Best Daniel Finneran Podcasts (2024)

1
“I should LOVE her FOREVER, were it only for that!” | Thomas Jefferson to Maria Cosway 29:08

1h ago29:08

29:08

A beautiful billet-doux sent from Thomas Jefferson to Maria Cosway (1786). “Friendship is precious not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and, thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine”. If you have a love letter that you’d like me to read right here ON AIR for all the world to hear, send it to …

1
“My only lucid moments were DREAMS of MISS SMITHSON, now the DARLING of PARIS” | Hector Berlioz to Harriet Smithson 24:30

7h ago24:30

24:30

A beautiful love story, written by Hector Berlioz for Harriet Smithson (1865). “A plan began to take shape in my mind: Harriet Smithson should hear of me! She should know that I also was an artist!” If you have a love letter that you’d like me to read right here ON AIR for all the world to hear, send it to me via email at billetdouxu@gmail.com. If …

1
Welcome to Billet Doux! 1:01

3m ago1:01

1:01

Welcome to Billet Doux, a show about literature and love. On this show, dear friend–than which you’ll not find another lovelier, nor sweeter–we’ll read some of the most arrestingly beautiful love letters ever to have been penned. Letters written by, to take just a few noteworthy examples: Michelangelo, Beethoven, Elizabeth Taylor, F. Scott Fitzgera…

1
How to Deal with DISTRACTION 16:11

8M ago16:11

16:11

“Distracted from distraction by distraction” Look around: we’re in an inescapable loop of distraction. How do we liberate ourselves from this endless cycle? Borrowing from the great poet TS Eliot, this episode offers some advice. I hope that it’s helpful! Check out my sister channel Finneran’s Wake for profound, long-form conversations. Like, subsc…

1
The “Burning Babe” Who Makes Your Heart GLOW (Christmas Episode!) | Pneuma Nuggets 4:50

8M ago4:50

4:50

“As I in hoary winter night stood shivering in the snow, Surprised was I with sudden heat which made my heart to glow; And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near A Pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear.” Robert Southwell I hope that you enjoy this bite-sized Pneuma Nugget! Please consider sharing this episode with a frie…

1
Race, Sports, and Revolutionaries: Black Quarterbacks in the NFL | John Eisenberg 1:05:29

8M ago1:05:29

1:05:29

John Eisenberg is a sports columnist and an author. His latest book, Rocket Men: The Black Quarterbacks Who Revolutionized Pro Football is an eye-opening account of the history of black quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s available for purchase everywhere books are sold. In this episode, John and I discuss: The intersection of race and sports; Is the NFL…

1
“A man travels the WORLD in search of what he needs and returns HOME to find it” | Pneuma Nugget 3:17

8M ago3:17

3:17

“A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it”. - George Moore I hope that you enjoy this bite-sized Pneuma Nugget! Please consider sharing this episode with a friend and subscribing to the channel for more sleep stories, meditations, and soothing content! Visit my YouTube page @pneumabydanielfinneran. Email me at …

1
Don't Live An IMAGINARY Life In The Mind of Others 21:11

8M ago21:11

21:11

“We do not content ourselves with the life we have in ourselves and in our own being; we desire to live an imaginary life in the mind of others…” Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, inventor, and philosopher, came to this realization about humankind in the 17th century. It remains as true today as it was back then. In this episode, we discuss li…

1
What is Culture? | Marcus Collins 59:28

8M ago59:28

59:28

Marcus Collins is a marketer, cultural translator, professor, and an author. His first book, For the Culture: The power behind what we buy, what we do, and who we want to be is now available for purchase. I strongly recommend it! In this episode, Marcus and I discuss: The definition of “culture”; The difference between “fast” and “slow” culture; Is…

1
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad | Fall Asleep With Me 34:56

8M ago34:56

34:56

Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) was a Polish-English novelist. He was born in 1857 and died in 1924. His twenty years spent as a sailor in the British merchant navy inspired many of his literary works, among which Heart of Darkness is most highly acclaimed. In this episode of “Fall Asleep with Me”, I read this work’s opening s…

1
War, Douglas MacArthur, Israel, Hawaii & Investing | James Ellman 1:04:15

9M ago1:04:15

1:04:15

James Ellman is an investor and author. His latest book, “MacArthur Reconsidered” treats its subject in a refreshingly unbiased way. With a steady hand, James carves away the hero-worship, and leaves us with a true picture of America’s most controversial general, the iconic Douglas MacArthur. For those of you interested in military history and poli…

1
A Reflection on FRIENDS & Remembrance of Things PAST 26:20

9M ago26:20

26:20

The inspiration for this episode is a sonnet–a Shakespearean sonnet–with which you’re unlikely to be familiar; Sonnet 30, you see, isn’t commonly ranked among Shakespeare’s finest works. It’s neither read to romantic lovers, inscribed on elegant tombstones, nor quoted in popular films. Indeed, you’ll very seldom hear a recitation of its fourteen fo…

1
Slavery, Freedom, & The Unsung Heroes Of The Underground Railroad | Scott Shane 1:18:03

10M ago1:18:03

1:18:03

Scott Shane is a reporter, a research fellow, a lecturer, and an author. His latest book, Flee North, tells the story of the two men responsible for freeing hundreds of enslaved people and establishing the Underground Railroad: Thomas Smallwood and Charles Turner Torrey. In this episode, Scott and I discuss: Thomas Smallwood; Charles Turner Torrey;…

1
John Muir, Yosemite, & The Fight To Protect America’s Crown Jewel | Dean King 1:15:32

10M ago1:15:32

1:15:32

Dean King is an author, a journalist, and a documentarian. His latest book, Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that saved Yosemite is available at all reputable booksellers. This book, of which I strongly urge you all to get a copy, tells the fascinating story of John Muir, Robert Underwood Johnson, and their historic effort to p…

1
A Meditation For A RAINY Day: Tracing The “History Of A Single Raindrop” 23:03

10M ago23:03

23:03

“How interesting (it is) to trace the history of a single raindrop!” In this guided meditation, we’ll join the American outdoorsman, conservationist, and writer John Muir as we contemplate the dramatic life story of a single raindrop. Muir was a man of extraordinary depth. In this episode, we’ll accompany him to lofty poetic heights–high, in fact, …

1
Four Quartets by TS Eliot | The Great Poems Of All Time 1:03:56

10M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888 - 1965) was an Anglo-American poet. A devout Christian, Eliot was an important figure in the Modernist movement that sprang to life in the first quarter of the 20th century. "Four Quartets", a uniquely sublime work by which all his other poems are eclipsed, addresses the theme of time. It's a theme on which, as you doubtl…

1
Manliness, Modernity, Business, and Beauty | Logan Wright 1:03:08

11M ago1:03:08

1:03:08

Logan Wright is the founder of Greco Gum. Greco Gum sells a premium mastic gum sourced from the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. Chewed since time immemorial, mastic gum offers a plethora of health and aesthetic benefits: it satiates hunger, cleanses the teeth, sharpens the mind, strengthens the muscles of mastication (those with which you …

1
Road Trips, Twizzlers, The Civil War & College Football | John Banks 1:15:31

11M ago1:15:31

1:15:31

John Banks is an author, editor, a journalist, and a Civil War aficionado. His latest book, A Civil War Road Trip of a Lifetime is now available for purchase! The book is a really fun travelogue-cum-history that you’ll definitely want to add to your shelf. In this wide-ranging episode, John and I discuss: Being an aficionado v. being an academic; E…

1
“Footfalls Echo In The Memory”: How To Think About And Deal With REGRET 27:33

11M ago27:33

27:33

Footfalls echo in the memory Down the passage which we did not take Toward the door we never opened Into the rose-garden. This is an excerpt from the first poem of TS Eliot’s masterpiece, “Four Quartets”. It is, in my opinion, the most memorable part of “Burnt Norton”. In this episode, we’re going to meditate on the theme that Eliot presents: Regre…

1
Camping, Architecture, Nature, And The Hidden History Of S’mores | Martin Hogue 1:14:33

11M ago1:14:33

1:14:33

Martin Hogue is an author, architect, and a professor at Cornell University. Martin’s latest book, Making Camp: A Visual History of Camping’s Most Essential Items and Activities is available everywhere fine books are sold. I can assure you, this conversation will inspire you to unfold your tent, unroll your sleeping bag, throw some logs on the fire…

1
Blues Guitar, Communist China, SRV, and The Allman Brothers Band | Alan Paul 1:09:46

11M ago1:09:46

1:09:46

Alan Paul is an author, a journalist, and a musician. He was the founding member of the Beijing-based blues group, Woodie Alan, for which he served as the frontman. Along with a delightful autobiography about his life as an expat living in China, Alan has written oral histories about Stevie Ray Vaughn and The Allman Brothers Band. His latest work, …

1
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë | Fall Asleep With Me 33:02

11M ago33:02

33:02

Charlotte Brontë (nom de plume "Currer Bell") was an English novelist. She lived between 1816 - 1855. She was the eldest (and most gifted) of an immensely talented trio of sisters, which included Emily and Anne. Her most famous work, “Jane Eyre” is also one of the finest in the English language. In this episode of “Fall Asleep With Me”, I read one …

1
How to Think About and Deal with REMORSE, The “Poison Of Life” 24:22

11M ago24:22

24:22

“Dread remorse when you are tempted to err, Miss Eyre; remorse is the poison of life.” In Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 masterpiece, “Jane Eyre”, Mr. Rochester issues this stark warning to young Jane, the novel’s titular character and heroine. In this episode, we’ll focus on remorse, contrast it with regret, and implement techniques to relieve us of its …

1
Rockets, Race Cars, Cameras, and Extreme Weather | Scott Schilke 1:16:22

12M ago1:16:22

1:16:22

Scott Schilke is a photographer who specializes in capturing breathtaking images of rocket ships, race cars, and extreme weather events. At the youthful age of sixty-two, after having worked in property management for four decades, Scott spurned retirement and embarked upon a new career. When all his buddies were slipping into the long-deferred idl…

1
Exposing The MYTH of The Free Market | Naomi Oreskes 49:27

12M ago49:27

49:27

Naomi Oreskes is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University. She is the author of many books, including Why Trust Science?, The Collapse of Western Civilization, Merchants of Doubt (upon which an acclaimed documentary was based), and, her most recent work, The Big Myth. Professor Oreskes is a veritable mine of i…

1
Jackie Kennedy: America’s Most Alluring Lady | J. Randy Taraborrelli 1:18:18

12M ago1:18:18

1:18:18

J. Randy Taraborrelli is an author, editor, reporter, journalist, and biographer whose latest work, “Jackie: Public, Private, Secret” is now available for purchase. (For what it’s worth, I strongly encourage you to get yourself a copy!) Some of Randy’s other popular works include, Madonna: An Intimate Biography; Jackie, Janet, and Lee; The Hiltons;…

1
Raw Milk, Metaphysics, and Marxism: Nourishing the Mind and Body | Sally Fallon 1:03:49

1y ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Sally Fallon Morell is an author, a farmer, a businesswoman, and the founder of multiple organizations dedicated to human flourishing. And how, as humans, do we flourish, you might ask? Simple: it all begins with our nutrition! Inspired by the under-acknowledged genius of Dr. Weston A. Price, Sally has popularized the “Wise Traditions” Diet, a natu…

1
Alternate Nostril Breathing: Simple and SOOTHING (Tutorial and Practice for BEGINNERS) 22:08

1y ago22:08

22:08

Join me for an Alternate Nostril Breathing Session! This simple breathing technique, to which I commit a few minutes every single day, is deceptively powerful. Not only does it invigorate me with fresh oxygen and vital energy, but it helps to balance my body–the left side with the right. This episode is a simple tutorial to which anyone can follow …

1
Middlemarch by George Eliot | Fall Asleep With Me 50:02

1y ago50:02

50:02

George Eliot (the manly nom de plume behind which Mary Ann Evans cloaked her true identity) was an English novelist. She lived between 1819-1880. Her most famous work, “Middlemarch” is also one of the finest in the English language. In this episode of “Fall Asleep With Me”, I read one of my favorite scenes: that in which Will Ladislaw and Dorothea …

1
Become a LION! Courageous, Carnivorous, and FREE | Dr. Robert Kiltz 1:35:19

1y ago1:35:19

1:35:19

Dr. Robert Kiltz is a physician, businessman, YouTuber, potter, pilot, and poet. (I challenge you to repeat those last three words as quickly as you can without stumbling!) One of America’s leading experts on the Carnivore Diet (of which he’s been both an advocate and adherent for the past decade), Dr. Kiltz has bravely questioned the dietary guide…

1
Quarks, the Cosmos, Carmina Burana, and the Big Bang | Dan Levitt 1:28:44

1y ago1:28:44

1:28:44

Dan Levitt is a director, documentarian, and an author. His latest book, What’s Gotten Into You: The Story Of Your Body’s Atoms, From The Big Bang Through Last Night’s Dinner, is now available for purchase! For the promulgation of good science to the general public–in a format and a language that is accessible to all–we look, now more than ever, to…

1
Bulls, Booze, and Broken Bones: A Cowboy’s Story | Barry Brown 52:52

1y ago52:52

52:52

Barry Brown is an author, cowboy, horse breaker, bull rider, and rodeo competitor to whom the nickname, “The Bionic Bull Rider” has been, I think, very fittingly applied. Barry began competing as a bull rider at the tender age of 15. Despite its perils, he fell in love with the sport, in which he continued to participate (either as a competitor or …

1
Peter Freuchen, Arctic Exploration, Cartoons, Country Music, and Whiskey | Reid Mitenbuler 1:51:40

1y ago1:51:40

1:51:40

Reid Mitenbuler is an author, a journalist, and an Air Force veteran. His latest book, Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, An Epic Journey, A Lost Age tells the untold story of the twentieth century’s most interesting man. Peter Freuchen was a Danish explorer, globetrotter, novelist, journalist, actor, and game show contestant. An imposingly large m…

1
Dominate Each Decade: How To Stay Fit In Every Stage Of Life | James Flood 41:34

1y ago41:34

41:34

Alas... How quickly (and imperceptibly!) the years accrue! Before you know it, you're departing your second, and entering your third (or fourth, or fifth…) decade of life and wondering, as you pass another milestone, celebrate another birthday, and add another number to anno domini: "How should I tailor my fitness regimen to my (advancing) age?" In…

1
5 Things To Do Outside The Gym To Optimize Your Time Inside The Gym | James Flood 57:43

1y ago57:43

57:43

The beard is back! Recurring (and undeniably burly) guest James Flood joins me to discuss the five most important things you can do outside the gym in order to optimize your performance once you re-enter. In brief, he advises you to focus on: 1. Hydration (with electrolytes) 2. Nutrition 3. Sun exposure 4. Cold exposure 5. Sleep Or if, like me, you…

1
Movies and Madness, Through a Psychiatrist’s Eyes | James Charney 2:10:12

1y ago2:10:12

2:10:12

James Charney is a psychiatrist, cinephile, professor, and author. His latest book, “Madness at the Movies” examines the mental disorders by which Hollywood’s most infamously deranged characters (Travis Bickle from Scorcese’s “Taxi Driver”; Norman Bates from Hitchcock’s “Psycho”) are afflicted. The book, written for a popular audience, is an extens…

1
What If You Had to Relive Each Moment Of Your Life Again And Again (Forever?) 34:58

1y ago34:58

34:58

What if you had to live your life not only once, but innumerable times over? Would this be a blessing? A curse? Would you delight in the opportunity to live it again? Or, if you haven't lived such a good life thus far, would you bewail the prospect? In his work, "The Gay Science", Friedrich Nietzsche explores this idea. He does so through his doctr…

1
Welcome to Finneran's Wake! 2:23

1y ago2:23

2:23

Welcome to Finneran’s Wake – where the ART OF CONVERSATION lives. Here, no topic is untouchable, no idea inadmissible, and no one too heretical to be heard. As the great French essayist Montaigne once said, “To my taste, the most fruitful and natural exercise of our minds is CONVERSATION. I find the practice of it the most delightful activity in ou…

1
Hidden Inside Each One of Us Is An Unimaginable “I”. Where Is Yours? 21:51

1y ago21:51

21:51

The concept of the Unimaginable “I” is one to which, so far as I can tell, the Czech-French writer, Milan Kundera, is chiefly responsible for having given life. Kundera, twice expelled from the Czech Communist Party (of which he was, in his youth, a devout member) published a book in 1984 entitled The Unbearable Lightness of Being, about which I ta…

1
This Book Has Had the BIGGEST Impact On Me (So Far This Year!) 25:39

1y ago25:39

25:39

I realized, while reflecting on the last few conversations of which I partook, that I twice made reference to one special book: “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera. Kundera, a Czech-French author who is (at the time of this posting) an incredible 94 years of age, is an extraordinary man. Twice expelled from the Czech Communist Part…

1
Escaping the Secret Police, Studying Ancient Greece, and Defending Human Rights | Svetlana Slapšak 2:13:26

1y ago2:13:26

2:13:26

Svetlana Slapšak is an author, editor, anthropologist, philologist, expert in gender studies and the history of the Balkans. Born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1948, she now resides and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Svetlana is the type of person to whom I could talk for hours: the breadth of her experiences is exceeded only by the depth of her reading (w…

1
Nietzsche, Shakespeare, Aristotle, And The Soul Of American Politics | Glenn Ellmers 1:38:59

1y ago1:38:59

1:38:59

Glenn Ellmers is an author, journalist, political scientist, and fellow at the Claremont Institute. The late Harry Jaffa–of whom Glenn was a student–is the subject of his excellent 2021 book, The Soul of Politics (of which I strongly urge you to buy a copy!) His forthcoming work, The Narrow Passage, will be released in the Summer of 2023. Glenn is …

1
How to Outsmart Your Brain, Procrastinate Less, Read More, and LEARN More! | Dan Willingham 58:23

1y ago58:23

58:23

Dan Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and the author of many celebrated articles and books. His latest work, Outsmart Your Brain, offers invaluable advice for the student whose goal is to maximize his or her fullest learning potential. But you don’t have to be a student–enrolled at a prestigious university or an …

1
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh | Fall ASLEEP With Me 40:01

1y ago40:01

40:01

zzzzZZZZzzzz 😴😴😴 Hello everyone! Welcome to this latest installment of “Fall Asleep With Me”. In this series, I read classic bedtime stories and great works of literature to which you can (and most assuredly WILL) fall asleep! Tonight’s episode is a sleepy, dream-inducing reading of “Brideshead Revisited” by Evelyn Waugh. Please subscribe to this c…

1
Canada’s FUNNIEST Young Comedian! | Neema Naz 44:19

1+ y ago44:19

44:19

Neema Naz is a comedian, an actor, and the creator of The Estupid Club and NeemaNazTV. This conversation–my first with a REAL, card-carrying comedian–was an absolute delight! Of course, if you’re among his quarter-million followers on Instagram, this will come as no surprise; Neema is not only an immensely talented actor, but a refreshingly candid …

1
How To Breathe As Nature Intended: (Deeply) With Your DIAPHRAGM! 23:23

1+ y ago23:23

23:23

To breathe deeply into the abdomen with the diaphragm–that’s precisely the way in which Nature intended us to breathe! And yet… We’ve unlearned this simple technique (for which a remedial lesson is urgently needed!) Together, let’s relearn how to breathe properly. Follow along, and–within a few minutes’ time–you’ll significantly improve the quality…

1
The Tension Between LIBERTY & SLAVERY At America's Founding | Edward Larson 1:09:32

1+ y ago1:09:32

1:09:32

Edward Larson is a lawyer, historian, professor, and Pulitzer-Prize winning author. A distinguished professor at Pepperdine University, his most recent work, American Inheritance explores the tension between liberty and slavery in America’s founding era. In this episode, Professor Larson and I discuss: The importance of April 19th, the day on which…

1
We’ve Surpassed 50k Downloads! And It's All Thanks to YOU! 16:15

1+ y ago16:15

16:15

Since its inception in Autumn of 2022, Pneuma has accumulated 50,000 downloads (almost exclusively on Spotify)! I just want to take this opportunity to THANK everyone for supporting this channel and for helping our community grow. Behind every number is a person, a deeply complex and unique human being, to whom I extend my sincerest gratitude. It’s…

1
Open the FLOOD Gates! James Flood’s Bio, Inspiration(s), and Diet | James Flood 34:59

1+ y ago34:59

34:59

In this inaugural episode of “Finn and Flood” (a segment focused on vitality, fitness, and wellbeing!), I sit down with my good pal, James Flood! Aside from being an all-around swell (*swole*) guy and a dear friend, James is one of the most knowledgeable trainers I know, with many years of experience in the gym upon which he never hesitates to draw…

1
How To MASTER Your EMOTIONS! (It's Easier Than You Think!) 29:56

1+ y ago29:56

29:56

Are you ready? Here’s the secret: Gaining mastery over your emotions is as simple as replacing one word with another. When angry, do you say: “I am angry”? Try this: the next time that you’re visited by the emotion of anger, simply substitute the word “feel” for “am”. “I feel angry” is much different from “I am angry”. Feelings are fleeting. They a…

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