Life in Seven Songs

Maria Konnikova is a professional poker player, though she doesn’t even consider herself a gambler at heart. Before her pursuits at the poker table, Konnikova was a PhD psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, writing books about how we think and make decisions. After a string of tragedies hit Konnikova’s life, she took her psychological prowess to the world of poker, where her expertise on game theory and the human psyche eventually led her to become a champion.

In this episode of “Life In Seven Songs,” Konnikova shares her journey as a daughter of Russian immigrants growing up in the Boston suburbs, where her feelings of being an outsider spurred her interest in the human mind. She describes how hip-hop became the soundtrack for her poker career, which she eventually wrote about in the best-selling book “The Biggest Bluff.”

Here’s her playlist:


Gang Starr, “Full Clip”


SWV, “Weak”


Vladimir Vysotsky, “Crystal House”


Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, “The Crossroads”


Fountains of Wayne, “Stacy’s Mom”


The Walkmen, “We’ve Been Had”


Billie Holiday and Lester Young, “Mean To Me”

Actor BD Wong rose to fame with the Tony Award-winning performance of Song Liling in the 1988 Broadway musical “M. Butterfly.” He went on to pick up more roles on stage and on screen, including a 14-year run portraying Dr. George Huang in the TV series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Through all his successes and achievements, he’s faced personal obstacles, as well as having to face the challenge of being a gay Asian actor in an industry where most of his peers didn’t have his same background.

In this episode of “Life In Seven Songs,” Wong details his journey as a boy growing up in the Sunset District nurturing his love of musical theater, to New York City as a young man where he lived in an apartment that was owned by the mafia. He talks about how the tragic loss of his baby made him a more confident public speaker, and how now, as an industry veteran, he’s championing Asian representation in the entertainment industry.

Here’s his playlist:


The Supremes, “Stop In The Name of Love”


Charlie Rich, “Behind Closed Doors”


Pacific Overtures OBC/Stephen Sondheim, “There Is No Other Way”


Al Jarreau, “Boogie Down”


Elton John, “The Greatest Discovery”


Beyonce, “Love On Top”


Dr. John, “Accentuate the Positive”

Long before he founded the dating app Hinge, Justin McLeod was a little boy in Louisville, Kentucky, belting out Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” from the backseat of his mom’s car. Looking back, that song feels almost prophetic, after Justin met – and briefly lost – the love of his life, only to win her back with a big, movie-worthy gesture.

In this episode, Justin charts the story of building one of the most influential dating apps in the world – a journey intertwined with his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and his own epic love story. He reflects on the moment he thought Hinge was finished, why he believes we create rather than find “the one,” and the soundtrack to his tumultuous life story. Here are his songs.


Meat Loaf, “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”


Pink Floyd, “Time”


The Juliana Theory, “We're At The Top Of The World”


Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, “Apologies”


Jessie J, “Price Tag, ft. B.o.B”


You+Me, “You and Me”


Van Morrison, “Days Like This”

Belinda Carlisle says she’s been hit by lightning three times in her career: first with the success of the Go-Go’s, then with her solo hit “Mad About You,” and most of all with the global sensation “Heaven is a Place on Earth.” But behind that meteoric success, Belinda struggled for decades with a debilitating addiction to drugs, alcohol, and the chaos that came with them.

In this episode, Belinda traces her journey from a turbulent childhood in Southern California to the LA punk scene that gave her freedom and a sense of invincibility. She reflects on the dizzying rise of the Go-Go’s, the moment she finally hit rock bottom after a three-day bender in London, and why the most interesting part of her life didn’t begin until she got sober. Here are her songs.


The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”


The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows”


The Runaways, “Cherry Bomb”


Iggy Pop & The Stooges, “Search and Destroy”


Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen”


David Bowie, “Fame”


Roxy Music, “Love Is The Drug”

Today on the show, we're re-running a listener favorite: our interview with longtime journalist and media entrepreneur Kara Swisher, who's been covering Silicon Valley and the Internet since the days of dial-up. She’s taken nearly all of technology's titans to task with a fearless, no-nonsense style. But in this episode, she shows another side of herself: the “San Francisco liberal lesbian who loves country music and wanted to be in the military.” Here are her songs.

The Last Great American Dynasty – Taylor Swift

Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – Doris Day

Corner Of The Sky – John Rubinstein

Landslide – Fleetwood Mac 

Jesus, Take the Wheel – Carrie Underwood 

Wahine ‘Ilikea – Dennis Kamakahi

Quarter Moon – Cheryl Wheeler

Listen to Kara Swisher’s ⁠full playlist on Spotify⁠. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠lifeinsevensongs⁠.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠.