DR AF T AS O F

04 /2 2/ 20

DIA BOOKSHELF AND 

LISTENING LIBRARY

2022
 The appearance of a title and accompanying summary on this reading list do not

imply or constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Defense Intelligence 

Agency (DIA) of any of the products, services or opinions of the authors. However, 

these books contain thought-provoking ideas and viewpoints relevant to leadership, 

decision making and professionalism. The DIA bears no responsibility for the accuracy, 

legality or content of the books referenced in this reading list.
DIA Creed

I am an officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

I have taken an oath to support and defend 

The Constitution of the United States of America 

and all for which it stands.

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

As a DIA officer, I pledge to provide premier 

intelligence to the warfighter;

To communicate clearly, concisely, and 

decisively in support of the policymaker;

To speak truth to power and take ownership 

in pursuit of our mission;

And to safeguard the information with 

which I have been entrusted.

As a DIA officer, I embody excellence, teamwork, 

integrity, initiative, and accountability.

I will hold myself and my colleagues responsible 

for our actions and inactions.

I will treat others with respect and professionalism;

And I will encourage creativity, innovation, 

and a culture of trust.

If I see a problem, I will find a solution.

If I see a challenge, I will rise to it.

I strive for excellence in all that I do.

I am a DIA officer. I am DIA.
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“Books are a form of political action. Books are knowledge. 

Books are reflection. Books change your mind.”

Toni Morrison

Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author

“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more 

today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the 

suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”

Neil deGrasse Tyson

American author and science communicator

“In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become 

what we need to be, by remaining what we are.”

Max De Pree

American businessman and writer
4 GLOBAL ANALYSIS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOBAL ANALYSIS 01 2034: A Novel of the Next World War 9

BY ELLIOT ACKERMAN AND ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS, USN

Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the 21st Century 9 

BY JOSH ROGIN

Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos 9

BY M. MITCHELL WALDROP

Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydide's Trap? 9

BY GRAHAM ALLISON

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics 10

BY TIM MARSHALL

Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances 10

BY MIRA RAPP-HOOPER

The Looting Machine 10

BY TOM BURGIS

To Build a Better World 10

BY PHILIP ZELIKOW AND CONDOLEEZA RICE

We Have Been Harmonized 11

BY KAI STRITTMATTER

The Shadow War 11

BY JIM SCUITTO

Cybersecurity: Politics, Governance and Conflict in Cyberspace 11

BY DAMIEN VAN PUYVELDE AND AARON F. BRANTLY

The Cybersecurity Dilemma: Hacking, Trust, and Fear Between Nations 11

BY BEN BUCHANAN

Cyber Strategy: The Evolving Character of Power and Coercion 12

BY BRANDON VALERIANO, BENJAMIN JENSEN AND RYAN C. MANESS

Cyber War versus Cyber Realities: Cyber Conflict in the International System 12

BY BRANDON VALERIANO AND RYAN C. MANESS

The Decision to Attack: Military and Intelligence Cyber Decision-Making 12

BY AARON FRANKLIN BRANTLY 

The Hacker and the State: Cyber Attacks and the New Normal of Geopolitics 12

BY BEN BUCHANAN

On Cyber: Towards an Operational Art for Cyber Conflict 13

BY GREGORY CONTI AND DAVID RAYMOND

Jihadists of North Africa and the Sahel 13

BY ALEXANDER THURSTON

The Beirut Protocol 13

BY JOEL ROSENBERG

Atlas Shrugged 13

BY AYN RAND

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HISTORY 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East 15

BY DAVID FROMKIN

A World Lit Only by Fire 15

BY WILLIAM MANCHESTER

All the Shah's Men 15

BY STEPHEN KINZER

America and Iran: A History: 1720 to the Present 15

BY JOHN GHAZVINIAN

America, The Last Best Hope 16

BY WILLIAM BENNETT

Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer’s Insights into North Korea’s Enigmatic Young Dictator 16

BY JUNG H. PAK

Countdown 1945 16

BY CHRIS WALLACE AND MITCH WEISS

Covert Regime Change: America’s Secret Cold War 16

BY LINDSEY A. O'ROURKE

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage 17

BY ALFRED LANSING

Fateful Triangle: How China shaped U.S.-India Relations during the Cold War 17

BY TANVI MADAN

For the President's Eyes Only: Secret Intelligence and the American Presidency from Washington to Bush 17

BY CHRISTOPHER ANDREW

Ghost Wars 17

BY STEVE COLL

Intel Wars: The Secret History of the Fight Against Terror 18

BY MATTHEW M. AID

King Leopold's Ghost 18

BY ADAM HOCHSCHILD

Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers 18

BY ANDY GREENBERG

The Secret World: A History of Intelligence 18

BY CHRISTOPHER ANDREW

Four Hundred Souls 19

BY JUDY BATALION

The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos 19

BY JUDY BATALION

I Came As a Shadow 19

BY JOHN THOMPSON
6 LEADERSHIP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

03 LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life 21

BY JORDAN B. PETERSON

Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear 21

BY MICHAEL BAZZELL

Fighting Talk: Forty Maxims on War, Peace, and Strategy 21

BY COLIN S. GRAY

Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success 21

BY ADAM GRANT

Leadership in the Shadows 22

BY KYLE LAMB

Leadership Is About Behavior, Not Titles 22

BY SHON BARNWELL

Necessary Endings 22

BY HENRY CLOUD

Originals: How Non-conformists Move the World 22

BY ADAM GRANT

The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience 23

BY HILLARY AND CHELSEA CLINTON

The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander 23

BY PETE BLABER

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know 23

BY ADAM GRANT

Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide 23

BY LINDA BABCOCK AND SARA LASCHEVER

The Heart of a Woman 24

BY MAYA ANGELOU

Inclusive Leadership 24

BY CHARLOTTE SWEENY AND FLEUR BOTHWICK

The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace 24

BY GARY CHAPMAN AND PAUL WHITE

Always Endeavor: A Developmental Guide for In Extremis Leaders 24

BY COLIN GREATA

Be the Sun, Not the Salt 25

BY HARRY D. COHEN

Outliers: The Story of Success 25

BY MALCOLM GLADWELL

A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service 25

BY ROBERT GATES

It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership 25

BY COLIN POWELL AND TONY KOLTZ

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PODCAST 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04 PODCAST

"Intrigue" Podcast — "Mayday" Series 27

BY BBC RADIO 4

Boss Barista 27

BY ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ AND JASPER WILDE

Code Switch 27

BY NPR

Dare to Lead with Brené Brown 27

BY SPOTIFY ORIGINAL

Design Matters 28

BY DESIGN OBSERVER

DIA Connections 28

BY DIA 

Freakonomics Radio 28

BY STITCHER

I Spy 28

BY FOREIGN POLICY

Jocko Podcast 29

BY JOCKO WILLINK

Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly 29

BY MARKETPLACE

Planet Money 29

BY NPR 

Radiolab - "What If?" 29

BY WNYC STUDIOS

Revolutions 30

BY MIKE DUNCAN

The Deal 30

BY MIDDLEBURY INSITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

The Psychology Podcast: Episode with Adam Grant on Feb. 4, 2020 30

BY PODWIZ

The Thomas Jefferson Hour 30

BY MAKOCHE STUDIOS

Throughline 31

BY NPR

True Spies 31

BY SPYSCAPE 

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown 31

BY SPOTIFY ORIGINAL

WorkLife Podcast with Adam Grant, Episode: "Taken for Granted: Brene Brown on What Vulnerability Isn't" 31

BY TED 

The Cyberwire Daily Podcast 32

BY CYBERWIRE

The History of Rome 32

BY MIKE DUNCAN

Hardcore History 32

BY DAN CARLIN

The World of Intelligence, Episode 39: "Rebels in Intelligence" 32

BY JANES

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GLOBAL

ANALYSIS

"The only people who see the whole picture are the ones who step 

outside the frame.” –Salman Rushdie 
GLOBAL ANALYSIS 9

"2034: A Novel of the Next World War"

Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for 

the 21st Century

Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of 

Order and Chaos

Destined for War: Can America and China Escape 

Thucydide's Trap?

Elliot Ackerman and Adm. James Stavridis, USN

Josh Rogin

M. Mitchell Waldrop

Graham Allison

From two former military officers and award-winning authors, a geopolitical thriller 

that imagines a clash between the United States and China in the South China Sea in 

2034 — and the path from there to global conflagration. In this work of fiction, Iran 

and China use powerful cyberweaponry to render U.S. ships and planes defenseless. 

With geopolitical sophistication and human empathy, “2034” takes readers inside the 

minds of a global cast of characters as international miscalculations lead the world 

into an intensifying storm. Sometimes, it takes a work of fiction to illuminate the 

direst warnings. This cautionary tale presents the reader a dark possible future that we 

must work to avoid.

Almost as soon as he entered office, President Donald Trump brought to a boil the longsimmering rivalry between the United States and China — while also striking up a 

"friendship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic 

erupted in Wuhan, Trump's love-hate relationship with China had sparked a trade war, 

while Xi's aggression had pushed the world to the brink of a new Cold War. The quarrel 

also forced a long-overdue reckoning within the United States over China's audacious 

foreign-influence operations, horrific human rights abuses, and creeping digital despotism. 

This awakening was one of the biggest foreign policy victories of Trump's presidency. 

The science of complexity studies how single elements, such as a species or a stock, 

spontaneously organize into complicated structures. Stars become galaxies and snowflakes 

coalesce into avalanches, almost as if these systems were obeying a call for order. Drawing 

from diverse fields, scientific luminaries, including Nobel laureates, are studying complexity 

at the Santa Fe Institute. The revolutionary new discoveries researchers have made at this 

academic think tank could change the face of every science — from biology to cosmology to 

economics. M. Mitchell Waldrop tells the story behind this scientific revolution as it unfolds.

China and the United States are heading toward a war neither wants. The reason? 

Thucydides’ Trap, a pattern of structural stress that results when a rising power 

challenges a ruling one. Unless China scales back its ambitions or Washington accepts 

becoming No. 2 in the Pacific, a trade conflict, cyberattack or accident at sea could 

escalate to war. Graham Allison shows how Thucydides' Trap explains U.S.-China 

relations, and argues that war is not inevitable. Allison explores how clashing powers 

kept the peace in the past, and provides the steps the United States and China must 

take to avoid disaster.

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10 GLOBAL ANALYSIS

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Tell You 

Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics

Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of 

America’s Alliances

The Looting Machine

To Build a Better World

Tim Marshall

Mira Rapp-Hooper

Tom Burgis

Philip Zelikow and Condoleeza Rice

All leaders of nations find their choices constrained by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. In 

“Prisoners of Geography,” seasoned journalist Tim Marshall provides a context often missing from 

political reporting. Marshall demonstrates how the physical characteristics of these countries affect 

their strengths and vulnerabilities, and inform the decisions made by their leaders. Shining a light on 

the unavoidable physical realities that shape our aspirations and endeavors, “Prisoners of Geography” 

presents a critical guide to one of the major determining factors in world history.

Is America’s alliance system so quietly effective that politicians and voters take the 

security it delivers for granted? Between 1948 and 1955, U.S. leaders extended defensive 

security guarantees to 23 countries in Europe and Asia. Seventy years later, the United 

States had allied with 37. “Shields of the Republic” argues that America’s national 

security requires alliances that deter and defend against military and non-military 

conflict alike. Though it needs a post-Cold War update, the alliance system remains 

critical to the country’s safety and prosperity.

To explore the paradox of Africa’s mineral wealth and economic underdevelopment, 

Tom Burgis exposes how only a handful of Africans are benefitting from increased 

global demand for the continent's resources. The oil, copper, diamonds, gold and coltan 

deposits attract a global network of traders, bankers, corporate extractors and investors 

who work with local authorities to loot the continent's value. Burgis demonstrates 

how this looting machine relies on the complicity of African presidents, ministers and 

members of parliament for its continued existence. The victims of Africa's systematic 

looting are the majority of the African people at the hands of their state governments.

Drawing on their firsthand experience and interviews with leading figures, scholar-diplomats 

Philip Zelikow and Condoleeza Rice explore the choices that have molded the contemporary 

world. Beginning in the late 1970s and carrying into the present, Zelikow and Rice focus on the 

momentous period between 1988 and 1992, when an entire world system changed, states broke 

apart and societies were transformed. "To Build a Better World" zeroes in on key moments of 

decision, might-have-beens and the people working through them. Zelikow and Rice depict 

contemporary statecraft, letting readers in on the strategies and negotiations, nerve-racking risks, 

last-minute decisions and deep deliberations behind events that changed the face of the world.

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GLOBAL ANALYSIS 11

We Have Been Harmonized

The Shadow War

Cybersecurity: Politics, Governance and Conflict 

in Cyberspace

The Cybersecurity Dilemma: Hacking, Trust, and Fear 

Between Nations

Kai Strittmatter

Jim Scuitto

Damien Van Puyvelde and Aaron F. Brantly

Ben Buchanan

After the American Revolution, some of the founders began to recognize the strategic 

significance of Asia and the Pacific, and the vast material and cultural resources at 

stake there. During the coming generations, the United States would continue to ask 

how best to expand trade with the region and whether to collaborate with China, at the 

center of the continent, or Japan, looking toward the Pacific. Where should the United 

States draw its defensive line, and how should it export democratic principles? 

Jim Sciutto, a prominent national security journalist, reveals the invisible fronts that 

make up 21st century warfare — from disinformation campaigns to advanced satellite 

weapons. Enemies of the West understand that while they are unlikely to win a shooting 

war, they have other paths to victory. Countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North 

Korea violate international laws and norms by poisoning dissidents, interfering in 

elections, hacking and deploying weapons in space. In "The Shadow War," Sciutto 

draws on his deep knowledge, high-level contacts, experience as a journalist and 

diplomat, and on-the-ground reporting to paint a comprehensive and vivid picture of a 

Nation targeted by a new and disturbing brand of warfare.

In the last decade, the proliferation of billions of new internet-enabled devices has significantly 

expanded concerns about cybersecurity. But should we worry about a looming cyberwarfare 

or online government surveillance? Authors Damien Van Puyvelde and Aaron F. Brantly 

provide a cutting-edge introduction to the key concepts, controversies and policy debates in 

cybersecurity. Exploring the interactions of individuals, groups and states in cyberspace, and 

the integrated security risks to which these give rise, they examine cyberspace as a complex 

socio-technical-economic domain that fosters great potential and peril.

“The Cybersecurity Dilemma” shows that the security dilemma applies not only to cyber 

operations, but also that the particular characteristics of the digital domain mean that the 

effects are deeply pronounced. Drawing on documents leaked by Edward Snowden, realworld case studies of cyber operations, and policymaker perspectives, author Ben Buchanan 

demonstrates that intruding into other countries' networks has enormous defensive value. 

“The Cybersecurity Dilemma" explores a vital concern of modern statecraft in an easy-tofollow narrative that details the essential components of cyber operations.

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Cyber Strategy: The Evolving Character of Power 

and Coercion

Cyber War versus Cyber Realities: Cyber Conflict in 

the International System

The Decision to Attack: Military and Intelligence 

Cyber Decision-Making 

The Hacker and the State: Cyber Attacks and the New 

Normal of Geopolitics 

Brandon Valeriano, Benjamin Jensen and Ryan C. Maness

Brandon Valeriano and Ryan C. Maness

Aaron Franklin Brantly 

Ben Buchanan

“Cyber Strategy” examines how states integrate cyber capabilities with other 

instruments of power to achieve foreign policy outcomes. This book is a timely 

contribution to debates about power and influence in the 21st century, combining an 

analysis of cyber exchanges between rival states and data on political, military and 

economic interactions with case studies on the leading cyber powers: Russia, China 

and the United States. The authors investigate cyber strategies in integrated and 

isolated contexts, demonstrating that they are useful for managing escalation and 

sending ambiguous signals, but generally fail to achieve coercive effect.

In “Cyber War versus Cyber Realities,” authors Brandon Valeriano and Ryan C. 

Maness argue that there is very little evidence that cyber war is, or is likely to become, 

a serious threat. Cyber incidents are a little-used tactic, with low-level intensity and 

few-to-no long-term effects, and motivated by the same dynamics that prompt regional 

conflicts. Based on this evidence, Valeriano and Maness lay out a set of policy 

recommendations for proper defense against cyberthreats that is built on restraint and 

regionalism.

The debate over cyber technology has resulted in new considerations for national 

security operations. Nations find themselves in an increasingly interconnected world 

with a diverse threat spectrum and little understanding of how decisions are made 

within this amorphous domain. Author Aaron Franklin Brantly investigates how 

nations decide to employ cyber technology in military and intelligence operations 

against other nations, and how rational those decisions are.

The threat of cyberwarfare can feel like the plot of a Hollywood movie: nuclear codes 

hacked, power plants melting down, and cities burning. In reality, state-sponsored 

hacking is covert, insidious, constant and much harder to prevent. With insider 

information based on interviews, declassified files and forensic analysis of company 

reports, "The Hacker and the State" sets aside fantasies of cyber annihilation to 

explore the real geopolitical competition of the digital age. Author Ben Buchanan 

reveals little-known details of how China, Russia, North Korea, Britain and the 

United States hack each other in a relentless struggle for dominance. 

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GLOBAL ANALYSIS 13

On Cyber: Towards an Operational Art for Cyber Conflict

Jihadists of North Africa and the Sahel

The Beirut Protocol

Atlas Shrugged

Gregory Conti and David Raymond

Alexander Thurston

Joel Rosenberg

Ayn Rand

After millennia of conflict, traditional kinetic warfighting is highly refined and captured 

in vetted military doctrine. Cyber operations, however, are constantly evolving and 

afford tremendous benefits alongside significant challenges. Nations around the world 

have raced to build cyber organizations and capabilities, but are struggling to employ 

cyber operations to their benefit. At the same time, companies and individuals are now 

facing nation-state-enabled threat actors in cyberspace while their governments remain 

apparently powerless to protect them. "On Cyber" fuses information security and 

military science to lay the foundation of an operational art for cyberspace operations.

Drawing on case studies from North Africa and the Sahel — including Algeria, 

Libya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania — “Jihadists of North Africa and 

the Sahel” examines jihadi movements from the inside, uncovering their activities 

and internal struggles over the past three decades. Highlighting the calculations that 

jihadi field commanders and clerics make, author Alexander Thurston shows how 

leaders improvise, politically and religiously, as they adjust to fast-moving conflicts. 

Featuring critical analysis of Arabic-language jihadi statements, this book offers 

unique insights into the inner workings of jihadi organizations and sheds new light on 

the phenomenon of mass-based jihadi movements and proto-states.

In Joel Rosenberg's novel, "The Beirut Protocol," Marcus Ryker, a fictional CIA operative, finds himself captured, brutalized and dragged deep behind enemy lines. In the 

fourth installment of Rosenberg’s series, a game-changing peace treaty between Israel 

and Saudi Arabia is nearly done when Ryker and his team are ambushed by Hezbollah 

forces. The last thing the White House can afford is a new war in the Middle East that 

could derail the treaty and set the region ablaze. U.S. and Israeli forces mobilize to 

find the hostages and get them home, but Ryker knows that when Hezbollah realizes 

who they’ve captured, no amount of ransom will save them. 

In "Atlas Shrugged," follow Ayn Rand's main character, Dagny Taggart, as she struggles 

against looters who want to exploit her productivity in a dystopian United States. 

Through Taggart, readers will explore a number of philosophical themes instrumental to 

Rand's development of Objectivism — reason, individualism, capitalism and the failures 

of government coercion — ideas that began when she studied under the communist 

regime in the Soviet Union. Published in 1957 and featured on the New York Times 

bestseller list for 22 consecutive weeks, "Atlas Shrugged" is Rand's fourth and final 

novel — considered by many to be her magnum opus.

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HISTORY

“Study the past if you would define the future.” –Confucius
HISTORY 15

A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman 

Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East

A World Lit Only by Fire

All the Shah's Men

America and Iran: A History: 1720 to the Present

David Fromkin

William Manchester

Stephen Kinzer

John Ghazvinian

In "A Peace to End All Peace," David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies remade 

the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on a map that became 

the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon. Fromkin considers what 

might have been done differently and why things were done as they were. "A Peace 

to End All Peace" demonstrates that today's conflicts over rival religions, ideologies, 

nationalism and dynasties in the Middle East are tied to the arrangements, unities and 

divisions that the Allies imposed upon the region after World War I.

From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has 

inspired more awe, horror and wonder than the Middle Ages. William Manchester 

demonstrates a gift for narrative history in this 1992 book detailing the history of 

civilization's rebirth after the Dark Ages. Manchester posits that the Middle Ages were 

10 centuries of technological stagnation, short-sightedness, bloodshed, feudalism and 

an oppressive Catholic Church wedged between the golden ages of the Roman Empire 

and the Renaissance. Manchester explores the grandeur of civilization's rebirth — the 

dense explosion of energy that spawned some of history's greatest poets, philosophers, 

painters, adventurers and reformers — and some of its most spectacular villains.

Operation Ajax reshaped the history of Iran, the Middle East and the world. It restored 

Mohammed Reza Shah to the Peacock Throne, allowing him to impose a tyranny that 

ultimately sparked the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The Islamic Revolution, in turn, 

inspired fundamentalists throughout the Muslim world, including the Taliban and 

terrorists who thrived under its protection. Drawing on research in the United States 

and Iran, and using material from a long-secret CIA report, Stephen Kinzer explains 

the background of the coup and reconstructs the events of August 1953. "All the Shah's 

Men" looks at an event with unintended consequences — Islamic revolution and 

violent anti-Americanism — that shaped the modern world.

John Ghazvinian traces the complex story of U.S.-Iran relations back to the 18th 

century Persian Empire — the subject of great admiration from Thomas Jefferson 

and John Quincy Adams. Drawing on years of archival research in the United States 

and Iran, including access to Iranian government archives rarely available to Western 

scholars, Ghazvinian leads readers through the four seasons of U.S.-Iran relations: the 

"spring" of mutual fascination, the "summer" of early interactions, the "autumn" of 

close strategic ties, and the long, dark "winter" of mutual hatred. "America and Iran" 

makes clear where, how and when it all went wrong, showcasing how two countries 

that once greatly admired each other became committed adversaries.

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America: The Last Best Hope

Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer’s 

Insights into North Korea’s Enigmatic Young Dictator

Countdown 1945

Covert Regime Change: America’s Secret Cold War

William J. Bennett

Jung H. Pak

Chris Wallace and Mitch Weiss

Lindsey A. O'Rourke

William Bennett, a secretary of education under former President Ronald Reagan, 

captures the players, personalities and pivotal moments of American history with 

unrelenting optimism. Bennet's account of American history methodically hits the 

expected patriotic high points, such as the Lewis and Clark expedition and Gettysburg 

Address, and details low points that include the racist policies of Woodrow Wilson 

and Teddy Roosevelt's unjust dismissal of Black soldiers in the Brownsville affair.

Former CIA analyst Jung Pak traces Kim Jong Un’s ascent, from his brutal 

consolidation of power to his abrupt pivot to diplomatic engagement and summits with 

President Donald Trump. Pak reveals how a top intelligence analyst assesses thorny 

national security problems, avoids biases, questions assumptions, and identifes risks 

and opportunities. Pak provides a behind-the-scenes look at Kim’s motivations, creating 

an insightful biography of the enigmatic man who will rule the Hermit Kingdom for 

decades — and has already left an indelible imprint on world history.

"Countdown 1945" explores the secret meetings and events across the world that took 

place during the 116 days leading up to the world's first wartime use of the atomic 

bomb on Aug. 6, 1945. Wallace and Weiss take readers inside the minds of key figures 

in this moment in history, including Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, the Soviet 

spies who infiltrated the Manhattan Project and the pilots of the plane selected to drop 

the bomb. Beyond exploring the development of the atomic bomb, "Countdown 1945" 

provides an account of an untested new president confronting a decision he knows will 

change the world forever.

In “Covert Regime Change,” author Lindsey O’Rourke shows readers how nations 

really act when trying to overthrow another nation. Nations are more likely to covertly 

change the opposing regime by assassinating a foreign leader, sponsoring a coup d’état, 

meddling in a democratic election, or secretly aiding foreign dissident groups. O’Rourke 

provides substantive evidence on the types of security interests that drive nations to 

intervene. “Covert Regime Change” assembles an original dataset of all American 

regime change operations during the Cold War to show that the United States was 10 

times more likely to try covert, rather than overt, regime change during the Cold War.

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HISTORY 17

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Fateful Triangle: How China shaped U.S.-India 

Relations during the Cold War

For the President's Eyes Only: Secret Intelligence and 

the American Presidency from Washington to Bush

Ghost Wars

Alfred Lansing

Tanvi Madan

Christopher Andrew

Steve Coll

In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men boarded the 

Endurance on an ill-fated expedition to Antarctica. During the voyage, the Endurance was 

trapped and crushed between two ice floes — stranding the men in one of the most hostile 

regions in the world. What followed was a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the 

South Atlantic's heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilization. Author Alfred Lansing 

explores the incredible true story of Shackleton and his crew, incorporating personal diary 

accounts of those who experienced it. "Endurance" depicts a tale of grit, determination and 

survival against the odds, peppered with humor, camaraderie and unbelievable stoicism.

In “Fateful Triangle,” Tanvi Madan argues that China’s influence on the U.S.-India 

relationship is neither a recent nor momentary phenomenon. Drawing on documents from 

India and the United States, Madan highlights the central role China has played in 

the diplomatic history between the United States and India. Though a desire to offset 

China brought the United States and India closer in the past, a closer look at history 

demonstrates that the shared external threat from China is insufficient to bring the two 

countries into a close and sustained alignment.

Christopher Andrew examines, in critical detail, the relationship between American 

presidents and their intelligence agencies throughout history. "For the President's 

Eyes Only" offers a thorough and revealing examination of how presidents have used 

or misused secret intelligence. The United States was the last of the major powers to 

develop intelligence gathering capabilities in an organized and purposeful manner. 

Andrew's work traces the development of the U.S. Intelligence Community through 

the lens of U.S. presidents ranging from George Washington to George H.W. Bush.

In the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Ghost Wars," journalist Steve Coll provides the full 

inside story of the CIA's covert funding of an Islamic jihad against Soviet forces 

in Afghanistan and explores how this sowed the seeds of al-Qaida and Osama bin 

Laden's rise. Based on firsthand accounts by key government, intelligence and 

military personnel, Coll traces how bin Laden built his global network and brings to 

life the dramatic battles within the U.S. Government over national security. He details 

the American Intelligence Community's continued failure to grasp the rising threat of 

terrorism in the years leading to 9/11 — and its devastating consequences.

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18 HISTORY

Intel Wars: The Secret History of the Fight Against Terror

King Leopold's Ghost

Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for 

the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers

The Secret World: A History of Intelligence

Matthew M. Aid

Adam Hochschild

Andy Greenberg

Christopher Andrew

Armed with cutting-edge surveillance gear, high-tech weapons, and fleets of armed 

and unarmed drone aircraft, America deploys the most advanced intel force in 

history. But even after the celebrated strike against Osama bin Laden, America's 

spies still struggle to beat a host of ragtag enemies around the world. Matthew Aid, 

an intelligence historian, delivers the inside stories of how and why the United States' 

shadow war against extremism has floundered. “Intel Wars,” based on extensive, onthe-ground interviews, distills the unprecedented challenges to U.S. national security 

into a compelling and sobering read.

In the 1880s, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of 

Belgium seized the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River. 

Carrying out a genocidal plundering of the Congo, he looted its rubber, brutalized its 

people, and ultimately slashed its population by 10 million. Heroic efforts to expose 

these crimes eventually led to the first great human rights movement of the 20th 

century. Adam Hochschild's account details the megalomaniac Leopold II, as well 

as presents a moving portrait of those who fought against him: a brave handful of 

missionaries, travelers and young idealists who witnessed his crimes.

Andy Greenberg's chilling account tracks an elite group of Russian hackers and 

the future of global warfare. In 2014, the world witnessed the start of an escalating 

series of cyberattacks. Targeting American utility companies, NATO and electric 

grids in Eastern Europe, the strikes eventually lead to the first blackouts triggered by 

hackers. The hackers behind these attacks are quickly gaining a reputation as the most 

dangerous team of cyberwarriors in the internet's history, representing a persistent, 

highly skilled, state-sponsored hacking force. Greenberg reveals the realities of an era 

where the line between digital and physical conflict begin to blur.

The history of espionage is far older than any of today's intelligence agencies, yet 

the long history of intelligence operations is largely forgotten. The first mention of 

espionage in world literature is in the Book of Exodus: "God sent out spies into the 

land of Canaan." From there, author Christopher Andrew traces the shift in the ancient 

world from divination to attempts to gather real intelligence in the conduct of military 

operations. Andrew charts the development of intelligence, security operations 

and capacity through ancient China and India, Renaissance Venice, Revolutionary 

America, Napoleonic France and today’s modern world, exploring the difference 

intelligence operations have made throughout the course of history.

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HISTORY 19

Four Hundred Souls

The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women 

Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos

I Came As a Shadow

Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

Judy Batalion

John Thompson

Curated by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, "Four Hundred Souls" charts 

the tragic and triumphant 400-year history of the Black American experience. 

Contributors include some of the best-known scholars, writers, historians, journalists, 

lawyers, poets and activists of contemporary America who together bring to life 

countless new facets to the drama of slavery and resistance, segregation and survival, 

migration and self-discovery, cultural oppression and world-changing artistic, and 

literary and musical creativity. In these pages are dozens of extraordinary lives and 

personalities, rescued from archives and restored to their rightful place in America's 

narrative, as well as the ghosts of millions more. 

Author Judy Batalion shines a light on the extraordinary accomplishments of brave 

Jewish women who became resistance fighters — a group of unknown heroes whose 

exploits have not previously been chronicled in full. With courage, guile and nerves 

of steel, these “ghetto girls” helped build systems of underground bunkers, flirted 

with and seduced German soldiers before killing them, bombed German train lines, 

and blew up a town’s water supply. They also nursed the sick and taught children. 

"The Light of Days" is an unforgettable tale of war, the fight for freedom, exceptional 

bravery, female friendship, and survival in the face of staggering odds.

After three decades at the center of race and sports in America, the first Black head 

coach to win an NCAA championship tells his story. John Thompson’s book takes 

readers on a journey from his childhood under Jim Crow segregation to a university 

building bearing his family name and housing a life-sized statue of him — on a campus 

once kept afloat by the selling of 272 enslaved people. In these pages, he proves himself 

to be the elder statesman whose final words deserve to be heard. “I Came as a Shadow” 

is not a swan song, but a bullhorn blast from one of America’s most prominent sons.

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LEADERSHIP

"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your 

community and world better than you found it.” –Marian Wright Edelman
LEADERSHIP 21

Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life

Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear

Fighting Talk: Forty Maxims on War, Peace, and Strategy

Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

 Jordan B. Peterson

Michael Bazzell

Colin S. Gray

Adam Grant

Jordan B. Peterson, a clinical psychologist and celebrated professor at Harvard and the 

University of Toronto, delivers 12 lifesaving principles for resisting the exhausting toll 

that our desire to order the world inevitably takes. He offers strategies for overcoming 

the cultural, scientific and psychological forces causing us to tend toward tyranny, and 

teaches readers how to rely instead on instinct to find meaning and purpose. While 

chaos, in excess, can lead to instability and anxiety, unchecked order can petrify us 

into submission. "Beyond Order" provides a call to balance these two fundamental 

principles of reality.

For the past five years, Michael Bazzell has helped celebrities, billionaires and average citizens disappear completely from public view. Bazzell's previous books on privacy focused on ways to hide information, clean up an online presence and sanitize 

public records. This book is proactive; it is about starting over. In "Extreme Privacy," 

Bazzell provides explicit details, document templates and a chronological sequence of 

the steps required to make someone completely disappear.

Colin S. Gray, founder of the National Institute for Public Policy think tank, presents 

a treatise on the nature of strategy, war and peace, organized around 40 maxims. The 

maxims are organized into five groups: war and peace, strategy, military power and 

warfare, security and insecurity, and history and the future.

"Give and Take" highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, 

negotiation and leadership skills have in common. Today, success is increasingly 

dependent on how we interact with others. At work, most people operate as either takers, 

matchers or givers. Grant shows that these styles have a surprising impact on success. 

"Give and Take" opens up an approach to success that has the power to transform not just 

individuals and groups, but entire organizations and communities.

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22 LEADERSHIP

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

Leadership in the Shadows

Leadership Is About Behavior, Not Titles

Necessary Endings

Kyle Lamb

Shon Barnwell

Henry Cloud

Adam Grant

"Leadership in the Shadows" outlines a set of leadership principles which have been 

proven in the most challenging conditions America has faced over the last two decades. 

Author Kyle Lamb spent a military career of over 20 years with multiple operational 

units within the U.S. Army's special operations community. Drawn from real life 

experiences, Lamb's lessons provide the tools necessary to guide teams to mission 

success.

Every day, leaders around the world influence workplace culture in various industries. 

They are entrusted to solve problems and generate revenue. But are they effective? Do 

they lead by example? Are team members valued? How often does miscommunication 

result in lost opportunities? "Leadership is About Behavior, Not Titles" offers actions 

to address these concerns, and more. Written by Shon Barnwell, a former chief master 

sergeant in the Air Force, "Leadership is About Behavior, Not Titles" offers tools and 

insights to help others positively influence workplace culture and take care of the most 

valuable resource — people.

Henry Cloud offers this mindset-altering method for proactively correcting the bad 

and broken in our businesses and our lives. Cloud challenges readers to achieve the 

personal and professional growth they desire and deserve. He provides crucial insight 

on how to make the tough decisions that are standing in the way of a more successful 

business and, ultimately, a better life.

"Originals" addresses the challenge of improving the world from the perspective of 

becoming original — choosing to champion novel ideas and values that go against the 

grain, battle conformity and buck outdated traditions. Using surprising studies and stories 

spanning business, politics, sports and entertainment, author Adam Grant explores how to 

recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose 

the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt. "Originals" delivers groundbreaking 

insights about rejecting conformity and improving the status quo.

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LEADERSHIP 23

The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of 

Courage and Resilience

The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a 

Former Delta Force Commander

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide

Hillary and Chelsea Clinton

Pete Blaber 

Adam Grant

Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever

Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women remains a big piece of the unfinished 

business of the 21st century. Throughout history, and around the world, women 

have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made 

progress possible for all. How did they do it? The answers are as unique as the women 

themselves. The women included in this collection are all gutsy leaders with the 

courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done.

As a commander in Delta Force — an elite, special operations force — Lt. Col. Pete 

Blaber took part in some of the most dangerous, controversial and significant military 

and political events of the last 50 years. Blaber's account details lessons he learned 

while experiencing the life of a Delta Force operator. From each mission, Blaber has 

taken a life lesson back with him and details how his intimate knowledge of warfare 

has influenced his civilian life.

Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing 

world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to 

rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction 

over the discomfort of doubt. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, Adam Grant 

uses his background as an organizational psychologist to investigate how we can 

embrace the joy of being wrong, harness the surprising advantages of impostor 

syndrome, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and 

communities of lifelong learners.

"Women Don't Ask" looks at the barriers holding women back and the social forces 

constraining them. It identifies how to recognize the ways in which institutions, childrearing practices, and unspoken assumptions perpetuate inequalities that are not only 

fundamentally unfair but also inefficient and economically unsound. Drawing on 

research in psychology, sociology, economics and organizational behavior, as well as 

dozens of interviews with men and women from all walks of life, Linda Babcock and 

Sara Laschever identify the difference between men and women in their propensity to 

negotiate for what they want.

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24 LEADERSHIP

The Heart of a Woman

Inclusive Leadership

The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

Always Endeavor: A Developmental Guide for In 

Extremis Leaders

Maya Angelou

Charlotte Sweeny and Fleur Bothwick

Gary Chapman and Paul White

Colin Greata

“The Heart of a Woman” recounts events in author Maya Angelou’s life between 1957 

and 1962. The book follows her travels to California, New York City, Cairo and Ghana 

as she raises her rebellious teenage son, becomes a published author, and falls in love 

with a South African anti-apartheid fighter. Angelou’s compassion and commitment 

are on full display as she joins Martin Luthor King Jr.’s fight for civil rights. Filled 

with unforgettable vignettes that include famous historical figures like Billie Holiday 

and Malcolm X, Angelou’s eloquent prose showcases her fondest dreams, deepest 

disappointments and the vulnerability and humor that comes with motherhood.

The most successful organizations are those with the most diverse and engaged 

workforces. Studies show an 80% improvement in business performance among 

organizations with high diversity levels. When people feel included and able to 

reach their full potential, they are more engaged, productive and creative. "Inclusive 

Leadership" helps drive culture change through organizational development 

principles. It takes readers through the key components of leading change throughout 

the employee lifecycle, the supply chain and through product development.

"The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace" applies the love language 

concept to the workplace. This book helps supervisors and managers effectively 

communicate appreciation and encouragement to their employees, resulting in higher 

levels of job satisfaction, healthier relationships between managers and employees, and 

decreased cases of burnout. The principles presented in this book have a proven history 

of success in businesses, schools, medical offices, churches and industry. Understanding 

an individual's primary and secondary language of appreciation can assist managers and 

supervisors in communicating effectively to their team members.

“Always Endeavor” is a developmental guide for leaders who are willing to sacrifice 

deeply and dedicate themselves to acquiring the full array of cognitive and physical 

abilities that are valued within U.S. special operations forces. With “Always 

Endeavor,” author Colin Greata provides a battle-proven framework to develop 

leadership attributes based on his military experience.

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LEADERSHIP 25

Be the Sun, Not the Salt

Outliers: The Story of Success

A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and 

Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service

It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership

Harry D. Cohen 

Malcolm Gladwell

Robert Gates

Colin Powell and Tony Koltz

"Be the Sun, Not the Salt" serves as a guidebook for readers looking to uplift 

themselves and those around them. It is rooted in the understanding of the heliotropic 

effect, the scientific understanding that all living systems are drawn toward lifesustaining energy. Just as a plant on the window sill tilts toward the sun, human 

beings are attracted and drawn to people who express qualities that energize us. "Be 

the Sun, Not the Salt" encourages active awareness and reflection of positive and 

negative everyday interactions, while giving tips and real-life observations about how 

we can all be positive energizers by emulating the sun.

In "Outliers: The Story of Success," author Malcolm Gladwell asks the question: 

What makes high achievers different? Examining the best and brightest, Gladwell 

notes that too much attention is paid to what successful people are like instead of 

examining where they are from — their culture, their family, their generation and the 

idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing.

Having led change successfully at three sprawling organizations — the CIA, Texas 

A&M University and the Department of Defense — Robert Gates offers an insider 

look at how leaders can transform large organizations and companies. Gates shares 

how simple plans, faithfully executed, can cut through the mire of bureaucracy to 

reform organizational culture. He shows that great leaders listen and respond to their 

teams and embrace the power of compromise. 

“It Worked for Me” is filled with vivid experiences and lessons learned that shaped 

the legendary public service career of four-star general and former Secretary of State 

Colin Powell. In the book, Powell details the insights he gained serving in the top 

ranks of the military and in four presidential administrations with the lessons he 

learned from his immigrant family upbringing in the Bronx, his training in the ROTC, 

and his growth as an Army officer. 

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PODCAST

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for 

our children.” –Sitting Bull
PODCAST 27

"Intrigue" Podcast — "Mayday" Series

Boss Barista

Code Switch

Dare to Lead with Brené Brown

BBC Radio 4

Ashley Rodriguez and Jasper Wilde

NPR

Spotify Original

The "Intrigue" podcast tells dramatic, true stories that pull back the curtain on how 

the world works. The "Mayday" series covers the events that followed after James Le 

Mesurier fell to his death. On Nov. 11, 2019, James Le Mesurier was found dead in a 

street in Istanbul. He was the latest casualty in a very unusual war — one fought not 

on the battlefield, but online. Le Mesurier co-founded the White Helmets, a Syrian 

civil defense force. Presented by Chloe Hadjimatheou, "Mayday" investigates the 

death of Le Mesurier, who found himself at the heart of two wars — the devastating 

conflict in Syria and a ferocious battle over truth and information.

After quitting her job as a middle school math and science teacher, Ashley Rodriguez 

followed her passion and started making coffee on a whim. Rodriguez then became a 

barista, writing about her passion for coffee and hoping to spread the joy she found to 

others. After an unpleasant encounter on a coffee podcast where she called out sexism, 

Rodriguez started her own podcast — and “Boss Barista” was born. “Boss Barista” 

is about all things coffee, where Rodriguez empowers the barista community and 

champions equality in the workplace.

"Code Switch" features fearless conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of 

color, the podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. "Code Switch" explores how 

race impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports 

and everything in between — and provides a trusted place where listeners can go to 

better understand the race-related stories filling up their newsfeeds and social media 

channels. In a year dominated by racial discourse, the podcast provides powerful 

and timely insight, offering diverse and empathetic personal perspectives. Co-hosts 

Sheeren Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby examine issues of racial, ethnic and cultural 

identity through frank one-on-one discussions and incisive non-fiction.

“Dare to Lead” is a collection of conversations with change-catalysts, culture-shifters 

and more than a few troublemakers who are innovating, creating and daring to lead. 

Hosted by Brené Brown, author of five New York Times bestsellers, “Dare to Lead” 

showcases Brown's research and focuses on the themes of authentic leadership and 

wholeheartedness in families, schools and organizations. Brown’s conversations help 

listeners to show up, step up and dare to lead.

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28 PODCAST

Design Matters

DIA Connections

Freakonomics Radio

I Spy

Design Observer

DIA 

Stitcher

Foreign Policy

“Design Matters” is the world's first podcast about design, and serves as an inquiry 

into the broader world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with 

designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians and other luminaries of contemporary 

thought. Hosted by Debbie Millman, a writer, educator, artist and designer, "Design 

Matters" is considered the first and longest-running podcast about design.

Since its creation in 1961, DIA has been the Nation's premier all-source military 

intelligence organization. DIA deploys globally, alongside warfighters and 

interagency partners, to defend America's national security interests. But DIA is 

so much more. "DIA Connections" features overlooked and unfamiliar aspects of 

the DIA — spotlighting the faces of DIA, what DIA does, and the countless ways 

DIA has impacted the lives of people everywhere. The podcast series covers topics 

ranging from notorious spy Ana Montes to the national security implications of the 

environmental crisis in the Arctic.

Discover the hidden side of everything with Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of 

"Freakonomics." Each week, "Freakonomics Radio" explores the things you 

always thought you knew (but didn't) and things you never thought you wanted 

to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just 

about anything. Dubner speaks with Nobel laureates, provocateurs, intellectuals, 

entrepreneurs and more.

Spies don't talk — it's the cardinal rule of the business. But on "I Spy," they are 

encouraged to open up. The podcast showcases all manner of spies: the spies who steal 

secrets, kill adversaries and turn agents into double agents. Each episode features one 

spy telling the story of one operation. Hosted by Margo Martindale, the three-time 

Emmy Award-winner known for her work on "The Americans" and "Justified," “I Spy” 

features a variety of stories from the CIA, KGB, Mossad, NSA, FBI, Canadian Security 

Intelligence Service and DEA.

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PODCAST 29

Jocko Podcast

Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly

Planet Money

Radiolab - "What If?" (Oct. 23, 2020)

Jocko Willink

Marketplace

NPR

WNYC Studios

A decorated retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer, Jocko Willink started "Jocko Podcast" 

as a continuation of his examination of leadership and self-discipline. Each episode 

examines a different part of leadership, discipline, mental toughness and lessons learned 

using examples from historical case studies. Standout episodes include Episode 244: 

“Don’t do it alone. How to build a winning team,” Episode 241: “There will be paid. Life 

is rough. Lessons from being shot 27 times,” Episode 233: “Pressure-test yourself and 

your methods. Are you moving in the right direction? The Boer War,” and Episode 232: 

“Do not fail to learn. Adapt to new environments. The Boer War.”

Hosted by Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood, "Make Me Smart" is a daily news podcast 

that breaks down the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and the most complex 

topics of the week. “Make Me Smart” is dedicated to getting smart about the economy, 

tech, culture — how those things affect each other and our everyday lives. In each 

episode, the hosts combine their experience with insights from influential leaders, big 

thinkers and experts to transform information into insight.

Imagine calling a friend and saying, "Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going 

on with the economy." Now, imagine that conversation leads to a fun and engaging 

discussion. “Planet Money” explains the economy with playful storytelling and Peabody 

Award-winning deep dive, roll-up-your-sleeves journalism. The podcast episodes 

typically run between six and 30 minutes, and feature guests ranging from academic 

experts and business professionals to general members of the American public.

Last summer, Rosa Brooks assembled a team of experts and political operatives from 

both sides of the political aisle to form the Transition Integrity Project and examine 

potential disruptions to the 2020 election. On the Oct. 23, 2020, episode of “What 

If?” the group digs into what they believe could happen if President Donald Trump 

decided, in the face of defeat, to fight instead of concede the election. Part war game, 

part choose your own adventure, the podcast isn't a referendum on Trump. Instead, 

it's a deeply illuminating stress test on our laws, institutions and the commitment to 

democracy written into the U.S. Constitution.

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Revolutions

The Deal

The Psychology Podcast: Episode with Adam Grant 

on Feb. 4, 2020

The Thomas Jefferson Hour

Mike Duncan

Middlebury Insitute of International Studies

Podwiz 

Makoche Studios

Running from 2013 to 2020, “Revolutions” with Mike Duncan covers modern political 

revolutions, beginning with the English Revolution of 1688. Each season is dedicated 

to a single revolution or revolutionary wave, and discusses the revolution through a 

chronological approach that allows Duncan to go into greater detail when covering 

events — examining each revolution’s sequence of events, causes and how it could 

have been avoided. The series covers the English Civil War, American Revolution, 

French Revolution, Haitian Revolution, Simon Bolivar and Gran Colombia, the July 

Revolution, the Revolutions of 1848, the Paris Commune, the Mexican Revolution and 

the Russian Revolution.

“The Deal” is a five-part narrative podcast that tells the story of the Iran nuclear 

deal — how it came together, how it fell apart, and what that means for the world. 

Hosted by Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the 

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of 

International Studies at Monterey, “The Deal” avoids a dry regurgitation of facts by 

instead providing a narrative that focuses on the people directly involved with the 

Iran nuclear deal. Listeners will be able to appreciate the enormity of the deal, and the 

consequences of its loss.

“The Psychology Podcast” with Scott Barry Kaufman provides insights into the mind, 

brain, behavior and creativity. Each episode features a guest who will stimulate your 

mind and give you a greater understanding of yourself, others and the world we live 

in. This episode features a riveting discussion with author Adam Grant about his most 

recent book, “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know.”

Thomas Jefferson was a student of the Enlightenment, human nature and honorable 

behavior. He applied this to his personal life, and to the national and global challenges 

he faced during the formation of the United States. Clay Jenkinson, nationallyacclaimed humanities scholar and award-winning Thomas Jefferson interpreter, 

portrays Jefferson on the program. Clay addresses listener questions with answers 

grounded in the writings and actions of Jefferson. The podcast's mission is to generate 

a discourse between friends and family members, which will grow into a national 

discourse about topics essential to the United States and its citizens.

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PODCAST 31

Throughline

True Spies

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

WorkLife Podcast with Adam Grant, Episode: "Taken 

for Granted: Brene Brown on What Vulnerability Isn't"

NPR

Spyscape

Spotify Original

TED 

The past is never the past. Every headline has a history. Each week, "Throughline" goes 

back in time to understand the present. These stories provide the history we sometimes 

forget — or didn’t know in the first place — of events in the news and ideas dominating 

the national conversation. Through cinematic and sound-rich storytelling, hosts Rund 

Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei provide the story and perspectives often missing from 

history textbooks to help make sense of the world today.

Actors Hayley Atwell and Vanessa Kirby narrate an eclectic mix of espionage stories, 

told by the real spies behind some of the world's greatest operations. What secrets 

did they know? What were their skills? And what would you do if you were in their 

position? "True Spies" takes you inside the world's greatest espionage and detective 

operations. The series explores real-life thrillers, mysteries and crimes — stories 

that prove truth is stranger than fiction. "True Spies" features interviews from top 

intelligence agencies including FBI, CIA, MI5, MI6 (SIS), KGB, GRU, Mossad and 

many others.

“Unlocking Us” is a podcast that showcases conversations that unlock the deeply 

human part of who we are, so that we can live, love, parent and lead with more courage 

and heart. Hosted by Brené Brown, author of five New York Times bestsellers, 

“Unlocking Us” highlights the topics of courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. 

Brown has spent her research career as a professor at her alma mater, the University 

of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work. She has given multiple TED Talks and 

her lecture "Brené Brown: The Call to Courage" was featured on Netflix in 2019.

"WorkLife with Adam Grant" features organizational psychologist Adam Grant as he 

takes you inside the minds of some of the world's most unusual professionals to explore the 

science of making work more enjoyable. From learning how to love criticism to harnessing 

the power of frustration, one thing's for sure: You'll never see your job the same way 

again. This episode discusses why we usually wear our thickest armor at work, and how 

to shed it. In this conversation, Adam Grant and author Brené Brown unpack the power of 

showing vulnerability at work — and explore how much is too much.

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The Cyberwire Daily Podcast

The History of Rome

Hardcore History

The World of Intelligence, Episode 39: 

"Rebels in Intelligence"

Cyberwire 

Mike Duncan

Dan Carlin

Janes

The CyberWire podcasts provide a look at what's happening in cyberspace. The 

podcasts provide clear and concise summaries of the news and offer commentary 

from industry experts. CyberWire's daily podcast features daily cybersecurity 

news and analysis that industry leaders depend on. Published each weekday, the 

program also includes interviews with a wide spectrum of experts from industry, 

academia and research organizations across the world. Recent topics include Chinese 

cyberespionage, Cring ransomware and trends in phishbait.

Mike Duncan's “The History of Rome” aired weekly between 2007-2012, tracing the 

history of the Roman Empire — beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending 

with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 

Relying on primary sources as much as possible, while using secondary and modern 

sources to help judge the verity and objectivity of each source, Duncan's podcast 

draws parallels between the past and the present, noting that human nature has 

changed very little. "The History of Rome" won best educational podcast in the 2010 

People’s Choice Podcast Awards.

In "Hardcore History," political commentator Dan Carlin takes his unorthodox way 

of thinking and applies it to the past. This isn't academic history, but the podcast 

provides a unique blend of high drama, masterful narration and Twilight Zone-style 

twists. "Hardcore History" has been nominated for several awards including a 2012 

Stitcher Award in the Best Educational & Learning Podcast category, as well as the 

Best Classic Podcast in iTune's Best of 2014 awards. Notable episodes include "Wrath 

of the Khans" (episodes 43-47), which explores the Mongol Empire and "Supernova in 

the East" (episodes 62-66), covering the Asia-Pacific War of 1937-1945.

"The World of Intelligence" podcast series is hosted by Terry Pattar from Janes 

Intelligence Unit. In "Rebels in Intelligence" (episode 39), the podcast covers strategic 

thinking, diversity of thought and innovation with Carmen Medina, co-author of 

"Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within."

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ANNIVERSARY

60 YEARS OF STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE RITM 00000