The Atlas Society Presents - Objectively Speaking

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 296th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she meets with acclaimed ghostwriter and author Joshua Lisec to talk about his book, "Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions (and How to Crush Them)," which argues that communism, socialism, Marxism, and similar radical ideologies are not philosophies but recurring tactics of terror that strip people of life, liberty, and property—and then exposes their playbook to show how those tactics can be confronted and defeated. Lisec is a New York Times, USA, and #1 Publishers Weekly bestselling author, a New York Times bestselling co-author, and a Wall Street Journal bestselling ghostwriter. As of September 2025, Lisec has ghostwritten more than 100 nonfiction books, collectively translated into more than a dozen languages.

Join Atlas Society CEO for the 295th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she sits down with returning guest Michael Shermer to talk about his 2024 book "Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational," which presents an overarching review of conspiracy theories―who believes them and why, which ones are real, and what we should do about them. Returning to Objectively Speaking, Shermer is no stranger to The Atlas Society, having joined us previously to discuss his book "Giving the Devil His Due," a tour de force in defense of free speech from a scientific humanist perspective. Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine, host of the podcast The Michael Shermer Show, and the author of New York Times bestsellers "Why People Believe Weird Things," "The Believing Brain," and "The Science of Good and Evil," among many others.

What does it truly mean for a nation to act in its rational self-interest on the world stage? Join Atlas Society Senior Scholar Richard Salsman, Ph.D., for a discussion on why America is right to adopt self-interested foreign-military policies, as captured in the phrase “America First.” The U.S. national interest entails preserving liberty and capitalism. Salsman explains how this egoistic principle fueled the launch of the U.S. war with Iran and so far has guided its conduct. But U.S. victory must be swift, definitive, and devoid of the “nation building” which violates the America First principle. Salsman argues that a future Middle East without dominance by theocratic Islamism could prove as beneficial to U.S. interests as did the end of the U.S.S.R. and the Cold War in the 1990s.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 293rd episode of Objectively Speaking, where she sits down with podcast host and Bitcoin advocate Natalie Brunell to discuss her new book "Bitcoin is for Everyone: Why Our Financial System is Broken and Bitcoin is the Solution." A journalist, podcaster, and longtime friend of The Atlas Society, Brunell joins Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman to make the case that Bitcoin’s decentralized, transparent, and rules-based design offers a powerful tool for financial freedom, individual sovereignty, and long-term economic stability. Her book examines how inflation, centralized control, and opaque monetary policy have eroded trust in traditional finance.

‍It was March 2016—only 10 short years ago—when Jennifer Grossman reported for her first day on the job as CEO of The Atlas Society. Usually the one asking questions on Objectively Speaking, Grossman will swap seats with longtime friend of The Atlas Society, Naomi Brockwell, President and Founder of the Ludlow Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting privacy in the digital age. Naomi will chat with JAG about her chief accomplishments, challenges, and impact over the first 10 years of growing the organization, and share her vision for the decade to come.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 291st episode of Objectively Speaking as she sits down with Uyghur rights advocate and political leader Salih Hudayar, Foreign Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, to discuss China’s persecution of the Uyghur people, the fight for East Turkistan’s independence, and efforts in the international community to confront authoritarian repression and defend human rights. Born in a Uyghur village under Chinese rule, Hudayar was forced to flee with his family at just seven years old to escape persecution. Now serving as Foreign Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, Hudayar has been at the forefront of international efforts to expose and oppose the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign of repression, mass detention, and cultural eradication against the Uyghur people.

All political labels are abused—some more than others. When should a label be abandoned, and when not? In contemporary American political journalism, liberal is one such contested word. In the 290th episode of Objectively Speaking, Stephen Hicks will discuss its value and prospects.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 289th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she is joined by Professor Richard Vedder to talk about his book, "Let Colleges Fail: The Power of Creative Destruction in Higher Education," which makes the case that higher education must embrace market discipline—learning from the private sector, ending federal control of student loans, questioning accreditation, and allowing creative destruction to drive innovation, affordability, and genuine educational value. Vedder is a Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Economics at Ohio University. His work has appeared in scholarly journals and in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and National Review. He is the author of several books, including "Restoring the Promise: Higher Education in America" and "Going Broke By Degree: Why College Costs Too Much."

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 288th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she sits down with the President and CEO of Laitram, LLC, as well as Board Chair for Atlas Society, Jay Lapeyre to discuss the moral foundations of a free society and the values needed to sustain it. In an age of deep polarization and growing skepticism toward freedom itself, what core values can still unite Americans around a shared moral foundation for a free society? That’s what Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman and President and CEO of Laitram, LLC, Jay Lapeyre sit down to discuss in this special episode of Objectively Speaking. Along with serving as Board Chair for both the Cato Institute and The Atlas Society, Lapeyre is a founding leader of the Free Society Coalition, a new alliance of thinkers and institutions committed to clarifying and defending the ethical principles that make freedom possible. Drawing on the Coalition’s Philadelphia Declaration for Freedom and Responsibility, the duo will explore how individual dignity, moral agency, objective truth, and constitutional limits on power can provide a unifying alternative to collectivism, nihilism, and authoritarianism on both the left and the right.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 287th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she is joined by professor Anna Krylov to discuss the dangers when institutions dedicated to truth-seeking come to prioritize ideology over scientific rigor, and what that means for the future of science. How did institutions dedicated to truth-seeking come to prioritize ideology over scientific rigor, and what does that mean for the future of science? That’s what Anna Krylov examines in a recent article, “How Science Became Corrupted,” for the Heterodox STEM Substack. In a powerful critique of modern scientific publishing, Krylov argues that identity-based policies, “citation justice,” and editorial censorship have undermined peer review, distorted the production of knowledge, and replaced merit with social engineering. Krylov is a theoretical chemist and professor known for her outspoken defense of scientific rigor, open inquiry, and the pursuit of objective truth.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 286th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she sits down with sociologist Musa al-Gharbi to discuss his book "We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite," which examines the history and political economy of the symbolic professions from the interwar period through the present, tracing how journalists, academics, activists, and knowledge-sector professionals came to wield outsized cultural influence. A sociologist and associate professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University, Al-Ghabri brings a rigorous, data-driven approach to understanding today’s ideological battles. He is also a prolific writer of many articles, including those posted to his Substack, Symbolic Capital(ism).

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 285th episode of Objectively speaking where she sits down with three-time returning guest Timothy Sandefur to talk about his latest book "You Don’t Own Me: Individualism and the Culture of Liberty," which explores how the idea of individual freedom has shaped not only politics and economics but also the arts—from pop music to poetry, from “Star Trek” to the blues, and from Western novels to architecture. Returning for a third time on Objectively Speaking, Sandefur is no stranger to The Atlas Society, having joined us previously to discuss his books Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man and Freedom’s Furies: How Isabel Patterson, Rose Wilder Lane, and Ayn Rand Found Liberty in an Age of Darkness. Sandefur is the Vice President for Legal Affairs at the Goldwater Institute and holds the Duncan Chair in Constitutional Government. He is the author of nine books as well as more than 50 scholarly articles on a wide variety of legal subjects.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 284th episode of Objectivley Speaking where she interviews historian Barry Strauss about his book "Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire," which offers a gripping account of one of the most momentous eras in human history: the two hundred years of ancient Israel’s battles against Rome that reshaped Judaism and gave rise to Christianity. Barry Strauss is Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and Bryce & Edith M. Bowmar Professor of Humanistic Studies Emeritus at Cornell. As a historian, Strauss has spent years researching and studying the leaders of the ancient world and has written and spoken widely of their mistakes and successes. Some of his previous titles include "Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine," "The War That Made the Roman Empire," and "Masters of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and the Genius of Leadership."

Join Atlas Society Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski for the 283rd episode of Objectively Speaking when she sits down with Roosevelt Montás to talk about his book "Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation," which describes how four authors―Plato, Augustine, Freud, and Gandhi―had a profound impact on Montás’s life, driving home why a liberal education can still remake lives. Roosevelt Montás is a Senior Lecturer in American Studies and English at Columbia University and the director of the Center for American Studies’ Freedom and Citizenship Program, which brings low-income high school students to the Columbia campus to study political theory and then helps them prepare successful applications to college. He speaks and writes on the history, meaning, and future of liberal education and is the author of "Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation."

Join Atlas Society Senior Scholar Stephen Hicks and Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski for a conversation on emerging trends in conservative political philosophy. Together, they’ll explore the ideas of post-liberal, national conservative, and integralist thinkers, discuss influential American theorists driving the conversation, and contrast them with leading European voices such as Roger Scruton and James Orr.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 281st episode of Objectively Speaking, with historian Arthur Herman as they discuss his book "The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization," which answers the question of how the competing visions of Plato and Aristotle shaped the very way we think about politics, art, science, and the modern world. A senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute, Herman is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist historian and biographer, authoring nine books, including the New York Times Best Seller How the Scots Invented the Modern World, Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, and 1917: Lenin, Wilson, and the Birth of the New World Disorder.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 280th episode of Objectively Speaking when she sits down with Josh Hammer to talk about his book "Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West," which makes a case for why the key to the prosperity of the West is the flourishing of the Jewish State of Israel. Josh Hammer is the Senior Editor at Large of Newsweek, where he hosts “The Josh Hammer Show.” A frequent pundit and essayist on political, legal, and cultural issues, Josh is also a research fellow with the Edmund Burke Foundation, a fellow with the Palm Beach Freedom Institute, and senior counsel for the Article III Project and Internet Accountability Project.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 279th episode of Objectively Speaking where she is joined by three-time returning guest Johan Norberg to talk about his latest book "Peak Human: What We Can Learn From History’s Greatest Civilizations," which explores the rise and fall of past societies to uncover the ideas, institutions, and innovations that fueled their success—and the mistakes that led to their decline. Johan Norberg is a Cato Senior Fellow and the author and editor of more than 20 books that focus on globalization, human progress, and intellectual history. He previously joined The Atlas Society Asks to discuss his books "Open: The Story of Human Progress" and "The Capitalist Manifesto."

Join Atlas Society founder and Senior Scholar David Kelley, Ph.D., along with Senior Scholar and Professor of Political Economy at Duke Richard Salsman, Ph.D., for a special webinar exploring the relationship between concepts, propositions, and objective knowledge—central themes in Kelley’s new essay Concepts and Propositions. Together, the duo will unpack why propositions are essential to reasoning, how Kelley’s work builds upon Rand’s theory of concepts, and what this expanded epistemology means for understanding truth, logic, and the pursuit of rational ideas in today’s intellectual climate.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 277th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews founder and CEO Darcy Olsen about the Center for the Rights of Abused Children and its mission to “protect children, change laws and inspire people – to ensure every abused child has a safe and loving home." A former foster mom, who adopted four of the children that she fostered, Darcy founded the Center after witnessing firsthand the injustices and systemic failures within the child welfare and family court systems. Olsen prevously served as CEO of the Goldwater Institute where she wrote the book, “The Right to Try: How the Federal Government Prevents Americans from Getting the Lifesaving Treatments They Need,” which resulted in a national law giving people with terminal illnesses the right to try investigational medicines. She joins Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman to talk about the Center for the Rights of Abused Children and mission to give children a voice, an advocate, and the opportunity to thrive.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 276th episode of Objectively Speaking where she interviews author Dan Flynn about his new book "The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer," which unveils one of the twentieth century’s great untold stories: a Communist turned conservative, an antiwar activist turned soldier, and a free-love enthusiast turned family man whose big idea captured the American Right. A senior editor with The American Spectator, Flynn has authored seven books, including "Intellectual Morons: How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas," "10 Days That Shook San Francisco," and "Blue Collar Intellectuals: When the Enlightened and the Everyman Elevated America."

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 275th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she is joined by Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, to discuss his book "Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story" along with his latest release, "Jewish Roots of American Liberty: The Impact of Hebraic Ideas on the American Story." A historian having taught at Georgetown, Tulane, and Johns Hopkins, among others, Wilfred McClay now serves as the Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College. A prolific author, McClay’s books include The Masterless: Self and Society in Modern America, A Student’s Guide to U.S. History, and his newest book, Jewish Roots of American Liberty: The Impact of Hebraic Ideas on the American Story.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 274th episode of Objectively Speaking as she sits down with Spike Cohen, libertarian activist, entrepreneur, and podcaster. Together, they discuss Cohen’s nonprofit, You Are The Power, its mission to push back against government overreach, and its grassroots efforts to defend families facing wrongful threats of separation from government agencies. Jeremy "Spike" Cohen is a libertarian political activist, entrepreneur, and the Founder and President of You Are the Power, a nonprofit focused on using solutions-oriented activism to grow the Liberty movement and fight back against corrupt officials and government overreach. He previously served as the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee in 2020.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 273rd episode of Objectively Speaking, where Professor Lucas Morel joins her alongside returning guest Jonathan White to talk about the duo's co-authored book "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln," which assembles Frederick Douglass’s most meaningful and poignant statements about Abraham Lincoln, including a dozen newly discovered documents that have not been seen for 160 years. "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln" - https://amzn.to/4kyEuyO Lucas Morel is a Professor of Ethics and Politics at Washington and Lee University and works at the Jack Miller Center as a Board Member, Academic Advisory Council Member, and Founding Civics Initiative Faculty. He is the author of several books and publications, including "Lincoln, and the American Founding" and currently serves on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which will plan activities to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Jonathan W. White is a historian and the author or editor of more than 20 books and over 100 articles, essays, and reviews on Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, slavery and emancipation, and the U.S. Constitution. Aside from teaching American studies at Christopher NewPort University, White wears many hats including Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, serving on the Boards of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Institute and the Abraham Lincoln Association, along with being the Vice Chair of The Lincoln Forum. He published his first children’s book My Day with Abe Lincoln in 2024 with a new book planned for release later this fall.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 272nd episode of Objectively Speaking. In the wake of the devastating loss of longtime friend Charlie Kirk, Driena Sixto joins Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman as they share reflections on Charlie’s life, leadership, and the profound mark he left on the movement for liberty. Inspired by Ayn Rand at a young age, Driena has pursued a career in grassroots activism, mobilization, and outspoken commentary, now serving as a Media Spokesperson for Turning Point Action. A Miami native, she’s a local Cuban-American “politica” featured in dozens of media outlets, including CBS, Univision, and Telemundo.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 271st episode of Objectively Speaking, where she speaks with Princeton Professor Stephen J. Macedo about his new book "In Covid’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us," which offers the first comprehensive political assessment of our pandemic response and raises urgent questions about how governments abandoned pre-Covid preparedness plans, politicized science, and deepened inequality. As the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics and Acting Director of the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University, Macedo is the author of several books including Just Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage and focuses his research on social justice exerted by various forms of globalization, especially immigration, and the problems raised by social media companies and the dangers of government efforts to policy “misinformation.”

Are deportations driving down violent crime in America? Some supporters are crediting the sharp increase in deportations for what could soon be the lowest U.S. murder rate on record. On the other hand, critics strongly argue that deportation sweeps unfairly target non-violent offenders and create fear within immigrant communities, discouraging victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement. Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 271st episode of Objectively Speaking when she interviews bail attorney Ken W. Good on the intersection of bail, crime, and immigration enforcement policies.

Join Atlas Society Senior Scholars Stephen Hicks and Richard Salsman for a webinar exploring the intersection of “Public Choice” economics and Objectivism. Listen as the duo discuss how Public Choice theory challenges the idea of selfless government actors, and how Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged vividly dramatizes the consequences of political actors being driven by self-interest rather than the public good.

Join Atlas Society founder and Senior Scholar David Kelley, Ph.D., along with Senior Fellow Robert Tracinski, for the 268th episode of Objectively Speaking and a special webinar exploring what it means for a nation to be defined by ideas rather than ancestry or geography. From the Constitution to immigration, from debates with national conservatives to challenges from the anti-American left, the duo will examine the enduring principles that shaped America—and why defending them is more important than ever.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 267th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews founder and board chair of Education Design Lab, Kathleen deLaski, about her new book “Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter,” which draws on a decade of design-thinking research and interviews to reimagine what higher education might offer and whom it should serve. DeLaski is the founder and board chair of the Education Design Lab, which works with colleges, states, and employers to design shorter, more targeted forms of higher education. Over the course of her career, she has worked as an executive at Fortune 500 company Sallie Mae, worked as a correspondent for ABC News, covering the White House and foreign affairs, served in the Clinton administration, the first woman to serve as chief Pentagon spokesperson, and named the Washingtonian Magazine's list of top policy influencers each year since 2022.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 266th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews returning guest Eric Kaufmann about his latest book, “The Third Awokening: A 12-Point Plan for Rolling Back Progressive Extremism,” which explores the rise of “woke” ideology and proposes a concrete strategy to counter its influence. Eric Kaufmann is a Canadian Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham, adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and a previous guest on Objectively Speaking, where he spoke on his book “Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration and the Future of White Majorities.” A specialist on cultural politics, religious and national identity, and demography, Kaufmann has authored, co-authored, and edited multiple books, including “The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America” and “Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth.”

What if the cultural quirks of the late ’90s weren’t just nostalgia, but the blueprint for today’s America? Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 265th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews author Ross Benes about his new book “1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times,” which demonstrates how many of the strangest cultural features of 1999 have signaled and paved the way for the coarsening of American life today. Ross Benes is an author, journalist, and research analyst who has written for outlets, including Huffpost, The Nation, Rolling Stone, Smithsonian Magazine, and has also written several books, including The Sex Effect and Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 264th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews returning guest Peter Worrell about his latest book “INTENTION: Unlocking The Lifeforce Inside High-Performing Entrepreneurs” which explores what truly drives entrepreneurial success—not just strategy and execution, but the deep, inner forces of intention, resilience, and alignment. Being a successful entrepreneur takes more than strategy and execution, but draws on the deep, inner forces of intention, resilience, grit, and creativity. How to unleash these qualities is a question Peter Worrell explores in his latest book, "INTENTION: Unlocking The Lifeforce Inside High-Performing Entrepreneurs." And it’s a topic that Worrell has had decades studying, having helped countless Entrepreneur Owner-Managers to build and ultimately capture the Enterprise Value they’ve tirelessly built, in his capacity as Managing Director of Bigelow LLC. Worrell is also the author of "Enterprise Value: How the Best Owner-Managers Build Their Fortune, Capture Their Company’s Gains, and Create Their Legacy," and host of the Enterprise Value Podcast.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 263rd episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews journalist David Zweig about his book "An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions,” which offers a devastating account of the decision-making process behind one of the worst American policy failures in a century—the extended closures of public schools during the pandemic. David Zweig is a writer, musician, and freelance journalist whose articles have appeared in a variety of publications, including The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Free Press, and, most often, his newsletter, Silent Lunch. Zweig has testified twice before Congress as an expert witness on school policies during the pandemic, and his investigative reporting on pandemic policies has been cited in numerous Congressional letters and a brief to the Supreme Court.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 262nd episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews former CIA analyst Martin Gurri about his book "The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium." Why has trust in the “expert” class cratered? What explains the rise of populism around the world? Why do people view the once-vaunted Fourth Estate as little more than “Fake News”? Turns out author Martin Gurri anticipated these questions in his prophetic 2014 book, The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium, which tells the story of how insurgencies, enabled by digital devices and a vast information sphere, have mobilized millions of ordinary people around the world. He’s now updated his original to include an extensive analysis of Donald Trump’s improbable rise to the presidency and the electoral triumphs of Brexit. A former CIA analyst, Gurri writes extensively on geopolitical and media-related topics for multiple outlets, including The Free Press and his blog, The Fifth Wave.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 261st episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews author Zoltan Cendes about his book "The Objectivist’s Guide to the Galaxy: Answers to the Ultimate Questions of Life, the Universe, and Everything." In a playful nod to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Cendes poses and answers life’s ultimate questions, informed by his deep knowledge of Objectivism—and other sciences, including physics and biology. Cendes is the founder of Ansoft Corporation, a trailblazer in engineering simulation software with major clients including Intel and Apple. Cendes’ masterpiece will thrill those with scientific curiosity, and inspire readers eager to gain knowledge of the universe from first principles on up.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 259th episode of The Atlas Society Asks where she interviews author Robert Bidinotto about his new book "A Rebel In Eden: The War Between Individualism and Environmentalism," which takes a deep dive into the movement’s mythological roots and highlights its scientifically bogus environmental scare campaigns. A previous editor for The Atlas Society’s The New Individualist, Robert Bidinotto has written nonfiction books such as "Criminal Justice?" and "Freed to Kill," as well as fiction such as the bestselling Dylan Hunter thriller series.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 258th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews historian Jonathan W. White about his vast knowledge of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era as written in his more than 20 books on the topic. Jonathan W. White is a historian and the author or editor of more than 20 books and over 100 articles, essays, and reviews on Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, slavery and emancipation, and the U.S. Constitution. Aside from teaching American studies at Christopher NewPort University, White wears many hats including Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, serving on the Boards of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Institute and the Abraham Lincoln Association, along with being the Vice Chair of The Lincoln Forum. He published his first children’s book My Day with Abe Lincoln in 2024 with a new book planned for release later this fall.

Join Atlas CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 258th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews Laura Delano about her book "Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance," which tells the story of Delano’s 14-year relationship to the American mental health industry and questions the dominant, rarely critiqued role that the American mental health industry, and the pharmaceutical industry in particular, plays in shaping what it means to be human. Laura Delano is a writer, speaker, and consultant, and the founder of Inner Compass Initiative, a charitable organization that helps people make informed choices about psychiatric diagnoses, drugs, and drug withdrawal. She is a leading voice in the international movement to offer patients an alternative to the medicalized, professionalized mental health industry. Delano works with individuals and families around the world who are seeking guidance and support during their withdrawal journeys and in their post-psychiatric lives.

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 257th episode of Objectively Speaking where she interviews Brian Doherty about his new book "Modern Libertarianism: A Brief History of Classical Liberalism in the United States," which provides a concise, thorough account of the intellectual roots of the American libertarian movement, with helpful summaries of key figures, institutions, and events. As a senior editor at Reason magazine, Doherty is an award-winning journalist who has covered libertarian and conservative movement history, gun policy and legal history, tech innovation, environmental and trade policy, and cutting-edge American art movements. His previous books include "Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern Libertarian Movement," "Gun Control on Trial," and "Ron Paul’s rEVOLution."

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 256th episode of Objectively Speaking, where she interviews award-winning author Jimmy Soni about his 2022 book "The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley." Jimmy Soni is the author of "The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley," which explores PayPal’s turbulent early days and the stories of countless individuals who were left out of the front-page features and banner headlines but who were central to PayPal’s success. As an award-winning author, speechwriter, and former managing editor of The Huffington Post, his previous books include "A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age" and "Rome’s Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar."

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 255th episode of Objectively Speaking (formerly The Atlas Society Asks), where she interviews Extropic founder Guillaume Verdon. Guillaume Verdon, or Gill Verdon, is the founder of Extropic, a startup AI hardware company to meet the demanding power and computation requirements of generative AI. A physicist, applied mathematician, and researcher in quantum machine learning, Gill is also known under his online persona, @BasedBeffJezos, and for his creation of effective accelerationism (e/acc), which advocates for rapid technological progress as an ethically preferred path for human progress, emphasizing optimism and proactive efforts to shape a better future.

Join Atlas Society founder and Senior Scholar David Kelley, Ph.D., along with Senior Scholar and Professor of Political Economy at Duke, Richard Salsman, Ph.D., for a special webinar exploring how influential ideas often fail to persuade when their terms are misunderstood, emotionally charged, or used unequivocally. "Intellectual influencers often fail to convince others of the truth of their concepts and principles when their targets don’t 'hear' what’s meant--or hear its opposite. Connotation (felt meaning) doesn’t always track denotation (literal meaning). Examples include atheism, selfishness, capitalism, power, equality, liberal, democracy, and progressive. Ideally, we define our terms and don’t equivocate, but each is likely amid today’s conceptual confusion, epistemological nominalism, and moral emotivism. People 'talk past each other' or dismiss debates as futile--'mere semantics.'"

Join Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman for the 253rd episode of Objectively Speaking (formerly The Atlas Society Asks), where she interviews the CEO of the American Culture Project, John Tillman, about his work with the American Culture Project and Illinois Policy Institute, along with the moral case for celebrating entrepreneurial heroes. John Tillman is the CEO of the American Culture Project, an organization that attracts, educates, and mobilizes independent voters around the ideas of freedom and opportunity. He is also the chairman of the Illinois Policy Institute, one of the most influential state-based think tanks in the country, and a leader in the free-market, public-policy arena.