Taking politicians out of politics with Hélène Landemore

On tour for his new book, Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World, Adam sits down for a crackling live event with journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell. They discuss and debate the building blocks of compatibility. Adam and Malcolm reflect on why our first impressions of people are often wrong, why people are so drawn to astrology, and how we can fix dating apps. They also explore which relationships are actually toxic, how parent-child bonds change as kids grow, and what it means to be a nerd.

On tour for his new book, Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World, Adam sits down with filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan to discuss how to spark, strengthen, and shift a vibe, how many close connections it’s possible to have, and why instant chemistry doesn’t always lend itself to long-term compatibility. Adam also shares insights on connection from basketball teams and married couples, and Night pulls back the curtain on how he changes his crews to set up surprising twists in movies like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and The Village.

To celebrate the launch of his new book, Vibe, Adam is doing a special series on how to build strong connections. First up are Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history, who teamed up before they were ten and won three golds and two silvers over 22 years together. In this episode, Tessa and Scott share how stark differences in their personalities helped and hindered their work together, demonstrate how they learned to have difficult conversations, and explain why you don’t need to be alike to be aligned around a common goal. Adam introduces the three different wavelengths people can connect on, and explores how Tessa and Scott’s vibe evolved to support their success over time.

Women are frequently disenfranchised and discriminated against by systems that favor men, but these same systems hurt men, too. Luke Bateman is a former professional rugby player who has gained a following online making videos about his love of fantasy novels and the hidden costs of patriarchy for men and boys. In this episode, Luke opens up about how narrow ideals of masculinity led him into a cycle of addiction, and how he pulled himself out by deconstructing his beliefs about what it means to be a man. Luke and Adam discuss the psychology of “precarious manhood,” the power of vulnerability as a skill that builds resilience, and the strategies for helping men express their emotions and evolve their beliefs. Luke also reframes when it means to be a protector and provider, and encourages men and boys to find themselves in books.

Harlan Coben has written 35 bestsellers in the past three decades, selling over 90 million novels and spawning some of the most popular miniseries on Netflix– including I Will Find You. He recently published his first nonfiction book, Plot Twist: a writing guide packaged inside a memoir. In this episode, Adam and Harlan take a closer look at the routines and habits that help Harlan stay so prolific with his writing, and Harlan emphasises the importance of being comfortable with boredom and treating writing like a job. Harlan also reflects on what he learned while collaborating with Reese Witherspoon on their novel Gone Before Goodbye, and the difference between equality and equity in relationships. Adam shares insights on the biggest mistakes people make while pursuing happiness, and why successful people aren’t free of doubts.