Friday Night Book Club

We are joined by Tobias Beck highly sought after international speaker, podcaster, and author of the books Unbox Your Life and Unbox Your Relationship. Beck discusses the importance of not having your life determined by others, steering away from the negativity around you, and forging your own path. He also talks about the different forms that path can take, as none of this is one size fits all, and how we can relate to and work with others. Get the book Unbox Your Life   Listen to the Podcast Der Bewohnerfrei Podcast mit Tobias Bec‪k‬

This week we are chatting with Australian author, tech entrepreneur, and Dad, Mick Liubinskas about his debut YA novel She's Building A Robot. Mick was inspired to write She's Building A Robot as a way for his daughters to see more female leads in YA books, as well as part of a larger effort to engage his daughters and other young women and girls in science, robotics, and engineering. She's Building A Robot follows AZ and her friends Li, and 10, as they enter a robotics competition, build a feisty robot named Ada, and try to take down the school bully at his own game. Together, they work hard, solve puzzles, grow in confidence, and learn the importance of friendship and collaboration.

Author Rob Nelson calls in to chat about the great outdoors and his new book Mother Nature is Not Trying to Kill You: A Wildlife & Bushcraft Survival Guide, which was written with Haley Chamberlain Nelson. The book does a terrific jobs of discussing everything you might be scared of coming across in the wild, with a great balance between reminding readers that most of these animals really do not want to kill you, and advice for what to do if you should find yourself in an extreme situation. We talk about some of Rob's amazing experiences, and get into Sharks, and Bears, and Pythons, and more, as well as the importance of getting out and enjoying nature.   Buy the Book: Mother Nature is Not Trying To Kill You - On Amazon

Humanity is on an astronomical trajectory and according to aerospace professional and popular science communicator Kellie Gerardi, that future doesn't rest solely on the shoulders of rocket scientists. Gerardi's non-traditional path in the space industry shows us that humanity's next giant leap will require the contributions of artists, engineers, and everyone in between. Kellie Gerardi calls in to talk about her new book Not Necessarily Rocket Science, and gives us a few fascinating sneak peaks inside, including her experiences training for Mars, joining the Explorers Club, and being right in the middle of the exciting next steps for the space industry. It is fascinating stuff for anyone interested in the space industry. Buy the Book: Not Necessarily Rocket Science: A Beginner's Guide to Life in the Space Age

Rebecca Simon calls in to chat about her very exciting upcoming book, Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever. If you have any interest in pirates, and why wouldn't you, this is a fascinating conversation. We talk about some of the myths and even more interesting truths about pirates in general as well as some of the more famous names including Captain Kidd, Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and the animatronic crew of Disney's famous ride.  Buy the Book: Why We Love Pirates on Amazon.com

Rosalie Gilbert calls in from Australia to chat about her new book, The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women. The intimate lives of medieval women were complex, to say the least. They loved and lost, hoped and schemed, were lifted up and cast down. They were hopeful and lovelorn. Some had it forced upon them, others made aphrodisiacs and dressed for success. Some were chaste and some were lusty. Rosalie chats with us about the food, the clothes, the rules, and the general ins and outs of sex during medieval times. Its a small peak at a very revealing book. Buy the Book: The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women - Amazon

Andrew Maynard is our first ever return guest, as he calls in to chat about his upcoming book Future Rising: A Journey from the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow.   Dr. Maynard, who is a professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at ASU, provides a highly original perspective on our relationship with the future. Humanity has gained the ability not only to imagine the future, but to design and engineer it. And yet, we so often struggle to come to terms with what this means and the responsibility that comes with this ability. How do we build this future responsibly? How do we learn from the past? How do we give everyone a voice in the conversation? Will we ever get a working lightsaber? This are just a few of the questions we cover. Find the Book: Future Rising on Amazon.com Andrew's Previous Book: Films From The Future

Dr. Frank Faranda talks about his new book The Fear Paradox: How Our Obsession with Feeling Secure Imprisons Our Minds and Shapes Our Lives. For years, Dr. Frank Faranda studied a state of fearfulness in his patients―an evolutionary state that relentlessly drove them toward avoidance, alienation, hypercriticism, hyper-control, and eventually, depression and anxiety. He began to wonder what they were afraid of, and how embedded these fears might be in contemporary society. This book aims to break us free from what he found. Buy the book: The Fear Paradox - On Amazon  

Dr Craig April, founder of The April Center for Anxiety Attack Management, sits down with us to chat about his new book The Anxiety Getaway: How to Outsmart Your Brain's False Fear Messages and Claim Your Calm Using CBT Techniques. With anxiety ramping up as we all deal with the current crisis, Dr. April's book couldn't come at a better time. He discusses the scientific approach he uses to help people stop feeling like victims to anxiety and equip themselves to break the patterns and get away. Buy The Book:  The Anxiety Getaway - Amazon  

Steve Silverman creator and host of the long running podcast/blog Useless Information, called in from quarantine to chat about his upcoming book: The Flip Side of History: Fascinating True Stories that Time Has Long Forgotten. Steve is a collector of amazing true stories and shares three of his longtime favourites. Including one about an actual WWII plan to attach bombs to bats, and one about a man who took more than 30 attempts to murder. Buy the book on Amazon: Flip Side of History Check out Steve's Blog and Podcast: https://uselessinformation.org/    

Eric Martin calls in from quarantine to talk about his upcoming book Your Leadership Moment: Democratizing Leadership in an Age of Authoritarianism. Eric has brought leadership development to hundreds of thousands of people in 146 countries. We talk about leadership in everything from business meetings to stand-up comedy. Eric walks us through adaptive leadership, and identifying your moments, and provides some very interesting stories of leadership in action. Buy The Book: Amazon Store Eric on YouTube: Eric Martin Adaptive Change Advisors: ACA Website  

MK Mueller sits down for a timely chat about her book 8 To Great: How to Take Charge of Your Life and Make Positive Changes Using an 8-Step Breakthrough Process. Since her book first published MK's practical message has spread across the US and the world, including being adapted for high-school curricula. MK's message is all about letting go of the past and building hope for the future. She walks readers though a series of steps that are easy to understand and easy to connect with even for people who are not normally the key self-help audience. Buy The Book: Amazon Store MK's Website: 8 to Great Website Listen to the podcast: Positive Powercast  

J.J. Johnson calls in to chat about Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide, which is the upcoming book from the team that brought you the Dino Dana TV series, and the soon to be released Dino Dana movie. It's a a very cool compendium of dinosaur info. There are not many topics more interesting than Dinosaurs, and J.J. shares some behind the scenes info about the book, the show, and some of the things he's learned about the largest and coolest animals to ever walk the planet. Order the Book: Dana Dino: Dino Field Guide Check out the Show: Dino Dana on Amazon Prime

Podcaster and enormous Back To the Future fan Brad Gilmore stops by to chat about his new book: Back From the Future: A Celebration of the Greatest Time Travel Story Ever Told. We get into all things Back To The Future: why we love it, where we were on Future Day, could the movie be made today. It's a small taste of what is in Brad's very cool new book, which provides a deep dive into what might be the greatest pure trilogy ever made. Buy the Book: Back From The Future Check out Brad's Podcasts: Back To The Future: The Podcast The Brad Gilmore Show The Hall of Fame with Booker T and Brad Gilmore

Animal Educator, former Zoo Keeper, and creator/host of the hugely popular YouTube channel Emzotic, Emma Lock, stops in to talk about her book - Animal Kind: Lessons on Love, Fear and Friendship from the Animals in our Lives. Emma shares where her love of animals began, her journey to YouTube and beyond, and the importance of our relationships with the animals we share our lives with. It is funny and educational and touching in all the ways fans of Emzotic would expect. Buy the Book: Animal Kind Check out the YouTube Channel: Emzotic

Mary Kay McBrayer calls in to chat about her true crime book: America's First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster. The book is a fascinating look at a serial killer who has largely gone unnoticed by history, with a focus both on Toppan's crimes and the mid 1800's society that helped make her the monster she was. We also chat a bit about McBrayer's horror movie podcast, and the ties between good horror movie writing and writing true crime. Buy the book: America's First Female Serial Killer Check out the podcast: Everything Trying to Kill You

Jeremy Bhandari sits down to chat about his new book - Trust the Grind: How World-Class Athletes Got To The Top. Trust the Grind features conversations with 16 world class athletes, who give insights into some of the habits that got them to the top of their various sports. Jeremy shares a few fun stories about meeting sports greats like Terrell Owens and Jason Kidd as well as some of the insights they gave that are useful no matter what your goals are. The athletes in the book include: Jason Kidd, Chipper Jones, Terrell Owens, Paige VanZant, Manny Pacquiao, Mike Modano, Jimmie Johnson, Gary Player, Deena Kastor, Ryan Sheckler, Georges St-Pierre, Ryan Lochte, Devin Hester, Andruw Jones, Luis Gonzalez, Tim Hudson. Buy the book: Trust The Grind

Tanya and Danny stop by to talk about their new book: For All Humankind: The Untold Stories of How the Moon Landing Inspired the World. Dr. Tanya Harrison calls herself a “professional martian.” She has spent over a decade working as a scientist and in mission operations on multiple NASA Mars missions, including the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers. Dr. Danny Bednar is a geographer of space, with an interest in how satellites are helping in the fight against climate change. Their book looks at the impact of the moon landing on people across the globe. They also talk about the ongoing impact and what might be next for humans in space. It is really fascinating stuff. Buy the book: For All Humankind

Cartoonist, artist, author and generally cool person, Prudence Geerts, pops in to chat about her book - Bad at Adulting, Good at Feminism: Comics on Relationships, Life and Food. Prudence is the mastermind behind the hilarious, clever, and autobiographical Instagram comic strip Planet Prudence. We talk about purple hair, going from call centre to comic creator, and sharing quirky thoughts online. Buy the Book: Bad At Adulting, Good At Feminism Instagram: Planet Prudence Website: Planet Prudence  

Author Jenny Block stops in to discuss her upcoming book - Be That Unicorn: Find Your Magic, Live Your Truth, and Share Your Shine. Jenny talks about the importance of being your most unafraid, unashamed self and helping others feel comfortable doing the same. She also shares some stories of times that wasn't so easy. It's inspiring and funny and touches on everything from summer camp, to tap dancing, to the music of Captain and Tennille. Buy the book on Amazon: Be That Unicorn Learn more about the Author: JennyBlock.com

The show is joined this week by very busy author MJ Fievre. Haitian born MJ has become a staple of the Miami lit scene and stops by to discuss two new genre bending books. Happy, Okay:Poems about Anxiety, Depression, Hope, and Survival is a deeply moving play/poetry collection/discussion that delves into the impact of depression. Badass Black Girl: Questions, Quotes, and Affirmations for Teens combines quotes, discussion, and journal prompts all with the aim to help teens nurture creativity and feel a bit more comfortable in their own skins.   Buy The Books: Happy, Okay? Badass Black Girl

Chef Allen Susser takes a break from cooking to chat with us about his new book, Green Fig and Lionfish: Sustainable Caribbean Cooking. Chef Susser talks about sustainable cooking, ways you can introduce some of the tastes of the Caribbean into your own cooking, and his own journey that has taken him from the kitchens of New York to Paris to Miami. It is fascinating stuff for your mind, heart, and belly. Buy the book: Green Fig And Lionfish  Website: ChefAllens.com  

Best-Selling author, Emmy-Wining TV Producer, and media strategist Paula Rizzo drops in to talk about her brand new book Listful Living. Paula gives some great advice on how to make lists that matter, as well as the science and psychology behind list making. We have all made lists, but how do we make them work for us, instead of against us? How do we tie lists into daily and long term goals, decision making, or even checking in with yourself? Paula gives tips on how lists can make us both less anxious, happier, and more productive. Buy the Book: Listful Living Paula's Website: PaulaRizzo.com  

SCUBA diver and behavioral ecologist Peter McDougall stops by to talk about the series of Reef Smart Guides he has created with co-authors Ian Popple and Otto Wagner. The team has mapped various hot spots including Barbados, Bonaire, and Fort Lauderdale and are releasing a fourth book based in Palm Beach. The detailed descriptions and illustrations of beaches, coral reefs, shipwrecks, and other dive spots are ideal for divers, snorkelers, kitesurfers and wind surfers Even if you aren't getting in the water any time soon, Peter has fascinating stories about sunken ships and underwater wildlife. Get the Book: Reef Smart Guides Florida: Palm Beach Visit the Website: ReefSmartGuides.com

Transformational Life Coach Maki Moussavi, stops in to talk about her new book The High Achiever's Guide: Transform Your Success Mindset and Begin the Quest to Fulfillment. Maki talks about taking control of your restrictive mindset, figuring out what drives you, and making the changes that you know you need to make. She also has some terrific advice about making space for the things you want, and finding the sort of success that is also fulfilling. Buy the book: The High Achiever's Guide Maki's Website: MakeMoussavi.com  

Rock journalist and Emo aficionado Taylor Markarian chats about music, growing up in New Jersey, and her terrific new book: From the Basement: A History of Emo Music and How It Changed Society. From the Basement is an oral history of the emo movement woven from interviews with many of the top bands of the time as well as Taylor's own recollections of growing up in the heart of the early days of the New York/New Jersey Emo scene. It's a fun chat about a time, place, and scene that means a lot to a lot of folks. Buy The Book: From The Basement  

Economist, author, and global keynote speaker, Ilja Grzeskowitz, stops by to talk about his new book: The Changemaker Mindset: How Innovation and Change Start with Inner Transformation. Ilja talks about the changing workplace and how in today's market our mindsets and our personal relationships will determine whether we succeed. We discuss his own path to success and his three P's of Purpose, People, and Persistence. Buy The Book: The Changemaker Mindset Ilja's Website: grzeskowitz.com

Clinical psychologist, best-selling author, podcaster, and nationally-recognized parenting and relationship expert, Dr John Duffy joins us to talk about his new book - Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety: A Complete Guide to Your Child's Stressed, Depressed, Expanded, Amazing Adolescence. John has some terrific insights on the unique sources of anxiety faced by teens today, as well as some tips on how to better listen to your teen and help them face today's world. Plus he's surprisingly funny. Buy the Book: Parenting the New Teen In the Age of Anxiety  About the Author: DrJohnDuffy.com

Jason Inman pops in to talk about his book Super Soldiers: A Salute to the Comic Book Heroes and Villains Who Fought for Their Country. We chat about some classic super heroes who have served in the armed forces. Some you will know, others are cool deep cuts. Jason also talks a bit about his own military service and some of the differences and similarities between reality and the comics. Buy the book: Super Soldiers Jason's podcast: Geek History Lesson

Xandia Ooi stops by to talk about her new book, Be Happy, Always: Simple Practices For Overcoming Life's Challenges and Living Each Day With Joy. She has some excellent advice about a few common things that people let get in the way of their own happiness, and how we might be able to think about those things a bit differently. Buy the Book Be Happy, Always  Learn more about the author: Facebook: Xandria Ooi  

Tim Tamashiro discusses his book, How to Ikigai: Lessons for Finding Happiness and Living Your Life's Purpose. Tim walks us through his own journey and provides tips for listeners to start on their own path to finding this intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be rewarded for. The musician, speaker, host, and raconteur also speaks about a few of his exciting new projects in the worlds of jazz and storytelling. Buy the Book: How To Ikigai Tim's Website: TimTamashiro.com

Alexandra Franzen takes us inside her two most recent books, as well as a few of the other cool literary projects she has on the go. You're Going To Survive collects true stories about adversity, rejection, defeat, terrible bosses, online trolls, 1-star Yelp reviews, and other soul-crushing experiences, and the people that got through it and came out stronger. So This Is The End asks the question what if doctors could revive you from death and give you an extra 24 hours of life? Worse yet, what if you found the love of your life during that extra day? Buy The Books: You're Going to Survive So This Is The End Alexandra's Website: AlexandraFranzen.com

Andrew Maynard talks about his book Films from The Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies and how the book threads together his love of the fantasy world's of science fiction with some of the big ethical questions facing scientists in the real world today. It is the excitement of “can we?” tempered by the important questions of “should we?” through the eyes of movies like Jurassic Park, Gattaca, and Ex-Machina. Maynard has a PhD in Physics from Cambridge, and is currently a professor in the School for the Future of Innovation and Society at Arizona State University, and spends more time than any sane person should watching sci-fi movies. Buy the Book: Films From The Future

Podcaster and Star Wars expert Ken Napzok discusses his new book, Why We Love Star Wars: The Great Moments That Built A Galaxy Far, Far Away. Ken reveals how he fell in love with the franchise, listing a few of the moments from his book, and ranking the Star Wars movies from great to greatest. 

 Buy The Book: Why We Love Star Wars Ken's Website: KenNapzok.com