The Hero Show

19th-century American author Mark Twain transformed literature. Through his enduring characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, he portrayed life as an adventure, challenging social norms with courage, resourcefulness, friendship, and independence. 

American cartoonist Bosch Fawstin has risked his life to promote freedom of speech. Not only was he inspired by heroes throughout his life, but he created his own superhero, Pigman. In this episode, he poses the question, “Would your heroes admire you?”  

Explorers such as Columbus, da Gama, and Magellan stood on the shoulders of Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry's vision launched the Age of Discovery, the period in which explorers vastly expanded knowledge of the Earth.    While discovering new lands, Prince Henry also made Portugal a force in global trade, opening up routes that were previously blocked by the Moors. 

Actor, director, and writer Sidney Poitier pushed film boundaries. He chose moral character and individualism over accidental traits, such as race. In 1967 he portrayed a teacher, a doctor, and an investigator in the top three box office films.

In the rock music profession, where hedonism and compromise are rampant, the band Rush instead chose honesty and integrity. Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart was a voice of reason whose pride of purpose inspired millions of fans.   Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In the 1960s, Raquel Welch became a Hollywood bombshell. Over the next several decades, she succeeded on television, on Broadway, and as an entrepreneur. In her autobiography, Welch upholds dignity and respect, asking people to go "Beyond the Cleavage." Welch believed that women should be extraordinary and magnificent on and off screen. In 1981, she met novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand to discuss performing the role of heroine Dagny Taggart in the proposed film version of Atlas Shrugged.

Imprisoned in the Auschwitz concentration camp, Viktor Frankl saw suffering and death all around him. Instead of giving up hope, he chose to stay alive by constantly searching for meaning in life through introspection. This quest for meaning became the title of the most famous of the thirty-nine books he wrote.

Charles Schwab led three gigantic enterprises: Carnegie Steel, U.S. Steel, and Bethlehem Steel. His benevolent personality attracted the most productive workers, whom he rewarded financially. He saw no clash between labor and management. Why did his staff feel a sense of pride under Schwab's leadership? In his words, "I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement."

Born into slavery, Nancy Green used her cooking and storytelling talents to bring joy to millions of pancake and syrup consumers. Under the persona of Aunt Jemima, Green's trustworthy face became the symbol of the brand for several decades.

From the Ministry of Truth punishing citizens for thought crimes to big brother watching your every move via technology, writer George Orwell warned against a totalitarian society that would rule every aspect of the individual's life.  Orwell's novels Animal Farm and 1984 remain literary classics and are just as relevant today as when they were published, in the mid-twentieth century.  Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

From the Ministry of Truth punishing citizens for thought crimes to big brother watching your every move via technology, writer George Orwell warned against a totalitarian society that would rule every aspect of the individual's life.  Orwell's novels Animal Farm and 1984 remain literary classics and are just as relevant today as when they were published, in the mid-twentieth century.  Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

When the Nazi gestapo captured Irena Sendler, they demanded to know the names of the 2,500 Jewish children whose lives she had saved. Sendler endured the torture of having both her leges broken, but remained silent.    Sendler had found Christian parents for the children and kept all their names in a jar buried under a tree near the gestapo barracks. After WWII, she reunited the few parents who survived with their children. Her story is told in the book Life in a Jar.  Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

After fleeing his home in Prague, Petr Beckmann learned how to use RADAR technology to help defeat the Nazis. He then earned a Doctor of Science degree in communist-run Czechoslovakia, and escaped to the freedom of America.    Beckmann wrote more than sixty-books and founded a pro-science, pro-technology, pro-free enterprise newsletter called Access to Energy. As a leading proponent of nuclear power, he wrote The Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear in 1976. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In twelfth-century France, Peter Abelard renounced his inheritance and knighthood and chose to become a philosopher. Héloïse, though raised in a convent, challenged cultural norms, became a scholar, and held a secret marriage with Abelard.Church officials sent Abelard to the monastery and Héloïse back to the convent. During their years of separation, they wrote voluminous love letters, which are celebrated to this day. Their story was dramatized in the 1988 film Stealing Heaven.   

Before inventing the telegraph, Samuel Morse was a prolific artist. But his invention accelerated communication from the speed of horseback to the speed of light. Morse's creation transformed business, transportation, journalism, and warfare.  

Before 1450, all books in Europe were laboriously written by hand. Gutenberg changed that with one invention: the moveable printing press. Thanks to his creation, within fifty years businesses in Europe were producing millions of books. The dissemination of ideas led to radical improvements in the culture and helped bring about the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Age of Enlightenment.

Louis Armstrong overcame poverty and racism to become a pioneer in a new genre of music: American jazz. His broad smile, cheerful demeanor, and passion for life were perfectly captured in his song What a Wonderful World. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Defying the French king's orders, the nineteen-year-old Marquis de Lafayette sailed to America, ready to fight for the cause of liberty. He proved his valor on the battlefield, secured French aid, and commanded troops in the decisive victory at Yorktown. After success in the American Revolution, Lafayette aimed to uphold the Rights of Man in France. In 1824, he was invited back to the United States for a celebratory tour of the country that lasted sixteen months. No less than thirty-six cities and towns are named after him in America. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In 1904 President Theodore Roosevelt forever changed the direction of American domestic and foreign policy. He broke up the Northern Securities Company and his Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine led America to become the world's police power.  Roosevelt exerted his political power by issuing 1,081 executive orders. The preceding twenty-five presidents combined for 1,262 executive orders.   Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Jane Austen started writing at age eleven and went on to publish four novels during her lifetime. She created female characters who courageously challenge the caste system, condemn slavery, and long for independence. Her novels have since sold more than one hundred million copies and were adapted into successful feature films and theatrical productions. 

After teaching in New York City public schools for 30 years–twice winning State Teacher of the Year–John Taylor Gatto no longer wanted “to hurt kids to make a living.” Gatto resigned in the op-ed pages of the Wall Street Journal in an essay titled “I Quit, I Think.” He spent the last 27 years of his life speaking and writing against compulsory schooling. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In his autobiography, Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington shows how traits such as self-reliance, honesty, and enterprise led him to become the first principal in Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. Tuskegee's mission was to teach black students both intellectual and practical skills, so they could create value in the business world. The school's first students literally built the new classrooms brick by brick. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

From the founding fathers and the Wright brothers to the builders of the Panama Canal and Brooklyn Bridge, historian David McCullough told stories of industrious Americans and their exceptional achievements with unabashed glory. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

  Anne Sullivan went from an orphaned child living in an asylum, to a world-famous educator. She persevered in teaching the deaf-blind Helen Keller how to communicate and acted as the latter's eyes and ears for fifty years. Their story of adversity, education, and friendship is brilliantly dramatized in the play and film The Miracle Worker.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Between July and December 1944, Swedish businessman Raoul Wallenberg saved the lives of thousands of Jews in Nazi-controlled Hungary. The Soviets captured him in January 1945, and Wallenberg was never seen again in public.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

During his sixty-three-year career in the U.S. Navy, Admiral Hyman Rickover faced racism, red tape, and a forced retirement. He saw the benefits of atomic energy and spearheaded its use on the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered vessel. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Mike Mentzer won the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition in 1978 and 1979 by embodying the Greek ideal of a healthy mind in a healthy body. Mentzer promoted reason in thought and independence in action. As an entrepreneur, his high-intensity training business helped thousands of clients attain better mental and physical fitness. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Ever since Leonard Peikoff met Ayn Rand in 1951, he has aimed to master and present to the world her philosophy for living on Earth. Over that seven-decade span, he has taught thousands of students, written several books, and hosted a nationally syndicated radio show. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In the months leading up to America declaring independence from Britain, John Adams was the leading spokesman for the cause. His brilliant mind and patriotism set him up to become the new nation's first vice-president and second president. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In his 164 feature-length films, John Wayne typically portrayed the rugged individualist who faced adversity, whether from nature or from man. He became an icon by personifying the American spirit of self-reliance, justice, and liberty. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

The Beatles changed music in a way no one else did before them. The music video, the concept album, stadium concerts, feedback and overdubbing studio techniques, and lyrics printed on the album. They opened the door to thousands of bands and inspired millions of fans.   Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Brooklyn Bridge designer John Roebling once said of his innovative design, “this structure will forever testify to the energy, enterprise and wealth of the community which shall secure its erection.” His son, Washington, and daughter-in-law, Emily, carried out his plan. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Isabel Paterson was a staunch individualist and prolific writer. She penned eight novels and was a literary critic at the Herald Tribune for two decades. Ayn Rand called Paterson's 1943 classic, The God of the Machine, “an invaluable arsenal of intellectual ammunition for any advocate of capitalism.” Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

From Spider-Man to Dr. Strange, Steve Ditko's illustrated creations have inspired millions of people. But, dissatisfied with flawed characters like these, Ditko went on to spend the last fifty years of his life creating moral “super-heroes” who live by reason and justice—particularly Mr. A. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In 1893, when James J. Hill completed his privately funded Great Northern Railroad, his competitors—who relied on government subsidies—went bankrupt. Hill transformed northwestern America by opening it to immigration settlement, farming, and industrialization. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Ferdinand Magellan overcame sabotage, mutiny, unseaworthy ships, arctic temperatures, and ninety-nine days on the Pacific Ocean without sighting land. His circumnavigation lead to radical changes in politics, economics, and science that helped launch the modern world. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In 1804 Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark bravely led their crew through harsh weather, hostile tribes, and wild animals, as they trailblazed across the American West. After two years, they were presumed dead, but returned to tell their amazing story. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

In 1776 Scottish inventor James Watt developed a way to make steam engines much more powerful and efficient by condensing their wasted energy. The commercialization of this discovery was a pivotal moment in the Industrial Revolution. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Katharine Atholl, the Scottish Dutchess, upheld freedom of the individual and criticized totalitarian states. In 1931 she condemned the Soviet-induced famine in Ukraine and later that decade she warned against dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini.  Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Frederic Bastiat was a principled, valiant defender of liberty. His stories, such as the broken window fallacy, portray how people see the short-term economic benefits of things, but long-term consequences are often unseen.   Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

John Pierpont Morgan twice saved America from financial panics by lending money to the Treasury. He funded forty-two major corporations including the U.S. Steel and General Electric. He also gifted 7,000 artworks to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

When the oxygen tanks on the Apollo 13 spacecraft exploded, the astronauts knew they needed both courage and reason to survive. The actions taken by the crew and those in Mission Control turned this disaster into a “successful failure.” Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out our FREE ebook:

Hypatia of Alexandria taught philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy during a turbulent era. In 415 AD a Christian mob brutally murdered her because she upheld independent thought and refused to submit to their dogma.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

Imagine escaping a Siberian prison camp, then walking through Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, past Tibet and the Himalayas, to freedom in India. WWII Polish lieutenant Slavomir Rawicz tells this amazing story in his book, The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom.   Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

Few expressions are engrained in the American psyche as much as Patrick Henry's famous motto, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” It is a courageous call to action for anyone anywhere who refuses to sacrifice his or her own life.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

Austrian-American film actress Hedy Lamarr blended brains and beauty with patriotism. She co-invented a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes during WWII. This technology became the precursor to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.  For her achievements, Lamarr was inducted into both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

Several decades ago Emmy Award winning filmmaker, Duncan Scott, worked with Ayn Rand on the restoration of the 1942 lost film classic, We the Living.  He is now preparing a newly restored and rejuvenated high-definition edition of the film.    Using state-of-the-art digital software technology, Scott repaired the entire film, frame by frame, removing scratches, dirt, and other flaws that are common in old movies. His goal is to bring this extraordinary Ayn Rand film to today's moviegoers looking as beautiful as it did when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 1942!   Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

“When I grow up, I'm gonna make the biggest movies, fly the fastest planes ever built, and be the richest man in the world.” So said Howard Hughes in the biopic, The Aviator. In reality, he achieved all three, and more.    He was an entrepreneur who challenged the mob, censors and communists in Hollywood, and the corrupt politicians in D.C.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

Socrates examined moral concepts—ranging from courage to justice to friendship—in a way never done before: by continually asking probing questions. His life and death impacted the two most influential moral philosophers in history: Plato and Aristotle.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

Frank Sinatra was one of the top entertainers of the 20th century. He lived on his own terms, first by going solo during the big band era, and then by founding Reprise Records, where he was the Chairman of the Board. During his prolific career he recorded 1,200 songs and made 60 films.   Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook:

Ulysses S. Grant's motto in the Civil War, “Unconditional Surrender,” demonstrated his moral certainty in the fight against the slave-holding Confederacy. A few years later, as the U.S. President, he unified the country.    Are you interested in learning about Ayn Rand's Objectivism? Check out this FREE ebook: