

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

Mar 15, 2023 • 33min
Celebrating International Women's Month: Tiffany Shlain on the history of feminism, tree rings and "Dendrofemonology"
EPISODE 1365: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the artist Tiffany Shlain about her new "Human Nature" exhibit which views the history of women within the expansiveness of nature and time through the lens of feminism, neuroscience, ecology and philosophy.Honored by Newsweek as one of the "Women Shaping the 21st Century,” Tiffany Shlain is an artist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, founder of the Webby Awards, and author of the national bestselling book 24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection, which won the Marshall McLuhan Outstanding Book Award. Shortly before the pandemic, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City premiered her one-woman show, Dear Human, about the relationship between humanity and technology. When the world shut down during COVID, Shlain spent the time walking in the redwoods and began working in large-scale sculpture, photography, and mixed media, exploring themes of scale, perspective, and time. She was selected as artist in residence by SHACK15 at the San Francisco Ferry Building, and began creating an exhibition, which debuted on the top floor of the Ferry Building, called Human Nature. The exhibition was presented by The National Women's History Museum based in Washington D.C. and Women Connect4Good. Working across film, art, and performance, Shlain's work explores the intersection of feminism, ecology, neuroscience, and philosophy. She has had multiple films premiere at Sundance, was selected by the Albert Einstein Foundation as one of the people carrying on his legacy, and received the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. The US State Department has used Shlain’s films to represent the U.S. at embassies around the world. She has held artist residencies at the Headland Center for the Arts, the American Museum of Jewish History, and the Da Vinci Museum, which created an exhibit of all of her work on gender and society. In addition to bringing the Human Nature exhibition to new locations in 2023, she is working on a new exhibition that will open in Los Angeles in 2024.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.

Mar 15, 2023 • 34min
The Power of Wonder: Monica C. Parker on the extraordinary emotion that can change the way we live, learn and work
EPISODE 1364: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to THE POWER OF WONDER author Monica C. Parker on the way in which our sense of wonder can enrich the way we live, learn and workA world-renowned speaker, writer, and authority on the future of work, Monica Parker has spent decades helping people discover how to lead and live wonderfully. The founder of global human analytics and change consultancy HATCH, whose clients include blue-chip companies such as LinkedIn, Google, Prudential, and LEGO, Parker challenges corporate systems to advocate for more meaningful work lives. Her Wall Street Journal bestselling book, THE POWER OF WONDER: The Extraordinary Emotion that Will Change the Way you Live Learn and Lead was published in February 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.

Mar 14, 2023 • 42min
The Death of American Politics: Peter Wehner on retribution, vengeance, forbearance and healing in Trump's America
EPISODE 1363: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to DEATH OF POLITICS author Peter Wehner about retribution, vengeance, forbearance and healing in Trump's America.Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. His books include The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, which he co-wrote with Michael J. Gerson, and Wealth and Justice: The Morality of Democratic Capitalism. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs.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.

Mar 14, 2023 • 40min
Playing God: Mary Jo McConahay on why American Catholic Bishops are a threat to democracy
EPISODE 1362: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to PLAYING GOD author Mary Jo McConahay about how American Catholic bishops and the big money interests of the religiously fundamentalist far right are a threat to American democracy.Mary Jo McConahay is one of the most prominent Catholic journalists in America. In the 1980s she was a legendary war correspondent covering the Central American insurgencies. She is the author of three books, including The Tango War, The Struggle for the Hearts, Minds and Riches of Latin America During World War II, (starred reviews Kirkus, Publishers’ Weekly, Library Journal), and Maya Roads, One Woman’s Journey Among the People of the Rainforest (Northern California Book Awards Best Creative Nonfiction Book, National Geographic Traveler Book of the Month, Independent Publishers Award Best Travel Memoir). Her latest book is “PLAYING GOD: American Catholic Bishops and the Far Right” (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.

Mar 14, 2023 • 34min
Bootstrapped: Alissa Quart on why we need to liberate ourselves from the "American Dream"
EPISODE 1361: In this KEEN ON episode, Andrew talks to BOOSTRAPPED author Alissa Quart on why and how we can liberate ourselves from the "American Dream"Alissa Quart is the author of five acclaimed books of nonfiction including the forthcoming Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream (Ecco, 2023). They are Squeezed, Republic of Outsiders, Hothouse Kids, and Branded. She is the Executive Director of the non-profit the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. She is also the author of two books of poetry Thoughts and Prayers and Monetized. She has written for many publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and TIME. Her honors include an Emmy, an SPJ award and a Nieman fellowship. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.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.

Mar 14, 2023 • 39min
More Than a Glitch: Meredith Broussard confronts race, gender and ability bias in tech
EPISODE 1360: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to MORE THAN A GLITCH author Meredith Broussard on why and how technology is reinforcing inequality and what we can do about itData journalist Meredith Broussard is an associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University, research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology, and the author of several books, including “Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World” and “More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech.”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.

Mar 14, 2023 • 36min
A Murderous Women's History Month: Patti McCracken on some early 20th century Hungarian women who poisoned 160 men (plus a few females)
Episode 1359: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to THE ANGEL MAKERS author Patti McCracken about some early 20th century women from the Hungarian village of Nagyrev who poisoned 160 husbands, boyfriends and sons (plus a few females)Patti McCracken was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in October 1964. At fifteen, she moved with her family to Clearwater, Florida. After college, she worked for a newsmagazine in Washington, D.C., for a decade before moving to Chicago, where she was an assistant editor at the Chicago Tribune. She eventually relocated to Europe, where she was a journalism trainer, free press advocate, and newsroom consultant for the then-emerging democracies of the former Soviet bloc. She was based in an Austrian village, but her work often included long stints in Eastern and Central Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and later North Africa and Southeast Asia. She was twice a Knight International Press Fellow. Over more than twenty years, her articles have appeared in Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, Smithsonian magazine, and many more outlets. The Angel Makers is her first book. After seventeen years abroad, McCracken returned to the United States. She now resides on Martha’s Vineyard. For more information, visit the author’s website at PattiMcCracken.com.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.

Mar 13, 2023 • 34min
On Human Agency and the Language of Grief: Colin Campbell explains why grieving is the quintessential human activity
EPISODE 1358: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to FINDING THE WORDS author Colin Campbell about the death of his two children and how he and his wife have tried to work though this loss with both hope and purpose.COLIN CAMPBELL is a writer and director for theater and film. The short film he wrote and directed with his beautiful and talented wife, Seraglio, was nominated for an Academy Award. Campbell teaches screenwriting at Chapman University and theater at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA from Columbia University. He is currently developing a solo performance piece titled Grief: A One Man Shit-Show. Finding the Words: Working Through Profound Loss with Hope and Purpose is his first book.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.

Mar 13, 2023 • 37min
Are Mindfulness and Yoga the Luxuries of a Privileged Class? Susan Verde on childhood trauma, positive self-acceptance and her journey of healing
EPISODE 1357: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to SAY ONE KIND THING author Susan Verde about positive self-talk, self-acceptance and how mindfulness can heal the trauma of childhood.New York Times bestselling author, Susan Verde grew up in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City. Ultimately, she moved to the Hamptons where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s in reading remediation and become an elementary school teacher for many years. Now, Susan is an author capturing and celebrating the unique experience of children. Her titles include, The Museum, The Water Princess, Rock N roll Soul and Hey, Wall a Story of Art and Community and Unstoppable Me. Her instant #1 New York Times bestseller I Am Human: A Book of Empathy is part of a bestselling series including I Am Yoga and I Am Peace and the New York Times bestseller I Am Love: A Book of Compassion. Her most recent books are Tortoise and Hare and The Tossy-Turny Princess, the latest in the Feel-Good Fairytale series, as well as another in the I Am series, I Am Courage: A Book of Resilience and there are many more to come. Susan’s books continue to inspire children, educators, yoga practitioners and mindful humans alike helping to cultivate empathy and kindness in all of us. In addition to writing Susan teaches yoga and mindfulness to kids of all ages. Susan is currently living by the ocean in East Hampton, New York with her three children and their menagerie of pets. 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.

Mar 13, 2023 • 40min
The (a)Morality of War: Ian Buruma on how some people actively collaborated with evil during World War II
EPISODE 1356: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the THE COLLABORATORS author Ian Buruma about three men and women who actively collaborated with evil during World War IIIan Buruma was born in the Netherlands. He studied Chinese at Leiden University and cinema at Nihon University, Tokyo. He has lived and worked in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, and New York. He is a regular contributor to Harper’s and The New Yorker and writes monthly columns for Project Syndicate and Bloomberg. He is a professor at Bard College and lives in New York City. His latest book is The COLLABORATORS: Three Stories of Deception and Survival in World War II (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.


