Show Notes
Tens of thousands of people take the online qualification exam for Jeopardy! every year. But only 0.4% of hopefuls will appear on the show. But even after a nine-game winning streak and a victory in the Tournament of Champions, Jeopardy! champion and fan favorite Buzzy Cohen maintains that he wasn't actually the smartest contestant in the bunch – he just "trained smarter" than his competitors. Buzzy adopted quirky strategies and obsessive techniques, from wearing suits every day to studying while hanging from a chin-up bar. Once he realized how much could be accomplished with great preparation, he became a prep fanatic – testing his theories on everything from deadlifting to tap dancing. Buzzy joins Google to discuss his Audible Original book, "Get Ready: A Champion's Guide to Preparing for the Moments That Matter". He reveals the eccentric yet effective training method he developed to prepare for the show, and empowers listeners to apply these techniques to train for their own challenges. Originally published in August 2020. Watch this episode at youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle.
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New York Times bestselling author Jeff Kinney talks about "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper." Greg Heffley is planning the ultimate party — for himself. But when the guest list grows, the decorations flop, and the surprises backfire, this birthday bash turns into a total blowout — just not the kind Greg had in mind. Jeff Kinney is a 6x Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award winner for Favorite Book and has been named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, DC area before moving to New England, where he and his wife own a bookstore named An Unlikely Story.
Susie Wolff, F1 Academy's Managing Director, former professional racing driver and one of the most respected women in motorsport, joins us to discusses her book "Driven," an inside look at the competitive world of Formula One and her trailblazing 20-year career. After cutting her teeth in kart racing, Susie went on to make history at the 2014 British Grand Prix by becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend in 22 years. Following her retirement from driving in 2015, Susie launched Dare To Be Different, a call to action aimed squarely at driving female talent by inspiring the next generation and increasing female participation in all levels and aspects of motorsport. In March of 2023, Susie was appointed as the Managing Director of the F1 Academy, the all-female driver category that aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition. Watch this episode at youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle.
Julia Minson is a behavioral scientist and a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her research dives deep into conflict, communication, and how we make decisions. She specializes in the psychology of disagreement: how we handle opinions and judgments that look different from our own. Her groundbreaking work has been published in top academic journals and featured everywhere from CNN and TIME to The Atlantic and The New York Times. Julia joins Google to talk about her book, How to Disagree Better: a guide to cutting out the drama and making real impact. She breaks down the one skill that the world's best mediators and negotiators all have in common: a genuine receptiveness to opposing views. Watch this episode at youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle.
Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones, better known as Map Men, are comedians, cartography enthusiasts, YouTube sensations, and educators. With over 100 million views across platforms, they have single-handedly cornered the "pop-geography" market, becoming the saviors of every geography teacher who has ever forgotten a Friday afternoon lesson plan. The Map Men join Google to discuss their debut book, "This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (and Why it Matters)." The book takes a deep dive into the world's most baffling and absurd map blunders, taking a funny and fascinating journey into the maps that messed up – big time. Watch this episode at youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle.
Buena Vista Social Club is a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Inspired by true events, the musical brings the Grammy award-winning album to life, recounting the story of the legends who lived it. Step into the heart of Cuba, beyond the glitz of the Tropicana, to a place where blazing trumpets and sizzling guitars set the dance floor on fire. A world-class Afro-Cuban band and a sensational cast unite in this unforgettable tale of survival, second chances, and the extraordinary power of music. On this episode, Mel Semé, Jainardo Batista Sterling, Isa Antonetti, Da'von T. Moody, and Wesley Wray perform and discuss the musical. Moderated by Patricia Hadden, here is the cast of Buena Vista Social Club. Watch this episode at youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle.