In this episode I will be discussing Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy. Tallamy is an ecologist who has written books and papers advocating to use home gardens as a means of ecological restoration through increases in biodiversity and native species. I am joined by Dr. Charlotte Rasmussen, who is the Environmental Sustainability and garden educator at the Seattle Waldorf School. She has a bachelors degree of science degree from the University of British Columbia, a masters degree in Biochemistry from Dalhousie University and a PhD in Genetics from Oregon State University. In our conversation we will touch on topics of gardening, climate change, ecology, teaching, optimism in the face of crisis and more. Here are some links that are referenced in our discussion: https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/  https://www.audubon.org/native-plants  https://kingcounty.gov/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/laws/list.aspx  Here is a link to purchase Nature's Best Hope: https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9781604699005

Today I will be discussing 1984, by Geroge Orwell, a dystopian novel published in 1949. Orwell is a political writer whose work acts as potentially a political prophecy. I will be speaking with Brain Scannell, a former teacher of mine who recommended 1984. Mr. Scannell has a Bachelor's Degree from Montana State University and a Masters Degree from University of Puget Sound. In our conversation, we touch on topics like teaching, bias, surveillance, technology, progress, economics, polarization, media and more. I hope you enjoy our conversation about 1984. Here is a link to purchase 1984: https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9780451524935 

Today I will be discussing The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin. Waitzkin is a world champion in both chess and tai chi and has some very helpful insights into learning and performance. I am joined today by Antoine Davis. Antoine is a certified Life and Performance Coach with years of experience as a personal trainer, coach, and nutritionist. He has a degree in human nutrition from Virginia Tech and is a strength and conditioning coach for GamePointPerformance. His ultimate frisbee accolades include being selected to represent Team USA for Beach Worlds, 2018 Ultiworld Breakout Player of the Year, and a 2019 All Star for the American Ultimate Disc League which is the professional ultimate frisbee league. In our conversation we will cover topics like focused preparation, dealing with challenges and loss, flow, achieving excellence and more. I hope you enjoy our discussion of The Art of Learning. Here is a link for purchasing this book: https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9780743277464

This will be my introductory episode where I outline what this series is all about. For my senior project, I set about making a book review podcast. I chose this topic because I love reading and I value how reading can connect people and spark interesting discussions. Reading for me has deepened my interest in topics like neuroscience and mediation, and I have learned things about myself and the world around me through books. I hoped to have interesting guests who would speak with me about topics I am interested in and books I’ve enjoyed. For the audience, I hope you all are able to learn things from this podcast, explore a book more closely, or be inspired to read one of these books yourself! This project offered me learning on both the technical side of podcasting as well as the interpersonal skills of interviewing. I certainly learned a lot and enjoyed reading and discussing these books and I hope you do too. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me; my email address is [email protected]. I invite you to take a deep breath and enjoy your day. Music for the series is by Coma-Media from Pixabay