Best David Kellen Podcasts (2025)

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Listen First, Lead Better: David Carson on Rural Culture, Four-Day Weeks, and Community Trust 46:36

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16d ago46:36

46:36

In today’s episode, host Nate Lichte sits down with David Carson, Superintendent at Gooding School District (ID). A longtime educator and rural leader, David shares a “listen first” approach to culture—learning community history, aligning decisions to local values, and celebrating wins so the positive story travels farther than the noise. From dist…

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Community Collaboration and Innovation: Shaping Mississinewa’s Educational Future 38:26

23d ago38:26

38:26

In this episode, host Nate Lichte sits down with Jeremy Fewell, Superintendent of Mississinewa Community Schools (IN). From a district with high transfer enrollment and significant poverty, Jeremy walks through a “students-first always” approach: transparent communication, data-anchored decisions, and community partnerships that meet real needs. Th…

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Leading with Community: How Dr. Chris Daughtry Is Strengthening Lewis Cass Schools 40:22

28d ago40:22

40:22

In today’s episode, host Nate Lichte sits down with Dr. Chris Daughtry, Superintendent of Lewis Cass Schools (IN). With deep roots in rural education and service in the Air Force Reserve, Chris shares how he’s leading through listening, rebuilding trust, and shaping a strategic plan that reflects both fiscal responsibility and community pride. From…

1
People First, Radical Transparency: How Kellen Adams Is Steering Leavenworth USD 453 40:41

1M ago40:41

40:41

In today’s episode, host Nate Lichte sits down with Kellen Adams, Superintendent of Schools at Leavenworth USD 453. A 17-year educator and entrepreneur, Kellen brings a business-minded lens to district leadership, balancing budget realities, community dynamics, and culture building in one of Kansas’s most unique ecosystems. From managing declining …

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Kids First, Always: How Rusty Taylor Is Aligning Lakeland for Success 47:14

1M ago47:14

47:14

In today’s episode, host Nate Lichte sits down with Rusty Taylor, Superintendent of Lakeland Joint School District (ID). New to the role yet seasoned across nearly every seat in a school system, Rusty shares how he’s centering relationships, aligning teams, and rebuilding momentum with a simple north star: kids first. From launching a districtwide …

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Community First Leadership: How Dr. Bradford Lusk is Shaping Hamilton’s Future 40:30

2M ago40:30

40:30

In today’s episode, host Nate Lichte sits down with Dr. Bradford Lusk, who serves as the Superintendent of Hamilton Community Schools in Hamilton, Michigan. Known for his authentic, community-first leadership, Dr. Lusk shares how he rebuilt trust, restored engagement, and positioned his rural district for innovation and growth. From hosting “Scoop …

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Leading with Purpose: Equity, Mentorship, and the Future of Public Education with Dr. Balderas 24:52

2M ago24:52

24:52

By Nate Lichte

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Kellen's Favorite Books of 2025 So Far! (And three dumb ones) 20:09

5M ago20:09

20:09

SUMMARY: I pretty much summarized it with the title. I've read/listened to 50+ books since January 1 and I'M DONE. No, but I am done with two authors for sure, listen to find out who! Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered ove…

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Permission to Feel, by Marc Brackett 33:35

7M ago33:35

33:35

SUMMARY: If you like James Bond, Hunger Games, Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings, you will LOVE this spy thriller! We know the cover looks like a therapy book, but it’s not! It has action and comedy and romance, not therapy that is good for you. Come listen to this gripping caper, which is not a therapy book. You don’t have to worry about your feelin…

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Chesterton's Gateway, by Ethan Nicolle WITH GUEST Ethan Nicolle! 33:52

7M ago33:52

33:52

Have you heard of GK Chesterton? (No he's not that cheese-puff cat). WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN ON TOUR! APR 25-26 Indiana MAY 9-10 Dallas MAY 17 St Charles, IL For tickets go to KellenErskine.com -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live shows in 2025 b…

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A SECOND LOOK AT: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 30:33

8M ago30:33

30:33

SUMMARY: This episode has everything you could hope for. Conspiracy theories. Hermione exoneration. And a rat who turns out to be a murderer. (Who knew Harry Potter was a sequel to 1300s Europe?) (It’s funny because the most devastating event imaginable happened many years ago.) (Your subconscious sense of humor deems the past to be intrinsically l…

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Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk 27:31

8M ago27:31

27:31

SUMMARY: Fight Club is a story with one of the most famous twist endings in book and movie history (they find out violence is good...) But before it was a hit movie, did you know it was also a disgusting book? Join Kellen and Dave as they complain about this well-written book they both kind of hate. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! htt…

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THE ROAST OF Star Wars: The Force Awakens (the novelization of the movie), by Alan Dean Foster 30:07

8M ago30:07

30:07

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EpiSoDEs! https://patreon.com/TheBookPile * The king returns. Alan Dean is back, and he’s more Alan Dean than ever. Break out the thesauruses as we do a live roast of his novelization of The Force Awakens. Plus, Kellen teaches you some vocab words and Dave has a guessing game. * To buy the book and support the podcast, cl…

1
The Body, by Bill Bryson 24:32

9M ago24:32

24:32

SUMMARY: (A Dave and Kellen episode!) This book is full of incredible trivia about the human body, beautifully and hilariously written. For instance, did you know that every one of your organs is being played by a tiny little Phantom of the Opera? When your stomach is rumbling, that’s him telling Christine to “Sing, angel!” If you release gas as yo…

1
Re-Issue: Excellent Advice for Living, by Kevin Kelly 30:50

9M ago30:50

30:50

SUMMARY: Enjoy a digitally-remastered edit of one of our favorite episodes, where the author shares exactly what the book is called. Plus, Dave tells a story about being accidentally cool at a wedding, and Dave disagrees with a brilliant plan that Kellen has for safe combat with burglars... WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.…

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 33:51

9M ago33:51

33:51

SUMMARY: What if Pride and Prejudice were spooky? What if Mr. Darcy were less handsome, but also more abominable? What if instead of four sisters, Lizzie had no parents and a best friend who dies of tuberculosis? If you love Jane Austen, you’ll love this book, assuming you can get on board with some stuff. Today’s novel is the incomparable Jane Eyr…

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Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman 26:16

9M ago26:16

26:16

SUMMARY: The typical human lifespan is in the neighborhood of 4,000 weeks. That is an extremely precious, finite, and dwindling amount of life. It gives all of us urgent reason to (while we still can) take advantage of the Taco Bell 5 Dollar Taco Discovery Box deal. How would you live differently if you knew this was your last day to spend time wit…

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How to Read 100 Books This Year 16:00

10M ago16:00

16:00

SUMMARY: Whether you want to read 100 books this year, or even just 87, Kellen has some tips for how to succeed--and he's strategically waited 3 weeks into January so that he could get a head start before you. WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL "NEGATIVE COMMENTS" ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpBt0W1zrDU&t=1237s -Get two free tickets …

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Everybody Lies, by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz 24:55

10M ago24:55

24:55

SUMMARY: To celebrate this book about dishonesty, we’re gonna test how well you know Kellen and Dave with a game of two truths and a lie. You ready? See if you know us well enough to pass the quiz. 1. Statement 2 is false. 2. Statement 3 is true. 3. Statement 1 is false. Alright, we’ll see which of you are superfans! WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECI…

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Our Favorite Books of 2024! 38:11

11M ago38:11

38:11

SUMMARY: Our best books this year had everything: Murder! Therapy! Lyndon B. Johnson! The three elements of good literature. Come join us as we review our favorite books of the year. Happy New Year, and thanks for listening to The Book Pile! We really appreciate it. See you in 2025! WATCH KELLEN'S NEW COMEDY SPECIAL ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.…

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Re-Issue: A Christmas Carol (with an EVEN NEWER introduction for 2024!) 21:48

11M ago21:48

21:48

Rediscover this gem of a Book Pile episode (#114) that we dug up from 2022 (now with an even newer intro full of public-domain Christmas music!) Listen to Dave whisper laugh! Hear Kellen disagree with Dave's habit of walking out of movies! Notice how Kellen tries to defend himself against what appears to be a an unequal luggage-packing relationship…

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Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke 29:04

11M ago29:04

29:04

SUMMARY: We live in a society inundated by endless sources of entertainment and cheap dopamine. In today’s book, Anna Lembke discusses how we can respond to such dangers, like, for instance, a pool table. Friend, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated …

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Kellen Crams to Get His 100 Books Read by The End of The Year! 22:51

12M ago22:51

22:51

SUMMARY: Kellen is behind on his reading, and he needs your help! (Sounds like a Saturday morning PBS cartoon...). Kellen gives a rundown of most of the books he's read so far this year; also he has an idea for a very classy author name; and at around the 15-minute mark he quits recording for a full day to recover from starting to lose his voice in…

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A 2nd LOOK AT: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! 39:22

12M ago39:22

39:22

SUMMARY: It's been 3 years so we gave this book "another go" as they say in non-American English speaking countries, like Wizard Land. Today we cover the second Harry Potter, which managed to improve on the original, and is also – no offense – the only book you could get rid of without changing anything important. Don’t be mad, but if the series ju…

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Re-Issue: The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury 24:04

1y ago24:04

24:04

SUMMARY: When you hear a story, do you lose interest after like 5 minutes? Then you will LOVE short stories, a new thing we invented. Today’s book is a short story collection by Ray Bradbury, who realized that anything counts as sci-fi if you take a normal story and just put it on Mars. Plus, Kellen has planned out a very unexpected last day on Ear…

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THE ROAST OF: The Spy Who Loved Me, by Ian Fleming 25:09

1y ago25:09

25:09

SUMMARY: This is a James Bond book without James Bond, a love story without love, and a spy story without spying. The only person who’s unaware of all this is the author, Ian Fleming, AKA the only person feminists beg to please write fewer female characters. KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN CHICAGO THIS WEEK Nov 22-23! Go to KellenErskine.com for tickets -Get …

1
Yes Please, by Amy Poehler 31:43

1y ago31:43

31:43

SUMMARY: Dave and Kellen take another dive into the great Amy Poehler's (SNL, Baby Momma, Parks and Recreation) memoir. Also Dave is terrible at comforting people and Kellen rants about actors' award speeches. KELLEN ERSKINE IS IN PROVO & SALT LAKE CITY THIS WEEK! Nov 7th (Provo) then 8-9 (SLC) go to KellenErskine.com for tickets -Get two free tick…

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Range, by David Epstein 27:06

1y ago27:06

27:06

SUMMARY: Do you ever make a books podcast, and start with your favorite books? But unfortunately, your first episodes are also when you’re the worst at podcasting? So years later you revisit those books to do a better job? That’s what this is! Today we cover a book about cultivating interests in a lot of different fields. It’s great. -If you want t…

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11/22/63 by Stephen King, OUR 200th EPISODE! 30:51

1y ago30:51

30:51

SUMMARY: The events from the date of today's book title are part of a long-running joke on the podcast, so we thought it would be funny to cover this novel for our 200th episode... -If you want to read 11/22/63 and support the podcast in a fun way, click here to buy the book! https://amzn.to/47GoS7j -Get two free tickets to any of Kellen's live sho…

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Re-Issue: The Art of War, by Sun Tzu 24:56

1y ago24:56

24:56

SUMMARY: Enjoy this throwback episode from September 2022 when we covered the oldest book on the podcast thus far (though the book with the oldest people is probably still Twilight...). Learn the value of surprise as Kellen startles Dave in real time, and bask in Dave's glory as he recounts winning at board games and also possibly saving someone's …

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever WITH GUEST Dallas Jenkins 33:30

1y ago33:30

33:30

SUMMARY: An Americana small-town Christmas pageant gets hijacked by kids from the other side of the tracks, but it all works out (or this would be a very different genre). Kellen is joined by Dallas Jenkins who directed and co-wrote the movie (currently IN THEATERS and at 90% on Rottentomatoes!) KELLEN ERSKINE IS PERFORMING IN CARLSBAD (close to Sa…

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THE LIVE ROAST OF Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday, by Alan Dean Foster 25:23

1y ago25:23

25:23

SUMMARY: Today we cover a Transformers book that is “more than meets the eye." Unless your eye looked at the book and was like, “It seems bad,” in which case, yeah, it’s pretty much what met your eye. Thanks to everyone who joined us for this live episode! And thank you to the Autobots for protecting Earth. Next time please do it in a more interest…

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The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin, with GUEST Zoltan Kaszas! 39:24

1y ago39:24

39:24

Zoltan Kaszas joins the podcast to discuss unshaven music guru Rick Rubin's humble and surprisingly deep book about making art (the "surprisingly" is just based shallowly on Rick Rubin's looks). -Listen to the audio album of Kellen's new 30-minute comedy special "Negative Comments"! Available by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patre…

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Re-Issue: THE ROAST OF The Da Vinci Code 32:19

1y ago32:19

32:19

What's better than uncovering the mysteries of history? MAKING UP history so that it fits into a clue-based adventure! -Listen to the audio album of Kellen's new 30-minute comedy special "Negative Comments"! Available by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile OR WATCH his new special here for free with promo code KE…

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THE ROAST OF: The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne 37:47

1+ y ago37:47

37:47

Look. It’s just possibly the worst book we’ve ever read. This is the maddest you’ll ever hear us. -Listen to the audio album of Kellen's new 30-minute comedy special "Negative Comments"! Available by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile See us LIVE in Los Angeles (adjacent...) on Sep 6th! Tickets here! https://www…

1
The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft 30:32

1+ y ago30:32

30:32

-Listen to the audio album of Kellen's new 30-minute comedy special "Negative Comments"! Available by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile SUMMARY: Look, we know. The internet has made an ABUNDANCE of Cthulhu content. You have Cthulhus out the wazoo. How could a podcast about Cthulhus possibly satisfy you, or add …

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Re-Issue: Goodnight Moon with guest Chad Daniels 33:23

1+ y ago33:23

33:23

With a new intro where we announce a live episode recording in Los Angeles (on 9/6/24)! With a new, smoother overall edit to our conversation, today we revisit an episode from 2022 where we break down Goodnight Moon with Chad Daniels who just released his first Netflix stand-up special Empty Nester. They boys talk about how it's hard to have a "goo…

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Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World, by Matt Parker 15:22

1+ y ago15:22

15:22

Math is boring unless it ends in a disaster, right? Maybe? Well it doesn't matter how YOU feel about it, bad things happen and math is always to blame. This book proves it (even if it's not what the author intended). * JOIN OUR PATREON for bonus episodes and full audio of KELLEN'S NEW HALF-HOUR COMEDY SPECIAL!!! Listen to "Negative Comments" now! h…

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Salvation is personal 10:18

1+ y ago10:18

10:18

Send us a text In this episode I talk about what God showed me in Ezekiel 14:12-20 Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals. Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job w…

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The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown 27:11

1+ y ago27:11

27:11

Have you considered letting the pressure off yourself to be someone you're not in order to feel truer belonging and inner peace? Brown encourages authenticity (*unless you're a big dumb jerk, then you should pretend to be a smart nice person) in a world that pushes unattainable expectations. *Kellen added this part -JOIN OUR PATREON for bonus episo…

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Godly friends With Allison Hannah 43:27

1+ y ago43:27

43:27

Send us a text In this episode my wife and I discuss the importance of Godly friendships. Support the showBy Justin Hannah

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The Devil’s Candy by Julie Salamon 34:28

1+ y ago34:28

34:28

Wrong way: read books about making good movies. Right way: read books about making a bad movie, and then don’t do that. This book tells the story of a historic box office flop, Bonfire of the Vanities. (It is historic in the sense that someone wrote a book about it.) Hear us make fun of the people who made it! Even though they seem very talented! *…

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Secular music with David Flournoy 55:19

1+ y ago55:19

55:19

Send us a text This episode talks about how secular music affects Christian lives. David’s scripture that I said I would include in the description:……. Psalm 16:1,5,7-11 Psalm 17:1-2,6-9 & 13,15 Psalm 18:1-3,6;16-17;35,39,46,48,49 Support the showBy Justin Hannah

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Boldness for Jesus with Kellen Smith 24:43

1+ y ago24:43

24:43

Send us a text This Episode is all about stepping out of your comfort zone and being bold for Jesus! Support the showBy Justin Hannah and Kellen Smith

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Swan Song, by Robert R. McCammon 22:24

1+ y ago22:24

22:24

A magic girl (barely), a sociopath boy who thinks he's a knight, a strong guy who got fired from wrestling, and a bad guy with a mouth where his ear should be but only sometimes, I know this sounds made up . . . and it is, it's all made up in this book. Also there's an apocalypse, but that was probably obvious. * JOIN OUR PATREON for bonus episodes…

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Interview with Marshall Mcdowell 24:20

1+ y ago24:20

24:20

Send us a text Marshall discusses what led him to go all in with Jesus. Support the showBy Justin Hannah

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Introduction to the podcast 10:58

1+ y ago10:58

10:58

Send us a text This episode is more of an introduction. I talk a little about my testimony, and the direction that I believe God my take the show. Support the showBy Justin

1
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 36:17

1+ y ago36:17

36:17

Interestingly, this is also the title of the world’s saddest and shortest autobiography. Also on this episode, Kellen and Dave pitch a much better sequel to Jurassic Park. * JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile * If you want to read/listen to Catching Fire and support the podcast in a fun way, click here to buy t…

1
Re-Issue: The Return of the King 28:15

1+ y ago28:15

28:15

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile * Rediscover this gem of a Book Pile episode (originally episode #92) that we dug up and polished from July of 2022! Dave brings up Sauron's oversight on Mt. Doom; Kellen thinks Frodo fell short; Dave first asks the question "What would you do if there were no consequences?" t…

1
Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott 26:40

1+ y ago26:40

26:40

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile * Picture a bird. Pretty cool, right? Now open your eyes. There’s another bird by that bird. I bet you feel so racist. Anyway, Bird by Bird is a beautifully written, witty, unpretentious book about writing. * If you want to read/listen to this Bird by Bird and support the podc…