Scott Shane is a reporter, a research fellow, a lecturer, and an author. His latest book, Flee North, tells the story of the two men responsible for freeing hundreds of enslaved people and establishing the Underground Railroad: Thomas Smallwood and Charles Turner Torrey. In this episode, Scott and I discuss: Thomas Smallwood; Charles Turner Torrey; Frederick Douglass; Harriet Tubman; Escaping from Enslavement; The Middle Passage from Africa; The Origin of the Underground Railroad; What the Underground Railroad was all about; The Domestic Slavetrade v. The International Slavetrade; The centrality of Baltimore and its role in the slavetrade; The Infamous Hope Slatter; The Deep South; Tobacco and Cotton; The Border States; Antebellum America; Crabs and Oysters; George Floyd; Racism in modern America…And MUCH More! I sincerely hope that you enjoy this conversation. If you do, be sure to give it a “thumbs-UP” and share it with a friend! (Oh–and, while you’re at it, subscribe to this channel, you handsome devils and dames!) Links to Scott’s stuff: Flee Northhttps://www.amazon.com/Flee-North-Forgotten-Slaverys-Borderland/dp/1250843219/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8LP37G8L5TSK&keywords=scott+shane&qid=1697561591&sprefix=scott+shane%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1Personal Website: https://www.scottshane.org/Twitter: @ScottShaneNYThttps://twitter.com/ScottShaneNYTNew York Times Profile: https://www.nytimes.com/by/scott-shane*** Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! 

Dean King is an author, a journalist, and a documentarian. His latest book, Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that saved Yosemite is available at all reputable booksellers. This book, of which I strongly urge you all to get a copy, tells the fascinating story of John Muir, Robert Underwood Johnson, and their historic effort to protect Yosemite from the water-hungry pols of San Francisco. In this episode, Dean and I discuss: The life and writings of John Muir; His editor and friend, Robert Underwood Johnson; The beauty of California; Damming the Hetch Hetchy; Protecting Yosemite; The establishment of National Parks; The Scarcity and Politics of Natural Resources; The Sierra Club; The Controversy surrounding John Muir; Should Muir be canceled?; Environmentalism; Conservation; Water Use; Ralph Waldo Emerson; Henry David Thoreau; “Indoor” v. “Outdoor” Philosophy; Transcendentalism; Camping; and MUCH more! Links to Dean’s stuff: Website: https://www.deanhking.com/Guardians of the Valley (latest book) https://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Valley-Friendship-Saved-Yosemite/dp/1982144467/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OJ3UCTS7U361&keywords=dean+king&qid=1697218922&sprefix=dean+king%2Caps%2C330&sr=8-1Twitter: @deanhkingInstagram: @deanhking+++Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! 

Logan Wright is the founder of Greco Gum.Greco Gum sells a premium mastic gum sourced from the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. Chewed since time immemorial, mastic gum offers a plethora of health and aesthetic benefits: it satiates hunger, cleanses the teeth, sharpens the mind, strengthens the muscles of mastication (those with which you chew!), and transforms your wilting jawline into that of an absolute Adonis.Personally, I chew it every day and can’t recommend it highly enough! In this episode, Logan and I discuss: Chest-less and Jaw-less men; The Proper Way to Breathe; Sleep; Good Facial Posture; Traditional v. Modern Diets; Intuitive Eating; Entrepreneurship; How to start a business; E-commerce and Social Media; Crafting Goals and Finding Purpose; Mastic Gum: What is it, and where does it come from?; Bro-science v. “Real” science; Beauty, and whether or not it’s subjective; Plato; The Forms; John Keats; CS Lewis; How to Improve Your Appearance; Everyone can be a “7”; Health and wellness…And MUCH more! Before you do anything else, follow the link below and purchase yourself a tin of Greco Gum: https://grecogum.com/And start chewing, you handsome devil! Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrecoGumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/grecogum/*** Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! 

John Banks is an author, editor, a journalist, and a Civil War aficionado. His latest book, A Civil War Road Trip of a Lifetime is now available for purchase! The book is a really fun travelogue-cum-history that you’ll definitely want to add to your shelf. In this wide-ranging episode, John and I discuss: Being an aficionado v. being an academic; Ernest Hemingway; American Literature; Journalism; History; Writing books; Strategies to improve sleep; Road-tripping; How to fuel up for a road trip; Songs to listen to during a long drive; The Civil War; Obscure battles that we ought to know more about; Some Great Generals; Battlefield relics; Rebels and Yankees; A bunch of hypotheticals; College Football; West Virginia Mountaineers; Alabama Crimson Tide; JFK assassination theories; Lee Harvey Oswald…And MUCH more! Links to John’s stuff: Purchase his book here:https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Road-Trip-Lifetime/dp/1734627670/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VIYEFISNIG5C&keywords=john+banks+civil+war+road+trip&qid=1695753621&sprefix=john+banks+%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnnybanksWebsite: http://john-banks.blogspot.com/*** Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! 

Martin Hogue is an author, architect, and a professor at Cornell University. Martin’s latest book, Making Camp: A Visual History of Camping’s Most Essential Items and Activities is available everywhere fine books are sold. I can assure you, this conversation will inspire you to unfold your tent, unroll your sleeping bag, throw some logs on the fire, and reconnect with nature! In this episode, Martin and I discuss: Assembling the greatest camping party in history; The rugged, independent ideal of camping, and its structured, decadent reality; The notion of a “site” as a cultural construction; The metaphysics of architecture; The philosophy of camping; Meta-cognitive camping; National Parks; Albert Good, the father of park design; Blueprints and designs; The importance of drawing; Drawing as a transformative language; How to design a park; The 8 essential components of camping; Urban v. rural settings; Why campsite meals are so delicious; And MUCH more! Links to Martin’s stuff: Instagram: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Camp-Campings-Essential-Activities/dp/179722252X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HZKEP6Z1BDX8&keywords=martin+hogue&qid=1695242414&sprefix=martin+hogue%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1Website: https://martinhogue.net/*** Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! #camping #architecture #cornelluniversity #newyork #parks #nationalpark #conversation 

Alan Paul is an author, a journalist, and a musician. He was the founding member of the Beijing-based blues group, Woodie Alan, for which he served as the frontman. Along with a delightful autobiography about his life as an expat living in China, Alan has written oral histories about Stevie Ray Vaughn and The Allman Brothers Band. His latest work, Brothers and Sisters, covers the release of the Allman Brothers Band best-selling album and the ways in which it impacted American politics and culture in the 1970s. It’s available everywhere fine books are sold. In this episode, Alan and I discuss: Rock stars who died young; The greatest blues guitarists of all time; The essential blues songs you must listen to; How to appreciate music; Creativity; Life as an artist and a writer; Why the blues are universally loved; The state of China in 2008 v. 2023; Authoritarianism; Communism; Music as an expression of free speech; How music can reflect the “mood” of the nation; and MUCH more! Links to Alan’s stuff: Brothers and Sisters(his latest book): https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Sisters-Allman-Inside-Defined/dp/1250282691/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NZNWTHW5EU6A&keywords=alan+paul&qid=1694986436&sprefix=alan+paul%2Caps%2C305&sr=8-1One Way Out (an oral history of the Allman Brothers Band)https://www.amazon.com/One-Way-Out-History-Brothers/dp/1250040507/ref=sr_1_2?crid=NZNWTHW5EU6A&keywords=alan+paul&qid=1694986466&sprefix=alan+paul%2Caps%2C305&sr=8-2Texas Flood(an oral history of Stevie Ray Vaugn) https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Flood-audiobook/dp/B07TNQXX3X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8H2JZ02EE7OB&keywords=alan+paul+texas&qid=1694986504&sprefix=alan+paul+texas+%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1His website: http://alanpaul.net/*** Links to My stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! 

Scott Schilke is a photographer who specializes in capturing breathtaking images of rocket ships, race cars, and extreme weather events.At the youthful age of sixty-two, after having worked in property management for four decades, Scott spurned retirement and embarked upon a new career. When all his buddies were slipping into the long-deferred idleness of their “golden years”, Scott became a professional photographer. Now, he spends his days (and most of his nights!) photographing rocket launches, NASCAR races, and high-voltage lightning storms. The fearlessness with which he set out upon this new journey, and the assiduity with which he’s continued to pursue it, are totally inspiring. I listen to Scott, and am convinced that there’s nothing I can’t do. In this episode, Scott and I discuss…The influence of his father, who was an officer in the Air Force; His passion for rocket ships; SpaceX, Tesla, and Elon Musk; NASA; NASCAR; Photography; Climate change; Electric Vehicles; Extreme weather; Hurricanes in Florida; Super Cells; Tornados; Having dreams and aspirations; Starting a new career; How to develop a passion project; Learning new skills throughout one’s life; How to chase your goals; and MUCH more! Links to Scott’s pages: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scott_schilke_photography/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.schilke.1/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchilkeScott?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor(If you need an awe-inspiring photograph for your screen-saver, look no further than Scott’s mighty Instagram page!) ***Links to my pages: Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends!

Naomi Oreskes is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University. She is the author of many books, including Why Trust Science?, The Collapse of Western Civilization, Merchants of Doubt (upon which an acclaimed documentary was based), and, her most recent work, The Big Myth. Professor Oreskes is a veritable mine of information (forgive the pun!)After obtaining degrees in Geology and the History of Science, Professor Oreskes worked in the mining industry. She then entered the field of academia, in which she’s held various distinguished positions. My conversation with Professor Oreskes was a fast-paced, thought-provoking delight! I think you’ll agree. In it, we discuss: The “Big Myth”; Free Market capitalism; Government regulation; Market fundamentalism; The fallacy of the excluded middle; The Depression; The New Deal; Climate Change; Global Warming; The future of electric vehicles; The minerals required to build batteries; Sustainability; The car you should be driving if you want to be “green”; If our investments in “green energy” have been worth it; How to study multiple fields: economics, politics, science; Disinformation; Conservatives and Progressives; Distrust in our institutions…And MUCH More! Links to Professor Oreskes’ stuff: The Big Mythhttps://www.amazon.com/Big-Myth-American-Business-Government/dp/1635573572/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WK345S0STPDQ&keywords=naomi+oreskes&qid=1692894489&sprefix=naomi+oreskes%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-1The Merchants of Doubthttps://www.amazon.com/Merchants-Doubt-Handful-Scientists-Obscured/dp/1608193942/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1WK345S0STPDQ&keywords=naomi+oreskes&qid=1692894526&sprefix=naomi+oreskes%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-2***Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! 

J. Randy Taraborrelli is an author, editor, reporter, journalist, and biographer whose latest work, “Jackie: Public, Private, Secret” is now available for purchase. (For what it’s worth, I strongly encourage you to get yourself a copy!) Some of Randy’s other popular works include, Madonna: An Intimate Biography; Jackie, Janet, and Lee; The Hiltons; Sinatra; Michael Jackson; Becoming Beyonce, Cher, Diana, and The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe. In this delightful conversation, Randy and I discuss…Plutarch (of all people!); Cleopatra; Jackie Kennedy’s je ne sais quois; the role of the First Lady in American political history; Fashion; Influence; Elegance; Michelle Obama; Melania Trump; The media’s treatment of First Ladies through the decades; JFK; Ted and Bobby Kennedy; Aristotle Onnassis; How to write a biography; The life of a writer; Motown; Diana Ross; Country music; and MUCH more! I hope you enjoy it!Links to Randy’s stuff: Books: His illustrious Amazon page, on which all his fine works can be found: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Randy-Taraborrelli/author/B000APS72I?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueWebsite: https://jrandytaraborrelli.com/Twitter: @JRTaraborrelliInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jrandytaraborrelli/***Links to my stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comEmail me at [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends! #politics #history #politicalhistory #americanhistory #kennedy #jackie #jackiekennedy #taraborrelli #biography #books #newbook #bestseller

Sally Fallon Morell is an author, a farmer, a businesswoman, and the founder of multiple organizations dedicated to human flourishing.And how, as humans, do we flourish, you might ask? Simple: it all begins with our nutrition!Inspired by the under-acknowledged genius of Dr. Weston A. Price, Sally has popularized the “Wise Traditions” Diet, a natural, wholesome, elegant way of eating to which countless people subscribe. In this wide-ranging episode, Sally and I discuss…The framing of a new dietary “Constitution”; The most unhealthy, damaging foods to exclude from your diet; The “Wise Traditions” Diet, and what it’s all about; Dr. Weston A. Price; His life and theory about nutrition; Milk as a microcosm of politics; Milk and Marxism; Metaphysics; Philosophy; Literature; Shakespeare; Louis Pasteur; The benefits of RAW MILK (and raw dairy, generally); The idea of the “Noble Savage”; Romanticizing primitive tribes; Eugenics; Progressivism and conservatism; Beauty; What it’s like to own and work on a farm,And so MUCH more! You’re going to love this conversation. Links to Sally’s stuff: The Weston A Price Foundation: https://www.westonaprice.org/about-us/welcome-from-sally-fallon-morell/#gsc.tab=0Nourishing Traditions (her highly educational blog)https://nourishingtraditions.com/Her widely-popular book, “Nourishing Traditions”https://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2GA4GTL3CQOA2&keywords=mary+fallon&qid=1691091459&sprefix=mary+fallon%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-6+++ Links to my Stuff: My Stuff: Check out my Instagram page for shorts from this and prior episodes: @danielethanfinneran https://www.instagram.com/danielethanfinneran/Twitter: @DanielEFinneranWebsite: finneranswake.comSend emails to [email protected] sister project, PNEUMA, on which I put out sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness content: Youtube @pneumabydanielfinneran  Pneumameditations.comBe sure to subscribe to this channel if you enjoy these conversations and share them with family and friends!