Best Jeremy Berger Podcasts (2025)

1
314 - Fluke - Brian Klaas (rebroadcast) 54:19

1d ago54:19

54:19

In this episode we sit down with Brian Klaas, author of Fluke, and get into the existential lessons and grander meaning for a life well-lived (once one finally accepts the power and influence of randomness, chaos, and chance). In addition, we learn not to fall prey to proportionality bias - the tendency for human brains to assume big, historical, o…

1
On the Edge of the Real: Guadalupe Nettel on The Accidentals 51:34

5d ago51:34

51:34

In this rich conversation, Guadalupe Nettel joins Adam Biles at Shakespeare and Company to explore the themes of her short story collection The Accidentals. They delve into the complexities of perception and the uncanny, the deep strangeness embedded in familial relationships, and the porous boundary between nature and human nature. Nettel discusse…

1
364. The Power of Being Shameless, Selfish, and Nosy with Jenny Wood 1:01:40

9d ago1:01:40

1:01:40

What if the only thing standing between you and the life you truly want is the courage to begin? In this episode, I speak with Jenny Wood—former Google executive and author of Wild Courage—about what it means to pursue the essential with boldness. Jenny shares how she walked away from a high-powered role to write the book she felt called to create.…

1
313 - The 3.5 Percent Rule - Erica Chenoweth 59:25

16d ago59:25

59:25

If you want to overthrow a dictator, resist an authoritarian regime, or create a movement that can change the national status quo, you don't need half the country, you only need 3.5 percent of the population to join – but there are some caveats, and Erica Chenoweth whose research led to the discovery of the 3.5 Percent Rule, explains them to us in …

1
William Blake, Sea Monsters, and the Ecstasy of Art, with Philip Hoare 57:28

21d ago57:28

57:28

In this episode of the Shakespeare and Company Interview Podcast, Adam Biles welcomes Philip Hoare to the bookstore for a mesmerizing conversation about Hoare’s latest book, William Blake and the Sea Monsters of Love. With characteristic lyricism, Hoare explores the mystic intersections between Blake’s visionary art and poetry and the siren call of…

1
312 - Chaos and Complexity - Neil Theise (rebroadcast) 59:34

1M ago59:34

59:34

Professor Neil Theise, the author of Notes on Complexity, provides an introduction to the science of how complex systems behave – from cells to human beings, to ecosystems, the known universe, and beyond – and we explore if Ian Malcolm was right when he told us in Jurassic Park that "Life, um, finds a way." Previous Episodes Neil Theise's Website N…

1
Overnight: Dan Richards on Sleep, Service, and the Secrets of the Small Hours 59:27

1M ago59:27

59:27

In this episode, Adam Biles is joined by writer Dan Richards to talk about his new book Overnight, a deep dive into the world of the night and the people who live and work while the rest of us sleep. From ferry captains and bakers to ICU nurses, researchers, and racing drivers, Richards explores the unseen rhythms and quiet heroism of nocturnal lif…

1
Bruise, Heal, Repeat: Anna Whitwham on On Boxing, Loss, and the Female Body 45:45

1M ago45:45

45:45

In this episode, Adam Biles is joined in the bookshop’s writing studio by Anna Whitwham, author of Soft Tissue Damage, a raw and electrifying memoir of grief, boxing, and womanhood. Following her mother’s death, Whitwham trained and fought competitively as a boxer—an act of both healing and reckoning. She discusses how physical pain can become a la…

1
311 - Cascades of Change - Greg Satell (rebroadcast) 1:06:52

1M ago1:06:52

1:06:52

In this episode we sit down with Greg Satell, a communication expert whose book, Cascades, details how rapid, widespread change can sweep across groups of people big and small, and how understanding the psychological mechanisms at play in such moments can help anyone looking to create change in a family, institution, or even nation, prepare for the…

1
Solvej Balle on Time, Wonder, and Writing the Impossible International Booker Prize Shortlist 56:43

2M ago56:43

56:43

In this episode recorded live at Shakespeare and Company, celebrated Danish author Solvej Balle returns to the bookshop she once called home to discuss her monumental literary project On the Calculation of Volume. The novel’s protagonist, Tara Selter, finds herself reliving November 18th—again and again—opening up a profound meditation on time, mem…

1
310 - Align Your Mind - Britt Frank 1:12:55

2M ago1:12:55

1:12:55

Therapist, teacher, speaker, and trauma specialist Britt Frank tells us all about her new book, Align Your Mind, an all-access pass to understanding, befriending, and leading the multiple voices within yourself. Grounded in the latest research on Parts Work and Internal Family Systems, and offering proven techniques from Frank’s clinical practice a…

1
Nobel Prizewinner Abdulrazak Gurnah on Theft, Love, and the Power of Fiction 48:45

2M ago48:45

48:45

Nobel Prize-winning author Abdulrazak Gurnah sits down with Adam Biles in store to discuss his new novel, Theft. Their conversation delves into the intricate interplay between personal history and the enduring legacy of colonialism, examines the complex dynamics of family and servitude, and discusses the challenge of transcending inherited narrativ…

1
363. Maximal Fitness with Minimum Time with Ben Greenfield (Part 2) 42:13

2M ago42:13

42:13

Greg and guest Ben Greenfield continue in this Part 2 conversation about endurance training strategies, focusing on preparing for Ironman triathlons. Ben shares insights on pacing, nutrition, and psychological resilience, offering tips from the trenches for race day success. They explore the challenges of juggling athletic goals with personal life,…

1
BONUS: Jeremy Pelt on Preserving Jazz Through Storytelling 54:10

2M ago54:10

54:10

For this bonus episode, the Shakespeare and Company podcast welcomes Jeremy Pelt, renowned jazz trumpeter and author of Griot: Examining the Lives of Jazz Great Storytellers. In conversation with Alex Freiman, Pelt discusses the evolution of jazz, the influence of oral traditions, and the importance of documenting firsthand accounts from legendary …

1
362. Maximal Fitness with Minimum Time with Ben Greenfield (Part 1) 40:55

2M ago40:55

40:55

Greg chats with Ben Greenfield, a trailblazer in health and human optimization, about unlocking potential and redefining personal limits. We put a magnifying glass onto Ben's journey from novice to Ironman, and discover two key breakthroughs: a time-efficient high-intensity training method and a game-changing nutrition strategy for optimal enduranc…

1
309 - They Thought We Were Ridiculous - Andy Luttrell (rebroadcast) 1:12:38

2M ago1:12:38

1:12:38

In 1974, two psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, as the New Yorker once put it, "changed the way we think about the way we think." The prevailing wisdom, before their landmark research went viral (in the way things went viral in the 1970s), was that human beings were, for the most part, rational optimizers always making the kinds of ju…

1
Reimagining Moby-Dick, with Xiaolu Guo 57:03

3M ago57:03

57:03

In this episode, we’re joined by novelist and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo to discuss her latest novel, Call Me Ishmaelle. A bold reimagining of Moby-Dick, Guo's novel audaciously swaps the gender of Melville’s narrator and plunges into a world of hidden identities, maritime adventure, and cultural collision. With host Adam Biles, Guo reflects on her perso…

1
361. The Journal as a Superpower with Derek Sivers 58:26

3M ago58:26

58:26

Greg speaks with Derek Sivers, an entrepreneur and thinker, exploring the power of perspective in shaping life's outcomes. They explore the concept of "useful, not true," emphasizing the flexibility and mindset required to break away from limiting narratives. Sivers shares personal insights on journaling as a tool for processing thoughts and decisi…

1
308 - Magical Thinking - Matt Tompkins 1:19:14

3M ago1:19:14

1:19:14

In this episode, the story of Clever Hans, the horse who changed psychology for the better. We also sit down with psychologist and magician Matt Tompkins. Matt is the author of The Spectacle of Illusion, a book about the long history of the manipulation of our own magical thinking and how studying deception can help us better understand perception,…

1
2016: The Year That Broke Us - with poet and oral-historian Sarah Hesketh 1:02:24

3M ago1:02:24

1:02:24

In this thought-provoking discussion, poet and oral historian Sarah Hesketh discusses her latest book, 2016 (CB Editions), a powerful exploration of one of the most pivotal years in recent history. Through a poetic and documentary approach, she captures the voices of twelve individuals reflecting on key events that shaped the world—Brexit, Trump’s …

1
360. What's Essential: The Disciplined Pursuit of Home with Drew & Linda Scott (Replay) 48:03

3M ago48:03

48:03

Drew and Linda Scott go into detail on their vastly different upbringings, and how their parents and families have molded them into the people they are today. Greg, Drew and Linda discuss how the world can be changed for the better, and the individual steps it takes each person along the way to create an effective and lasting change. Join my weekly…

1
359. Rest More, Stress Less, and Live the Life You Actually Want with Courtney Carver 44:58

3M ago44:58

44:58

Greg speaks with Courtney Carver, author of the upcoming book "Gentle: Rest More, Stress Less, and Live the Life You Actually Want," exploring practices for simplicity and rest in a complex world. They discuss the crucial concept of resting first, creating personal rituals like Little Saturday, and using the metaphor of a circle to prioritize what …

1
307 - Concordance Over Truth Bias 1:09:09

3M ago1:09:09

1:09:09

In this episode, we sit down with three disinformation researchers whose new paper found something surprising about both our resistance and our susceptibility to both true news we wish was fake and fake news we wish was true. Our guests are three of the scientists exploring a newly named cognitive distortion, one that every human being is prone to …

1
The Power of Voice – Sulaiman Addonia on The Seers 49:28

4M ago49:28

49:28

In this special live recording we dive into The Seers, the mesmerising new novel by Sulaiman Addonia. In conversation with Adam Biles, Addonia shares the story behind his bold, unfiltered novel—written as a single, unbroken paragraph—through the voice of Hannah, an Eritrean refugee navigating love, loss, sexuality, and identity on the streets of Lo…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Jeremy Berger Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen