

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

Apr 17, 2023 • 27min
On Children's Superpowers: Jarrett Krosoczka explains how art can enable kids to escape the unfortunate circumstances of their lives
EPISODE 1435: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of SUNSHINE, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, about how banning books in schools is really outlawing empathy and why art can enable kids to escape the unfortunate circumstances of their childhoodJarrett J. Krosoczka is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time winner of the Children’s Choice Book Award for the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year, an Eisner award nominee, and the author and/or illustrator of more than 30 books for young readers. His critically acclaimed graphic novel memoir Hey, Kiddo was a National Book Award Finalist. His work includes several picture books, select volumes of Star Wars: Jedi Academy, the Lunch Lady graphic novels, and the Platypus Police Squad novel series. Jarrett has given three TED Talks, which have been curated to the main page of TED.com and have collectively accrued more than four million views online. He is also the host of The Book Report with JJK on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live, a weekly segment celebrating books, authors, and reading. Jarrett lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife and children, and their pugs, Ralph and Frank.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.

Apr 14, 2023 • 33min
That Was The Week for 4/14/23: Keith Teare on Substack vs Twitter, Apple banking, and Betaworks' AI Camp
Episode 1434: In this regular weekly show with THAT WAS THE WEEK newsletter author Keith Teare, Andrew and Keith discuss the looming Substack vs Twitter war, the stealthy entry of Apple into the banking sector, and Betaworks' AI Camp - Keith's start-up-of-the-week.Keith 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.

Apr 14, 2023 • 37min
The Anxious Achiever: Morra Aarons-Mele on how to transform your biggest fears into your leadership superpower
EPISODE 1433: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of THE ANXIOUS ACHIEVER, Morra Aarons-Mele, about how to turn your biggest fears into your leadership superpowerMorra Aarons-Mele knows that taking your mental health seriously is a leadership strength. She launched and hosts The Anxious Achiever podcast for LinkedIn Presents, which was a 2020 Webby Awards Honoree, 2022 “Best Commute Podcast” Signal Award winner, and is frequently a top 10 management podcast and top 50 business podcast. She's passionate about helping people rethink the relationship between their mental health and their success. Morra speaks to and consults frequently with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and U.S Government agencies. She is a 2022 LinkedIn "Top 10 Voice" in mental health. Her upcoming book, The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower, will be published by Harvard Business Review Press in April 2023. Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson calls the book “a game changer, wise and practical,” and Andy Dunn, who co-founded and sold the popular men’s clothing brand Bonobos, says “Morra has written an astonishing book. She moves from stories to data to advice in a page-turning way. This is not a book just for anxious achievers — it is a book for any human being who wants to transform their mental health.” Morra Aarons-Mele is an entrepreneur and communications executive. In addition to her work in workplace mental health, Aarons-Mele founded the award-winning social impact agency Women Online and created its database of female influencers, the Mission List, which she sold in 2021. Morra was named 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year at the Iris Awards, created to recognize excellence among digital content creators. Before starting her own business, Morra founded the digital public affairs team at Edelman, where she worked with Fortune 50 clients. Previously, she was the Internet Marketing Director for the Democratic National Committee. Aarons-Mele is also a prolific writer. Since 2004 she has covered the campaign trail, the White House, the lactation room, and the office cubicle. Her first book, Hiding in the Bathroom: How To Get Out There (When You'd Rather Stay Home), was published by Dey Street Books in 2017 and was an Amazon bestseller. She has written for the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Slate, InStyle, O, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Guardian. Aarons-Mele has degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School and Brown University. She and Nicco Mele live in Boston with their three children.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 & Di

Apr 14, 2023 • 34min
How to Construct a Nervous System: Margo Jefferson on Ella Fitzergerald, Josephine Baker and the Refraction of her Life through Memoir Writing
EPISODE 1432: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of CONSTRUCTING A NERVOUS SYSTEM, Margo Jefferson, about Ella Fitzergerald, Cabinet Making, Josephine Baker and the Refraction of her Life through ArtThe winner of a Pulitzer Prize for criticism, MARGO JEFFERSON previously served as book and arts critic for Newsweek and the New York Times. Her writing has appeared in, among other publications, Vogue, New York Magazine, The Nation, and Guernica. Her memoir, Negroland, received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography. She is also the author of On Michael Jackson and is a professor of writing at Columbia University School of the Arts. Her latest book is Constructing a Nervous System (2022)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.

Apr 14, 2023 • 28min
Mediocre Monk: Grant Lindsley on what he learnt in his stumbling search for wisdom in a Thai forest monastery
EPISODE 1431: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Grand Lindsley, author of MEDIOCRE MONK, about Theravada Buddhism, ultimate frisbee, and what wisdom he brought back from his solitary quest for wisdom in a Thai monasteryGrant Lindsley is a writer in Brooklyn, New York. He encountered his first Buddhist monk as an undergraduate at Carleton College, where he majored in psychology and minored in neuroscience, because he was majorly interested in himself and minorly interested in himself on drugs. He subsequently spent months training as a monk with the Thai Forest Tradition, a sect of Theravada Buddhism that seeks to follow the exact rules of the historical Buddha from over 2,500 years ago. Lindsley has worked at NOLS and briefly worked at Google until publishing his resignation letter in The Washington Post. An accomplished Ultimate Frisbee player, he has won multiple national championships and two gold medals for Team USA at the World Games. He received his master of fine arts in creative nonfiction from Pacific University and his master of business administration from Cornell Tech. He enjoys pranks and being outside with his family.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.

Apr 13, 2023 • 29min
Butcher on the Block; Matt Moore talks meat, butcher shops and where to find the best Lebanese food in America
EPISODE 1430: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to BUTCHER ON THE BLOCK author Matt Moore about meat, butcher shops, and where to find the best Lebanese food in AmericaMatt Moore is an entrepreneur, cook, musician, host, pilot, and the quintessential Southern gentleman. He is the author of The South's Best Butts and A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen. His food writing has garnered critical acclaim from publications including the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and New York Times. His Southern charm has landed him on the TODAY show, Fox & Friends, VH1, and WGN. His latest book is BUTCHER ON THE BLOCK: Everyday Recipes, Stories, and Inspirations from Your Local Butcher and Beyond 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.

Apr 13, 2023 • 31min
The Point of No Return for American Democracy? Thomas Byrne Edsall on the Republican party's descent into "minority authoritarianism"
EPISODE 1429: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Thomas Byrne Edsall, the author of THE POINT OF NO RETURN, about the crisis of American democracy, particularly in the Republican partyThomas Byrne Edsall has written a weekly opinion column for the New York Times since 2011. Before joining the Times, he covered national politics for the Washington Post. He is the author of Chain Reaction: The Impact of Race, Rights, and Taxes on American Politics (with Mary D. Edsall), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction; The New Politics of Inequality; Building Red America; and The Age of Austerity. He teaches at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. His latest book is “THE POINT OF NO RETURN: American Democracy at the Crossroads” (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.

Apr 12, 2023 • 28min
Nesting After Divorce: Beth Behrendt on how to co-parent in the family home after the marriage ends
EPISODE 1428: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of NESTING AFTER DIVORCE, Beth Behrendt, about how to co-parent in the family home after the marriage failsBeth Behrendt is author of “Nesting After Divorce: Co-Parenting in the Family Home”. She is a divorced mom of three living in Fort Wayne, IndianaNamed 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.

Apr 12, 2023 • 30min
Flying Green: Christopher de Bellaigue identifies the lies and the promise of an environmentally responsible airline industry
EPISODE 1427: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of FLYING GREEN, Christopher de Bellaigue ,about the inventors, visionaries, entrepreneurs and marketers pioneering what they claim is a new, environmentally more responsible airline industry.Christopher de Bellaigue writes books and articles and makes radio and TV programmes. A lecturer, moderator and journalist who has reported from four continents, he has addressed subjects as diverse as loneliness and the environment, colonial legacies and religious radicalisation. Building on the success of The Lion House, his history of the rise of Suleyman the Magnificent, Christopher is currently writing the second part of a projected trilogy on the great Ottoman Sultan, while in April 2023 Columbia Global Reports will publish Flying Green, his book about the decarbonisation of aviation, a subject that combines his interest in climate science, technology and ethics. Uniting these varied threads is his role as a conciliator: between the past and the present, between adversaries, cultures and ideas. Christopher de Bellaigue is a regular contributor to some of the world’s most trusted media outlets, has held fellowships at Oxford and Harvard and has lectured in boardrooms and universities around the world.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.

Apr 11, 2023 • 30min
How to Innovate: Sheena Iyengar on how, in our Age of Big Problems, we must learn to Think Bigger
EPISODE 1426: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of THINK BIGGER, Sheena Iyengar, about the six steps that will enable all of us to innovateSheena S. Iyengar is a world expert on choice and decision-making. Her book The Art of Choosing received the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2010 award, and was ranked #3 on the Amazon.com Best Business and Investing Books of 2010. Her research is regularly cited in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Economist as well as in popular books, such as Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance. Dr. Iyengar has also appeared on television, including the Today Show, the Daily Show, and Fareed Zakaria’s GPS on CNN. Her TED Talks have collectively received almost four million views and her research continues to inform markets, businesses, and individuals around the world. Dr. Iyengar is the inaugural S.T. Lee Professor of Business in the Management Division at Columbia Business School. Growing up in New York City as a blind Indian American and the daughter of immigrants, she began to look at the choices she and others had, and how to get the most from choice. She first started researching choice as an undergrad at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated with a B.S. in Economics. She received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University where her dissertation, “Choice and its Discontents,” received the Best Dissertation Award. Dr. Iyengar received the Presidential Early Career Award in 2002, and in 2011 and 2019, she was named a member of the Thinkers50, a global ranking of the top 50 management thinkers. She won the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Core Teaching from Columbia Business School in 2012 and was named one of the World’s Best B-School Professors by Poets and Quants. She has also given keynotes, and consulted for companies as wide ranging as Deloitte, Google, Bloomberg, Blizzard Entertainment, J.P. Morgan & Chase, and The North Face. In a groundbreaking, new course called “Think Bigger,” Dr. Iyengar created a six step method for teaching people how to take advantage of lessons learned from neurological and cognitive science to put our minds to work when generating our best ideas. Her new book Think Bigger is out in April 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.


