Revisionist History

Live from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Malcolm interviews Adam Grant around his new book, Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World. They cover the three kinds of relationships—pals, allies, and companions—explain why frenemies may be worse for your health than enemies, and look at why dating algorithms can’t find your soulmate. Malcolm offers a grand unified theory of Adam’s work: every book has been a nerd manifesto. Along the way, they talk about what kids learn from watching their parents work, and how nerds build community in their own ways.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve known about a solution to violent crime for decades. Why hasn’t it been adopted everywhere? And what are the costs of waiting so long?

You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last few years homicide rates in Baltimore have plummeted. A city once labeled America’s murder capital is seeing a reprieve that seems nothing short of miraculous. What happened? This week, Malcolm takes a look at what Baltimore is doing to save lives. 

To learn more about the organization Termite founded, visit: https://switchinglanesadultandyouth.org/

You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A dispatch from the book tour – Malcolm recently joined WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show for a conversation about his new book, The American Way of Killing. We’re sharing it here today, including listener phone calls about their own experiences and questions about the epidemic of gun violence in America.

You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Malcolm’s new book, The American Way of Killing,he investigates why gun violence in the United States is so much worse than every other country in the West. Today, we’re sharing a chapter from the audiobook and over the next four weeks we’ll air episodes about the gun violence epidemic in America. Later in the series, Revisionist History looks at how Baltimore turned its homicide problem around, and why it took so long. 

You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm sat down with President Barack Obama while making Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promisefor a conversation about history, progress, and why democracy is never a finished project. What makes Reconstruction one of the most misunderstood eras in American history, and why does it still have so much relevance today? Today, we’re sharing an extended version of their conversation. 

You can find the full series, Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise,on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Ben's Staten Island summer, he sat down with The Dollop hosts, comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, to examine Staten Island during the Revolutionary War. Ben, Dave, and Gareth dive into an extremely niche topic in history.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did some remains of those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks end up in what was once the world's largest landfill? In this episode: the battle that continues to this day over what some see as a pile of dust, and what others see as the remains of the dead.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Election night 1993 meets election night 2016. The fate of the island and the country converge in the figure of one man: Rudy Giuliani.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the height of the secession movement, the Wu-Tang Clan forms on Staten Island. We take a tour of early 1990s hip-hop and reveal the hidden history of the group.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group on Staten Island tries to stop secession, squaring off against the secessionists in a heated set of debates and meetings recorded on never-before-seen archival tapes. A set of debates best understood via a detour into the history of a remote Polynesian island.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Supreme Court takes a close look at New York City government, Staten Island comes out the loser. A local artist begins organizing for secession. We take a deep dive into the psychology of the island, which has a lot to do with the largest garbage dump in the world.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A riot, a voyage at sea, and a movement to break up the greatest city in the country. The first Black mayor of New York City faces off with the borough president of Staten Island and tries to hold his city together.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten years ago, Malcolm inveighed against the exclusive country clubs of Los Angeles in an episode of Revisionist History called "A Good Walk Spoiled." This November, thanks to a Los Angeles City Council member who heard the episode, Los Angeles voters will have the opportunity to take up Malcolm's cause. Today, Malcolm revisits "A Good Walk Spoiled," and speaks with Councilmember Adrin Nazarian about his proposed ballot measure. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the 250th anniversary of the United States, Revisionist History investigates the overlooked story of New York City almost breaking apart as Staten Island threatened to secede. 

Over the course of five episodes, The Staten Island Problem reconstructs the battle for New York City amidst the turbulent early 1990s — the rise of Rudy Giuliani, the peak of the homicide rate, the Wu-Tang Clan, a young Donald Trump, and the first Black mayor of New York — all through the prism of the city’s Forgotten Borough. And ultimately asks: What do you do when a democracy looks like it’s falling apart?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would a tomato by any other name taste as sweet? What about a steak? Malcolm sends Ben on a mission to investigate the cutting edge of food technology and two mistakes: one from the 1990s and one that’s unfolding as we speak.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharing Malcolm’s latest project, a podcast called Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise. 

Imagine a time when the United States was split in two. And then had to put itself back together.  It was a time of chaos and sometimes violence as millions of people fought for the right to become citizens. Americans struggled over questions like: who gets to be a citizen? Who has the right to vote? To own property? In short, who belongs? This was Reconstruction…the era following the Civil War. When Americans ended slavery and expanded voting rights. But none of this was easy. Many people consider the promise of Reconstruction unfulfilled. Why? 

In this episode, journalist Kai Wright shares the story of the legendary abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass and how he navigated a world without Abraham Lincoln. Find Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise on Audible or wherever you get podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revisionist History revisits an episode from season two and Malcolm tells the story of a phone call that set in motion a collaboration with President Barack Obama, which we'll preview next week. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scene on Radio is a two-time Peabody-nominated podcast that dares to ask big, hard questions about who we are—really—and how we got this way. Their new season, The News, asks: what’s really wrong with the news? Some have called the news media the oxygen of a functioning democracy. But if that’s true, America’s lungs are in rough shape. Most Americans say they don’t trust the media. The business model for local journalism has all but collapsed. And we all know about the barrage of misinformation that flows from our splintered mediascape. You can’t separate the state of our news media from the other profound crises that America keeps on failing to solve. John Biewen explores the roots of this crises. Here's episode 1. Find The News, from Scene on Radio, wherever you get podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A single line of a building code proposal filled out by a fire inspector in Glendale, Arizona has had a devastating impact on the way housing is built across the entire United States. Malcolm enlists Stephen Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Building in North America, to investigate.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The episode centers on the dilemma of a man with an advanced, metastatic case of prostate cancer. His name is Dan. Every doctor he spoke to had a different opinion on what he should do — or whether it was even worth doing anything at all. His question was: which of these many opinions should I trust? The episode centers on which doctor he ended up committing to, how he made that decision of where to place his trust, and how his choice probably saved his life. What Dan will explain — and he is someone who has spent his life as a crisis communications specialist — is that trust only comes at the end of a careful and intentional process.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Balsillie, the one time co-CEO of Research in Motion, reflects on the mistake that led to the downfall of BlackBerry, once named the fastest growing company in the world.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of our current series on mistakes, we're sharing an episode from Cautionary Tales—a podcast that’s all about mistakes and what we can learn from them. This story is about a poet—some say the worst poet in the world–William McGonagall. McGonagall's works were full of jarring meter, banal imagery, and awkward rhymes. They made him a laughing stock in 19th Century Scotland and are still derided to this day.

What can we learn from such a disastrous poet? And it is possible we’ve misunderstood McGonagall all along?  

We'll be back with a new mistake next week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years ago a music producer named Irv Gotti–a hitmaker for Jay-Z, Ja Rule, and Ashanti–was tapped by Sony Music to make a record with Jennifer Lopez. They wanted a big hit. And Irv delivered. But then he made the biggest mistake of his career.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

General David Goldfein, former Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, and Dr. Heather Wilson, former Secretary of the Air Force, tell the story of the worst day in their professional careers and what it taught them about leadership. 

You can find their book, Get Back up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former head of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Michael Lynton, tells Malcolm about a time he made a really big mistake: greenlighting a film that would lead to an international incident.  

You can learn more about Michael Lynton and Josh Steiner’s book, From Mistakes to Meaning, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Andrew Jarecki’s latest documentary The Alabama Solution debuted on HBO, it has stunned viewers with a story about a group of men seeking justice. The film shows the egregious abuse and systemic failure of Alabama’s prison system, largely through footage shot by incarcerated men on contraband cellphones.

In this conversation, Malcolm sits down with Andrew Jarecki to discuss the making of the Oscar-nominated film and how it resonates with The Alabama Murders, the seven episode series Revisionist History released last year. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did Disney make an anti-Disney movie? Ben and Malcolm engage in a bit of literary sleuthing to find out.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screenwriter Gary Goldman claimed the creators of the Disney franchise Zootopia stole his story. Malcolm investigates. 

Check out Part Two of our Zootopia series here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valley of Shadows is a new Pushkin true crime podcast that digs into a nearly 30-year old secret buried in the California desert. On June 11, 1998, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in California’s Devil’s Punchbowl park...and never came back. Nearly 30 years later, the mystery surrounding his disappearance has only deepened. Some say Aujay is just another missing hiker, claimed by the inhospitable landscape of the Southern California desert. Some say he took his own life out there. But there’s another theory that many of Aujay’s friends and LASD colleagues are convinced is true—that he was the victim of foul play, and that his own department is covering it up. Through exclusive interviews, revealing wiretaps, and buried police files, investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd uncover vestiges of the Wild West in a small California town, where outlaw biker gangs crank out methamphetamine and local cops operate on both sides of the law.

Find Valley of Shadows wherever you get podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite his disdain for birthdays, Malcolm finds himself celebrating ten years of Revisionist History by looking back on the making of the show with producers past and present. And, of course, his mother.

Referenced Episodes:

Season 1, Episode 5: Food Fight

Season 6, Episode 10: The Dog Will See You Now

Season 2, Episode 4: The Foot Soldier of Birmingham

Season 9, Episode 5: Guns Part 5: The Footnote

Season 11, Episode 9: Hitler's Olympics, Part 9: A Plague on Both Your Houses.

Season 14, Episode 1: The Alabama Murders - Part 1: The True Church

Season 1, Episode 6: My Little Hundred Million

Season 3, Episode 10: Analysis, Parapraxis, Elvis

Season 11, Episode 6: Hitler's Olympics, Part 6: The Jiggle & the Giddy Up

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A journalist reporting from some far-flung remote location. A massive blackout. Ticketless entry to a huge sporting event. Behind some of the most technologically complex scenarios is a network making it possible to connect. 

Malcolm sits down with Mo Katibeh, the Chief Marketing Officer for T-Mobile for Business, Guy Griggs, the CNN Senior Vice President of Ad Sales and Client partnerships, and Siemens Energy Senior Vice President Steve Douglas to learn more about this invisible infrastructure. This episode is brought to you in partnership with T-Mobile for Business, and recorded live at the iHeart Studios in New York City.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm recently went on the podcast of one of his favorite comedians, Hasan Minhaj. He enjoyed the experience so much, he wanted to share the conversation with you! Enjoy.

On Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know, the two-time Peabody Award-winning comedian sits down with the biggest names in politics, culture, and tech with questions that are as thought-provoking as they are absurd. It’s a dumb show for curious people who are looking for answers but can’t find them, not even from their host. Because, ultimately, Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know!

Find more episodes of Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know wherever you get podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we bring you our holiday epic from last year.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger decided he wanted to direct a feature film, the choice of material was obvious: He would remake a 1945 holiday classic. Easier said than done.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For nearly 200 years, we have credited the most famous poem of the Christmas season to Clement Clarke Moore. But what if we got the wrong man?

This holiday season: A centuries old family feud, a bold claim from an English professor, and the true meaning of Christmas.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm and Liliana Segura, a criminal justice reporter at Intercept, sat down for an episode of The Intercept Briefing to discuss The Alabama Murders, the inherent cruelty of the death penalty, and the concerning rise of executions in America.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holman Correctional Facility. January 2024. Over three decades after the murder of Elizabeth Sennett, the failure cascade comes to an end, but not before claiming one more life.

Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manhattan, NY December. 2022. What do you do, after the state has tried to execute you, but failed? Kenny Smith’s legal team calls Kate Porterfield. A psychologist who specializes in trauma.

Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holman Correctional Facility. November 2022. The State of Alabama tries to execute Kenneth Smith.

Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holman Correctional Facility. June 2010. John Forrest Parker is put to death by lethal injection. He didn’t appear to suffer. But did he?

Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colbert County. May 1989. One of the men charged with Elizabeth Sennett’s murder stands trial. But the prosecution’s case has  problematic inconsistencies. His fate comes down to the jury’s decision –– at least at first.

Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florence, Alabama. 1988. After a horrifying murder takes place, an anonymous caller names three young men as suspects. But speculation swirls about the victim’s husband.

Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a small town in the northwest corner of Alabama, a cascade begins with a man and an affair.

Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should execute them.

On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm Gladwell asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse?

Pushkin+ subscribers can binge the entire season of Revisionist History: The Alabama Murders early and ad-free. Sign up on the Revisionist History show page or at pushkin.fm/plus.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wrapping up our summer music series, the Memphis-born, East Nashville-based singer songwriter Drew Holcomb talks with Malcolm in front of a live audience at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village. Drew plays original songs and a few covers you might recognize on this exploration of his journey to Americana music.  

For more interviews like this, check out Pushkin’s Broken Record podcast. For more Drew Holcomb visit his website, drewholcomb.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2019, Malcolm just wanted an excuse to hang out with Randy Newman so they sat down at the piano together and tried to answer the question: If you disagree with someone — if you find what they think appalling — is there any value in talking to them?

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm’s habit of reading footnotes leads him to the psychologist Alan Elms, which leads him to the one song Elvis couldn’t sing. We revisit this 2018 episode as part of our encore music series.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does country music make you cry, but rock and roll doesn’t? We revisit a musical interpretation of a divided America in this episode from 2017.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does genius emerge? 

Kicking off our summer series, Malcolm digs into the Revisionist History archive to revisit Elvis Costello’s song “Deportee” and explore the power of innovation. 

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting next week, we revisit four of Malcolm’s favorite episodes from the Revisionist History archives, all about music.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our season finale, we team up with the Culinary Institute of America to reverse engineer the secret recipe for Thomas’s English Muffins.

You can read our top secret muffin recipe here.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven people knew the recipe for a half-a-billion dollar muffin. Then, one of them tried to leave.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if we picked the wrong animal?

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm and Lucie discover that they experience something very differently.

If you suspect you might have a problem recognizing faces and you want to get involved in the research they’re doing at Dr. Joe DeGutis’s lab, go to: www.faceblind.org

And if you’re curious about your own facial recognition abilities, these online tests are a good place to start: 

https://www.troublewithfaces.org/test-yourself-1 https://www.bbk.ac.uk/psychology/psychologyexperiments/experiments/facememorytest/startup.php

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm sits down with the linguist John McWhorter, to discuss his new book, Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words. Among other things in their wide-ranging conversation, John makes an impassioned case for the return of “thou.”

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's most famous interviewer has a problem with interviewing. Revisionist History is here to help.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm investigates the origins of what the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services believes (and doesn’t believe) about viruses.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might think unbelievably loud, shrill sirens on ambulances and fire trucks are just a fact of life. But what if we got the facts all wrong?

In this episode we ask how we got here in the first place. It’s a story involving a TV show from the 1970s, hearses serving as ambulances, and a dog with a big voice.

You can see a list of the sources we consulted while making this episode here.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PAW Patrol is in trouble. Like Ryder and the pups, Malcolm comes to the rescue.

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago a police officer tried to stop Derek Chauvin from murdering George Floyd. Why didn’t he try harder?

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago the entire world watched Derek Chauvin murder George Floyd. What did we miss?

Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

For more from Dr. Gary Klein, check out his Masterclass in Practical Decision Making.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revisionist History will be back with an all-new season starting March 13th. We’ll be investigating everything from Paw Patrol to the secret behind English muffins to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Plus much, much more. To start, a two-part series that revisits the death of George Floyd in 2020. That’s next week – stay tuned.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are thrilled to welcome the acclaimed narrative series Heavyweight to the Pushkin network. In each episode Jonathan Goldstein sets out to help someone confront their past and heal old wounds. Today we’re sharing their very first episode, “Buzz.” 

And because we couldn’t only pick one segment to share, here’s a list of the Revisionist History team’s favorite episodes:

#2 Gregor

#33 Bobby

#46 Dan

#52 Lenny

#40 Barbara

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Valentine’s Day special from Pushkin Industries, Malcolm breaks down the perfect break up song. But first, Broken Recordhosts Justin Richmond and Leah Rose make their cases: is R&B the undisputed sound of love? Are sad songs more romantic? Can country win the day?

Plus, Ben Naddaff-Hafrey writes a love song of his own, and the legendary songwriter Babyface talks about how young love shaped his most enduring ballads.

Whether you're mid-swoon or nursing a broken heart, this episode is Pushkin’s Valentine to you.

Listen to Broken Record’s interview with Babyface. 

Listen toa Revisionist History episode about sad songs.

And hear more from Ben’s band, Rookin.

Plus, our battle of the playlists continues… here’s Leah’s sad songs playlist. And Justin’s for love songs. Pick your fighter and… enjoy!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How is technology transforming the healthcare space? Malcolm sits down with Diogo Rau, the Chief Information and Digital Officer at Eli Lilly and Company, to discuss the ways his company is innovating to deliver care to customers who need it. Rau also previews some new products Eli Lilly is especially excited about.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rachel Botsman, Oxford University Lecturer and author of the new Pushkin audiobook How to Trust and Be Trusted, joins Malcolm to talk about how to make smart decisions about trust. Then, a preview of How to Trust and Be Trusted, which is available on Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your audiobooks.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the biggest movie star in the world directs the smallest Christmas film on basic cable? A holiday miracle. 

Today on the show: The never-before-published, extremely bizarre story of the making of ‘Christmas in Connecticut’... the remake.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Lewis, host of Against the Rules and author of Moneyball, The Big Short, Liar’s Poker,andGoing Infinite, joins Malcolm to talk about the wild world of sports betting. Then, a preview of Against the Rules season 4, which is legal in New Jersey (listen to find out why), or wherever you get your podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1960s, a right-wing organization led by a former candy tycoon rose to fame in America for their anti-communist campaigns. They called themselves the John Birch Society. Then, they tried to take over the Parent-Teacher Association. This week, what the battle between the two organizations tells us about the fate of American politics, and the history of your Halloween candy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How is 5G powering the use of AI to revolutionize life-saving solutions? Malcolm sits with T-Mobile for Business CMO Mo Katibeh, 3AM Innovations COO Ryan Litt, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Dr. Azizi Seixas to find out in this special episode of Revisionist History. Brought to you in partnership with T-Mobile for Business, and recorded live from the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In The Tipping Point, Malcolm helped popularize a controversial approach to policing called “Broken Windows Theory” that is often credited for keeping crime rates down. Now, 25 years later, he goes back and audits his chapter on crime. Did he get it right? 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the very first stop of the Revenge of the Tipping Pointbook tour,Malcolm sat down with David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, at the 92Y in New York City. The old friends and former colleagues discuss Malcolm’s past work, his new book and how he traces his love of storytelling back to playing endless games of Monopoly as a child.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What exactly constitutes a bribe? The Georgetown Massacre continues, and the defense calls a surprise witness. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the ‘Varsity Blues’ college admissions scandal, the government indicted more than 50 people. Business leaders. Celebrities. Actors. Rich people accused of paying millions of dollars to get their children into elite universities. The Department of Justice was successful in all but one case: U.S. v. Khoury. What we’re calling: The Georgetown Massacre.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re sharing an exclusive preview of the audiobook of Revenge of the Tipping Point.All about bank robbers and doctors. Find Revenge of the Tipping Pointwherever you get audiobooks. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the season finale, we turn back the clock four years, take a side trip to Alabama, meet an extraordinary man named Billy Garland, and ask: What is the right way to reconcile something pure with the messiness of the real world?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 1930s, a young German law student spent a year in Arkansas, studying American “race law.” The fight over the 1936 Games provided Americans with a chance to study Nazi Germany. But it turns out the Nazis were studying us too. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesse Owens spent the rest of his life retelling the story of the 1936 games and his encounter with Luz Long. We trace the evolution of a tall tale, discovering the hidden life of one of America’s iconic sports heroes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The most famous athlete in Berlin was the American sprinter Jesse Owens, and one of the most famous stories from those Games was the unexpected, heartwarming encounter Owens had with the German long jumper Luz Long. The friendship between the two athletes would serve as a symbol of how sports can overcome national antagonisms. We wonder: What really happened at the long jump pit that day? 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legends are made at the Olympics and this summer shows across the Pushkin network are bringing their unique takes to Olympic stories. This special episode includes excerpts from a few: a Cautionary Tale about underestimating female marathoners, a Jesse Owens story from Revisionist History’s series on Hitler’s Olympics, and—from What’s Your Problem—the new technology that’s helping Olympic athletes get stronger.

Check out other show feeds as well, the Happiness Lab and A Slight Change of Plans are also going to the Games.

Sylvia Blemker of Springbok Analytics on What’s Your Problem

The Women Who Broke the Marathon Taboo on Cautionary Tales

Hitler’s Olympics from Revisionist History

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A German Jewish high-jumper is determined to get her shot at Olympic greatness. And an idealist faces an existential choice. In the fifth episode of Hilter’s Olympics, Avery Brundage faces the reality for Jewish athletes in Nazi Germany and makes a critical decision.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cheerleader-in-chief for the American Olympic movement was a brilliant, self-made Chicago tycoon named Avery Brundage. Brundage did more to ensure the success of the Berlin Games than anyone except Hitler. But what exactly were his motivations? We meet the man behind the curtain and witness his secret shame.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the fate of the Olympics on the line, Charles Sherrill travels to Germany to take up the question of Jewish athletes directly with the Führer. We dig through a dusty archive to uncover a long-buried account of their meeting. The wolf met with the chicken. Guess who won? 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles Sherrill was everything a gentleman of his generation was supposed to be: rich, handsome, charming, Ivy-Leagued. He was impossibly well connected and extravagantly mustachioed. He was also the person who, as much as anything, decided whether American athletes would participate in the 1936 Olympics. Faced with one of the great moral dilemmas of the day, America needed the wisdom of Solomon. Instead, it got the wisdom of Sherrill. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 1930s, Adolf Hitler granted a rare interview to the American journalist Dorothy Thompson. When Hitler later came to power, and prepared to stage the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Thompson’s warning about the man she’d met would frame the central debate over the games: Should we go? 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adolf Hitler swept to power in Germany in the early 1930s and soon set out to stage the most extravagant and spectacular summer Olympics yet: the 1936 Berlin Games. And countries around the world dutifully put together their teams and made the trip to Germany. Why?

In this new nine-part series Hitler’s Olympics, Malcolm Gladwell and Ben Naddaff-Hafrey explore the games behind the Games, the most consequential Olympics in history. Along the way, they meet a collection of the world’s daffiest aristocrats. A couple of American construction moguls. A legendary triple-jumper. And one discerning journalist.

Heroes and villains. The clear-eyed and the deluded. All of them going to Hitler’s Olympics.

Hitler’s Olympics launches June 27th. Subscribe to Pushkin Plus now to hear the first five episodes on launch day, or listen for new episodes every Thursday for the next nine weeks.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm recently sat down with friend and award-winning theologian Lee C. Camp to discuss his journey on the acclaimed podcast No Small Endeavor. In this episode, they explore a host of Malcolm's stories – from receiving permission from his mother to cut class to spending three days a week in Freudian therapy as a young adult – all which contributed to who he is today.

Produced by Great Feeling Studios and PRX, No Small Endeavor brings thoughtful conversations with bestselling authors, artists, theologians and philosophers – like Hollywood legend Rob Reiner, and Civil Rights hero Reverend James Lawson – about what it means to live a good life.

Listen to more episodes of No Small Endeavor here: https://link.chtbl.com/LN08h4po?sid=RevisionistHistoryEpisode 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1986, Cameron Crowe, the film director, and Nancy Wilson, of the rock group Heart, got married. They honeymooned in a little cabin in the Pacific Northwest, and while they were there decided to write a musical, about Elvis as a cab driver in Seattle. They wrote and recorded demos of all the songs, and called it “Blue Seattle.” It became a lost masterpiece that never saw the light of day. In our Development Hell season finale, Cameron joins Malcolm to share the songs and tell the story behind “Blue Seattle” for the very first time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before M. Night Shyamalan became a household name for his mind bending thrillers like “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs”, he was just a young screenwriter in love. And during those blissful early years of marriage he wrote a love story. The screenplay for “Labor of Love” sold right away, and over the next 30 years or so there would be numerous attempts to make it into a movie. There was a major studio, there were A-list directors, Shyamalan even found his perfect star. In this episode, M. Night Shyamalan tells Malcolm about the script that haunts him. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between her big hits, “Monster” and “Wonder Woman”, Patty Jenkins wrote an R-rated fairy tale, starring a dog. She hoped that the dog would deliver such a great performance that the Academy would — for the first time — give the Best Actor award to an animal. The story was about a dog program in a prison, a perfect set-up for a story of both canine and human redemption, right? Wrong. That’s the kind of story Hollywood loves, but not the kind of story Jenkins wanted to tell. Enter development hell.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Charles Randolph won an Oscar for writing “The Big Short,” he adapted a memoir called “The Birthday Party”: the true story of a white man kidnapped by three young Black men. Is there a way to bring a story like that to screen, in a way that's honest and authentic? Randolph gives us a masterclass on a screenwriter's many minefields.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the story behind a biopic about a chimpanzee named Bubbles, sidekick to the King of Pop. Malcolm talks with the writer, Isaac Adamson, about the project’s rise and fall. Netflix optioned the script, a director was attached, and then… everything fell apart. In the episode, Isaac reads from his 2015 Black List winning script, and he and Malcolm consider whether now is the time for “Bubbles.”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary Goldman was a writer on “Total Recall”, a Philip K. Dick adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzeneger. It was a big hit. So why do Gary and his writing partner, Angus Fletcher, have so much trouble selling another Philip K. Dick adaptation? They tell Malcolm that it all came down to a roller coaster ride of plot twists that even A-List action actors couldn’t stomach, and an early attempt at AI that was too dumb to pick a smart script.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the mid-2000s, Malcolm and writer/producer Stephen Gaghan (“Traffic”, “Syriana”) are running around Hollywood pitching their scripted adaptation of Blink. This conversation starts with a failed vampire love story, takes a ride in Leonardo DiCaprio’s Prius, before making an unexpectedly heartbreaking turn that leads Stephen to walk away from the project forever.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here. On February 29th, Revisionist History is returning with Development Hell, a series of untold stories about Hollywood projects that never left the page. There's a Philip K. Dick adaptation with a twist too shocking for the studios, a biopic about an exotic pet, and Malcolm’s own misadventure trying to adapt his bestselling book, Blink. Coming soon!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm Gladwell sits with interior design legend Nate Berkus in a live conversation covering everything from travel, to their moms, prestige TV, and finding the places that can cure us of melancholy. This episode was recorded at the AC Hotel New York Times Square, and is brought to you by AC Hotels.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The digital revolution has been happening for a while now, but with 5G, it’s about to reach a whole new level. IT departments are about to rule the world. So in this paid partnership with T-Mobile for Business, Malcolm sits with leaders in the world of retail and healthcare to discuss how their industries are changing.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A young family nearly lost everything in the 1970s farm crisis. Then, they invented a board game. Today on the show, producer Ben Naddaff-Hafrey shares a story about how life shows up in games and what games teach us about risk, life, love, and in this case ... farming.

For more episodes like this, check out Pushkin’s The Last Archive podcast.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revisionist History heads to Las Vegas for the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, courtesy of T-Mobile for Business. Malcolm talks with T-Mobile and Las Vegas Grand Prix executives about how 5G technology is changing professional sports — from how athletes compete, to how fans watch and even find their seats.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.