Best BOOKWAVE Podcasts (2026)

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Alan Furst, Master Spy Novelist, 2002 1:28:16

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2d ago1:28:16

1:28:16

Alan Furst, historical spy novelist, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded in the KPFA studios during the book tour for “Blood of Victory, September 26, 2002. This is a first-time podcast. In this interview, he discusses his early career, resistance during World War II, and creating the unique atmosphere and characters in his books.His la…

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Azar Nafisi: Best-selling Author of “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” 2009 1:19:08

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Azar Nafisi,author of the best-selling memoir, “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded in the KPFA studios on January 12, 2009 while on tour for the memoir, “Things I’ve Been Silent About.” Azar Nafisi burst on the literary scene in 2003 with her memoir, Reading Lolita in Tehran in 2003, which remained on th…

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The Probabilities Archive: Jack Arnold (1916-1992), film director, “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and others, 1980ish 2:30:07

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Jack Arnold (1916-1992), who died at the age of 75 in 1992, was the 1950s master of the science fiction film. Among the films he directed were It Came From Outer Space, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, Tarantula, and The Incredible Shrinking Man. The Probabilities crew – Richard A. Lupoff, Lawrence Davidson and Richard W…

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Joe Lansdale, Prolific Genre Writer, Part Two: 2025 1:52:25

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Joe R. Lansdale, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky f, recorded November 12, 2025, discussing his latest Hap & Leonard book, “Hatchet Girls,” his recent collections, and his life as a writer. Joe R. Lansdale writes a broad spectrum of fiction, from his successful Hap and Leonard series of noir mysteries, to fantasy and horror short fiction, to w…

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Malcolm Margolin (1940-2025), Legendary Publisher of Heyday Books in Berkeley 1:08:26

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Malcolm Margolin (1940-2025), the long-time publisher of Heyday Books in Berkeley, who died on August 20, 2025 at the age of 84, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky in the KPFA Studios on November 21, 2014. Malcolm Margolin founded Heyday Books, the renownedy non-profit publishing house located in Berkeley, in 1974 and stayed until he retired in …

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Lauren Gunderson, Noted Contemporary Playwright, the “Christmas in Pemberley” series 1:26:02

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Lauren Gunderson, recognized as the most produced contemporary playwright in America four of the last five years, including 2025, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. Lauren Gunderson is a prolific playwright whose plays are produced all over North America and in Britain and Europe. She is best known for such plays as “The Book of Will” and …

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The Bookwaves Archive: John Banville, Irish Literary Master, 2007 1:34:50

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John Banville, Booker Prize winning novelist, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky in the KPFA studios, on March 19, 2007 while on tour for the novel, “Christine Falls,” written under the pseudonym Benjamin Black. John Banville is a giant of Irish literature, winner of the Booker Prize for his novel, The Sea, and the Franz Kafka Prize in 2011…

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The Bookwaves Archive: Amy Bloom, Award-Winning Literary Novelist, 2007 1:08:04

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Amy Bloom, award-winning novelist and short-story writer, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky in the KPFA studios, on October 4, 2007 while on tour for her second novel, “Away.” Amy Bloom, says the New Yorker, gets more meaning into individual sentences than most authors manage in whole books. The author of five short story collections and two wo…

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Joe R. Lansdale, Prolific Genre Author (Part One: 1994 Interview) 1:18:16

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From the Probabilities Archive: Joe R. Lansdale, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff, recorded August 2, 1994 during the author tour for the Hap and Leonard novel, “Mucho Mojo,” recorded in the KPFA Studios. Joe R. Lansdale writes a broad spectrum of fiction, from his successful Hap and Leonard series of noir mysteries, to f…

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The Probabilities Archive: Clive Barker, Master of Horror and Fantasy, “Hellbound: Hellraiser II,” 1988 1:40:13

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Clive Barker in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, Richard A. Lupoff and Lawrence Davidson, recorded at Dark Carnival Bookstore in Berkeley October 21, 1988 while promoting the film “Hellbound: Hellraiser II.” Digitized, remastered and lightly edited October 25-26, 2025 and not heard for over thirty-five years. Clive Barker burst on the horror sce…

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Bebe Moore Campbell (1950-2006), Novelist focusing on Racism and Mental Health, “What You Owe Me,” 2001 1:08:42

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Bebe Moore Campbell (1950-2006), in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded August 23, 2001 while on tour for her novel, “What You Owe Me.” In her books, she explored racial justice, childhood obesity and the tensions in friendships between Black and white people; she shared the stigma of mental illness and memories of the summers she spent wi…

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Roger Kahn (1927-2020): The Boys of Summer 2:17:35

3M ago2:17:35

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With the World Series coming up, a look back at baseball with one of the great baseball writers of the Twentieth Century. This podcast was originally posted on August 23, 2020, and hadn’t been heard in over twenty five years. Roger Kahn, who died on February 6, 2020 at the age of 92, was one of the icons in the world of baseball writing. His classi…

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Edmund White (1940-2025), The Patron Saint of Gay Literature, “The Farewell Symphony,” 1997 1:04:25

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Edmund White (1940-2025), who died on June 3, 2025, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded while on tour for “The Farewell Symphony,” the third volume of his autobiographical trilogy, recorded September 15, 1997. Digitized, remastered and edited on October 10, 2025 and heard for the first time in over a quarter century. Edmund White wrote …

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Thomas Perry (1947-2025), Award Winning Mystery & Thriller Novelist 1:14:41

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Thomas Perry (1947-2025) who died on September 15, 2025 at the age of 78, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded on June 21, 2006 in the KPFA studios while promoting Nightlife in hardover and Pursuit and Dead Aim in trade paperback. In the career of Thomas Perry, which began in 1982 with the novel The Butcher’s Boy, which won the Edgar Awa…

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The Probabilities Archive: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro & Tanith Lee: Virtuosos of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction 1:51:27

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (1942-2025) Tanith Lee (1947-2015) This podcast honors two master practitioners of horror, fantasy and science fiction, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Tanith Lee, with two interviews back to back. In the first, in 1983, Tanith Lee is interviewed by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. In the second, in 1979, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is interviewed by R…

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Susan Orlean, “Rin Tin Tin” and “The Orchid Thief,” 2011 1:51:25

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Susan Orlean has been a staff writer for the New Yorker since 1992. Along the way she’s written for Rolling Stone, the Boston Globe, Esquire, Vogue and other magazines. Her book, The Orchid Thief became the acclaimed Oscar-nominated film Adaptation. This interview was recorded in October 2011 during her tour for Rin Tin Tin, The Life and the Legend…

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Stephen Greenblatt: “Dark Renaissance,” the life and times of Christopher Marlowe 1:54:01

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Stephen Greenblatt, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky about his book Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius o Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival, recorded September 11, 2025. Stephen Greenblatt is a literary historian and an expert on Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era. Among his other books are Shakespearean Negotiations: The Circul…

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Robert Jay Lifton (1926-2025) on Cults and Apocalyptic Violence 1:31:59

4M ago1:31:59

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Robert Jay Lifton, who died on September 4, 2025 at the age of 99., was a psychiatrist and author who studied the psychological causes and effects of wars and political violence. In the 1960s, he was part of a group that applied psychology and psychoanalysis to the study of history. By the 1980s and 1990s, he’d began exploring the survivors of atro…

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Carl Hiaasen, Master of the Comic Thriller 1:53:33

4M ago1:53:33

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Carl Hiaasen is a novelist best known for writing humorous and satiric crime thrillers set in Florida. His latest novel, Fever Beach, satirizes the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, corrupt nepo Florida Congress-critters, and rich right-wing geriatric billionaires. Until 2021, he was a regular columnist for The Miami Herald, appearing every Sunday to di…

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The Probabilities Archive: Frederik Pohl (1918-2013) Acclaimed Science Fiction & Fantasy Novelist and Editor 1:19:19

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Frederik Pohl (1918-2013) recorded at the Octocon Science Fiction Convention, October 15-16, 1978. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky, Richard A. Lupoff and Lawrence Davidson, for KPFA’s Probabilities radio program. Digitized, remastered and re-edited February, 2021 by Richard Wolinsky. Frederik Pohl, who died in 2013 at the age of 93 in September, 201…

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The Probabilities Archive: Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) Visionary Science Fiction Author 1:45:51

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Ursula K. Le Guin, who broke the artificial wall between science fiction and literature, died on January 22nd, 2018 at the age of 88. An essayist and poet along with being a fiction writer, she transcended all genres with the quality of her prose and the allegorical nature of her work. Best known for her novels The Left Hand of Darkness, which deal…

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The Probabilities Archive: Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), Grandmaster of Science Fiction and Fantasy, 1992 1:16:07

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Ray Bradbury, the legendary author who passed away in 2012, sat down for an interview with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff in 1992 at his home in Los Angeles. Though called a science fiction or fantasy writer, Ray Bradbury spanned all genres, from poetry to mystery to mainstream fiction. Among his works include The Martian Chronicles, Someth…

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The Probabilities Archive: Isaac Asimov (1920-1992), Science Fiction Grandmaster, 1983 1:34:34

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Isaac Asimov (1920-1992), in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded in New York City on August 10, 1983. Isaac Asimov, who died at the age of 72 in 1992, was considered, along with Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein, one of the three great masters of American science fiction in the 20th century. Isaac Asimov began sending in stories and getting…

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Robert Macfarlane: “Is A River Alive?” 1:49:10

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Robert Macfarlane, whose latest book is “Is a River Alive,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. The best-selling nature writer, and author of “Underland” and “The Old Ways” discusses the relationship of the human race to nature in the context of the rights of natural phenomena, specifically rivers. What rights does the earth have in terms o…

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Martin Cruz Smith (1942-2025) Acclaimed Noir and Literary Novelist 1:08:06

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Martin Cruz Smith (1942-2025, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded in the KPFA studio December 9, 2004 while on tour for his novel “Wolves Eat Dogs.” The great noir and detective author Martin Cruz Smith died of Parkinsons Disease on July 11, 2025 at the age of 82. A journalist originally, and then a writer of paperback fiction under a v…

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Discussing Proverbs and the History of the Bible with Dragons in Genesis 1:35:19

3+ y ago1:35:19

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In today's episode of the Holy Bible Book Club, we have a chat with special guest, Dragons in Genesis Podcast aka Jason Foux concerning the book of Proverbs, snakes, wisdom and the history of the Bible. Find our guest Here! https://www.dragonsingenesis.com/resources https://www.youtube.com/c/DragonsinGenesisPodcast OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club…

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W A V E cast 026 - Star Wars, Comicsgate and Being a Man with Gabe Eltaeb 1:09:25

3+ y ago1:09:25

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Superman used to stand for Truth Justice and the American Way but not anymore, luckily we still have Gabe Eltaeb and the team behind the new campaign TRUTH JUSTICE AMERICAN WAY! available on Indiegogo! BACK THE INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN! https://igg.me/at/TJAW/x/24949077#/ Gabe's Twitter and Instagram https://twitter.com/GabeEltaeb https://www.instagram.c…

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W A V E cast 025 - Disharmony and Demons with 2morVs 1:30:26

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Welcome to another great conversation with Marvin aka 2morVs. We start the conversation with asking what it would take to move beyond the starting point of secularity and then go from there. Featured Song: It's a Secret OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : https://anchor.fm/bookwave/support Official BOOKWAVE Discord Server: h…

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W A V E cast 024 - The Incarnation of Paper Cups with 2morVs 1:16:00

3+ y ago1:16:00

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An important conversation about Faith, Objective Morality and the Incarnation with Marvin aka 2morVs. Featured Song: The Golden Thread by 2morVs find his music at https://2morvs.bandcamp.com/ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/2m%C3%B8rvs/1479311338 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-flbpmT5-fx8EwxK161yPg https://open.spotify.com/artist/2UIYi0VBDSHv…

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Discussing The Book of Psalms with 2morVs 1:08:42

3+ y ago1:08:42

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The long overdue return of our friend Marvin aka 2morVs to the BOOKWAVE podcast. Here we talk about Psalms, Orthodoxy, Symbolism and More!This episode also features intro/outro music by our guest so make sure you check that out! Featured Song: Cynocephalus Waiting For Crumbs by 2morVs find his music at https://2morvs.bandcamp.com/ https://music.app…

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Discussing The Book of Psalms, Songs of Praise and Devil's Music 51:29

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This episode of The Holy Bible Book Club is focused on the Psalms in contrast to modern music. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : https://anchor.fm/bookwave/support Official BOOKWAVE Discord Server: https://discord.gg/ebU4UVSBGj Scottsley on Twitter & ComicsGate: https://twitter.com/ScottsleyK https://comicsgate.org/creator…

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Discussing Lord of the Rings Book Six 49:30

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The Final Episode of our Lord of the Rings series. To The Cracks of Doom and back to the Shire PODCAST LINKS! ANCHOR - https://anchor.fm/bookwave APPLE PODCASTS - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b-o-o-k-w-a-v-e/id1463068231?uo=4 SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/5cKGRGF0P7U9yRcUT6ZQuG STITCHER - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-p…

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Discussing Lord of the Rings Book Five 42:38

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Nearing the end of the series, this episode is all about the first half of Return of the King by J.R.R Tolkien. we give our analysis of Gandalf and the other wizards and the leaders of each army. Scottsley on Twitter & ComicsGate: https://twitter.com/ScottsleyK https://comicsgate.org/creators/scottsley-kunes/ Pat on Instagram & Youtube: https://www…

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W A V E cast 023 -The ComicsGate Revolution with Robert Romano 56:06

4y ago56:06

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Today's special guest is Robert Romano and he's here to talk ComicsGate and the agenda of the comic industry. https://comicsgate.org/ https://twitter.com/ComicsgateVideo https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/children-of-the-grave-volume-one/coming_soon/x/24949077 https://comicsgate.org/creators/robert-romano/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHlmEUvdH…

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W A V E cast 022 - Bridges of Meaning Response and How Stories Last 54:03

4+ y ago54:03

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Jason and Scottsley chatting right after watching a Paul VanderKlay Bridges of Meaning livestream Q&A that took place on September 17 2021 found right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0UDj678XCY&ab_channel=PaulVanderKlay We start out talking about Paul but the conversation drifts to David Foster Wallace, Neil Gaiman, Terence Mckenna, Ayn Rand…

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Discussing The Lord of the Rings Book Four 53:58

4+ y ago53:58

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After finishing the second half of The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien we have a discussion about Frodo, Sam, Smeagol and the Oliphaunts! We go over how to live like a Hobbit and how to deal with the stinkers and slinkers out there. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : https://anchor.fm/bookwave/support Official BOOKWAVE Discor…

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Discussing The Book of Job, Wisdom, Understanding & Hope 1:01:29

4+ y ago1:01:29

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We have finally made it to the book of Job and in this episode we talk about our journey through the Bible so far, connecting Job to Genesis. The stages of grief, Plato's Cave, Agape and the Will-to-Power also factor into our discussion of Job's fate. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : https://anchor.fm/bookwave/support Of…

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Discussing The Lord of The Rings Book Three 53:01

4+ y ago53:01

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Halfway through the LotR series and halfway through The Two Towers. We start off our conversation talking about reader's fatigue and then get into the motivation and inspiration behind this section of the book. We focus on the significance of the Palantir, Culture and Corruption. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : https://…

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Discussing Esther, Xerxes, Persecution & Rebellion 43:13

4+ y ago43:13

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The Book of Esther is next up in our Holy Bible Book Club series. The first topic we tackle is why this book in particular is included in the Cannon. We talk about the art of storytelling, recycled mythology and historical fiction. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : https://anchor.fm/bookwave/support Official BOOKWAVE Disc…

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Discussing 12 More Rules by Jordan Peterson Rules 23 and 24 1:18:35

4+ y ago1:18:35

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The final video in our series covering Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson. Do not allow yourself to become resentful, deceitful or arrogant And Be grateful in spite of your suffering. The first question we ask is 'What is the world made of?' After we figured that out we moved on to the subjects of The Legend of Zelda, The Ho…

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Discussing Jupiter's Legacy, Objectivism & The Ubermensch 49:58

4+ y ago49:58

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This episode of BOOKWAVE is on the Comic series Jupiter's Legacy & Jupiter's Circle by Mark Millar (art by Frank Quitely and Wilfredo Torres) and the Netflix show of the same name. Our conversation leads to the topic of creating your own values as an Ubermensch and how that affects the family of The Ubermensch. Ayn Rand and her impact on the comic …

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Discussing Ezra and Nehemiah, Cyrus and The Second Temple 43:02

4+ y ago43:02

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Covering the next 2 book in our Bible journey, Ezra and Nehemiah. We discuss the significance of the Second Temple period and analyze the leaders that made it all happen. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : https://anchor.fm/bookwave/support Official BOOKWAVE Discord Server: https://discord.gg/ebU4UVSBGj MEANINGWAVE EXISTS!…

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Discussing 12 More Rules by Jordan Peterson Rules 21 and 22 1:08:03

4+ y ago1:08:03

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If old memories still upset you, write them down carefully and completely & Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationship. In this episode, we discuss a few simple and easy concepts like the origin of Conscience or Good and Evil. Going back to Genesis for a minute and discussing Chaos & Order before getting into romance, co-…

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W A V E cast 021 - Agape, Fate and The Ship of Theseus 45:13

4+ y ago45:13

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We start this podcast by discussing the book Childhood Disrupted by Donna Jackson Nakazawa and the ACEs survey then into the riddle of the Ship of Theseus, Agape and the Will-to-Power. We talk about Captain Marvel for a bit and get into some comics history before exploring the topic of Tarot and Fate. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O …

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W A V E cast 020 -The Heroes Journey, Art and Zen with Stobbsyy 1:16:50

4+ y ago1:16:50

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In this episode we have Stobbsyy on as a guest to talk about his music as well as religion, politics, philosophy, and personal growth. We bring up the works of Jordan B. Peterson, Marcus Aurelius, Ekhart Tolle, Ayn Rand, Robert M. Pirsig and Led Zeppelin. Stobbsyy on Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC6KV2nR7x8vUHYXn-XgwTLw Stobbsyy on Soundc…

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Discussing 2 Chronicles, King Solomon, Wisdom & Power 37:29

4+ y ago37:29

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Back to The Bible with Second Chronicles and back to Genesis. We re-visit some of the previous stories in the Old Testament and talk about the importance of ritual and mythology. We also explore the idea of dangerous knowledge and in the end we relate it all to The Lord of the Rings. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : http…

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Discussing The Lord of the Rings Book Two 1:00:36

4+ y ago1:00:36

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This episode we cover the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. We discuss the will-to-power, Boromir's sin and the concept of rock-bottom. We also explore a thought experiment in which there were 2 Rings and get into the symbolism of the power of the One Ring. OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPORT B O O K W A V E : http…

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Discussing 12 More Rules by Jordan Peterson Rules 19 and 20, and Red Skull 1:22:24

4+ y ago1:22:24

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In this episode of The Bookwave Podcast we talk about the next 2 rules, Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens and try to make one room in your house as beautiful as possible. We talk about diamonds and pressure, the risk/reward of university, art, culture, religion and the Age of Decay. But before we get into t…

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Discussing 12 more Rules by Jordan Peterson Rules 17 and 18 56:14

5y ago56:14

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Do Not Do What You Hate & Abandon Ideology. Today we are focusing on chapters 5 and 6 of Beyond Order, starting the conversation with something we all hate. We get into the topic of religion vs. ideology and consider Nietzsche. Navigating the chaos of this book and trying to make sense of the mixed messages OUR WEBSITE: http://bookwave.club/ SUPPOR…

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Discussing 12 More Rules by Jordan Peterson Rules 15 and 16 1:01:00

5y ago1:01:00

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Do Not Hide Unwanted Things in the Fog & Notice that Opportunity Lurks Where Responsibility has been Abdicated. Rules 3 and 4 of Jordan B. Peterson's Beyond Order: 12 More Rules For Life is the starting point of this podcast discussion, we start by talking about the Fog and end up discussing the archetypes of anime characters with some Freud in the…