The Road to Now

Hannah Arendt witnessed the rise of Nazism in Germany and her groundbreaking works, including The Origins of Totalitarianism, sought to understand how regular people could be seduced by horrendous ideologies such as antisemitism and fascism. In this episode, Ben speaks with documentarian Jeff Bieber, whose new film Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny, documents Adendt's life as an intellectual, refugee and, eventually, an American citizen whose concerns about power remain as relevant today as they were half a century ago.
Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny premiered on PBS on June 27 and is available to watch on pbs.org by clicking here.
For more on Jeff Bieber's work, check out his website: JeffBieberProductions.org.
This is a rebroadcast of episode 342, which originally aired on June 30, 2025. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

Catherine Grace Katz joins us to talk about her new book, Shadow Before the Flame: The Hindenburg Disaster and the Prelude to War, and just how much the story of the ill-fated German Zepplin can tell us about the world in the years between World War I and World War II.
 
You can pre-order your copy of Shadow Before the Flame at Catherine's website, CatherineGraceKatz.com.
 
This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

George Carlin had a comedy career that spanned half a century, and his take on the US remains relevant more than a decade after his death in 2008. The HBO documentary George Carlin's American Dream tells Carlin's story as he evolved from a clean-cut comic in the 1950s into the edgy critic who remains one of the most influential comedians of all time. In this episode, Michael Bonfiglio, who directed the film (along with Judd Apatow) and Kliph Nesteroff, a historian of comedy who is featured in the film, join Bob & Ben for a conversation about the life and times of George Carlin.
 
If you enjoy this episode, check out our previous conversation w/ Michael in episode 174 Direction w/ Michael Bonfiglio.
 
This episode originally aired as RTN 237 on June 13, 2022. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

North Carolina's Research Triangle has been a hub of innovation and economic growth for more than half a century, but the most remarkable invention in the area's history might be the park itself. In this episode, Mack Paul explains how residents of one of the poorest states in the union found a way to reimagine their future and transform the 'Old North State' into a global leader in scientific advancement.
 
Mack's new book, which he coauthored with his father, Allen, is Miracle Road: The Story of Research Park (Duke University Press, 2026. You can read excerpts from the book and order a copy at MiracleRoadBook.net.
 
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out episode 136, in which we discuss Bob's MA thesis on the city of Apex, NC.
 
This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

The inalienable right to "the pursuit of happiness" is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, but what exactly does that phrase mean? While Americans today may associate it with the right to own land, opulence or some other act of acquisition, many prominent founders understood it to mean something quite different. In this episode National Constitution Center President & CEO Jeffrey Rosen returns to the show to give us the full story and discuss his new book The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America.
 
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out Jeffrey's other appearances on our show in episodes 211 and 350.
 
Highlighted Resources from the National Constitution Center
–The Interactive Constitution (also available as an app in the apple and android app stores)
–We The People with Jeffrey Rosen podcast (available anywhere you get The Road to Now)
–Educational Video Series
If you're in Philadelphia, you can visit the National Constitution Center, which is located just steps from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Click here to plan your visit!
Thie conversation originally aired on February 5, 2024 as episode 295. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.