Give And Take

My guest is Steven Wallace.Steven Wallace is the founder and CEO of the Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company, the first company to sustain exports of premium chocolate manufactured entirely in Africa, and credited with producing the world's first single-origin chocolate bar in 1994. He shares his experience with tariffs and their impact on international trade and the world economy. Wallace often speaks on economic development, cross-cultural issues, and the challenges of starting a gourmet-food business in Africa. He lives in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. Special Guest: Steven C. Wallace .

My guest is Jonathan Merritt. His newest book is Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing--and How We Can Revive Them. (https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Speak-God-Scratch-Vanishing/dp/1601429304) As America rapidly becomes a pluralistic, postmodern society, many of us struggle to talk about faith. We can no longer assume our friends understand words such as grace or gospel. Others, like lost and sin, have become so negative they are nearly conversation-enders. Jonathan Merritt knows this frustration well. After Jonathan moved from the Bible Belt to New York City, he discovered that whenever conversations turned to spirituality, the words he'd used for decades didn't connect with listeners anymore. In a search for answers and understanding, Jonathan uncovered a spiritual crisis affecting tens of millions. In this groundbreaking book, one of America's premier religion writers revives ancient expressions through cultural commentary, vulnerable personal narratives, and surprising biblic

My guest is Michele Margolis. Her new book From Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity (https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Pews-Partisanship-Political-Environment/dp/022655578X)challenges the conventional wisdom that suggests that religious differences between Republicans and Democrats have produced this gap, with voters sorting themselves into the party that best represents their religious views. Margolis offers a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom, arguing that the relationship between religion and politics is far from a one-way street that starts in the church and ends at the ballot box. Margolis contends that political identity has a profound effect on social identity, including religion. Whether a person chooses to identify as religious and the extent of their involvement in a religious community are, in part, a response to political surroundings. In today’s climate of political polarization, partisan actors also help reinforce the relationship

My guest is Kenneth J. Barnes. His new book Redeeming Capitalism (https://www.amazon.com/Redeeming-Capitalism-Kenneth-J-Barnes/dp/0802875572) explores the history and workings of this sometimes-brutal economic system. He investigates the effects of postmodernism and unpacks biblical-theological teachings on work and wealth. Proposing virtuous choices as a way out of such pitfalls as the recent global financial crisis, Barnes envisions a more just and flourishing capitalism for the good of all. Kenneth J. Barnes holds the Mockler-Phillips Chair in Workplace Theology and Business Ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. An ordained minister, he has also conducted business on six continents as a senior international executive. Special Guest: Kenneth J. Barnes.

My guest is Alan Noble. His new book is Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age (https://www.amazon.com/Disruptive-Witness-Speaking-Truth-Distracted/dp/083084483X). These two trends define life in Western society today. We are increasingly addicted to habits―and devices―that distract and "buffer" us from substantive reflection and deep engagement with the world. And we live in what Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor calls "a secular age"―an age in which all beliefs are equally viable and real transcendence is less and less plausible. Drawing on Taylor's work, Alan Noble describes how these realities shape our thinking and affect our daily lives. Too often Christians have acquiesced to these trends, and the result has been a church that struggles to disrupt the ingrained patterns of people's lives. But the gospel of Jesus is inherently disruptive: like a plow, it breaks up the hardened surface to expose the fertile earth below. In this book Noble lays out individual, ecclesial, and cultural pra

My guest is Allie Rowbottom. Her debut book is Jell-O Girls: A Family History (https://www.amazon.com/JELL-Girls-History-Allie-Rowbottom/dp/0316510610). It's a memoir that braids the evolution of one of America's most iconic branding campaigns with the stirring tales of the women who lived behind its façade - told by the inheritor of their stories. In 1899, Allie Rowbottom's great-great-great-uncle bought the patent to Jell-O from its inventor for $450. The sale would turn out to be one of the most profitable business deals in American history, and the generations that followed enjoyed immense privilege - but they were also haunted by suicides, cancer, alcoholism, and mysterious ailments. An examination of the dark side of an iconic American product and a portrait of the women who lived in the shadow of its fractured fortune, JELL-O GIRLS is a family history, a feminist history, and a story of motherhood, love and loss. Throughout, Rowbottom considers the roots of trauma not only in her own family, but in th

My guest is John Fea. John is professor of American history at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. His previous books include Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction (https://www.amazon.com/America-Founded-Christian-Nation-Revised/dp/066426249X/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=066426249X&pd_rd_r=4025d6f0-99d7-11e8-8a63-ad2dc5335592&pd_rd_w=Zrrxa&pd_rd_wg=pMeE8&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=a180fdfb-b54e-4904-85ba-d852197d6c09&pf_rd_r=TWAGW7WV73T1X93HBB2H&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=TWAGW7WV73T1X93HBB2H), and he blogs regularly at The Way of Improvement Leads Home (https://thewayofimprovement.com). His newest book Believe Me: The Evangelical Road To Donald Trump (https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Me-Evangelical-Donald-Trump/dp/0802876412) argues that the embrace of Donald Trump is the logical outcome of a long-standing evangelical approach to public life defined by the politics of fear, the pursuit of worldly power, and

My guest is Joseph Cicio. Lauren Bacall, Bill Blass, Rose Marie Bravo, Carol Channing, Prince Charles, Brooke Hayward Duchin, Erté, Princess Grace, Audrey Hepburn, Lady Nancy “Slim” Keith, The Kissingers, Kenneth J. Lane, Eleanor Lambert, Dawn Mello, Robert Mondavi, Josie Natori, and Joan Rivers, are just a few of the great friends of Joseph Cicio. His first book, Friends* *Bearing Gifts (https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Bearing-Gifts-Joseph-Cicio/dp/1938461967) is about these relationships and his memories through the beautiful objects they gave him. Featuring stunning photography of Cicio’s Connecticut home, with essays on these friends and their gifts, the book emphasizes the importance of relationships. It is a reflection on a life filled with warmth, beauty, and ultimately exceptional memories. As Nancy Kissingers says in her elegant foreword, “No one understands and articulates the value of friendship more sincerely than Joe.” Special Guest: Joseph Cicio .

My guest is Rabbi Ben Kamin. He is a nationally-known clergyman, teacher, counselor, and the prize-winning author of twelve books on human values, civil rights, and spirituality. His most recent book is The Blessing Of Sorrow: Turning Grief into Healing (https://www.amazon.com/Blessing-Sorrow-Turning-Grief-Healing/dp/1942094655). Special Guest: Ben Kamin.

My guest is Rabbi Herbert J. Cohen. His column, “Kosher Movies,” has appeared in newspapers in Atlanta, Toronto, and Denver. He is the author of several books including Kosher Movies: A Film Critic Discovers Life Lessons at the Cinema, The One of Us: A Life in Jewish Education, Texas Torah, Kosher Parenting and Walking in Two Worlds: Visioning Torah Concepts in Secular Worlds. Rabbi Cohen also blogs regularly in The Times of Israel and the Religion Section of The Huffington Post on the intersection of film and faith. Special Guest: Herbert J. Cohen.

My guest is Stephanie Feldman. She co-edited Who Will Speak For America? (https://www.amazon.com/Will-Speak-America-Stephanie-Feldman/dp/1439916241/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514208101&sr=8-1&keywords=who+will+speak+for+america), with Nathaniel Popkin. The editors and contributors to Who Will Speak for America? (https://www.amazon.com/Will-Speak-America-Stephanie-Feldman/dp/1439916241/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514208101&sr=8-1&keywords=who+will+speak+for+america)are passionate and justifiably angry voices providing a literary response to today’s political crisis. Inspired by and drawing from the work of writers who participated in nationwide Writers Resist events in January 2017, this volume provides a collection of poems, stories, essays, and cartoons that wrestle with the meaning of America and American identity. The contributions—from established figures including Eileen Myles, Melissa Febos, Jericho Brown, and Madeleine Thien, as well as rising new voices, such as Carmen Maria Machado, Ganzeer, and Liana Fin

My guest is MaryAnn McKibben Dana. Her newest book is God, Improv and the Art of Living (https://www.amazon.com/Improv-Living-MaryAnn-McKibben-Dana/dp/0802874649/). In it she blends Scripture, psychology, theology, and pop culture in a wise, funny, down-to-earth guide to improv as a practice for life. Offering concrete spiritual wisdom in the form of seven improvi­sational principles, this book will help readers become more awake, creative, resilient, and ready to play--even (and perhaps especially) when life doesn't go according to plan. "We are all improvisers," says McKibben Dana, "whether we realize it or not. We improvise in order to get through the day. We improvise when life surprises us. We do it without even thinking about it. This book will help you do it better." Special Guest: MaryAnn McKibben Dana.

My guest is Andrew Selee. In his new book, Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together (https://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Frontiers-Forces-Driving-Together/dp/1610398599), he argues that there may be no story today with a wider gap between fact and fiction than the relationship between the United States and Mexico. Wall or no wall, deeply intertwined social, economic, business, cultural, and personal relationships mean the US-Mexico border is more like a seam than a barrier, weaving together two economies and cultures. Mexico faces huge crime and corruption problems, but its remarkable transformation over the past two decades has made it a more educated, prosperous, and innovative nation than most Americans realize. Through portraits of business leaders, migrants, chefs, movie directors, police officers, and media and sports executives, Andrew Selee looks at this emerging Mexico, showing how it increasingly influences our daily lives in the United States in surprising ways--th

Think you could never go vegan? Think again. As this smart, funny and persuasive manifesto (https://www.amazon.com/Vodka-Vegan-Manifesto-Better-Living/dp/0143129732/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)makes clear, you're already 90% vegan anyway. That's right--you already love animals and are slowly but surely eating less meat than you used to. With the insider tips and inspiring stories in this book, you'll be ready to go whole hog (see what we did there?) and eat vegan for good. With a loyal online following that’s growing fast, the Bros are the new face of veganism--loud, proud, and fighting for a better world, one plate at a time. Special Guest: Matt & Phil Letten, "The Vegan Bros".

My guest is Laura Vanderkam. She is the the acclaimed author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (https://www.amazon.com/Successful-People-Before-Breakfast-Mornings-ebook/dp/B007K3E2YK). She isn’t like other time-management gurus. She’s not trying to shave off 30 seconds here or there; she’s interested in the emotional and psychological side of the 168 hours everyone has each week. Her newest book is Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done (https://www.amazon.com/Off-Clock-Feel-While-Getting/dp/0735219818/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8). Her core message is that you have more time than you think you do, and you can feel less stressed while getting more done. Vanderkam has packed this book with insights from busy yet relaxed professionals, including “time makeovers” of people who are learning how to use these tools. Off the Clock (https://www.amazon.com/Off-Clock-Feel-While-Getting/dp/0735219818/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8) can inspire the rest of us to create lives that are not only productive,

My guest is Matt Tebbe. He co-founded Gravity Leadership (https://gravityleadership.com), and is planting a church, The Table Indy (https://www.thetableindy.org), in the northeast suburbs of Indianapolis. He also co-hosts the Gravity Leadership podcast (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gravity-leadership-podcast/id1356585852). Special Guest: Matt Tebbe.

My guest is Benyamin Cohen. His book My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith (https://www.amazon.com/My-Jesus-Year-Rabbis-Wanders/dp/0061245186) is part memoir, part spiritual quest, part anthropologist’s mission. It's a humorous, personal, ultimately inspirational exploration of Christianity by the son of an Orthodox Rabbi on his journey through America's Bible belt. Benyamin Cohen is Editorial Director of From the Grapevine (https://www.fromthegrapevine.com). He has written for The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Yahoo News and Slate. His new podcast, Our Friend From Israel (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-friend-from-israel/id1377345487), recently launched its debut episode. Special Guest: Benyamin Cohen.

Nathaniel Popkin is a writer, editor, historian, journalist, and the author of five books, including his most recent novel Everything is Borrowed (https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Borrowed-Nathaniel-Popkin/dp/099955011X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526668316&sr=8-1&keywords=everything+is+borrowed&dpID=51FTGgoH8OL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch). A meditation on cruelty and regret, a mesmerizing tour of a city through time, and an evocative portrait of radical Jewish life of another age. In Everything is Borrowed, acclaimed architect Nicholas Moscowitz lands a major commission, but his drive suddenly falters. The site of the new project awakens guilty memories, and when he digs into the place’s history, he uncovers a 19th-century Moskowitz whose life offers strange parallels to his own. As Nicholas grows obsessed with this shadow man, the dual narratives of Moskowitz and Moscowitz, the city’s past and present, blend in unexpected and poignant ways. Ultimately Nicholas must face certain truths that d

My guest is L.M. Browning. In her career-defining work, To Lose the Madness: Field Notes on Trauma, Loss and Radical Authenticity (https://www.amazon.com/Lose-Madness-Trauma-Radical-Authenticity/dp/1947003909), Browning explores the breaking point every mind has after finding her own limit during a gauntlet of traumatic events.Pulled out of this blast-crater moment in her life by a friend, she is brought away from the insanity and deep into the snowy Sangre de Cristo Mountains where, standing in front of a herd of wild buffalo, she comes face to face with the terms we all must come to surrounding the loss we face in this life. Offering no answers and seeking no pity, Browning lays herself bare in this radically authentic offering. She carries restricted subjects such as miscarriage, mental illness, and suicide out of the silence by offering her own private journey as an example of the power of transcendence. Special Guest: L.M. Browning.

My guest is Matthew Kaemingk. His most recent book is Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear (https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Hospitality-Muslim-Immigration-Fear/dp/0802874584). In it he offers a thought-provoking Christian perspective on the growing debates over Muslim presence in the West. Rejecting both fearful nationalism and romantic multiculturalism, Kaemingk makes the case for a third way—a Christian pluralism that is committed to both the historic Christian faith and the public rights, dignity, and freedom of Islam. Rev. Dr. Matthew Kaemingk is assistant professor of Christian Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary. Matthew's research focuses on Islam and political ethics, workplace theology, theology and culture, and Reformed public theology. Matthew earned his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and holds doctoral degrees in Systematic Theology from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and in Christian Ethics from Fuller Theological Seminary. As a Fulbright