I just posted a podcast with superb UCLA economist, Edward Leamer. Today's podcast is with Ed's brother, Larry. Ed introduced me to Larry almost fifty years ago. We've been friends ever since. It's given me a ringside seat to his amazing career -- from a factory worker in Paris to a member of the Peace Corps in a remote village in Nepal, to an extraordinary career in journalism, to becoming one of America's premier biographers and non-fiction authors.
Larry is the author of 19 books, five of which are best sellers. His 19th book, Hitchock's Bonds, to be released on October 10th, will surely also be a sensational hit.
Larry's books cover the entire gamut of issues/topics/people -- from politics, to the drug trade, to coal mining, lynching, to the front and back stories of a range of politicians, their spouses, and celebrities. Larry's biographies include books on Johnny Carson, the Kennedy Women (three books), Nancy and Ronald Reagan, Arnold Swarzenegger, Donald Trump, and Truman Capote's female entourage.
This is a great podcast. The connection to economics? You'll learn about the trials and tribulations of finding your calling and about the economics of journalism and authoring books.
Here's Larry's Wiki Entry:
Leamer's writings on the Kennedy family have achieved considerable popularity: for instance, The Kennedy Women was the main selection of the Book of the Month Club and reached number two on the New York Times Best Seller list.[2] His other two Kennedy biographies The Kennedy Men and The Kennedy Women were also New York Times bestsellers.
He has been interviewed by NBC Nightly News, The New York Times, CNN and NPR to lend his expertise to matters concerning the Kennedys, Ronald Reagan, and American politics. In the period following the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr., Leamer served as the on-air consultant for MSNBC's coverage of the plane crash and subsequent funeral. He again served as a consultant during the coverage of former President Ronald Reagan's funeral.[4]
Leamer has also written a biography of Johnny Carson titled King of the Night, which spent over six weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list.[5] In writing his novel Assignment, Leamer lived in Peru for two years to research the cocaine trade.[2] He again immersed himself in his topic when he moved to Nashville to research the business and lifestyle of country music and its many stars for Three Chords and the Truth.[2] Each of the books were lauded for the depth of their research. Leamer's work on the life of famed mountaineer Willi Unsoeld was purchased by Robert Redford's production company to be turned into a film[2] that remains in the development stages. His 2013 book The Price of Justice is the story of two Pittsburgh lawyers and their decade and a half struggle against the most powerful coal baron in American history. It involves allegations concerning the deaths of 31 miners, the poisoning of the water of hundreds of people, and of judicial corruption in the West Virginia Supreme Court and a landmark decision in the United States Supreme Court. The book won the Peace Corps Writers award for the best nonfiction book of 2013. So did Leamer's 2016 book The Lynching, about the Klan murder of Michael Donald. Leamer's 2019 book Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump's Presidential Palace was controversial and got Leamer thrown out of Mar-a-Lago for life. His latest book, ″Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era,″ was a national bestseller.
Economic Matters - The podcast is hosted by Laurence Kotlikoff and moderated by Alex Kotlikoff.
Laurence Kotlikoff is a Boston University Economist, a NY Times Best Selling Author, President of maxifi.com, and Author of Money Magic.
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