Episodes

Too Big to Fail uncovers the thrilling story behind the 2008 financial crisis. It was written from the unique perspecitves of the insiders of the crisis. Studded with exciting details, it shows how major U.S. regulators and investment banks responded to the financia crisis. The financial crisis started with the collapse of Bear Stearns, the fifth-largest investment bank on Wall Street. It gradually spread from the real estate market to the real economy, and then swept across the world, affecting...

The relationship between mother and daughter is very complicated. The main reason for the situation mentioned above is that many girls did not receive genuine love from their mothers during their growth. Their mothers were always self-centered, desired to control their children and lacked affection for them, which later causes many psychological problems in their children’s adult life. These mental problems include over-sensitivity, indecisiveness, a general sense of insecurity, lack of self-tru...

If it wasn’t just a dream or a movie stunt, imagine what a miracle it would be if the woolly mammoths of the Ice Age reappeared in front of our eyes, stomping on the ice field! This behemoth that lived in the Ice Age is a close relative of modern elephants, but it was taller and heavier than an elephant. Its ivory was long enough to reach the ground, and its entire body was covered with hair, which is why it’s called the "Woolly" Mammoth. More than 3000 years ago, due to excessive hunting by our...

Charlie Munger is not only the most successful investment thinker and entrepreneur in the world, but is also a “bookworm” who regards reading and thinking as paramount in his life. As he stated, “in my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn't read all the time: none, zero. You'd be amazed at how much Warren reads and at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I'm a book with a couple of legs sticking out.” It could be said that Charlie is...

Our understanding of science begins with the textbooks from our school days. In these books, the scientific world is presented as a pearl necklace composed of a series of scientific events; each event is like a pearl on the necklace. Scientists are a group of people who contribute to collecting the empirical facts, establishing theories and methods of a particular scientific field, like a pearl master. Proponents of this view of the history of science believe that the development of science is l...

The world we live in is full of complexity and uncertainty, and we may no longer make wise judgments based on intuition alone. We need to prepare ourselves with a toolbox full of mental tools that are ready to be used at any time. With the help of these mental tools, we can observe the world more objectively, maintain mature reasoning, and improve our ability to make better decisions and do things better. The author Rolf Dobelli used “mental accounting” as a mental tool. In the case of loss or ...

In the 19th century, under the dominance of the market economic system, America experienced rapid economic development through market liberalism. During the 1930s, after the Great Depression affected their confidence in the market economy, the American people held great concern for the future. In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt was sworn in as a President and carried out his famous New Deal programs. The deal included insurance plans for natural and man-made disasters, as well as temporary plans such a...

The Age of Gold that we are discussing today will take you back to a legendary age in human history, to look at the stories of bravery, tenacity, and toughness of everyday people affected by the Gold Rush. They were both great explorers and speculators in pursuit of profit. Their experience was the beginning of the American Dream and the best representation of the entrepreneurial culture that continues to influence the world. This era is the Age of Gold in America from 1848 to 1869, as noted in...

Do you know Elon Musk? He is the CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. As a successful cross-industry serial entrepreneur, Musk seems to have a constant passion for advancing the path to entrepreneurship. Initially, Musk didn’t want to start a business. He just wanted to get a job at Netscape, But he failed as he was not good at interpersonal communication. As a result, he decided to code and founded Zip2, which was later acquired by Compaq for $307 million. Musk earned his first bucket of gold....

As a nation with 5000 years of history, China is steeped in vibrant cultures and lasting traditions, and the culinary tradition is an indispensable part of this. ‘To the people, food is Heaven’ is a well-known saying in China. And from ancient times till the present day, Chinese people have never ceased being passionate about eating. What’s more, China has a vast territory and enjoys abundant resources. The variety in climates, crops, and traditions in China carved out four great regional cuisin...

The Rite of Spring is a work of modern ballet. But how does a ballet relate to World War I? Why is this ballet considered to be the birth of the modern age? By chronicling the events from the 1913 premiere of the ballet The Rite of Spring to Hitler's death in 1945, this book probes into the causes and effects of World War I from an artistic perspective. It provides an insightful reading of the relationship between social consciousness, cultural dynamics, and World War I. In this book, the author...

Despite being in the same category of yellow, what is the difference between gamboge yellow, cadmium yellow, chrome yellow, lemon yellow and Naples yellow? Why do colors have a variety of strange names? What kind of yellow did Vincent Van Gogh choose for his painting Sunflower to convey his intense emotions? Why has this blazing color faded into the relatively dim and dull color that we see today? These questions have haunted painters and art lovers on many occasions. In the book Bright Earth: ...

When you first heard about this book, you may not have been very interested. Of course, we have been breathing since we were born. As such, if it’s a human instinct to breathe, then why exactly do we need to learn it? However, the answer is that, yes, we in fact do need to learn how do it, because most of us have been breathing incorrectly! This is not an exaggeration. Have you experienced shortness of breath and a rapid heartbeat after just a very short run or workout? If this is familiar to y...

The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World was another life-changing, healing work by Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, following his book No Future Without Forgiveness. It was also highly recommended by Nelson Mandela. In the face of the harm and grief caused by apartheid and the pain of losing family members, how can we begin to heal our inner wounds? Revenge and grudges won't help us, but will only trap us in our suffering. Only forgiveness will lead to ...

Jeanne Calment, a person with a life span of 122 years, was born in 1875 and died in 1997, was the longest living person on record. This wonderful French woman took up fencing at the age of 85, and was still able to ride a bike when she reached 100 years old. She walked around her hometown, Arles, in the south of France, to thank the people who had sent her birthday wishes on her 100th birthday. On the other hand, in contrast to Calment, there are people in their middle age who suffer from chro...

When speaking of setting a goal, most of us feel highly excited to set goals that are seemingly attainable for the new year, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. We tend to be very ambitious when writing down our plans, looking forward to achieving breakthroughs in the new year. However, in reality, we just end up giving up on them and put it behind us much before the end of the year. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology showed that about 50 percent of people make new-y...

This book is about the interesting life of Nobel Prize winner Richard P. Feynman. Richard P. Feynman was acknowledged by many as the most intelligent scientist after Einstein. However, Feynman’s life was not all about physics. His hobbies ranged from cracking open safes and making bets, to playing pandeiro. Though surprising, this is true. This man, whom Bill Gates and Steve Jobs regarded as an idol, had a mischievous personality and was always full of passion. Since childhood, Feynman was unco...

In June 2007, the 5th largest investment bank on Wall Street, Bear Stearns, announced that its two funds involved in the subprime loan market had suffered significant losses. On July 31st, Bear Stearns announced that the two funds were insolvent. Bank of America (BOA) also lost more than 4 billion dollars as the result of providing payment guarantees for the assets of these two funds. In August, BNP Paribas announced the freezing of three investment funds facing losses in the U.S. subprime marke...

Many companies see innovation as their key driving force, but some have chosen the wrong direction or have put their efforts in the wrong place to achieve this. As a result, innovation has been almost reduced to simply a game of chance. However, this book, Competing Against Luck, answers the question of where exactly to look for innovation opportunities. Giving a hint to what the book is about through its title. As a result of 20 years of refinement, this team, consisting of the foremost author...

Do you remember the moment in your childhood when you gazed up at the stars for the first time? What sparked your curiosity about the universe? Have you ever felt confused about why people cannot fly? Why do different creatures exist? Why am I able to think? Have you ever felt astonished by “being alive” or that “the world exists at all”? Many people wonder about the point of our curiosity? What can philosophy do? It cannot provide you with lots of money or food. Philosophers are just a group o...

Since the twentieth century, from the advent of computers to the Internet and finally to artificial intelligence, technology has been developing at a tremendous speed. It brings dramatic changes to human life, and even influences our own memory, attention, and perception. Before the invention of printing technology in China, people had to memorize a sea of ancient records to be able to discuss national issues. In contrast, in our world today, we may not even remember our mother’s cellphone numbe...

From New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, these big American cities have experienced a century of significant changes, recovering from the Great Depression and other economic crises time and time again. Many people thus believe that big cities will spontaneously flourish for eternity. However, it is important not to forget what happened to Detroit. Detroit once was the fourth largest city in America. In 2013, the city became the biggest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy protection. So, what are th...

Scientists estimate that the earliest hominins arose around 6 million years ago, and it took that much of a time for human evolution to achieve the stage of modern humans. During most of this span of time, humans walked barefoot, so our foot structure and walking style have adjusted for walking in such way. Specifically, our soles have developed a rich and extensive neural network that can detect discomfort in our feet when walking. As a result, we naturally and continuously adjust our posture w...

What comes to your mind at the mention of seeds? Maybe some listeners will think of grains and bread; some will think of nuts and vegetables, or perhaps nothing will come to their mind. People in modern society rarely care about or observe the seemingly irrelevant world of plant seeds. However, did you know that seeds are closely linked with the future destiny of humankind, and seeds have long ago risen to a national strategic level? On the Svalbard archipelago in Norway, there is a large buildi...