America’s bookstores have always been about more than just books, but the role they play in American society has changed over the years. In this episode, Evan Friss joins us for a conversation about his New York Times Bestseller, The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore (Viking, 2023), and the unique place that bookstores – and those who operate them – have held in American society from the colonial era to our own.
Dr. Evan Friss is Professor of History at James Madison University and the author of multiple books, including On Bicycles: A 200 Year History of Cycling in New York City (Columbia University Press, 2019). You can find out more about his work at his website, EvanFriss.com.
A special thanks to our friend, Dane Honeycutt, for recommending that we invite Evan on the show to discuss The Bookshop.
This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
National Constitution Center President & CEO Jeffrey Rosen returns to the show to discuss his new book The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America, and the ways that the contrasting visions of the founders live on in our political debates today.
Make sure to check out the National Constitution Center’s website for links to the Interactive Constitution and the many excellent resources they offer for free.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can hear more from Jeffery Rosen in episode 295 (The Pursuit of Happiness) and episode 211 (The Constitution).
This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
Teaching history to a middle schooler is a very different task than teaching a university student, but those doing the teaching have a lot in common (and could probably learn a lot from each other). In this episode, recorded as part of a live event sponsored by the Tennessee Council for History Education, Ben is joined by his MTSU colleague (and friend of the show) Andy Polk, 6th grade teacher Rupa Charles, and high school teacher Brandon Eldridge, for a conversation about what it’s like to teach history in 2025, the highs and lows of the profession, and what we wish those in our communities knew about the work we do to better our students’ lives.
A special thanks to Kira Duke at TNCHE for organizing this event and to Will Ackerman at Metro Nashville Public Schools for handling the a/v.
If you enjoy this episode, make sure to check out our conversation with Andy Polk about his book, Faith in Freedom: Propaganda, Presidential Politics, and the Making of an American Religion in RTN episode number 216.
This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
The War on Terror that followed the 9/11 attacks took place on battlefields across the globe, but it also took place in our legal system. In this episode, CNN’s Jake Tapper joins us to discuss his new book, Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War, and how dedicated public servants saved countless lives by bringing a terrorist to justice.
This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.