It’s official: 2015 is here. And with the New Year comes an opportunity for a fresh start. On today’s show, we’ll start 2015 on the right foot. Philosopher and historian Roman Krzanric discovers lessons for living a richer, more satisfying modern life, by looking for examples in the past. Plus, an inside look at the 11-billion-dollar self-help industry. We’ll talk to a writer who attended workshops, conferences and visualized success – all to better understand America’s fixation with self-improvement.
Listen to the full show and click Read more for individual segments.
Roman Krznarik: How Should We Live?
- Roman Krznarik peers into the near and ancient past for examples of how people through the ages approached love, work, family, time, money, death, creativity, and more. His book is called How Should We Live? and will be out in paperback in June.
- Roman has a new book out called Empathy: Why it Matters and How to Get It. You can listen back to that conversation at this link.
The Origin of Bad Eating Habits
- Kristin Wartman, is a food, politics and health journalist. She wrote about the new science of food choices for the New York Times last year: "Bad Eating Habits Start in the Womb."
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The Origin of Bad Eating Habits
A Walk Across The Country
- In 1992, NHPR's Sean Hurley set out on a journey: a walk across the country. He didn't make it, but he recorded his trip on a handheld cassette recorder and revisited the experience two decades later.
- You can read more about Sean's journey at this link, plus see Super 8 footage from the trip: A Walk Across the Country.
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A Walk Across The Country
Promise Land
- Jessica Lamb-Shapiro set out to explore the 11-billion dollar industry of self-improvement books, seminars, and coaching to figure out why people follow them so devoutly--if they work--and what happens when they don’t. Her memoir is called, Promise Land: My Journey Through America’s Self-Help Culture.
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Promise Land
