S9E12 Podcast: Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters

As part of GHS’s ongoing commemoration of the US250, Stan’s guest this week is author and historian Edward J. Larson, discussing his new book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters (WW Norton, 2026). At the beginning of 1776, virtually no one in the American colonies advocated for independence: Americans based their grievances against Parliament on theirContinue Reading »

S9E11 Podcast: The US 250

Stan’s guest this week is GHS President and CEO Dr. Todd Groce, talking about the 250th anniversary of the United States, upcoming this year on July 4, 2026. What does this anniversary mean for our country and its people, especially given the divisive times in which we live? We’ll discuss the ongoing legacy of theContinue Reading »

S9E10 Podcast: The 2025 Reading Year in Review

This week Stan kicks off the new year by reviewing his reading in 2025: how many books and pages, fiction and non-fiction, as well as the other ways he works reading into his life: audiobooks, podcasts, blogs, newspapers, and magazines. He also revisits and offers tips on age-old reading problems, including: setting reading goals (orContinue Reading »

S9E8 Podcast: Steve Thomas: From The Last Navigator to This Old House and Back Again

Stan’s guest this week is author and former This Old House host Steve Thomas, discussing the revised and expanded version of his book, The Last Navigator: A Young Man, an Ancient Mariner, the Secrets of the Sea (Abbeville Press). Steve hosted PBS’s This Old House for fourteen years, from 1989 through 2003, during which theContinue Reading »