https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/not-dead-yet--6881632enSociety & CultureRicochethttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2dc5584bee2d0c61cbe514610d3b9365.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/not-dead-yet--6881632Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:54:31 +0000RicochetRicochetproduction@ricochet.comWe’re all dying, but some of us have been brought face to face with that reality. Reflecting on this certainty is part of a life well lived. However long we’ve got, it’s up to each of us to redeem the time. In this new podcast, hosts Ben Sasse and...false514f8ccf-8ffe-5e80-8b0f-3f3b53f12a23episodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/emma-camp--75763701https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75763701Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:54:28 +0000RicochetCan you live the good life without taking risks? Emma Camp of the Wall Street Journal joins the guys to talk about Gen Z, risk aversion, getting married young, and the importance of a good cocktail party — and the obligation to extend hospitality more...4918false136fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bill-burns--75595582https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75595582Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:56:24 +0000RicochetThe former head of the CIA joins the guys and things get wonky. The (mostly) unredacted conversation covers everything: Russia, China, college basketball, AI, spy novels, and what it takes to become an intelligence officer. What does the former top...4087false134fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ed-and-carmen-policy--75428976
Ben Sasse's WSJ piece on how playing football builds character: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/america-needs-its-boys-to-play-football-5b9673de?st=Qmuz3H&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75428976Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:04:55 +0000RicochetChris is doing journalism, so Ben talks football. Another father-son football episode with Ed and Carmen Policy. Can you build a common culture for front office white-collar workers and on-field warriors? How has a salary cap made the NFL more...
Ben Sasse's WSJ piece on how playing football builds character: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/america-needs-its-boys-to-play-football-5b9673de?st=Qmuz3H&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink]]>3821false133fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/katherine-boyle--75296110https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75296110Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:56:50 +0000RicochetFirst return guest, Katherine Boyle, joins the guys to pick up where they left off. How can technology strengthen families? Why do boys need risks? How can women combine work and motherhood? Don’t we all need some suffering? Come for the deep...4404false132fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/andy-crouch--75146642https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75146642Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:04:54 +0000RicochetTechnology, idolatry, time, and habits. Andy Crouch joins the gang to talk about technology, work without rest, and rest. How radical is an hour a day, a day a week, and a week a year? How does rest make us better at work? Is anybody a digital native?...4056false131fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/yuval-levin--75001351https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75001351Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:35:06 +0000RicochetWorld renowned for his beauty and his above-average thoughtfulness, Yuval Levin joins the guys. Why does he describe his work as gratitude for America? Why can’t you script a career path? Why do we overcomplicate questions of virtue? Is it true that...4065false130fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gordon-gee--74780899https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74780899Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:20:33 +0000RicochetOk, they’ll bite. What’s a university? Ben and Chris are joined by legendary university president E. Gordon Gee. Public trust is in collapse, the core curriculum looks like a Cheesecake Factory menu, the math doesn’t add up, and college football looks...3936false129fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cal-newport--74697508https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74697508Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:23:33 +0000RicochetThe guys do some deep work. Prolific author and computer scientist Cal Newport joins the podcast. The gang talks about why email is a slog, what sparks human creativity, why the good life needs thoughtful deliberation, why Slack is a bummer, why the...3622false128fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/listener-mail-ep-2-electric-boogaloo--74256347https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74256347Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:54:41 +0000RicochetYou write; they talk. Bicycle gangs are good, schools are overrated, chronological snobbery is bad, vocations are always plural, and Chris waxes poetic about his favorite hot dog.4089false127fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/andrew-roberts--73822005https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73822005Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:16:49 +0000RicochetThe guys get fancy when Andrew Roberts, Baron Roberts of Belgravia, joins the pod. (Again with the historians.) The guys talk about Churchill and the Special Relationship between the United States and Great Britain. What was Churchill’s political...4465false126fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/h-r-mcmaster--73494023

• James Webb — Fields of Fire  
• James R. McDonough — Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat  
• Charles B. McDonald — Company Commander: The Classic Infantry Memoir of World War II 
• Leo Tolstoy — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories  
• Michael Shaara —The Killer Angels  
• Anton Myrer — Once An Eagle  
• John Keegan — The Face of Battle: A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme  
• Lewis Sorley — Thunderbolt: General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Time  
• Carlo D'Este — Patton: Genius for War, A – The Definitive Portrait of the Complex and Misunderstood American Warrior

]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73494023Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:05:20 +0000RicochetEveryone knows the Warrior Poets get the headlines, but do Warrior Historians deserve the recognition? Do free societies produce better soldiers? How do leaders know when to be disagreeable? H.R. McMaster joins the guys to talk about the history of...

• James Webb — Fields of Fire  
• James R. McDonough — Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat  
• Charles B. McDonald — Company Commander: The Classic Infantry Memoir of World War II 
• Leo Tolstoy — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories  
• Michael Shaara —The Killer Angels  
• Anton Myrer — Once An Eagle  
• 3820false125fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/megan-mcardle--73232894https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73232894Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:12:23 +0000RicochetEverything’s great and nobody’s happy? Megan joins the guys to talk about affluenza.  Each generation has to figure it out — so take some risks, make some bad decisions, and embrace scar tissue.3907false124fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ken-burns--73091073https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73091073Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:07:45 +0000RicochetHistory, storytelling, and America, baby! Ken Burns joins the guys to talk about the work he’s done to translate the American experience to a wide audience. What makes a good documentary? What’s the deal with professional historians? Is “The Ashokan...4549false123fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dana-gioia--72990569https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72990569Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:03:56 +0000RicochetOk, they’ll bite. What is poetry? Poet and critic Dana Gioia joins the guys to talk about poetry. How do poems reward the reader? What can verse tell us about memory? What’s the deal with poets?4139false122fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/jeffrey-rosen--72859159https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72859159Tue, 07 Jul 2026 21:31:30 +0000RicochetAs America celebrates 250 years, the guys talk with Jeff Rosen about the pursuit of happiness. Did Ben Franklin and John Adams really see it the same way? Does self-government depend on reading and virtue? How was Milton an influence on the Founders?...3906false121fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/katherine-boyle--72757232https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72757232Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:30:02 +0000RicochetBen and Chris talk with one of the most interesting people in Silicon Valley who isn’t actually in Silicon Valley. Ben’s got morphine fog. Katherine’s got parenting sleep deprivation. Perfect conditions to talk about intergenerational family life,...4396false120fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/david-zahl--72652224https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72652224Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:43:20 +0000RicochetDave talks with the guys about the problem of replacing faith with the cheap imitations of disordered goods, the need for thick community, the emptiness of striving, and the need for grace. Come for the critique of moral therapeutic deism — stick...3970false119fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/jack-and-john-harbaugh--72551588https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72551588Tue, 16 Jun 2026 16:31:37 +0000RicochetHappy Fathers Day! While Chris is pulled away for journalism stuff, Ben talks about more important things with America’s football family. Jack and John Harbaugh talk about building character, raising families, and living with gratitude. “Who's got it...4494false118fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mitch-daniels--72436247https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72436247Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:05:07 +0000RicochetIndiana is better than West Virginia, nobody disagrees — except Chris. Ben, Chris, and the former Governor — and reality TV star? — Mitch Daniels talk about higher education, the need to deliver competency for taxpayers, and the looming debt crisis.4873false117fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/william-mcraven--72294063
  Show Notes:
  
  Admiral McRaven's book recommendations:
  — Marcus Aurelius: Meditations
  — Anton Myrer: Once an Eagle
  — Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front
  — Will Durant
  — Ella Wheeler Wilcox
  — Rudyard Kipling
  — Stephen M. R. Covey: The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything
  — Ian MacHorton: The Hundred Days of Lt. MacHorton ]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72294063Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:03 +0000RicochetBen can’t do pull-ups anymore, so it’s a great time to talk to Admiral William McRaven. The guys talk about the fine line between swagger and arrogance, the importance of clear communication, and the way McRaven built his teams of Navy Seals. Lots of...
  Show Notes:
  
  Admiral McRaven's book recommendations:
  — Marcus Aurelius: Meditations
  — Anton Myrer: Once an Eagle
  — Erich Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front
  — Will Durant
  — Ella Wheeler Wilcox
  — Rudyard Kipling
  — Stephen M. R. Covey: The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything
  — Ian MacHorton: The Hundred Days of Lt. MacHorton ]]>4382false116fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/listener-mail--72168247https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72168247Tue, 26 May 2026 13:02:57 +0000RicochetThis Q&A episode has everything. Habits, dispositional conservatism, family bookshelves, Bo Jackson, Viking longboats, Apollo space ships, theology, and more. In an effort to avoid premature elaboration, the gang does a lightning round of false...4190false115fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ben-thompson--72062990https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72062990Tue, 19 May 2026 14:00:02 +0000RicochetBen and Chris talk with tech analyst Ben Thompson about the future. Is AI heaven, or hell, or both? Does the future belong to China or the United States? What’s the deal with Silicon Valley and does American ingenuity require a little insanity?4557false114fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/clint-black--71976286https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71976286Tue, 12 May 2026 13:49:29 +0000RicochetSinger, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer Clint Black joins underachievers Ben and Chris. The gang talks about country music, writing, parenting, career choices, and gratitude. How much does art depend on lived-experience and pain, or...4376false113fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/clayton-anderson--71874601https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71874601Tue, 05 May 2026 11:33:02 +0000RicochetAstronaut and Nebraskan Clayton Anderson joins the guys to talk about all things space. The human desire to explore, the vocation of spacewalking hundreds of miles above the earth, the rigors of NASA’s selection process, and the challenges of getting...4116false112fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/walter-russell-mead--71705402https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71705402Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:04:33 +0000RicochetRenaissance man Walter Russell Mead joins the guys to talk about history and global affairs. This episode has everything: Hamiltonians, Jeffersonians, Jacksonians, Wilsonians, Israel, Iran, tech companies, and the kitchen sink.4711false111fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nicholas-eberstadt--71519902https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71519902Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:14:42 +0000RicochetBen and Chris talk a bit about their first jobs and how child labor laws are ruining the country. Then things get super nerdy when Nicholas Eberstadt joins the guys to talk about demographic decline, labor force participation, why men need work.4006false110fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/drew-and-ellie-holcomb--71326782https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71326782Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:29:41 +0000RicochetDrew and Ellie join the guys to talk about family, art, and soul. Ben has no rhythm, but the musicians talk about art as ache, embodied prayer, and yearning for home. Also, make your kids listen to the Beatles.4245false19fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/jonah-goldberg--71135677https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71135677Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:00:20 +0000RicochetJonah joins the boys for their first in-person podcast. Friendship, morphine (higher than average morphine-brain for Ben), note cards, institutions, and journalism. Ben and Chris talk about the why behind the podcast. Wonks have fun too.4771false18fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/chris-pratt--71008192https://api.spreaker.com/episode/71008192Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:00:02 +0000RicochetThe guys talk about hard work and hustle, the choices parents make, the ups, downs, and idols of success, and real vs Ned Flanders Christianity. The dude from Avengers, Jurassic Park, and Super Mario Bros. talks about how he wants his kids to...4683false17fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/amy-coney-barrett--70848896https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70848896Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:00:02 +0000RicochetJustice Barrett joins Ben and Chris. Ben shares his status as the founding member of the ACB for SCOTUS club. The three talk about how she writes her opinions, how parenting slows down the train, the importance of civics, and what horse-race political...3233false16fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mike-rowe--70666146https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70666146Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:00:03 +0000RicochetIs the Dirty Jobs guy secretly America’s most popular philosopher? Mike Rowe joins the guys. This episode has everything: vomit, Stoics, turkey insemination, philosopher welders, wonder, and the problems with institutionalized childhood.4218false15fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/caitlin-flanagan--70539064https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70539064Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:00:02 +0000RicochetCaitlin runs circles around the guys. They talk about deadlines (for writing and living), living with cancer, raising families, how truth has the last word, and a little bit about California.3412falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/conan-o-brien--70249708https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70249708Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:00:02 +0000RicochetWho doesn’t love two Harvard dweebs talking about jokes rather than telling them? The guys talk with Conan O’Brien about dopamine, families, why politicians aren’t funny, his new movie with Rose Byrne, and why Ben wants him to do a history podcast.3439false13fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/al-michaels--70249553https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70249553Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:20:05 +0000RicochetThe guys promised Conan, but when the USA defeats Canada in hockey — 46 years to the day after the 1980 Miracle on Ice — you gotta talk to Al Michaels. Ben, Chris, and Al talk about that incredible victory over the Soviet Union, the importance of...3766false12fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/introduction--70109008https://api.spreaker.com/episode/70109008Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:00:02 +0000RicochetThey’re on the clock! In the kickoff episode, Ben and Chris talk about terminal cancer, procrastination, morphine, and parenting — all to explain why they’re launching a podcast now about redeeming the time.1381false11full