EP 479: Malcolm Gladwell Explores the Overlooked and Misunderstood

Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers, Talking to Strangers, Revisionist History podcast) talks about growing up in a Mennonite community in Ontario, Canada, his brief flirtation with conservatism in his youth, and how his father’s boundless curiosity inspired him to always ask questions. We delve into the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the tragic George Floyd murder and some surprising parallels between African-Americans' relationship with the police and Britain’s heavy-handed approach to Irish Catholics during the 3-decade conflict known as "the Troubles." Then Malcolm discusses podcasts as the antidote to our modern quick-hit news culture, he reveals that even he is often surprised by what he discovers while making a podcast or writing a book, and he shares some of his favorite episodes of his podcast Revisionist History including the time he confronted the Law School Admission Council about the effectiveness of the LSAT and why he is now accusing art museums of being hoarders. Plus Malcolm Gladwell on his obsession with a certain 19th-Century Russian poet and how quarantine has put a monkey wrench in his writing routine.

Season 5 of Malcolm Gladwell's brilliant podcast Revisionist History debuts on Thursday, June 18. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit www.revisionisthistory.com for more information. You can also keep up with Malcolm at www.gladwellbooks.com and on Twitter at @Gladwell. Today's podcast was sponsored by Capella University's flexible online doctoral degree program. Start exploring available programs and scholarship opportunities at www.capella.edu/doctorate.