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Recent Episodes
Stinkers, Thinkers, Tinkers of 2024: Episode 55
We are back(ish)! After prompting from a couple folks, we thought we'd ease back into things by reviewing our top picks (thinkers) and worst picks (stinkers) from 2024. We added a new category at the…
Are the Kids Alright? Three Book Reviews: Episode 54
Three recent popular books on the state of kids and families came out recently: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, Family Unfriendly by Tim Carney, and Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier. They each…
What’s Happening in the World and What is America’s Response?: Episode 53
It’s hard to watch the news and the conflicts around the globe lately. It begs the question of where we are in history and what America’s place in the world should be. This week the Senate debated…
A Very Barkley Christmas!: Episode 52
It’s been over two months since out last episode! We had a deeper topic in mind but pivoted to something lighter: checking in our theme of the last year (and near future), “enjoy,” and discussing…
Disentangling the Speaker Debacle: Episode 51
The Barkleys parse out what happened this week when Speaker Kevin McCarthy got ousted by a faction of Republicans. We break down what happened, who did what, why it is structured like it is, and what…
Are Men Facing a Crisis?: Episode 50
The societal trends for men are troubling. Men are graduating college with degrees at much lower rates than women. Prime-age working men are… not working. The number of black men in prison is…
Do We Believe in the American Future?: Episode 49
Is this generation better off than our parents were in 1985? That is the debate in Washington, and it reflects a greater malaise felt by Americans. Rachel and Taylor discuss the Cost of Thriving…
4 Years After the Paralysis: Rachel Interviews Taylor: Episode 48
The month of June is when we remember our biggest milestones— 7 years ago we got married and 4 years ago Rachel was diagnosed with the tumor, paralyzed, and received lifesaving surgery. Usually,…
Is AI Going To End Society As We Know It?: Episode 47
Everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence and the potential for doomsday scenarios. Taylor breaks down what exactly AI is for Rachel, and then they talk about what it could mean for society.…
Transformation Through Suffering: Episode 47
This week we thought we'd do something different. On March 25, 2023, Rachel gave a talk at the Falls Church Anglican Women's Conference, titled "Transformation Through Suffering" that we're sharing…
How We Handle a Catastrophic News Cycle: Episode 46
The news of Silicon Valley Bank collapsing struck a cord of fear: What if our economic system collapses?! It seems lately that story after story sparks fear of coming chaos— be it war, political…
Strategies for Life's Survival-Mode Moments: Episode 45
We are coming out of a long season of survival mode in our house. Maybe you’re in the thick of it too. This podcast episode, we take a break from politics to talk about our strategies for survival.…
What to Do About Teens and Social Media: Episode 44
Taylor and Rachel discuss a topic that's hot these days in media and in public policy: what to do about social media and the negative effects it might be having on teenagers. Taylor recently wrote a…
What's Happening in Congress and Why They Should Focus on an Abundance Agenda: Podcast Episode 43
We are back! It's 2023 and the House of Representatives is unable to govern because they have not elected a Speaker. Rachel and Taylor break down what that means and how Congress, instead of being…
How to Contend with an Unknown Future with Special Guest Jason Feifer: Podcast Episode 42
Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur, joins us to discuss his new book "Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career." We talk…
Unpacking the Midterm Elections: Episode 41
Taylor and Rachel talk about the latest big and little narratives coming out of Tuesday's elections. Did Republicans do as well as they thought they would? What's the breakdown of the numbers in the…
Are We In A Recession?: Episode 40
Rachel and Taylor speak with a special guest, economist Vance Ginn PhD about whether we are in a recession or not, his overall economic outlook, and how Christians might respond during difficult…
Season 2 Launch and Disabled Pregnancy Story: Episode 39
We’re back for Season 2 with our story of baby Barkley two’s pregnancy and delivery. This was a different experience than baby one because Rachel was disabled this time around. We share what was and…
Taking a Baby Break
We are expecting our new baby early next week so it's just Taylor here letting you all know we'll be back with the podcast in August or September. We totally meant to record a final real episode but…
The Mask Mandate is Over, Now What? With Guest Tom Romeo: Episode 38
A federal judge struck down the transportation mask mandate this week— and people whooped and hollered for different reasons. We invited public health expert Tom Romeo on the podcast to share what he…
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Radical Optimism has published 5 episodes since October 2023, covering topics in Society & Culture.
Radical Optimism is currently moderate with new episodes semi-annually. Average episode length is 32m.
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