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How To! with Charles Duhigg — Education
How To! with Charles Duhigg

You’ve got questions. We find answers.

We all need advice, but it’s not always clear who to ask. Each week, we invite a listener on the show to tackle a real problem, like protecting our elderly loved ones from scammers, emigrating as a throuple, and speaking without saying “um” – all with help from world-class experts: attorneys, doctors, entrepreneurs, authors, researchers – who actually know what they’re talking about. Think of it as eavesdropping on someone else’s therapy session, without the co-pay or awkward silence.

Copyright: © Slate Magazine 2019

Latest Episodes:

Quarantine Q&A: Masks Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

Margit from Denver, Colorado writes in with a question about how to encourage people to wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Charles offers advice on how to incentivize people to form new habits, and draws lessons from past efforts to change behavior during World War II.

What are your toughest challenges during the pandemic? And what have you found is working for you? Leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001. We're collecting your problems and solutions for our recurring Quarantine Q&A.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Tame a Chaotic Household Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

Sarah feels like she's drowning in the clutter of her tiny Brooklyn apartment where she lives with a messy husband and two-year-old daughter. Now that her family is under quarantine together, the chaos seems destined to only get worse. In this episode of How To!, Bruce Feiler, author of The Secrets of Happy Families, drops by to give Sarah a home makeover. But Bruce has more than a Marie Kondo-style cleanup in mind. Instead, he suggests that Sarah first declutter her mind and then call a family meeting to reorganize responsibilities.

What are your toughest challenges during the pandemic? And what have you found is working for you? Leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001. We're collecting your problems and solutions for our recurring Quarantine Q&A.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Not Go Crazy Under Quarantine Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

This week, we're struggling with the same problem as our listeners: self-quarantine. As news of the coronavirus pandemic intensifies, how do we stay sane while staying home? How do we reduce stress and remain healthy while juggling remote work and rambunctious kids? In this episode of How To!, we bring in Celeste Headlee, author of Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving. Long before the pandemic, Headlee spent a lot of time thinking about how to slow down while practicing her own kind of social distancing—in her case from a hectic life and career. Headlee's first tip? Pick up the phone and call someone. "It can't be underestimated how powerful the voice is," she says. "It gives you a feeling of belonging…the most important need that a human being has after survival."

What are your toughest challenges during the pandemic? And what have you found is working for you? Leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001. We're collecting your problems and solutions for a recurring segment on the show.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Forgive the Unforgivable Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

For years Claire has been holding on to a terrible family secret: Her mom physically abused Claire's brother when he was young. How could her mom have done that? Now, over a decade later, both Claire's mother and brother have passed away, but Claire still grapples daily with feelings of anger and deep resentment toward her mom. In this episode of How To!, we bring in Reverend Mpho Tutu van Furth, the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and author of The Book of Forgiving. Mpho struggled with forgiveness herself after experiencing an awful tragedy in her South African home. The first step to forgiveness, Mpho says, is telling the story of the hurt—whether that means writing it down or, in Claire's case, coming on a podcast.

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How To Find Your First Kiss at 38 Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

Sharon is 38 and never been kissed. This, as she acknowledges, is "a bit weird." As a nurse who loves ballroom dancing, Sharon is smart, funny, and attractive. At the same time, she's deeply religious and has been waiting so long for the perfect man she worries that she'll never find "The One." In this episode of How To!, we bring in one of New York City's finest matchmakers, Lisa Clampitt, for some tough love. Lisa believes Sharon has a lot going for her, but in order to find her first kiss she needs to go on a lot more second dates. This is no fairytale, but sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Get Your Mom to Accept You Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

When Hema first realized she was gay a few years ago after immigrating to the U.S., she knew she had to tell her mom. But the conversation didn't go well. Hema's mom lives in India and is convinced being gay is a Western phenomenon. So how does Hema help her mom accept her for who she is? In this episode of How To!, we bring in Sonali Gulati, a professor, filmmaker and queer rights activist who made a documentary about the parents of LGBTQ people in India. Drawing from her own personal experience, Sonali helps Hema figure out the best way to frame the conversation with her mom. One tip? Speak your parents' language to explain how your life fits their definition of success.

Do you have a tough challenge that needs a creative solution? Send us a note at howto@slate.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Vote for the Next President Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

Anthony is that rarest of things in American politics—a swing voter who is up for grabs in 2020. Caught between his Republican voting history and his current dislike of President Trump, Anthony is now registered as an Independent. But does he follow his head or his heart? In this episode of How To!, we bring in veteran political advisors David Axelrod, chief strategist for Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, and Mike Murphy, a Republican consultant, who co-host the podcast Hacks on Tap. David and Mike discuss how to weigh ideology vs. electability and rank the issues that really matter. Can their advice help Anthony—and all of us—make sure our vote counts?

Do you have a quandary in need of a creative solution? Send us a note at howto@slate.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Write the Perfect Breakup Song with Ben Folds Feb 18, 2020

Show notes

Lorenzo is a dental student with big dreams—of becoming a rock star. Lorenzo plays a mean guitar at open mic night, but there's one thing holding him back: He doesn't know how to write his own songs. In this episode of How To!, we bring in master songwriter Ben Folds, former frontman of Ben Folds Five, and author of A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons. Many of those lessons are about how anyone can unlock their creativity. Ben breaks down his own music, and tinkers with Lorenzo's attempt at writing a break-up song. He tells him to embrace cliché, then slip in something unexpected. Also, switch the first lyric with the second. Will it work?

Do you have a problem that needs a creative solution? Send us a note at howto@slate.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Convince People to Give You Money Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

Shannon runs a nonprofit in Aspen, Colorado — a place filled with wealthy donors, but also stiff competition. With nearly 500 nonprofits vying for money, how does Shannon help her organization stick out? Some of the best advice may come from an unlikely source: con artists. In this episode of How To!, Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game, shares con artists' surprisingly similar tricks of the trade: Identify your mark, listen carefully, then tell them a story they want to hear. Can Shannon use these same techniques for a good cause?

Do you have a problem that needs a creative solution? Send us a note at howto@slate.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Protect Yourself Against the Coronavirus Feb 04, 2020

Show notes

The coronavirus outbreak in China is causing panic worldwide. The World Health Organization has declared it a global health emergency and all we hear about are doubling infection rates, massive quarantines, and drugstores running out of masks. In this episode of How To!, we ask Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, former New York Times reporter and author of An American Sickness, how she and her family survived the previous SARS epidemic in Beijing. We also revisit our conversation with Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, about what to do—and what not to do—if the coronavirus becomes a full-blown pandemic and spreads to where you live.

Do you have a tough question or a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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