How To Academy Podcast

The question of whether Western nations must return the artefacts plundered under colonial rule is the most pressing issue in the art world today. From the Elgin Marbles to the return of more than twelve thousand stolen artefacts from Belgium’s Africa Museum, the cry for the restitution of cultural objects once stolen under armed force or conquest is being heard across the globe. And the call is being heard in the highest echelons of power: from President Macron’s commitment to returning hundreds of artworks acquired by force or fraud in Africa to Jeremy Corbyn’s pledge to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece. Geoffrey Robertson QC has earned a formidable reputation as the UK’s leading human rights lawyer advocating in the most important legal cases of our age - from representing Salman Rushdie during the fatwa to fighting for free speech in the world-famous OZ trial. He’s helped the Greek government with legal arguments to reunite the Parthenon Marbles, and Tasmanian Aborigines in their action against the Natural History Museum for the return of the remains of their ancestors. He joins the How To Academy Podcast to delve into the debate over the Elgin Marbles, and offer a system for the return of cultural property based on human rights principles that aims to ensure the past can be experienced by everyone, as well as by the people of the country of origin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The greatest challenge facing humankind is not climate change or terrorism; it is our inability to think long term. Britain’s leading public philosopher is here to change the way we think to ensure a tomorrow. We are living in the age of now. Businesses can barely see beyond the next quarterly report nor politicians beyond the next election. Markets spike then crash in speculative bubbles. In this right here, right now society, we rarely stop to consider if we're being good ancestors. But the future depends on it. In this podcast, leading public philosopher and internationally bestselling author of Empathy and The Wonderbox Roman Krznaric explains how we lost sight of the future, and introduces simple, practical ways that we can change our thinking today to give our children, and our planet, a chance at a better tomorrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From anxiety to PTSD, the consequences of the pandemic for global mental health are profound. Neuropsychiatrist Anthony David explores what we know so far – and what we can do about it. Anthony David is one of the UK’s leading mental health professionals. As Director of UCL’s Institute for Mental Health, he has dedicated his life to treating illnesses at the edge of human understanding. Drawing on four decades of study and practice at the forefront of mental healthcare, he joins How To Academy to consider how the pandemic will impact upon the human psyche. Prof David will explore how policymakers, mental health professionals and individuals can respond to what some experts have dubbed the mental health “tsunami” anticipated after months of lockdown, hospitalisation and bereavement – and in light the coming global recession. Offering a global as well as local perspective, and taking heed of studies of mental health conducted after the closely related pandemics of SARS and MERS, this conversation with broadcaster Matthew Stadlen offers rich insights into the measures we can take to mitigate against the long-term psychological impact of the still unfolding crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When bestselling author Maria Konnikova set out to investigate the science of decision-making, she never expected to become a world-class poker player under the wing of a legend of the game. The author of two New York Times bestsellers, psychologist Maria Konnikova had never actually played poker before and didn’t even know the rules when she approached Erik Seidel -- Poker Hall of Fame inductee, winner of tens of millions of dollars in earnings -- and asked him to be her mentor. She had faced a stretch of personal bad luck, and her reflections on the role of chance in her life had pointed her to poker as the ultimate master class in learning to distinguish what can be controlled and what can’t. Seidel was in, and soon Konnikova was down the rabbit hole with him, a journey that would lead her to the following year’s World Series of Poker. Then something extraordinary happened. Under Seidel’s guidance, Konnikova began to have many epiphanies about life that derived from her new pursuit, including how to better read not just her opponents but far more importantly herself. She found her way to making better decisions and to a place where she could accept luck for what it is, and what it isn’t. But she also began to win. And win. She won a major title and got used to headlines like ‘How one writer’s book deal turned her into a professional poker player’. She even learned to like Las Vegas. In the end, Konnikova is a student of human behaviour, and ultimately the point of her incredible adventure was to render it into a container for its invaluable lessons. The biggest bluff of all, she learned, is that skill is enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Clive Woodward has spent a lifetime in high-performance environments, from the rugby field to the boardroom. He gave broadcaster Matthew Stadlen a masterclass in achieving peak performance. After leading the England Rugby team to victory in the 2003 World Cup, delivering Olympic glory in 2012 as Director of Sport at Team GB, and going on to help some of the world’s biggest brands and businesses deliver peak performance, there are few if any men better qualified to teach the skills of leadership than Sir Clive Woodward. In this conversation with broadcaster and journalist Matthew Stadlen, Sir Clive distils the essence of his philosophy of leadership. Drawing on his unique perspective of the events of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Sir Clive blends analysis, insight and anecdote to reveal how to lead the culture of a winning team – in any environment. Every individual position in rugby requires a unique set of skills, knowledge and expertise that collectively form a balanced team; the same is true in any successful business or organisation. From 1 to 15, the former England and British and Irish Lions coach identifies the key attributes and uses these defining traits to explain his collaborative 'Teamship' leadership style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Such a Fun Age is the literary sensation of the season, making the bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic following overwhelming critical acclaim. Its 32 year old author Kiley Reid ‘bites into the zeitgeist then spits it out with gusto' (Stylist), offering a piercing and emphatic take on the way we live now. Exploring the intersection of money, class and race with candour, empathy and satirical insight, as well as the politics of privilege, the complicated reality of being a grown-up, and what it means to make someone family, the book announces Reid as a formidable talent and astute commentator on the values and mores of 21st century America. Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains’ toddler one night. Seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, a security guard at their local high-end supermarket accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make it right. Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix’s desire to help. At twenty-five, she has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix’s past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend all they think they know about themselves, and each other. Don’t miss chance to meet a new voice of a generation in this week's How To Academy Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Psychotherapist and bestselling author Owen O’Kane was the NHS Clinical Lead for Mental Health. He joined us to explore evidence-based techniques for developing a healthier perspective. It is not necessary to sit on waiting lists and spend thousands of pounds to benefit from the insights of psychotherapy. Many of the tools from therapies including CBT, mindfulness and interpersonal therapy can be taught and practised simply and immediately. As one of the most experienced and senior therapists in the industry, Owen O’Kane is able to distil advice into concrete, jargon-free, step-by-step guide to steer you away from harmful patterns of thought and behaviour. In his Sunday Times bestseller Ten To Zen, and its sequel Ten Times Happier, he has developed a concrete plan to help you let go of what’s holding you back and move toward health and happiness. Owen grew up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, experiencing first-hand the anxiety that the conflict caused. As a Catholic, he struggled with his sexuality and even tried to cure himself at Lourdes before coming to terms with it. His understanding of the mental anguishes we face stems both from his first-hand experience and his decades of practice as a therapist. In this challenging time, he spoke to broadcaster and journalist Matthew Stadlen to reveal what we can each do to alleviate our troubled minds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright may be the most widely admired diplomat of our age; a tireless public servant whose new memoir Hell and Other Destinations is not only a record of living through history – but making it. In 2001, when Madeleine Albright was leaving office as America’s first female Secretary of State, interviewers asked her how she wished to be remembered. “I don’t want to be remembered,” she answered. “I am still here and have much more I intend to do. As difficult as it might seem, I want every stage of my life to be more exciting than the last.” In that time of transition, the former Secretary considered the possibilities: she could write, teach, travel, give speeches, start a business, fight for democracy, help to empower women, campaign for favoured political candidates, spend more time with her grandchildren. Instead of choosing one or two, she decided to do it all. For nearly twenty years, Albright has been in constant motion, navigating half a dozen professions, clashing with presidents and prime ministers, learning every day. Since leaving the State Department, she has blazed her own trail—and given voice to millions who yearn for respect, regardless of gender, background, or age. In this podcast with Hannah MacInnes, we see this remarkable figure at her bluntest, funniest, most intimate, and most serious. With stories from her life and work, and reflections upon Trump, the pandemic, and the tribulations of the 21st century, this is an unmissable chance to hear from one of the world’s most admired and respected public figures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s time to turn the tide against mental decline. Learn how to make your mind fitter, healthier and stronger using the insights of cutting-edge neuroscience in this week's podcast. Dr. Rahul Jandial is one of the world’s most eminent experts in the study and improvement of brain function. An award-winning, dual-trained neuroscientist and neurosurgeon, the author of ten books and a former faculty member at both Harvard and Stanford, Dr. Jandial is also a broadcaster and science communicator dubbed "world's most dashing neurosurgeon" (Variety). For years Dr Rahul Jandial, a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist, has transformed the lives of his neurosurgery patients by putting them through 'brain rehab', his specially developed boot camp for restoring brain function. In this eye-opening interview with Hannah MacInnes, he uses his expertise to show how healthy people can rewire their brains to work in a higher gear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The acclaimed director of stage and screen joins Matthew Stadlen for a masterclass in making theatre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices