats with Trey Elling about SPARK: HOW GENIUS IGNITES, FROM CHILD PRODIGIES TO LATE BLOOMERS. Did you know that Picasso and Yo Yo Ma discovered their brilliance in childhood? Or that the bubonic plague factored into Sir Isaac Newton's coming of age in his early 20s? Or how Julia Child's "middle-agedness" contributed to her appeal? And that Peter Mark Roget created the first edition of his famous thesaurus in his 70s, after a successful career in medicine? Claudia and Trey discuss these things plus the circumstances and attributes that assist in an individual's genius.
Lawyer, political commentator, and author Daniel Levin chats with Trey Elling about PROOF OF LIFE: TWENTY DAYS ON THE HUNT FOR A MISSING PERSON IN THE MIDDLE EAST. The book describes Daniel's attempts to locate someone who went missing in war-torn Syria, one of the most dangerous and hopeless places on the planet, as well as those heroes and villains he met along the way. Daniel and Trey talk about some of those details.
For episode #1 of our 'No Books Required' series, we're joined by Dr. Maya Shankar. Maya is a cognitive scientist, former Obama White House senior advisor, and the host of the new podcast, A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLANS. Maya chats with Trey Elling about why she decided to enter the podcasting realm, learning about situations that inspired change from people like Kacey Musgraves, Tiffany Haddish, and Tommy Caldwell; significant change she's experienced in her own life, changing how the government influences decisions thru cognitive science, and more.
Personal trainer and Mind Pump podcast co-host Sal Di Stefano chats with Trey Elling about THE RESISTANCE TRAINING REVOLUTION. Why is steady-state cardio an inefficient form of exercise? How does resistance training improve hormone levels, depression, and anxiety? Are doing reps to failure and working out until you're really sore actually bad strategies? What is intuitive eating? Sal and Trey discuss all of this and much more.
University of British Columbia philosophy professor and bestselling author Edward Slingerland chats with Trey Elling about DRUNK: HOW WE SIPPED, DANCED, AND STUMBLED OUR WAY TO CIVILIZATION. Did you know that alcohol production may haven pre-dated and even inspired early agricultural practices? Or that the right amount of alcohol allows us to become more creative, cultural, and communal? Speaking of, what is that 'right' amount before booze becomes destructive? Plus, why do some cultures have significantly lower rates of alcoholism than others? And how much of this book was written while tipsy? Ted and Trey discuss all of this and much more.
Historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman chats with Trey Elling about HUMANKIND: A HOPEFUL HISTORY. Over the past few decades, many scientists have become much more optimistic on human nature. Did you know that a real life version of the fictional book Lord of the Flies happened in the 1960s with drastically different results? Or that the Stanford Prison Experiment was not the pure process its head scientists led us to believe? Or that a Norwegian prison which allows it inhabitants a shocking amount of trust and freedom creates law-abiding citizens? Trey and Rutger discuss these things and much more.
New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose chats with Trey Elling about FUTUREPROOF: 9 RULES FOR HUMANS IN THE AGE OF AUTOMATION. Why does Kevin consider himself a sub-optimist on the future of artificial intelligence and automation? How is AI quickly replacing the "Michael Scott" middle-management types? Kevin answers these questions and shares details from each of his nine rules for humans.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, two-time NBA champ, 11-time All Star, and Olympic gold medalist Chris Bosh chats with Trey Elling about LETTERS TO A YOUNG ATHLETE. In this book, Chris offers guidance to young people on what it takes to achieve greatness. The guys discuss 'finding your why', keeping your ego in check, not letting wins or losses linger, and much more.
Washington Post columnist and CNN political correspondent Josh Rogin chats with Trey Elling about CHAOS UNDER HEAVEN: TRUMP, XI, AND THE BATTLE FOR THE 21st CENTURY. How did previous administrations' missteps on China pave the way for Trump's erratic handling of the CCP? What aggressive takeover strategy did Chinese president Xi Jinping detail in 'Document 9'? Who is the Bingo Club? How have General Electric and the California Public Employees' Retirement System helped the Chinese military? Why did former Houston Rocket GM Daryl Morey's tweet show the CCP's ability to censor speech outside of its borders? What did Josh report on in March of 2020 regarding COVID 19 and a potential lab leak in Wuhan? Are China's cyber warfare abilities a concern? Josh and Trey discuss these things and much more.
Pulitzer Prize winner Glenn Frankel chats with Trey Elling about SHOOTING MIDNIGHT COWBOY: ART, SEX, LONELINESS, LIBERATION, AND THE MAKING OF A DARK CLASSIC. What was the story behind the Midnight Cowboy book that the film was based on? Why did a then-conservative Hollywood allow something so risque allowed to be made? What drew director John Schlesinger to the project? Were Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight shoo-ins for the main characters? Were political forces behind the film's initial X-rating? Why did Dustin Hoffman avoid promoting the film when it came out? How surprising was Midnight Cowboy's win for 'Best Picture' at the 1970 Academy Awards? Glenn and Trey discuss these things and much more.
American Chemistry Society executive producer George Zaidan chats with Trey Elling about INGREDIENTS: THE STRANGE CHEMISTRY OF WHAT WE PUT IN US AND ON US. What makes a food highly processed? How and why humans begin to preserved food? What does aphid excrement have to do with one of the first sugar-added treats humans enjoyed? How are cigarettes and e-cigs similar and different? Is there such a thing as too much sunscreen? What causes scientific research to become flawed? Is coffee good or bad for us? And what is an acceptable amount of processed food to consume? George and Trey discuss these topics and much more.
Brooklyn-based MC Talib Kweli chats with Trey Elling about VIBRATE HIGHER: A RAP STORY, including his goal with the book, hip hop influences from his childhood and adolescence, why he and Mos Def work so well together, lessons learned from Erykah Badu, Questlove, and Dave Chapelle, the most profound thing his grandma ever told him, and more.
Religious studies expert Kristin Swenson chats with Trey Elling about A MOST PECULIAR BOOK: THE INHERENT STRANGENESS OF THE BIBLE, including: understanding the three histories relating to The Bible in understanding the book itself, distinguishing between the literal and figurative with its stories, the meanings of a talking donkey and Jonah surviving in the belly of a giant fish for three days, the legitimacy of David killing Goliath, the symbolism of Revelation, and more.
Bloomberg News video game reporter and Blood, Sweat, and Pixels author Jason Schreier chats with Trey Elling about PRESS RESET: RUIN AND RECOVERY IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY, including: how 'fun' is determined when making a game and former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling's failed efforts as a video game CEO. Plus they discuss some current events in gaming, like the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Epic Games over Fortnite.
Nicole Perlroth, a cybersecurity and digital espionage journalist for The New York Times, chats with Trey Elling about THIS IS HOW THEY TELL ME THE WORLD ENDS: THE CYBER WEAPONS ARMS RACE, including: an explanation of zero-day exploits that have become so valuable to governments and businesses around the world, how the US initiated international cyber-conflict, whether American officials recognize their role in cyberwar, a phone call Nicole received in 2017 that speaks to the book's ominous title, and more.
Oliver Stone joins Trey Elling for a second time to chat about CHASING THE LIGHT, his memoir from birth through the making of Platoon. This time around, the conversation includes Oliver's life and films since Platoon, including The Doors, JFK, and Natural Born Killers, as well as some randomness along the way.
To hear Trey's much more book-intensive interview with Oliver on episode #61, click HERE.
Award-winning reporter and bestselling author Matt Taibbi chats with Trey Elling about HATE INC.: WHY TODAY'S MEDIA MAKES US DESPISE ONE ANOTHER, including: the book that changed his perspective on how the media operates, how political news takes cues from sports coverage, the ridiculous beginnings of "the beer test" that is now routinely discussed during presidential elections, when and how factual loopholes are used in the news, gaining a delayed appreciation for Walter Cronkite, and more.
Ioan Grillo, a Mexico City-based author and journalist whose stories on crime and gangs have been published in the New York Times and National Geographic, chats with Trey Elling about BLOOD GUN MONEY: HOW AMERICA ARMS GANGS AND CARTELS, including: the histories of assault weapons, the NRA, and gun laws; how legal guns end up on the black market and in America's poorest communities and trafficked across the border to drug cartels, mass shootings in the US, 3D printed guns, and more.
Longtime Special Olympics chairman and UNITE co-founder Tim Shriver chats with Trey Elling about THE CALL TO UNITE: VOICES OF HOPE AND AWAKENING, a collection of essays by influential people from all walks of life on society's most pressing issues, co-edited by Tim. They discuss how a phone call to Oprah initiated the project, contributions from chef José Andrés, Julia Roberts, and the Dalai Lama; learning from Special Olympics athletes, and more.
Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Gerald Posner chats with Trey Elling about PHARMA: GREED, LIES, AND THE POISONING OF AMERICA, including: the pharmaceutical industry's lawless beginnings in the mid-1800s, their initial lack of enthusiasm about antibiotics, Arthur Sackler as the godfather of pharma's manipulative marketing practices, the harmful ways women were exploited in the 1960s and '70s, the groundwork that led to an opioid crisis, how the Sacklers built their Purdue Pharma empire with OxyContin, and much more.
In the inaugural edition of our documentary-focused episodes, filmmaker Joshua Rofé chats with Trey Elling about Hulu's three-part docuseries, SASQUATCH, including: how Joshua initially got involved in this true crime thriller; the evolution of the Humboldt-Mendocino-Trinity counties in northern California into the largest cannabis-producing region in the US, working with the Duplass brothers, and more.
Philosopher and father of three Matt Feeney chats with Trey Elling about LITTLE PLATOONS: A DEFENSE OF FAMILY IN A COMPETITIVE AGE, including: how competition affects parents' ability to do their job in public, with youth sports, with cell phones, during elementary school, through college admissions, and more.
NPR science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff chats with Trey Elling about HUNT, GATHER, PARENT: WHAT ANCIENT CULTURES CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE LOST ART OF RAISING HAPPY, HELPFUL LITTLE HUMANS, including: the lack of actual science backing certain popular beliefs among Western parenting, why Maya children are so helpful without much coaxing, how Inuit parents and children rarely lose their cool with each other, the Hadzabe way of fostering independence, and more.
Business Insider transportation editor Alex Davies chats with Trey Elling about DRIVEN: THE RACE TO CREATE THE AUTONOMOUS CAR, including: how DARPA helped initiate the modern pursuit of self-driving cars less than 20 years ago, major players in its evolution, when and why Google, Uber, and the Big 3 US automakers got involved; realistic predictions for the future of self-driving- and flying cars, and more.
Standup comedian Jo Koy chats with Trey Elling about MIXED PLATE: CHRONICLES OF AN ALL-AMERICAN COMBO, including: the complex family dynamic of his upbringing, what made him want to become a standup and the first steps he took in that process, valuable advice he received from fellow comedians along the way, betting on himself to get in with Netflix, and more.
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Michael Moss chats with Trey Elling about HOOKED: FOOD, FREE WILL, AND HOW THE FOOD GIANTS EXPLOIT OUR ADDICTIONS, including: what 'addiction' means, why food can be more addictive than hard drugs, various examples of food companies grabbing hold of consumers through flavor and marketing, genetics' effect on food addiction, and more.
Award-winning New York Times science columnist Carl Zimmer chats with Trey Elling about LIFE'S EDGE: THE SEARCH FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ALIVE, including: what science tells us about the idea that life begins at conception, the metabolic similarities between pythons and racehorses, why the homeostasis of bats is so impressive, whether viruses are truly alive, and more.
Zoologist's and astrobiologist Arik Kershenbaum chats with Trey Elling about THE ZOOLOGIST'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: WHAT ANIMALS ON EARTH REVEAL ABOUT ALIENS--AND OURSELVES, including: whether life on this planet suggests how aliens might move, communicate, have sex, wage war, and more.
Former computational biologist and current science writer and presenter Andrew Steele chats with Trey Elling about AGELESS: THE NEW SCIENCE OF GETTING OLDER WITHOUT GETTING OLD. How does caloric restriction affect aging? Why are telomeres important? Can rich guys turn back the clock with young blood? And how close are we to curing aging? Andrew answers these questions and much more.
Computational neuroscientist Mark Humphries chats with Trey Elling about THE SPIKE: AN EPIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE BRAIN IN 2.1 SECONDS, including: an orchestra as an analogy for the cacophony of neural spikes, how rats' whiskers help us understand the accuracy of neural messaging, the value of dark neurons, frequency vs timing with spikes, the brain using past experiences to make decisions while the spike process is still going on, and more.
Oceanographer and adventurer Kim McCoy chats with Trey Elling about the 3rd edition of WAVES AND BEACHES: THE POWERFUL DYNAMICS OF SEA AND COAST, including: the moon's effect on the Earth's tides, what happens when a wave breaks near the shore, Kim's own adventures on a glacier, island, and surfing, the perpetual transfer of sand to and from beaches, climate change's impact on oceans and shorelines, and more.
Harvard theoretical physicist Avi Loeb chats with Trey Elling about EXTRATERRESTRIAL: THE FIRST SIGN OF INTELLIGENT LIFE BEYOND EARTH, including: the object in question from 2017 and evidence that suggests it was something more synthetic than a comet or space rocket, why science is often afraid to question the norm, whether we're truly ready to know that life exists beyond our planet, space junk in the Earth's orbit, the prospect of life on Mars, and more.
"Survivorman" Les Stroud chats with Trey Elling about WILD OUTSIDE: AROUND THE WORLD WITH SURVIVORMAN, a book meant to inspire kids to seek out adventures while remembering the four pillars of survival: preparing, observing, reacting, and adapting. Les shares personal anecdotes to exemplify each.
Stanford cardiologist and geneticist Dr. Euan Ashley chats with Trey Elling about THE GENOME ODYSSEY: MEDICAL MYSTERIES AND THE INCREDIBLE QUEST TO SOLVE THEM, including how his medical interest in the heart eventually included the genome, specific cases solved via the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, genetic mutations that benefit the individuals, CRISPR's potential role in the future of rare genetic diseases, and more.
Science writer and editor Erika Engelhaupt chats with Trey Elling about GORY DETAILS: ADVENTURES FROM THE DARK SIDE OF SCIENCE, including: whether your dog would eat you if you died, the rise of maggot farms, how a blow fly's love of semen may compromise a crime scene, the violent tendencies of meerkats and dolphins toward their own, cannibals and a human's true nutritional value, fecal transplants, whether chlorine kills off urine in a pool, why clowns are so creepy, misophonia, and much more.
Criminal justice history expert Peter Vronsky chats with Trey Elling about AMERICAN SERIAL KILLERS: THE EPIDEMIC YEARS 1950 - 2000, including: common traits from these killers' childhoods, Edmund Kemper's mommy issues, serial killers' bizarre moral lines, Jeffrey Dahmer's unraveling, whether the signs point to another murderous epidemic in the near future, and more.
Georgetown law professor and former DC reserve police officer Rosa Brooks chats with Trey Elling about TANGLED UP IN BLUE: POLICING THE AMERICAN CITY, which shares her thoughts and experiences on policing, after patrolling one of our nation's capital's most destitute areas for four years. The conversation includes whether her academy training was adequate, why over-policing happens, the biggest thrill of the job, continual training, what makes a bad cop, defunding the police, and more.
Food policy expert Rob Paarlberg chats with Trey Elling about RESETTING THE TABLE: STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT THE FOOD WE GROW AND EAT, including: why 'organic' and 'local' are the wrong ways to think about sustained agricultural practices, poor communities being affected by food swamps rather than food deserts, how junk food infiltrated our food supply in the 19th century, Silly Putty's connection to McDonald's french fries, the public's rejection of GMOs, America's need to improve livestock practices, what farmers can do better, and more.
Emmy-winning and New York Times bestselling food journalist Mark Bittman chats with Trey Elling about ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, JUNK: A HISTORY OF FOOD, FROM SUSTAINABLE TO SUICIDAL, including: how highly processed foods became such a major part of our food supply, the rise of the hamburger and ketchup, the "real" Betty Crocker, sugary/processed food finding its way to our littlest mouths, high fructose corn syrup's role, GMOs, buying organic and local, solutions for getting things back on track, and more.
He's known as the "Jon Stewart of the Middle East." But even that impressive title sells Bassem Youssef's unique life short: he's worked as everything from heart surgeon to standup comedian, and now children's book author. Bassem chats with Trey Elling about THE MAGIC REALITY OF NADIA, hosting an Egyptian political satire tv show that ultimately forced him to leave his native country, and much more.
Nobel laureate Sir Paul Nurse chats with Trey Elling about WHAT IS LIFE? FIVE GREAT IDEAS IN BIOLOGY, including: how a butterfly inspired the first time he ever considered the question of life, answering this question in a book that could be understood by scientists and non-scientists alike, and why he focused on these five ideas along with details about each: the cell, the gene, evolution by natural selection, life as chemistry, and life as information. Plus, Paul shares his thoughts on a few current challenges and whether mankind is up to the task.
Sexually transmitted infection expert Dr. Ina Park chats with Trey Elling about STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: ADVENTURES IN THE SCIENCE, HISTORY, AND SURPRISING SECRETS OF STDs, including: the role of a sex detective, the false stigma around herpes, Ina's hope that all children contract oral herpes, merkins and other pubic grooming habits, how gonorrhea earned the nickname "the clap", the miracle of modern medicine via the HPV vaccine, the importance of discussing topics like these with humor and honesty rather than condemnation, and much more.
Sleep scientists Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold chat with Trey Elling about WHEN BRAINS DREAM: EXPLORING THE SCIENCE AND MYSTERY OF SLEEP, including: why Freud receives too much credit regarding dreams, how the discovery of REM sleep in the 1950s was a game-changer, how sleep uses dreams to process memories and emotions, whether dogs dream, an explanation of their NEXTUP model of dream function, how REM sleep and taking LSD illicit a similar chemical reaction in the brain, dream incubation, lucid dreams, PTSD-induced dreams, and more.
Psychologist Kevin Dutton chats with Trey Elling about BLACK AND WHITE THINKING: THE BURDEN OF A BINARY BRAIN IN A COMPLEX WORLD, including: the illusion of order, how categorization helps us understand the world, why one person's 'blue' is another's 'celestial haze', the importance of framing with persuasion, and more.
Comedian, media personality, and degenerate gambler Sal Iacono chats with Trey Elling about YOU CAN'T WIN THEM ALL: TALES OF A DEGENERATE GAMBLER AND HIS RIDICULOUS FRIENDS, including: betting on his son's pee-wee flag football game, denying a homeless guy the last piece of pepperoni pizza, his first experience in participating in competitive eating, why Amarillo Slim is on the Mt. Rushmore for gamblers, and more.
Neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett chats with Trey Elling about SEVEN AND A HALF LESSONS ABOUT THE BRAIN, including: why thinking isn't the primary reason the human brain evolved differently from other animals, the importance of caregivers on young children's minds, how we influence each other's mental makeup, why compression is a component of our brains creating our reality, and much more.
This episode is a roundtable discussion on A MOST INTERESTING PROBLEM: WHAT DARWIN'S DESCENT OF MAN GOT RIGHT AND WRONG ABOUT HUMAN EVOLUTION, a compilation of constructive criticisms on some of Charles Darwin's most profound evolutionary thoughts, 150 years after their initial publication. The guests are the book's editor, Jeremy DeSilva, as well as Suzana Herculano-Houzel and Agustín Fuentes, who each contributed a chapter.
Doctor of physical therapy and Squat University founder Aaron Horschig chats with Trey Elling about REBUILDING MILO: THE LIFTER'S GUIDE TO FIXING COMMON INJURIES AND BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR ENHANCING PERFORMANCE. The book empowers people suffering from minor injuries in the back, hips, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle by teaching them how to properly diagnose, activate, and strengthen the root cause of pain. Plus, he touts the benefits of squatting for exercise and dispels the myth that ice is good for injuries.
Award-winning writer, filmmaker and Olympian Alexi Pappas chats with Trey Elling about BRAVEY: CHASING DREAMS, BEFRIENDING PAIN, AND OTHER BIG IDEAS, including: childhood trauma involving her mom and working through it as an adult, the evolution of her love of running peaking with a record-setting run at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, her experience with (and overcoming) depression, and more.
Former FBI assistant deputy for counterterrorism Frank Figliuzzi chats with Trey Elling about THE FBI WAY: INSIDE THE BUREAU'S CODE OF EXCELLENCE, including: the FBI's core values broken down into seven c-words, how the Bureau invests in hiring and training the right people, why they don't conduct such thorough checks on public/elected officials, the importance of conservancy, holding their leaders to a higher standard, the seriousness of an agent compromising the FBI's trust, making decisions despite consequences, why 'consistency' and 'change' are intertwined, and much more.
If you could listen to one more song before leaving this planet, what would it be? Mike Ayers asked more than 30 musicians for their song. That question and those answers serve as the foundation for Ayers' book, ONE LAST SONG: CONVERSATIONS ON LIFE, DEATH, AND MUSIC. He chats with Trey Elling about It, including: the genesis of the question, how it came to life as a book, why Killer Mike chose his own song, Lauren Mayberry selecting a Katy Perry tune, Jim James of My Morning Jacket contributing a song and the book's forward, and more.
Harvard paleoanthropologist Dan Lieberman chats with Trey Elling about EXERCISED: WHY SOMETHING WE NEVER EVOLVED TO DO IS HEALTHY AND REWARDING, including: how our activity levels compare to primates and modern hunter/gatherers, whether sitting is the new smoking, the legitimacy of ten-thousand steps and eight hours of sleep, the benefits of walking, running, and resistance training, how exercise can help with cancer and mental health issues, and more.
Award-winning, science and health journalist and author Gary Taubes chats with Trey Elling about THE KASE FOR KETO: RETHINKING WEIGHT CONTROL AND THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF LOW-CARB/HIGH-FAT EATING, including: why this book is meant for people suffering from obesity, the roles of hormones and metabolic flexibility with obesity, an explanation of ketones, whether protein intake should be limited when eating keto, and more.
Dr. Dilip Jeste chats with Trey Elling about WISER: THE SCIENTIFIC ROOTS OF WISDOM, COMPASSION, AND WHAT MAKES US GOOD, including: the definition of wisdom, how to quantify wisdom, the importance of prosocial attitudes and behaviors, wise decision-making, the uniquely human quality of self-reflection, the future or wisdom, and more.
Big Freedia chats with Trey Elling about BIG FREEDIA: GOD SAVE THE QUEEN DIVA, including: what sparked Freedia's love of performing on stage, coming out to mamma as a freshman in high school, how a mountain-of-a-man named KT helped launch Freedia's solo career, surviving getting shot AND Hurricane Katrina, the origins of twerking, creating a documentary that demands action after Freedia's brother died from gun violence, and more.
Dennis McDougal chats with Trey Elling about OPERATION WHITE RABBIT: LSD, THE DEA, AND THE FATE OF THE ACID KING, the story of William Leonard Pickard's rise to become one of the top acid cooks on the planet, his eventual capture by the DEA that plays out like a scene from BREAKING BAD, and an unexpected bit of redemption in the end.
Melissa Maerz chats with Trey Elling about ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT: THE ORAL HISTORY OF RICHARD LINKLATER'S DAZED AND CONFUSED, including: the parallels between the film and Linklater's actual high school experience in small-town Texas, how the actors lived out an Austin summer camp for young adults away from the cameras, stories behind several memorable scenes, Linklater's fight with the studio over the soundtrack and their marketing of DAZED as stoner flick, and more.
David Herzberg chats with Trey Elling about WHITE MARKET DRUGS: BIG PHARMA AND THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF ADDICTION IN AMERICA, including: details of the three different "pharmaceutical" drug crises in America since the 1870s, the main drug(s) of choice in each era, big pharma's role in fueling each, the successes and failures of various reform efforts, and more.
Jim Gray chats with Trey Elling about TALKING TO GOATs: THE MOMENTS YOU REMEMBER...AND THE STORIES YOU NEVER HEARD, including: how his first ever interview was with The Greatest, an example of Ali's magnetism, life lessons from Al Davis, not shitting John Madden about talking sports with Richard Nixon, fallout from his infamous interview with Pete Rose, chatting with Ray Charles after 9/11 and watching him perform "America the Beautiful", why he admired his own father so much, and more.
Lou Diamond Phillips chats with Trey Elling about THE TINDERBOX: SOLDIER OF INDIRA, including: how this book was inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story and his wife Yvonne's illustrations, receiving early support from LONGMIRE author Craig Johnson, having fun with wordplay, the key to a good story, and more. Plus, they play a game of "Internet Fact Check".
Ronen Givony chats with Trey Elling about NOT FOR YOU: PEARL JAM AND THE PRESENT TENSE, including: the unfathomable success Pearl Jam experienced in their first days and weeks as a band, when they became "political", the fight with Ticketmaster, critiques of most albums in their catalog, which of their three drummers is the best, and more.
André Gregory chats with Trey Elling about THIS IS NOT MY MEMOIR, including: actor Errol Flynn helping to salvage his reputation as a kid, realizing he was a good storyteller, discovering a love for theater, maneuvering through East Berlin in the 1950s, putting on an interactive play that was so wild that it caused a paralyzed woman to walk, the origins and difficulties of MY DINNER WITH ANDRÉ, why making it to 80 was like graduating college, and more.
John O. Brennan chats with Trey Elling about UNDAUNTED: MY FIGHT AGAINST AMERICA'S ENEMIES, AT HOME AND ABROAD, including: two international trips that shaped his youth, (passed) lie detector tests and (failed) disguises early in his time with the CIA, his evolution within the Agency, the overall moral failings surrounding the Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation program; working for Barack Obama before and during his presidency, modernizing the Agency as CIA director, the Russian election hacking in 2016, and more.
Matthew McConaughey chats with Trey Elling about GREENLIGHTS, including: how Longview, TX taught him to dream, the importance of receiving validation from his dad when pursuing acting, his recollection of the 'naked bongos' arrest, why it's crucial for opposing viewpoints to meet in the middle, memories from TRUE DETECTIVE, what "The Eyes of Texas" song means to him, and more.
Katherine Gehl chats with Trey Elling about THE POLITICS INDUSTRY: HOW POLITICAL INNOVATION CAN BREAK PARTISAN GRIDLOCK AND SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY, including: how the current setup benefits a select few while neglecting many, an example from more than a century ago when the people had to wrest back democracy, and viable solutions to fix elections and the legislative process.
Témoris Grecko chats with Trey Elling about KILLING THE STORY: JOURNALISTS RISKING THEIR LIVES TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH IN MEXICO, including: why 'cartel' and 'war on drugs' are misleading terms, the tragic stories of several journalists who were murdered for reporting the truth, how reporters' lives are not only threatened by organized gangs but also by government officials, and more.
Sam Acho chats with Trey Elling about LET THE WORLD SEE YOU: HOW TO BE REAL IN A WORLD FULL OF FAKES, including: how he went from a no-name recruit to receiving a scholarship offer from Pete Carroll and USC, why Calais Campbell is partially responsible for Sam's marriage, receiving free Chipotle for a year, the importance of mourning, what "The Eyes of Texas" means to him, and more.
Annie Duke chats with Trey Elling about HOW TO DECIDE: SIMPLE TOOLS FOR MAKING BETTER CHOICES, including: why so many people who make decisions for a living have hard time explaining how, accounting for luck, when past experience misleads the decision maker, how hard decisions become easy, quit-to-itiveness, and more.
Roman Mars chats with Trey Elling about THE 99% INVISIBLE CITY: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE HIDDEN WORLD OF EVERYDAY DESIGN, including: why stairways to nowhere are named after a former pro baseball player, the origin and danger of padlocks placed on bridges out of love, how cats are the inspiration for road reflectors, the greatness of those dancing inflatable tubes, Austin's moontowers, international internet connections spanning the depths of our oceans, Busta Rhymes Island, and much more.
Jocko Willink chats with Trey Elling about the expanded edition of DISCIPLINE EQUALS FREEDOM: FIELD MANUAL Mk1-MOD1, including a variety of no-nonsense advice for getting things done, and whether he indulges in donuts from time to time.
Steve Cobbler chats with Trey Elling about THE COBBLER: HOW I DISRUPTED AN INDUSTRY, FELL FROM GRACE, AND CAME BACK STRONGER THAN EVER, including: what he learned from working his first jobs In shoes, why getting cut off was the best thing his dad ever did for him, how standup comedy inspired the 'Steve Madden' label, hooking up with Jordan Belfort, whether doing time in "Club Fed" was as cush as the nickname suggests, the many forms of creativity, and much more.
David Vine chats with Trey Elling about THE UNITED STATES OF WAR: A GLOBAL HISTORY OF AMERICA'S ENDLESS CONFLICTS, FROM COLUMBUS TO THE ISLAMIC STATE, which examines how US infrastructure around the globe, including bases, forts, and colonization, has enabled the United States to wage war and/or conflicts for all but eleven years since It came to be in 1776.
Ryan Holiday chats with Trey Elling about LIVES OF THE STOICS: THE ART OF LIVING FROM ZENO TO MARCUS AURELIUS, including: Chrysippus possibly dying the best way imaginable, Antipater evolving the Stoic idea of 'family', why Cicero receives his own chapter, Athenadorus' advice to political leaders for balancing the stresses of the job, Seneca's life-threatening conditions shaping his thoughts on death, Musonious' love of an audience that responded with silence, Epictetus' unique perspective on freedom, whether becoming Roman Emperor corrupted Marcus Aurelius, and more.
Kevin Davies chats with Trey Elling about EDITING HUMANITY: THE CRISPR REVOLUTION AND THE NEW ERA OF GENOME EDITING, including: the difference between CRISPR and CRISPR genome editing, the evolution of CRISPR editing, the wild story behind (and fallout from) #CRISPRbabies in 2018, whether CRISPR-edited babies are truly on the horizon, George Church's attempt to resurrect the wooly mammoth, and more.
NPR's Planet Money cohost Jacob Goldstein chats with Trey Elling about MONEY: THE TRUE STORY OF A MADE UP THING, including: why money is fiction AND fundamentally social, the origins of coins and paper money, Genghis Khan's grandson inventing inflation, Blaise Pascal's role in the formulation of insurance, how artificial light explains monetary progress, the gold standard's undoing, the rise of digital money, and more.
David Polfeldt chats with Trey Elling about THE DREAM ARCHITECTS: ADVENTURES IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY, including: getting his start in making games, how an unwavering belief in respecting an artist's tools led him to Massive Entertainment, the importance of failure in evolving as a person, the trials and tribulations from making FAR CRY 3 and TOM CLANCY'S THE DIVISION, the mixed emotions of releasing a hugely successful game, and much more.
Glenn Kenny chats with Trey Elling about MADE MEN: THE MAKING OF GOODFELLAS, including: Joe Pesci's initial reluctance in playing Tommy, the origin of the 'how am I funny' scene, real-life bad guys In the secondary cast, how Michael Imperioli impressed Robert De Niro in a few days on the set as the Spider character, how Tommy's death disproves a supposed nobility within the mob, Martin Scorsese's love of picking music for his films, Barbara De Fina as the unsung hero in getting the film made, and much more.
Eric Weiner chats with Trey Elling about THE SOCRATES EXPRESS: IN SEARCH OF LIFE LESSONS FROM DEAD PHILOSOPHERS, including: why GROUNDHOG DAY is the most philosophical movie of all time, what got Marcus Aurelius out of bed in the morning, how Socrates was like a child who questions everything (in a good way), learning to fight like Gandhi, and much more.
Art Bell chats with Trey Elling about CONSTANT COMEDY: HOW I STARTED COMEDY CENTRAL AND LOST MY SENSE OF HUMOR, including: discovering Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Jon Stewart's character, stumbling upon the name "Comedy Central," striking gold with State of the Union: Undressed while avoiding separate hosting catastrophes with Al Franken and Dennis Miller, unknowingly angering Bill Maher with an award-winning ad campaign for Politically Incorrect but getting an ironic last-laugh, and more.
Erin Brockovich joins Trey Elling to discuss SUPERMAN'S NOT COMING: OUR NATIONAL WATER CRISIS AND WHAT WE THE PEOPLE CAN DO ABOUT IT, including: the importance of stick-to-itiveness in fighting for such a cause, how Richard Nixon shows that the issue of clean water goes beyond politics, empowering communities with Community Health Book, the heartbreaking-but-inspiring story of Jeremy and Janey Ensminger, and more.
Marion Nestle joins Trey Elling to discuss LET'S ASK MARION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE POLITICS OF FOOD, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH, including: the rising cost of whole- versus ultra-processed foods, how agriculture, Wall Street, and food regulation fueled the US obesity epidemic in the early 1980s; why glyphosate is still allowed to be sprayed on crops, whether technology can help fix our food system, and more.
Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay chat with Trey Elling about CYNICAL THEORIES: HOW ACTIVIST SCHOLARSHIP MADE EVERYTHING ABOUT RACE, GENDER, AND IDENTITY--AND WHY THIS HARMS EVERYBODY, including: the three major phases of postmodernism over the last 50 years, why the movement rejects science, the definition of 'Theory', the ins and outs of specific Theories, what will become of postmodernism by 2030, and more.
Niko Vorobyov chat with Trey Elling about DOPEWORLD: ADVENTURES IN THE GLOBAL DRUG TRADE, including: writing on the subject as someone who sold and served time for dealing, hanging with Columbian guerilla soldiers, China's Opium Wars, the Japanese Yakuza, Cosa Nostra's role in the worldwide heroin trade, why El Chapo is revered in Sinaloa, the origins and hypocrisy of America's War on Drugs, how Portugal has fared since decriminalizing and legalizing all drugs, and more.
Frontman Greg Graffin chats with Trey Elling about DO WHAT YOU WANT: THE STORY OF BAD RELIGION, including: how the band got together, hearing their music on the radio for the first time, learning from the failure of Into the Unknown, the importance of the album, Suffer; playing in East Germany prior to the Berlin Wall coming down, the timelessness of Stranger Than Fiction, learning from Ric Ocasek and Todd Rundgren, what the band has yet to accomplish, whether the Bucks will win the NBA championship this year, and more.
Filmmaker Oliver Stone chats with Trey Elling about CHASING THE LIGHT: WRITING, DIRECTING, AND SURVIVING PLATOON, MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, SCARFACE, SALVADOR, AND THE MOVIE GAME, including: what his mom and dad were like growing up, fighting in Vietnam, learning from Scorsese at NYU, SCARFACE as an "inside-the-park homer," the chaos of making SALVADOR, the depths of PLATOON, his beloved 49ers, and more.
The man they call "The Captain" joins Trey Elling to share some stories from F*CKING HISTORY: 111 LESSONS YOU SHOULD HAVE LEARNED IN SCHOOL, including: Mark Twain's important contribution to the modern bra, what Graham crackers were originally intended for, the badass legacy of Stagecoach Mary, the unique method Thomas Edison and his wife used to trash-talk people at parties, nachos as an invention of desperation, research that found penguins aren't as innocent as you think, and more.
Stuart Ritchie chats with Trey Elling about SCIENCE FICTIONS: HOW FRAUD, BIAS, NEGLIGENCE, AND HYPE UNDERMINE THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH, including: what publishing a scientific paper looks like in its purest form, the various ways that process breaks down, tips for reading scientific papers, spotting the good from bad, and much more.
Nicholson Baker joins Trey Elling to discuss BASELESS: MY SEARCH FOR SECRETS IN THE RUINS OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, including: a question about the Korean War that sparked this ten-year project, the genesis of the CIA and US military developing biological weapons and their rationale for doing so, cruel experiments performed on animals and whether they tested things on an unknowing America public, and much more.
Environmental activist Michael Shellenberger chats with Trey Elling about APOCALYPSE NEVER: WHY ENVIRONMENTAL ALARMISM HURTS US ALL, including: why claims of mass death and destruction due to climate change lack scientific merit, the minimal impact of banning plastic straws and bags, economic development as a defense against climate change, nuclear power's value, many "green" organizations taking money from fossil fuel companies, and more.
Tom O'Neill chats with Trey Elling about CHAOS, including: inconsistencies with the official narrative of murders committed by Manson and The Family, why lead prosecutor and HELTER SKELTER author Vincent Bugliosi can't be trusted, evidence of the CIA's fingerprints on the Tate house murder investigation as well as Manson's year forming the Family in San Francisco, and much more.
Matthew Schwartz chats with Trey Elling about CONFESSIONS OF AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, including: interviewing David Berkowitz, aka Son of Sam, prior to his 2002 parole hearing, exposing a doctor who was fueling the opioid epidemic, a story that forced more accountability from airlines regarding pets checked as cargo, causing Hulk Hogan to cry like a baby, how Trump and Bernie Sanders both stiffed the Tucson PD, and more.
Bill Buford chats with Trey Elling about DIRT: ADVENTURES IN LYON AS A CHEF IN TRAINING, FATHER, AND SLEUTH LOOKING FOR THE SECRET OF FRENCH COOKING, including: what started him on this journey, how he ended up at a boulangerie for his first stage and why Bob the baker was so important in him better understanding Lyon, taking part in a pig-killing ritual and drinking its fresh blood, understanding Paul Bocuse's importance to Lyon, lessons learned in French cooking school and working in the kitchen at a Michelin-rated restaurant, four culinary deaths that affected him at the end of his French journey, and more.
Dan Cortese chats with Trey Elling about STEP OFF! MY JOURNEY FROM MIMBO TO MANHOOD, including: how the town OB-GYN fueled his first Rock n Jock highlight as a little leaguer, epiphanies, an epic Billy Idol story, receiving an invaluable compliment from George C. Scott, becoming a dad, and more.
Best-selling author Max Brooks chats with Trey Elling about DEVOLUTION: A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF THE RAINIER SASQUATCH MASSACRE, including: waging political battles over the book's title, tedious research that included actually hand-crafting every weapon created by the characters, evolving through devolution, receiving feedback from "Survivorman" Les Stroud, a possible movie adaptation, and more.
Matt Ridley chats with Trey Elling about HOW INNOVATION WORKS: AND WHY IT FLOURISHES IN FREEDOM, including: the truth about Edison and the light bulb (00:33), innovating e-cigs (04:51), potatoes (08:33), luggage with wheels (10:15), and coffee (16:10); the dog as one of man's best innovations (14:04), whether China is becoming the global leader of innovation (21:47), and more.
The Airborne Toxic Event frontman Mikel Jollett chats with Trey Elling about HOLLYWOOD PARK: A MEMOIR, including:
- Escaping a cult he'd spent the first five years of his life in (01:03).
- Using different literary voices from childhood to adulthood (08:48).
- An introduction to his dad (11:21).
- The music that resonated with him as a kid (30:30).
- A chat with dad at Hollywood Park that helped a teenaged Mikel get it together (40:17).
- Receiving invaluable advice from The Cure's Robert Smith about "normal" (49:09).
- The last of many life-changing conversations between father and son (52:43).
And at the end of the interview, we play the title track off of the corresponding album to the book, also called HOLLYWOOD PARK.
Filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld joins the pod to share details from BARRY SONNENFELD, CALL YOUR MOTHER: MEMOIRS FROM A NEUROTIC FILMMAKER, including...
- He and his dad comparing eating his mom's cooking to cannibalism (4:16).
- His prowess as a leg wrestler, including dominating Kelly Ripa (7:08).
- Cousin Mike the Child Molester (10:17).
- His first paying gig in the film, as the camera guy on a nine-day porn shoot (20:32).
- Scaring a roomful of kids to tears on the set of THE ADDAMS FAMILY(52:13).
- Behind the scenes stories from GET SHORTY(56:38).
- Terrorizing Will Smith and his family with Tucks pads (1:14:51).
- Publicly arguing with Larry David about who's more neurotic (1:17:54).
Dave Rubin joins Trey Elling to discuss DON'T BURN THIS BOOK: THINKING FOR YOURSELF IN AN AGE OF UNREASON, including: the difference between Catholic- and Jewish guilt, why a transgender Nazi helps explain the need for open dialogue, "woke" Thanksgivings, "catastrophizing," loving Clyde Drexler, and more.
Acclaimed journalist and author Joan Ryan joins Trey Elling to discuss INTANGIBLES: UNLOCKING THE SCIENCE AND SOUL OF TEAM CHEMISTRY, including: defining team chemistry, oxytocin's role, the seven archetypes of good team chemistry, why Barry Bonds wasn't a clubhouse cancer in SF, the power of expectation, and more.
Author Erik Larson chats with Trey Elling about THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE: A SAGA OF CHURCHILL, FAMILY, AND DEFIANCE DURING THE BLITZ, which takes a detailed look at the effects of Germany's aerial assaults on Great Britain during Winston Churchill's first year as prime minister. Larson also provides an update on the screen adaptation of THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY.
Actor and restauranteur Danny Trejo chats with Trey Elling about TREJO'S TACOS: RECIPES & STORIES FROM LA. The conversation includes: why he wanted to share the "secret" recipes from his Trejo's Tacos restaurants, the importance of food from his childhood and time in the pen, memories from the sets of HEAT and CON AIR, why he loves Austin, the time his boys mistook the "hook 'em Horns" hand signal for a gang sign on 6th Street, and more.
Howard Bloom joins Trey Elling to share details from EINSTEIN, MICHAEL JACKSON & ME: A SEARCH FOR SOUL IN THE POWER PITS OF ROCK AND ROLL, including: reigniting Texas pride thru ZZ Top, learning from the gospel of Al Green, Ozzy Osbourne's explanation for biting off a bat's head, empowering Joan Jett, Bob Marley's brilliance, the magic of Prince, advising John Cougar Mellencamp to not shill ketchup with his music, Billy Joel's "Yoko," how "We Are the World" did the opposite of helping with famine in Africa, why Michael Jackson is the closest person to a saint he's ever met, and much more.
Broadcaster and musician John Tesh joins Trey Elling to discuss RELENTLESS: UNLEASHING A LIFE OF PURPOSE, GRIT, AND FAITH. The conversation includes: how he learned to express his childhood curiosity in less mischievous ways, why he ended up living in a tent and working construction during what was supposed to be his senior year at NC State, what participatory journalism meant at its onset in the late 1970s and how he partook, why he was jeered by a fired up crowd of New Yorkers while interviewing Jimmy Connors after his US Open championship in 1982, how he came up with the renowned NBA on NBC theme song while covering the Tour de France, what happened before and during the 1994 concert at Red Rocks that launched his music career, why his last visit to a literal crackhouse is one of his favorite chapters in the book, and more.
Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer joins Trey Elling to discuss BLOOD: A MEMOIR. The book is based around 14-year-old Allison being awakened in the early morning hours of August 12, 1986 by the sounds of gunshots outside the family's home, as her dad killed her mom before turning the weapon on himself. This conversation includes events that led up to the tragedy, how she continues to heal as an adult, and her son's importance in her writing and with life.
New York Times best-selling author Chuck Palahniuk joins Trey Elling to discuss CONSIDER THIS: MOMENTS IN MY WRITING LIFE AFTER WHICH EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT. The conversation includes why Chuck finally decided to put out a book that offered writing tips, the importance of establishing authority within a story, how his idea of "selling out" has changed over the years, a moment in Chuck's life after which everything was different, and more.
Former Navy SEAL and New York Times best-selling author Jocko Willink joins Trey Elling to discuss his book, LEADERSHIP STRATEGY AND TACTICS: FIELD MANUEL. The conversation includes: what separates this title from his other leadership books, the idea behind 'decentralized command', working for a bad boss, his counter-intuitive idea for how a leader should deal with a chronic complainer, why it's a good idea for a boss to occasionally help with menial tasks, and more.
Chess Grandmaster and three-time British Chess Champion Jonathan Rowson joins Trey Elling to discuss his book, THE MOVES THAT MATTER: A CHESS GRANDMASTER ON THE GAME OF LIFE. The conversation includes why chess is such a great metaphor for life, evolving from someone who is learning from failure to a person who is educating thru success, how teaching a child the game of chess can benefit him or her for life, whether computers are more of a positive or negative for chess, and more.
Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss his book, FRANKLIN STEAK: DRY AGED. LIVE FIRED. PURE BEEF. The conversation includes the value of a good butcher, various ways to cook a steak, when to salt before cooking, grass versus grain-fed beef, and more.
Retired US Navy admiral William McRaven joins Trey Elling to discuss his book, SEA STORIES: MY LIFE IN SPECIAL OPERATIONS. The conversation includes the worst part about "hell week" during his Navy SEAL training and why that experience remains so valuable, what it means to "serve", being face-to-face with Saddam Hussein following his capture, how he used the movie HOOSIERS to inspire his men before they took down Osama bin Laden, his time as chancellor of the University of Texas System, what his wife Georgeann means to him, and more.
Dave Asprey is a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur, creator of Bulletproof Coffee, and New York Times best selling author. He joined Trey Elling to discuss his book, SUPER HUMAN: THE BULLETPROOF PLAN TO AGE BACKWARD AND MAYBE EVEN LIVE FOREVER. Dave and Trey discuss inflammation's role in aging, why eight hours is NOT the optimal amount of sleep, why cyclical ketosis is more beneficial than a constant state of ketosis, how small amounts of nicotine are considered smart drugs, and more!
Former Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob Stoops joins Trey Elling to talk about some of the details from his book, NO EXCUSES: THE MAKING OF A HEAD COACH. The conversation includes the importance of his father, Ron, on his life in and out of football, how he got into coaching after graduating from Iowa, turning around an awful K-State program with Bill Snyder, highs and lows from his time in Norman, memories from Texas-OU, and more.
Writer and humorist Adam Mansbach joins Trey Elling to discuss FK, NOW THERE ARE TWO OF YOU, the third book in a series of children's books that started with GO THE FK TO SLEEP. The conversation includes how the new book represents a version of what is going on in Adam's household, the process of writing a children's book, getting Larry David to do the audio book, and more.
Record-breaking adventurer Adrian Hayes joins Trey Elling to discuss his book, ONE MAN'S CLIMB: A JOURNEY OF TRAUMA, TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH ON K2. The conversation includes why Adrian would attempt something so dangerous, details of a failed first attempt that ended tragically, how his personal life impacted a willingness to give it another go, whether he made it to the top on a second try, and more.
Former football player Braylon Edwards joins Trey Elling to discuss his book, DOING IT MY WAY: MY OUTSPOKEN LIFE AS A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE, NFL RECEIVER, AND BEYOND. The conversation includes what first stoked his love for football, why wearing #1 at Michigan meant so much, memories from the Rose Bowl between the Longhorns and Wolverines in early 2005, his favorite NFL season, taking heat for tweeting criticisms about his alma mater, and more.
Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champ Barry Zito joins Trey Elling to discuss some details from his book, CURVEBALL: HOW I FOUND TRUE FULFILLMENT AFTER CHASING FORTUNE AND FAME. The conversation includes his dad's impact on Barry's baseball life, how a rapid ascent to the bigs and early success with the A's affected him off the field, why signing the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history affected him as a pitcher and a person, whether he cherishes his 2010 or 2012 World Series ring more, what helped him to overcome his insecurities, and more.
Former NFL offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan speaks with Trey Elling about his book, MY LIFE ON THE LINE: HOW THE NFL DAMN NEAR KILLED ME AND ENDED UP SAVING MY LIFE. The conversation includes how Ryan's sexuality affected him early on and throughout his football life, what allowed him to gain the courage to come out to family and friends, the cutthroat nature of the NFL as a business, why he and Aaron Rodgers are no longer friends, and more.
Chuck Klosterman joins Trey Elling to talk about his collection of short stories, RAISED IN CAPTIVITY: FICTIONAL NONFICTION. The conversation includes the genesis of several of the book's tales, if he considers a storyline beyond what was written, whether Wikipedia bothers him, personal emoji usage, the keys to storytelling, and more.
ESPN's Marty Smith joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss details his new book, NEVER SETTLE, SPORTS, FAMILY, AND THE AMERICAN SOUL. The conversation includes Nick Saban's softer side, his family's role in the creation of Jack Daniel's whiskey, the three rules he lives his life by, and more.
Author David Epstein joins Trey Elling to share details from his book, RANGE: WHY GENERALISTS TRIUMPH IN A SPECIALIZED WORLD. The conversation includes why parents should avoid forcing specialized skills upon their kids at a young age, the importance of the Flynn Effect, why failure is an important part of development, and more.
Bud Selig joins Trey Elling to share details from his book, FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE SURPRISING AND DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATION OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. The conversation includes the value of his friendship with Henry Aaron, learning to put his personal wishes aside for the good of the game, whether he believes Bonds, Clemens, and others should be in Cooperstown, and more.
Award-winning journalist Scott Pelley joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss details from his book, TRUTH WORTH TELLING: A REPORTER'S SEARCH FOR MEANING IN THE STORIES OF OUR TIME. This includes why he had to tell a lie to get into the business of truth-telling as a teenager in Lubbock, what the sport of buzkashi is and how it represents the people of Afghanistan, whether there is a solution to the broken two-party system that has failed the US, advice to young journalists, and more.
Former MYTHBUSTERS host Adam Savage joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss his life story and crucial elements to successfully creating for a living, as told in his book, EVERY TOOL'S A HAMMER: LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
Former Baltimore Ravens' offensive lineman John Urschel joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to talk about his life as someone who loves math and was good enough at football to play in the NFL. John tells his full story in the book, MIND AND MATTER: A LIFE IN MATH AND FOOTBALL.
David Cone & Jack Curry join Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss their new book about David's life in baseball and pitching philosophies as a student of the game, FULL COUNT: THE EDUCATION OF THE PITCHER. The conversation includes what allows David and Jack work so well with one another, why they started the book with Cone's perfect game in 1999, imparting knowledge learned from Greg Maddux, whether computers should call balls and strikes in today's game, and more.
Hall-of-fame sportswriter Rick Reilly joins Trey Elling to discuss COMMANDER IN CHEAT: HOW GOLF EXPLAINS TRUMP. The conversation includes why golf is such an accurate gauge of a person's character, examples of Donald Trump's dishonesty as a player and golf course owner, how an occurrence at one of his course inspired a CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM storyline, and more.
Gianni Russo joins Trey Elling to share his life story, as told in the book, HOLLYWOOD GODFATHER: MY LIFE IN THE MOVIES AND THE MOB. That life includes: working for the Italian mafia, playing Carlo in the Godfather, hooking up with Marilyn Monroe, being face-to-face with an angry Pablo Escobar, punching out one of Siegfried and Roy's tigers, and more.
Laird Hamilton joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to talk about his book, LIFERIDER: HEART, BODY, SOUL, AND LIFE BEYOND THE OCEAN. The conversation includes why fear is a healthy emotion in the grand scheme of things, what makes the heart our 'second brain', how a guy like BK can get into fitness, and more.
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to talk about his new book, FROM THE GROUND UP: A JOURNEY TO REIMAGINE THE PROMISE OF AMERICA. The conversation includes lessons learned and fond memories from his time owning the Seattle Supersonics, why he's considering running for president as an independent, and more.
Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to talk about his book, SOUL OF A TEAM: A MODERN-DAY FABLE FOR WINNING TEAMWORK. The conversation includes: the four tenets of 'SOUL', one of his favorite Chuck Knoll quotes, the most important quality for effective communication, and more.
Longtime NHL goalie Curtis Joseph joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss his new book, CUJO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF MY LIFE ON AND OFF THE ICE. The conversation includes how the unique circumstances of his childhood home helped him long-term, some of his favorite memories from playing for 19 years in the NHL, what it would mean to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and more.
Journalist and New York Times best-selling author John Feinstein joins Trey Elling to discuss, QUARTERBACK: INSIDE THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. The conversation includes: his goal in writing the book, why he chose to follow the 2017 seasons of Alex Smith, Joe Flacco, Andrew Luck, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Doug Williams; why it's so difficult to predict whether a good college QB can replicate the success in the NFL, and more.
Former US Soccer coach Bruce Arena joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss his new book, WHAT'S WRONG WITH US?. The conversation includes how he came up in the sport, where US Soccer went awry in failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, why he's rooting for Mexico, whether Austin is worthy of an MLS team, and more.
Legendary radio broadcaster Anthony Cumia joins Trey Elling to share details from his book, PERMANENTLY SUSPENDED: THE RISE, FALL...AND RISE AGAIN OF RADIO'S MOST NOTORIOUS SHOCK JOCK. The conversation includes how he was bullied by Boomer Esiason when both were in elementary school, pushing the envelope during his time on the Opie and Anthony Show, whether a "shock jock" can make it on terrestrial radio in this hyper-sensitive climate, what his current program (The Anthony Cumia Show) entails, and more.
Former college and pro basketball coach Rick Pitino joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss details from his new book, PITINO: MY STORY. Not only does Pitino tell some stories from his early days in coaching, but he defends himself in the aftermath of the corruption scandal that engulfed college hoops during the 2018-19 season and cost him his job at Louisville.
Former NFL running back Merril Hoge joins Trey Elling to discuss details from his new book, BRAINWASHED: THE BAD SCIENCE BEHIND CTE AND THE PLOT TO DESTROY FOOTBALL.
Former NFL all-pro defensive lineman and current Fox Sports analyst Marcellus Wiley joins Trey Elling to share details from his book, NEVER SHUT UP: THE LIFE, OPINIONS, AND UNEXPECTED ADVENTURES OF AN NFL OUTLIER. The conversation includes some blunt advice his grandma shared with him as a kid growing up in south central Los Angeles, his reaction to seeing a bagel for the first time as a freshman at Columbia University in New York, when he realized he could make it in the NFL, "Toradol Tuesdays", and more.
Verne Lundquist joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to share some of the stories from his life and hall-of-fame career in broadcasting, as told in the new book, PLAY BY PLAY: CALLING THE WILDEST GAME IN SPORTS--FROM SEC FOOTBALL TO COLLEGE BASKETBALL, THE MASTERS, AND MORE.
Team-sponsored human trafficking. Scouts stealing signing bonus money from international prospects. Gambling on baseball. Blatant PED distribution and usage. These were among the egregious activities probed by Eddie Dominguez with MLB's Department of Investigations from 2008-2014, much of it ignored or bluntly shut down by top baseball executives, including Rob Manfred.
Eddie documented these experiences in the new book, BASEBALL COP: THE DARK SIDE OF AMERICA'S PASTIME. And he joined Trey Elling to share some of the details, including Manfred and Bud Selig's insistence on bringing down A-Rod for reasons that go beyond protecting the integrity of the game.
Hollywood icon William Shatner joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss his new book, LIVE LONG AND...WHAT I'VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY. The conversation includes how he has felt a certain loneliness since childhood, why he soiled himself during opening night on Broadway for his one-man show, what people can expect from his upcoming Christmas album, whether STAR TREK's continued popularity ever surprises him, and more.
ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter takes a break from pro football to discuss his new book with Trey Elling & Brad Kellner. THE MAN I NEVER MET: A MEMOIR chronicles Schefter's life and relationship with his wife, Sharri, who lost her husband Joe Maio in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th.
Batting versus a 60-year-old Satchel Paige. Becoming the final player to collect s hit off of Sandy Koufax. Waiting in the hole when Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth in homers. Having his manager in Japan deride is naked genitals. These are just some of the stories from the new book, DAVEY JOHNSON: MY WILD RIDE IN BASEBALL AND BEYOND. The former All Star player and 15-year MLB manager, including as skipper of the '86 Mets, joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to discuss those items and more.
Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings joins Trey Elling & Brad Kellner to share his amazing life story, as told thru the new book, THE 'IF' IN LIFE. The conversation includes the unbelievable result of his first action of varsity football, the epiphanous relationship with his dad that eventually went from bad to good, how he won Dancing With The Stars, and more.
Former NL MVP and two-time World Series champ Keith Hernandez joins Trey Elling and Brad Kellner to talk about his book, I'M KEITH HERNANDEZ. The conversation includes some of his favorite memories on the diamond, how tornadoes and cockfights were part of his minor league experience in Tulsa, what led him into the broadcasting booth, why his brother Gary is such an important figure in his life, and more.
Award-winning journalist Armen Keteyian joins Trey Elling and his radio co-host Brad Kellner to discuss his new Tiger Woods biography, also titled TIGER WOODS, co-authored with Jeff Benedict. Keteyian talks about the initial inspiration for tackling the project, challenges they faced when gathering info, Earl Woods' influence on his son, how and why Tiger's attitude toward the game and his peers changed in the last year, and more.
Christine Aschwanden is the former lead science writer at FiveThirtyEight and author of the book, GOOD TO GO: WHAT THE ATHLETE IN ALL OF US CAN LEARN FROM THE STRANGE SCIENCE OF RECOVERY. Christie speaks with Trey Elling about whether beer helps marathoners in recovery, myths about hydration, the importance of sleep to recovery, and more!