This week, we speak with Brian Klaas, associate professor of global politics at University College London and affiliate researcher at the University of Oxford. He is the author of five books, most recently “Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters.” Previously, he was a columnist for the Washington Post and now contributes to the Atlantic.
He tells the story of his great-grandfather, a farmer in Wisconsin, who came home to find his wife Clara, suffering from post-partum depression, had murdered her four children and then killed herself. He eventually remarried, and that woman was Klaas’ great-grandmother. But for that tragedy a century ago, there is no Brian Klaas, no book Fluke, or this podcast.
We also discuss “Kokoro’s Luck,” — when you unknowingly escape disaster. 100,000 people in the city of Kokoro had no idea they were a few minutes of cloud cover from being utterly destroyed by an atomic bomb that ended up destroying Nagasaki.
A list of his books is here; A transcript of our conversation is available here Tuesday.
You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here.
Be sure to check out our Masters in Business next week with Matt Eagan of Loomis Sayles. He is the head of the full discretion team, and a member of Loomis’ Board of Directors. Loomis Sayles & Co. was founded in 1926, acquired by Natixis in 2000, and manages overt $335 billion in client assets.
Brian Klaas’ Favorite Books
Books Barry Mentioned
Brian Klaas’ Authored Books
