

Keen On America
Andrew Keen
Nobody asks sharper or more impertinent questions than Andrew Keen. In KEEN ON, Andrew cross-examines the world’s smartest people on politics, economics, history, the environment, and tech. If you want to make sense of our complex world, check out the daily questions and the answers on KEEN ON.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best-known technology and politics broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running show How To Fix Democracy and the author of four critically acclaimed books about the future, including the international bestselling CULT OF THE AMATEUR.
Keen On is free to listen to and will remain so. If you want to stay up-to-date on new episodes and support the show, please subscribe to Andrew Keen’s Substack. Paid subscribers will soon be able to access exclusive content from our new series Keen On America – keenon.substack.com
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best-known technology and politics broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running show How To Fix Democracy and the author of four critically acclaimed books about the future, including the international bestselling CULT OF THE AMATEUR.
Keen On is free to listen to and will remain so. If you want to stay up-to-date on new episodes and support the show, please subscribe to Andrew Keen’s Substack. Paid subscribers will soon be able to access exclusive content from our new series Keen On America – keenon.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 10, 2023 • 34min
Eight great non-fiction reads for the Fall: LA Times book critic Bethanne Patrick on new books about video-gaming writers, Roman emperors, Rastafarian fathers, Jerusalem murders, American guns and the genealogy of the female body
EPISODE 1702: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Bethanne Patrick , the LATimes book critic, about eight non-fiction books she recommends for the Fall. Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and Literary Hub. She sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 10, 2023 • 37min
Why money now is the most valuable commodity in Silicon Valley: Keith Teare explains how cash has become king for both tech investors and entrepreneurs
EPISODE 1701: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Keith explains how cash has become king for both Silicon Valley investors and entrepreneursKeith Teare is a Founder and CEO at SignalRank Corporation. Previously he was Executive Chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd - A UK based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. He was also previously founder at the Palo Alto incubator, Archimedes Labs. Archimedes was the original incubator for TechCrunch and since 2011has invested, accelerated or incubated many Silicon valley startups including InFarm, Miles, Quixey; M.dot (sold to GoDaddy); chat.center; Loop Surveys; DownTown and Sunshine. Teare has a track record as a serial entrepreneur with big ideas and has achieved significant returns for investors.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 9, 2023 • 32min
When fictional characters turn out to be more authentic than real people: Lang Leav on anti Asian racism in Australia and her love of the early internet as a place where she could escape how she looks
EPISODE 1700: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Lang Leav, author of OTHERS WERE EMERALDS, about fiction and authenticy, anti Asian racism in Australia and her love of the early internet as a place where she could escape how she looksNovelist and poet Lang Leav was born in a refugee camp when her family were fleeing the Khmer Rouge Regime. She spent her formative years in Sydney, Australia, in the predominantly migrant town of Cabramatta. Among her many achievements, Lang is the winner of a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award, Churchill Fellowship and Goodreads Reader’s Choice Award. Her first book, Love & Misadventure (2013) was a break out success, and her subsequent poetry books have all been international bestsellers. In 2016, Lang turned her attention to fiction, and her debut YA novel Sad Girls shot to #1 on the Straits Times and other bestseller charts internationally.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 9, 2023 • 38min
How Bill Clinton betrayed progressive ideas and capitulated to the right: Nelson Lichtenstein on the failure of the Clinton presidency and the transformation of American capitalism
EPISODE 1699: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Nelson Lichtenstein, author of A FABULOUS FAILURE, about the failed "neo-liberal" policies of the Clinton presidency and the transformation of American capitalismNelson Lichtenstein is research professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His most recent book is A Fabulous Failure: The Clinton Presidency and the Transformation of American Capitalism (2023).Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 9, 2023 • 34min
Five Elemental Ways of Building a Sustainable Future: Stephen Porder on how five core elements changed earth's past and will shape our future
EPISODE 1698: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the Brown University ecologist and author of ELEMENTAL, Stephen Porder, about the five elements that have changed the earth's past and will shape our futureStephen Porder is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, a Fellow in the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, and the Assistant Provost for Sustainability at Brown. His research focuses on nutrient and carbon cycling in tropical rainforests, the implications (both biophysical and societal) of industrial agriculture in the tropics, and the potential for large scale tropical forest restoration. He is also the founder and science lead on the radioshow/podcast Possibly, which explores everyday issues related to sustainability and airs on public radio stations around the country. Dr. Porder received his BA in History from Amherst College in 1994, his MS in Geology from The University of Montana in 1997, and his Ph.D. in Biology from Stanford University in 2005. He joined the Brown faculty in 2007. He is currently on leave as the De Tocqueville Fulbright Chair at the Institut de Physique du Globe du Paris in Paris, where he is doing research, teaching, and writing a trade book about human caused changes to the earth system.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 9, 2023 • 44min
If you want to understand America, you have to understand basketball: Rich Cohen on the 1987-1988 NBA's "greatest season"
EPISODE 1697: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Rich Cohen, the author of WHEN THE GAME WAS WAR, about the 1987-1988 NBA season which, he argues, was the NBA's greatest of all timeRich Cohen is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football, The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse, and Pee Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent, among others. He is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, the co-creator of the HBO series Vinyl, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone. He lives in Connecticut.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 7, 2023 • 27min
Imagine an AI that customizes a musical soundtrack of our lives: Niclas Molinder on the opportunities and threats that AI offers the creative community
EPISODE 1696: In this special KEEN ON from the DLD AI Summit in Munich, Andrew talks to the songwriter, music producer and musician Niclas Molinder about the opportunities and threats that AI presents to the creative communityNiclas Molinder is a songwriter, music producer and musician who now also is running several organisations to innovate the music industry’s data and rights management with the music creators in focus. After 20 years of songwriting and producing for artists as Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Mary J Blige and The Jonas Brothers, as well as running his own publishing company RedFly Music – the Swedish entrepreneur decided to be part of solving the value gap in the music industry. In 2014, Niclas Molinder founded SessionStudio, the world’s first independent global hub for authoritative pre registration music metadata sourced from creators together with Max Martin, Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and Avicii originator Ash Pournouri. Molinder's vision is to create and set a standard for how music creators and their representatives internationally are identified with their roles in song so everyone can get credited and correctly compensated when their music is used. He also founded Music Rights Awareness Foundation in 2016 together with Max Martin and Björn Ulvaeus – an apolitical foundation that works to increase knowledge of music rights worldwide, adjusted to the future industry. Music Rights Awareness Foundation is together with the UN agency WIPO behind the unique rights awareness platform CLIP. With the support of creators, other stakeholders and governments across the globe, it will form a truly open and inclusive community. It will work together to improve networks and infrastructure supporting the growth of creative industries everywhere. CLIP aim to raise awareness and increase knowledge of creators’ rights and related management practices, ensuring recognition and fair reward for all creators regardless of their geographical, cultural or economic conditions.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 7, 2023 • 21min
AI as our Guttenberg moment: Moritz Schularick, the President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, on the economic significance of today's AI revolution
EPISODE 1695: In this special episode of KEEN ON from the DLD AI Summit in Munich, Andrew talks to Moritz Schularick, the President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, about the historic economic significance of today's AI revolutionMoritz Schularick has been President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and Professor of Economics at the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel since June 2023. His research focuses, among other things, on financial markets and asset prices, questions of monetary macroeconomics and the causes of financial crises and economic inequality. Before his appointment to Kiel, Moritz Schularick was professor of macroeconomics at the University of Bonn, director of the MacroFinance Lab there and professor at Sciences Po (Paris). He is also a member of the ECONtribute excellence cluster and a full member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Academia Europea. During his academic career, he conducted research at, among others, New York University, the University of Cambridge, the Free University of Berlin and in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Moritz Schularick is the winner of the Leibniz Prize 2022, Germany's most important research prize, awarded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). In 2018 he received the Gossen Prize from the Association for Social Politics, the most important award given by German economists. He is editor of the most important European economic policy journal, “Economic Policy”. He regularly advises central banks, finance ministries, investors and international organizations.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 7, 2023 • 22min
AI as our Oppenheimer moment: Benedikt Franke, CEO of the Munich Security Conference, on the geo-political significance of today's AI revolution
EPISODE 1694: In this special episode of KEEN ON from the DLD AI Summit in Munich, Andrew talks to Benedikt Franke, the CEO of the Munich Security Conference, about the geo-political significance of today's AI revolutionBenedikt Franke is Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Before working at the MSC, he was the representative for strategy issues for the CSU national leadership and before that he was personal advisor to the former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Prize winner Kofi Annan. Benedikt Franke holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge and a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He regularly publishes on foreign and security policy issues and sits on a number of relevant committees such as the Board of Trustees of the International Charlemagne Prize Committee and the International Commission of the CSU. In his (limited) free time he is active as a special ambassador for the Sovereign Order of Malta.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 7, 2023 • 27min
One year that changed the world: Ludwig Ensthaler on the short but revolutionary history of Generative AI
EPISODE 1693: In this special KEEN ON show from the DLD AI Summit in Munich, Andrew talks to Ludwig Ensthaler, the founder and general partner of the Berlin based 468 Capital, about the short but revolutionary history of Generative AILudwig Entsthaler is a founding General Partner at 468 Capital, a Berlin and San Francisco based technology investment firm. Ludwig focuses on investments in Artificial Intelligence, Software and large scale consumer businesses. Ludwig has led 468 Capital’s seed investments in Aleph Alpha, Worldcoin, Gauss Robotics, motion and Superchat, among others. Prior to 468 Capital, Ludwig was a Partner at Global Founders Capital (GFC). Ludwig holds a Diploma and Master's in Mathematics and a Doctorate Degree in Game Theory and was a scholar of the German National Merit Foundation.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe


