Episodes

  • Matthew Lynn: Journalist and Author Turned Publishing Entrepreneur

    Matthew Lynn: Journalist and Author Turned Publishing Entrepreneur
    Jan 10 2025
    In this podcast, Matthew talks about his late entry into entrepreneurship, taking advantage of opportunities that emerged as Kindle offered a new way to distribute books. In his career as a journalist with well known business publications he enjoyed talking to entrepreneurs, even having his editor turn down his pitch to interview Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Starting a business was something he had always been open to, but journalism came first until quite late in life. He shares how his initial idea of publishing short-form books from well-known authors pivoted into the bigger opportunity of publishing back catalogues. Matthew describes how and why larger publishers missed the boat due to conservative pricing and a feeling that ebooks might just "go away." He discusses the importance of a "problem-solving mindset," persistence, and being ready to hustle. We learn what being a fiction author has in common with being an entrepreneur, and how crucial it is to handle and manage rejection. Matthew also delves into his path to an exit, the loyalty he felt to his authors and staff, and the challenges of management and leadership. He particularly highlights the learning process of dealing with the fact that the founder is often more motivated than the people they hire. Links relevant to the interview. Matthew’s books Death Force series Lume Books Joffe Books - acquired by Lume Books Matthew’s Bio Daily Telegraph - columnist - 2013-2024 Money Week - columnist - 2008-2024 Bloomberg - columnist - 1999-2012 The Sunday Times - Reporter and columnist - 1992-2000 Business magazine - reported - 1988-1991 Asiaweek, Hong Kong - 1986-1988 Financial Adviser magazine - 1985-1986 Founder - Lume Books - 2013- 2023 Author Death Force - Hodder Headline - 2010 Fireforce - Hodder Headline - 2011 Shadow Force - Hodder Headline - 2012 Ice Force - Hodder Headline - 2013 Insecurity - Random House - 1997 The Watchmen - Random House - 1999 Education: Balliol College, Oxford. Politics, Philosophy & Economics. Richard Lucas’s TEDx talk on Opportunity Readiness and on Why everyone should embrace rejection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Peter Hessler, "Other Rivers: A Chinese Education" (Penguin, 2024)

    Peter Hessler, "Other Rivers: A Chinese Education" (Penguin, 2024)
    Jan 9 2025
    In 2019, journalist and writer Peter Hessler traveled with his family to China. He’d gotten a gig as a teacher of writing—nonfiction writing in particular—in what he’d hoped would be a sequel to his 2001 book River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. But plans changed—radically. At the very end of 2019, the COVID-19 virus emerges in Wuhan, leading to chaos as officials frantically try to figure out how to control the new disease. Peter’s reporting first wins his criticism from Chinese nationalists angry about his frank discussions of China’s mistakes—then criticism from U.S. hawks angry that Hessler gives Beijing credit for what it managed to do right as COVID rapidly spreads around the world. Peter’s years in China are covered in his latest book Other Rivers: A Chinese Education (Penguin Press, 2024), published last year. Peter Hessler is a staff writer at the New Yorker, where he served as Beijing correspondent from 2000 to 2007, Cairo correspondent from 2011 to 2016, and Chengdu correspondent from 2019 to 2021. He is the author of The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution; River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze, which won the Kiriyama Book Prize; Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present, which was a finalist for the National Book Award; Country Driving: A Chinese Road Trip; and Strange Stones: Dispatches from East and West. He won the 2008 National Magazine Award for excellence in reporting, and he was named a MacArthur fellow in 2011. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Other Rivers. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    52 mins
  • Alex Cuadros, "When We Sold God's Eye: Diamonds, Murder, and a Clash of Worlds in the Amazon" (Grand Central Publishing, 2024)

    Alex Cuadros, "When We Sold God's Eye: Diamonds, Murder, and a Clash of Worlds in the Amazon" (Grand Central Publishing, 2024)
    Jan 8 2025
    Growing up in a remote corner of the world’s largest rainforest, Pio, Maria, and Oita learned to hunt wild pigs and tapirs, and gathered Brazil nuts and açaí berries from centuries-old trees. The first highway pierced through in 1960. Ranchers, loggers, and prospectors invaded, and the kids lost their families to terrible new weapons and diseases. Pushed by the government to assimilate, they struggled to figure out their new, capitalist reality, discovering its wonders—cars, refrigerators, TV sets, phones—as well as a way to acquire them: by selling the natural riches of their own forest home. They had to partner with the white men who’d hunted them, but their wealth grew legendary, the envy of the nation—until decades of suppressed trauma erupted into a massacre, bloody retribution that made headlines across the globe. Based on six years of immersive reporting and research, When We Sold God's Eye: Diamonds, Murder, and a Clash of Worlds in the Amazon (Grand Central Publishing, 2024) tells a unique kind of adventure story, one that begins with a river journey by Theodore Roosevelt and ends with smugglers from New York City’s Diamond District. It’s a story of survival against all odds; of the temptations of wealth and the dream of prosperity; of an ecosystem threatened by our hunger for resources; of genocide and revenge. It’s a tragedy as old as the first European encounters with Indigenous people, playing out in the present day. But most of all, it’s the moving saga of a few audacious individuals—Pio, Maria, Oita, and their friends—and their attempts to adapt and even thrive in the most unlikely circumstances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    29 mins
  • Scott Huver, "Beverly Hills Noir: Crime, Sin, & Scandal in 90210" (Post Hill Press, 2024)

    Scott Huver, "Beverly Hills Noir: Crime, Sin, & Scandal in 90210" (Post Hill Press, 2024)
    Dec 22 2024
    Beverly Hills Noir: Crime, Sin, & Scandal in 90210 (Post Hill Press, 2024) explores the city’s true crime history, delving deep inside cases that made headlines, scandals that engulfed Hollywood legends, and more strange-but-true tales that could only happen in the 90210. Beverly Hills Noir chronicles an assortment of jaw-dropping true crime stories spanning the legendary city’s history, each with oh-so-90210 twists—including a high-profile murder mystery in the city’s most extravagant mansion, the daring exploits of a handsome cat burglar with movie star looks, a toxic Tinseltown love triangle that ended in gunplay, a brazen Rodeo Drive jewelry store holdup with tragically stunning finale, an Oscar nominated actress on shoplifting spree and more—complete with major roles and countless cameos by Hollywood idols and cultural icons. A gripping, century-long tour of the glamorous city’s shadowy underbelly through crimes and misdemeanors as over-the-top as the city itself, Beverly Hills Noir collects the kinds of stories you’d expect to be swapped if James Ellroy and Dominick Dunne had met Jackie Collins and Ryan Murphy for cocktails at the Polo Lounge. It’s Sunset Boulevard and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood turned sordid, face-down-in-the-pool reality. Scott Huver has covered the inner workings of Beverly Hills, the entertainment industry, and the Los Angeles-area elite for three decades. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    53 mins
  • Robert Danisch, "Rhetorical Democracy: How Communication Shapes Political Culture" (Rowman and Littlefield, 2024)

    Robert Danisch, "Rhetorical Democracy: How Communication Shapes Political Culture" (Rowman and Littlefield, 2024)
    Dec 14 2024
    Rhetorical Democracy: How Communication Shapes Political Culture (Rowman and Littlefield, 2024) offers an explanation and diagnosis of the current state of American democracy rooted in the American pragmatist tradition. Robert Danisch analyzes the characteristics of communication systems and communication practices that inhibit or enhance democratic life. In doing so, this book provides a detailed explanation of the ways in which the communication systems and practices that constitute democratic life are currently fostering polarization and how they might be made to foster cooperation. Scholars of communication, rhetorical studies, political science, and media studies will find this book of particular interest. Robert Danisch is Professor of Communication Arts at the University of Waterloo whose research interests include rhetorical theory, persuasion, and public communication in democratic societies. He is the author of Pragmatism, Democracy and the Necessity of Rhetoric, Building a Rhetorical Democracy: The Promise of Rhetorical Pragmatism as well as journal articles and several co-authored books. He is also the host of the podcast Now We’re Talking that focuses on communication skills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    57 mins
  • History and Journalism with Alex Keller

    History and Journalism with Alex Keller
    Dec 5 2024
    In this episode, I sat down with Alex Keller, then a Digital Content Producer at CBS News Texas, to talk about his unconventional career path. From studying biology and neuroscience to earning an MA in history, Alex’s journey is a testament to the unexpected ways history skills can shape careers. We dove into how his history background prepared him for his role at CBS, where he uses storytelling to help audiences make sense of important community issues. Alex explained how skills like analyzing sources, breaking down complex ideas, providing context, and writing have been invaluable. He also shared his thoughts on journalism’s deeper purpose—not just reporting the facts but helping people understand why they matter. If you’re a history grad—or just curious about how to turn history skills into real-world impact—this episode is for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    55 mins
  • The Future of the Political Magazine: A Conversation with Ramesh Ponnuru

    The Future of the Political Magazine: A Conversation with Ramesh Ponnuru
    Nov 25 2024
    This week on Madison’s Notes, we welcome Ramesh Ponnuru, renowned journalist and Editor of National Review. In this episode, we dive into his journey, starting with his formative years at Princeton University, where he began shaping his intellectual perspective as an undergraduate. We explore the highlights of his career in journalism, the principles that guide his writing, and his unique insights into the evolution of political magazines in today’s media landscape. Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking conversation with one of the leading voices in American political commentary. Madison’s Notes is the podcast of Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Contributions to and/or sponsorship of any speaker does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers or views presented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    37 mins
  • David Tereshchuk, "A Question of Paternity: My Life As an Unaffiliated Reporter" (Envelope Books, 2024)

    David Tereshchuk, "A Question of Paternity: My Life As an Unaffiliated Reporter" (Envelope Books, 2024)
    Nov 15 2024
    Today I talked to David Tereshchuk about his memoir A Question of Paternity: My Life As an Unaffiliated Reporter (Envelope Books, 2024) Tereshchuk leapt from a bleak childhood in a small town on the English-Scottish borders to a precocious high-flying career as a TV reporter, first in London, then in New York. During his years as a journalist, he managed to elicit revealing statements from tyrants and the oppressed, but there was one person he never persuaded to open up to him—his mother. He wanted to know just one thing: who his father was. It wasn't until he was in his 50s that she confided to having been raped, aged 15, by a priest – and even then, not all her information was reliable. Alongside his career, the search for his mother’s abuser has haunted him, adding further layers of stress to a life already marked by alcoholism and insecurity. This is his astonishing story, one that deserves to sit alongside those of Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and David Brinkley, and another revelatory title from EnvelopeBooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism
    Show more Show less
    59 mins