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Against the Rules with Michael Lewis podcast

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis

Journalist and bestselling author Michael Lewis takes a searing look at what’s happened to fairness in American life through the lens of people who depend on public trust. After exploring what’s happened to referees and coaches, the third season of Against the Rules tackles what’s happened to our trust in experts and expertise. An expert has probably saved your life more than once. So why is it so hard to judge who the real experts are? And why, once we’ve found them, do we struggle to listen to what experts have to say? In this season, we meet oceanographers and baseball writers, nurses and former gang members — people who don’t have a lot in common but the mixed blessing of their expertise. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.

Journalist and bestselling author Michael Lewis takes a searing look at what’s happened to fairness in American life through the lens of people who depend on public trust. After exploring what’s happened to referees and coaches, the third season of Against the Rules tackles what’s happened to our trust in experts and expertise. An expert has probably saved your life more than once. So why is it so hard to judge who the real experts are? And why, once we’ve found them, do we struggle to listen to what experts have to say? In this season, we meet oceanographers and baseball writers, nurses and former gang members — people who don’t have a lot in common but the mixed blessing of their expertise. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.

 

#47

On Background: The Case Against Sam Bankman-Fried

The former CEO of now-bankrupt crypto firm FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried has been charged with fraud and conspiracy. His trial is supposed to begin in October. In the final episode of On Background, Michael Lewis speaks to former prosecutor Rebecca Mermelstein, now a defense attorney with O’Melveny and Myers, about how prosecutors are building the case against Bankman-Fried, and how his defense team can prepare him. For our coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial, check back here soon!  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

12 Sep 2023

32 MINS

32:10

12 Sep 2023


#46

The Sudden Celebrity of Sir John Knight from Revisionist History

In the battles over gun rights, a shadowy English nobleman from the 17th century has unexpectedly taken center stage. Who was he? What did he do that has — 300 years later — endeared him to a generation of legal scholars? Revisionist History explores the cult of personality around the mysterious Sir John Knight. Enjoy this episode from [Revisionist History] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revisionist-history/id1119389968) , another Pushkin Industries podcast. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

31 Aug 2023

48 MINS

48:26

31 Aug 2023


#45

On Background: The Political Spender America Deserves

During the 2022 election cycle, crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried gave as much as $40 million in political donations. That whopping sum caught the attention of campaign finance watchdogs, even before Bankman-Fried was arrested and charged with various financial crimes. Michael Lewis talks to Jordan Libowitz of the Campaign for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) to understand the complex world of campaign finance law. And we hear why SBF, in confessing his dark-money deeds, may be a game changer. (NOTE: after this episode was recorded, federal prosecutors announced they were dropping a campaign finance charge against Bankman-Fried.) Go to [atrpodcast.com] (http://atrpodcast.com/) to submit a question for Michael to answer in an upcoming episode. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

15 Aug 2023

30 MINS

30:43

15 Aug 2023


#44

On Background: Who Buys Distressed Assets?

Andy Mitchell could be called a "doctor for business." His firm, Lantern Asset Management, buys up businesses in immediate need of cash and willing to sell at bargain-basement prices. Michael Lewis calls up Mitchell to get the "distressed asset" angle on the company at the center of Lewis's next book: the now extremely distressed crypto exchange, FTX. But along the way, we hear about other businesses on the skids, including the maker of Twinkies, and the Weinstein Company. Head to [atrpodcast.com] (https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/against-the-rules) and submit a question for Michael to answer in an upcoming episode. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

11 Jul 2023

37 MINS

37:06

11 Jul 2023


#43

Introducing Lost Hills: The Dark Prince

Sharing a preview of Lost Hills Season 3: The Dark Prince. Host Dana Goodyear takes a deep dive into the surf world to explore the legacy of Malibu's Dark Prince, Miki Dora. A surfer known for his style, grace and aggression, he ruled Malibu from the 1950s to the 1970s. Celebrated for his rebellious spirit, he was also a conman who led the FBI on a 7-year manhunt around the world. Hear it all at: [https://apple.co/losthills] (https://apple.co/losthills) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

29 Jun 2023

11 MINS

11:04

29 Jun 2023


#42

On Background: Effective Altruism Still Has Friends

One-time crypto-currency king Sam Bankman-Fried was a big proponent of a philosophical movement known as “effective altruism,” or EA. Advocates of EA say we should use data and reason to find the best ways of doing good. EA’s popularity grew as investors like Bankman-Fried used it to guide generous donations to causes. Micheal Lewis speaks with two college students who got involved in effective altruism through clubs at their universities. Gabriel Mukobi and aL Xin explain the philosophy behind effective altruism and what impact the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried has had on the movement. Questions for Michael? Submit them by visiting [atrpodcast.com] (http://atrpodcast.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

13 Jun 2023

36 MINS

36:08

13 Jun 2023


#41

On Background: Crypto Skeptic Proven Right

If you spend any time reporting on the world of crypto currency and Bitcoin, then you’re going to run across the name Molly White. She’s a software engineer who has been called "the cryptocurrency world's biggest critic." Michael Lewis gets her on the line for a lively conversation about why she spotted hucksterism and fraud early on in crypto's rise. Questions for Michael? Submit them by visiting [atrpodcast.com] (https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/against-the-rules) .  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

16 May 2023

33 MINS

33:32

16 May 2023


#40

On Background: A History of Bankruptcy in the US

Often when a corporation declares bankruptcy, that happens at the end of a long and difficult road. But entering bankruptcy proceedings also means setting out on a new and equally difficult road. That’s where Michael Lewis finds the subject of his next book, Sam Bankman-Fried. The company Bankman-Fried founded, FTX, entered bankruptcy late last year. For some perspective on what could be one of the messiest bankruptcy cases of recent times, Michael turns to David Skeel. Skeel is a professor of corporate law at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the foremost historians of bankruptcy in the US. Send a question to Michael Lewis, and he might answer it on an upcoming episode of Against the Rules. Head to [atrpodcast.com] (http://atrpodcast.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

11 Apr 2023

34 MINS

34:53

11 Apr 2023


#39

On Background: White-Collar Crime and Punishment

Why do people commit white-collar crimes? And how has the way we think about — and prosecute — white-collar criminals changed over time? As part of the background research for his next book, which is about Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX, Michael Lewis wants the historical view of financial fraudsters, embezzlers and Ponzi schemers. So he speaks with Eugene Soltes, professor at the Harvard Business School and author of Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal. If you have a question for Michael Lewis about his writing process, head to [atrpodcast.com] (https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/against-the-rules) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

14 Mar 2023

41 MINS

41:06

14 Mar 2023


#38

On Background: Bad Actors on the Blockchain

For his next book, Michael Lewis wants to find out how investigators manage to trace the murky trail of illicit crypto. Cryptocurrency started with the dream of cash changing hands without a trace. But that dream has turned into a nightmare for many would-be criminals. A new field has emerged of data geeks and law-enforcement experts trying to find out who’s behind transactions on the blockchain. Michael calls up Andy Greenberg, senior cybersecurity writer for WIRED and author of “Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency” to find out how investigators crack the code of crypto.    Questions for Michael? Submit them by visiting [atrpodcast.com] (http://atrpodcast.com/) .  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

14 Feb 2023

37 MINS

37:50

14 Feb 2023


#37

On Background from Against the Rules

Michael Lewis's next book is all about Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the crypto-currency exchange FTX, who now faces federal charges. As with all of his books, Lewis is talking with experts to get background context on the world his characters inhabit. For the first time, these interviews will be recorded, on the record.In this special monthly series from Against the Rules, we'll hear Lewis in conversation with experts such as a tech wizard who traces secrets on the blockchain; a scholar of white-collar crime and punishment; a regulator who knows what crypto firms are – and aren’t – allowed to do with other people’s billions; and an insider who can follow the influence of crypto on campaign finance. “On Background” from Michael Lewis and Against the Rules drops monthly, starting February 14th, 2023. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

31 Jan 2023

02 MINS

02:56

31 Jan 2023


#36

Episode 7: The Person Who Knows

The United States had a pandemic plan. But when a pandemic came, we hesitated to follow it. The country was hobbled by argument and doubt. Much of that doubt came from experts who proposed that Covid might not be as lethal as scientists feared. Michael Lewis returns to the subject of his latest book, The Premonition, to understand why it's so hard to trust the truest signs of expertise: a willingness to follow the evidence. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to [sign up for our email list] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) at Pushkin.fm. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

24 May 2022

45 MINS

45:21

24 May 2022


#35

Episode 6: The Overconfidence Game

In which several people, including Rebecca Solnit, Katty Kay, and Maria Konnikova, help Michael understand the not-so-secret power of men to offer themselves up as experts, when they clearly are not. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure [to ] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) [sign up for our email list] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) at Pushkin.fm. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

17 May 2022

33 MINS

33:32

17 May 2022


#34

Episode 5: The Sanchez Problem

There’s one kind of expert whose role is enshrined in law: that of the expert witness, who’s called on to bolster one side of a case. But courtrooms are not great places for nuance. Overconfident expert testimony has been linked to countless wrongful convictions, especially in gang-related cases. Michael speaks with a new kind of expert witness: former gang members who struggle to counteract the testimony of police.If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure [to sign up for our email list] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) at Pushkin.fm. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

03 May 2022

40 MINS

40:02

03 May 2022


#33

Episode 4: Respect the Polygon

Experts know more now than ever before. And we’re more critical of them than ever before, too. But one kind of expert really gets us riled up: the type who deals in probabilities. We hear from meteorologists, political forecasters, and even nurses about why calculating the odds is so hard, and why we all suffer the deadly consequences as a result. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure [to sign up for our email list] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) at Pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

19 Apr 2022

33 MINS

33:00

19 Apr 2022


#32

Episode 3: Field of Ignorance

The right kind of expert, at the right time, can change everything. While working as a security guard at a pork-and-beans cannery in Kansas, Bill James started writing about baseball. But writing about it through the poetry of statistical analysis. It took a long time, but James's way of looking at the game changed more than just baseball. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to [sign up for our email list] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) at Pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

12 Apr 2022

34 MINS

34:27

12 Apr 2022


#31

Episode 2: The Art of the Untold Story

Why can’t we see the experts right in front of us, even when they're saving our lives? Maybe it's because the specialized knowledge of many experts defies good storytelling. We hear from a nonprofit trying to elevate the esoteric work of government experts, and we hear from one of their nominees. His work has changed the survival prospects for many lost at sea, but even those survivors have never heard his name. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure [to sign up for our email list] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) at Pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

05 Apr 2022

38 MINS

38:47

05 Apr 2022


#30

Episode 1: Six Levels Down

Athenahealth was just another healthcare provider facing the biggest problem US doctors face: not treating patients, but getting insurance companies to pay their bills. But then the company figured out how to fix the problem, by recognizing an overlooked expert toiling in the hospital basement. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure be sure [to sign up for our email list] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) at Pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

05 Apr 2022

42 MINS

42:17

05 Apr 2022


#29

Against the Rules Season 3: The Ballad of Expertise

In “Against the Rules,” journalist and bestselling author Michael Lewis takes a searing look at what’s happened to fairness—in financial markets, newsrooms, basketball games, courts of law, and much more. In Season 3, Michael tackles America’s expert problem. Why is it so hard to figure out who the real experts are? And why, once we’ve found them, are they so rarely the people calling the shots? If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to [sign up for our email li] (https://pushkin.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec28005461416f0b42178894f&id=1694c40f69) st at Pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

22 Mar 2022

02 MINS

02:55

22 Mar 2022


#28

Other People’s Money: George Saunders on the Value of Failure

After the surprise success of Liar’s Poker, publishers urged Michael Lewis to try his hand at fiction. It was a bad idea. But even award-winning fiction authors have struggled with failure. Michael speaks with Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders about the urge to imitate other writers, and what we all can learn from bad first drafts. We also hear why Saunders was identified early as a gifted student, while Michael Lewis was – emphatically – not. You can order the new Liar’s Poker audiobook at Pushkin.fm/LiarsPoker. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

08 Mar 2022

28 MINS

28:25

08 Mar 2022


#27

Other People’s Money: Ira Glass on Finding Your Voice

Michael Lewis did not rest long on his laurels after publishing Liar’s Poker. In the 1990s, he hit the presidential campaign trail, writing a series of magazine pieces. Some of his dispatches got adapted for audio by a then-new public radio show called “This American Life.” Michael speaks with the show’s creator, Ira Glass, about how they both found their voices as storytellers. Trigger warning: this episode contains vintage NPR sounds. You can order the new Liar’s Poker audiobook at Pushkin.fm/LiarsPoker. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

01 Mar 2022

26 MINS

26:46

01 Mar 2022


#26

Other People’s Money: Anne Clarke Wolff on the Wages of Sexism

Liar’s Poker is set on a Wall Street where women were the last hired and first fired — and that was probably the least of their worries. Is Wall Street today any better for women? Michael speaks with Anne Clarke Wolff, who was in the training class at Salomon Brothers a few years after him. She is starting an investment bank that will be majority owned and managed by women and minorities. The firm’s nickname? “Salomon Sisters.” You can order the new Liar’s Poker audiobook at Pushkin.fm/LiarsPoker. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

22 Feb 2022

28 MINS

28:21

22 Feb 2022


#25

Other People’s Money: Dash Riprock and the Human Piranha Revealed

Liar’s Poker describes many of the mentors Michael Lewis had at the investment bank Salomon Brothers. He chose to keep some of their identities secret, out of a well-founded fear that the book might cost them their cushy Wall Street jobs. Now for the first time, we get to hear their side of the story and learn their names. You can order the new Liar’s Poker audiobook at Pushkin.fm/LiarsPoker. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

15 Feb 2022

29 MINS

29:18

15 Feb 2022


#24

Other People’s Money: Jacob Goldstein and the Bonds of Wall Street

For the first time in more than 30 years, Michael Lewis has re-read Liar’s Poker. That experience brought up a lot of questions — especially, why is a book set in the pre-Internet Wall Street of the 1980s still relevant today? So Michael turned to Jacob Goldstein, finance reporter and host of the Pushkin show "What’s Your Problem?". They discuss how Liar’s Poker foreshadowed the ups and downs of the world we live in now. You can listen to Jacob Goldstein’s new show “What’s Your Problem?” here:  [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-your-problem/id1602541473] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-your-problem/id1602541473) And you can order the new Liar’s Poker audiobook here:  [https://www.pushkin.fm/audiobook/liars-poker] (https://www.pushkin.fm/audiobook/liars-poker) Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

08 Feb 2022

42 MINS

42:14

08 Feb 2022


#23

Introducing Other People's Money: A Liar's Poker Companion

Michael Lewis published his first book, Liar's Poker, in 1989. It’s about his time as a bond salesman on Wall Street — and it was a runaway best seller. Pushkin Industries is re-releasing it for the first time as an unabridged audiobook, read by the author. And to celebrate, Lewis has made a special mini-series about the book. Over the course of five weeks, he'll revisit people he worked with, explore how he found his voice as a writer, and ask why Wall Street firms still assign the book to their interns today. You can order Liar’s Poker audiobook at Pushkin.fm/LiarsPoker. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

26 Jan 2022

03 MINS

03:14

26 Jan 2022


#22

Live Interview 5/19/21: Michael Lewis and Geraldine Brooks

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Geraldine Brooks interviews Michael Lewis about his new book “The Premonition: A Pandemic Story.” They also discuss how Michael started his writing career and why growing up in New Orleans made him a better storyteller. This conversation was recorded as part of the Live Talks Los Angeles series and posted May 19, 2021. Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

16 Jun 2021

47 MINS

47:21

16 Jun 2021


#21

The Premonition

In this special bonus episode of Against the Rules, Michael Lewis reads a chapter from his new book about the pandemic, [The Premonition] (https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393881554) —available now wherever books are sold. This episode includes the voice of Charity Dean, former Assistant Director of the California Department of Public Health and one of the medical visionaries featured in the book. And stay around for an exclusive author interview.  Learn more about your ad-choices at [https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com] (https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

04 May 2021

34 MINS

34:02

04 May 2021