Revisionist History

Latest Episodes:

Pals, Allies, and Companions | Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant Live Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Live from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Malcolm interviews Adam Grant around his new book, Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World. They cover the three kinds of relationships—pals, allies, and companions—explain why frenemies may be worse for your health than enemies, and look at why dating algorithms can’t find your soulmate. Malcolm offers a grand unified theory of Adam’s work: every book has been a nerd manifesto. Along the way, they talk about what kids learn from watching their parents work, and how nerds build community in their own ways.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wolfgang's Law - Part Two Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

We’ve known about a solution to violent crime for decades. Why hasn’t it been adopted everywhere? And what are the costs of waiting so long?

You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wolfgang's Law - Part One Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Over the last few years homicide rates in Baltimore have plummeted. A city once labeled America’s murder capital is seeing a reprieve that seems nothing short of miraculous. What happened? This week, Malcolm takes a look at what Baltimore is doing to save lives.

To learn more about the organization Termite founded, visit: https://switchinglanesadultandyouth.org/

You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian Lehrer and Malcolm Gladwell Talk Policing and Guns Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

A dispatch from the book tour – Malcolm recently joined WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show for a conversation about his new book, The American Way of Killing. We’re sharing it here today, including listener phone calls about their own experiences and questions about the epidemic of gun violence in America.
You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Invention of an Epidemic Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

In Malcolm’s new book, The American Way of Killing, he investigates why gun violence in the United States is so much worse than every other country in the West. Today, we’re sharing a chapter from the audiobook and over the next four weeks we’ll air episodes about the gun violence epidemic in America. Later in the series, Revisionist History looks at how Baltimore turned its homicide problem around, and why it took so long.

You can order The American Way of Killing at Gladwell.com or wherever books are sold.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Barack Obama & Malcolm Gladwell: How Reconstruction Still Defines America Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Malcolm sat down with President Barack Obama while making Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise for a conversation about history, progress, and why democracy is never a finished project. What makes Reconstruction one of the most misunderstood eras in American history, and why does it still have so much relevance today? Today, we’re sharing an extended version of their conversation.

You can find the full series, Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise,on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Dollop Crossover | Ben Naddaff-Hafrey on Staten Island and the Revolutionary War Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

After Ben's Staten Island summer, he sat down with The Dollop hosts, comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, to examine Staten Island during the Revolutionary War. Ben, Dave, and Gareth dive into an extremely niche topic in history.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fines Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

How did some remains of those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks end up in what was once the world's largest landfill? In this episode: the battle that continues to this day over what some see as a pile of dust, and what others see as the remains of the dead.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merciless Indian Savages | First America Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

There's a sentence in the Declaration of Independence that almost no one talks about. It's the last grievance: “He has excited the merciless Indian Savages”, it reads, "whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions." We’ve all been told the American Revolution was fought over taxation and representation. But that's not what the Declaration of Independence says. According to our founders, what they were most upset about was Native Americans. How did we miss that?

That's the question at the heart of a new Pushkin podcast called First America. It’s hosted by Rebecca Nagle, an Indigenous author and the host of Crooked’s This Land podcast. First America reveals the true story of how the United States came to be, and how our current political moment is 250 years in the making. It unveils how the founders’ treatment of Indigenous nations—and their resistance—shaped US democracy.

Here's episode 1. Rebecca sits down with historian Ned Blackhawk (Western Shoshone) to talk about how hunger for Indigenous land drove the Revolution. Find more episodes of First America wherever you get podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Staten Island Problem - Part 5: Revenge of the Forgotten Borough Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Election night 1993 meets election night 2016. The fate of the island and the country converge in the figure of one man: Rudy Giuliani.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected