The Art of Manliness

You can't help but notice, in yourself and in others, how much less people are reading these days. When it comes to content consumption, we're often replacing articles and books with videos and, well, podcasts.
My guest says that this shift is having consequences, not only for our shrinking individual attention spans, but for society, and Western civilization writ large.
His name is James Marriott, and he's a columnist at The Times of London and the author of The New Dark Ages: The Death of Reading and the Dawn of the Post-Literate Society. Today on the show, James explains how people thought and interacted before the rise of reading and writing, how literacy changed our minds and made possible everything from democracy to modern science, and how television and smartphones may be returning us in some ways to a preliterate age. We then explore how our increasingly visual culture is making public debate more emotional and influence more personality-driven, and what it might mean for the future.

After the show is over, check out the show notes at aom.is/darkages
Resources Related to the Show
The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes by Jonathan Rose
AoM Article: The Medium Is the Message
Dying Breed Article: The Four Ages of Communication: How Changing Media Transforms the Human Experience
Orality and Literacy by Walter Ong
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman

Connect With James Marriott
James' Substack: Cultural Capital

0:00 Introduction
0:39 The Decline of Reading
5:14 The Golden Age of Mass Literacy
8:24 How Literacy Changed the Mind
12:06 The Preliterate Mind
14:51 Truth and Conflict in Oral Culture
19:18 How Literacy Built Civilization
21:34 The Gutenberg Press & the Reading Revolution
30:45 Television and the Decline of Reading
33:16 Amusing Ourselves to Death
42:03 The Smartphone & the Post-Literate World
50:50 The Future of Reading
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's always been intimidating to enter a room where you don't know everyone, or anyone, and to initiate conversation with people at a wedding, holiday party, or work event. But it's never felt more potentially awkward and anxiety-generating than in an age dominated by screen-mediated interactions, when we don't get much practice in mixing at social events and making small talk in real life.
Here to help us get a lot more confident and comfortable in this area is Jeanne Martinet, author of The Art of Mingling, which is out in a newly updated edition. Jeanne last joined me on the podcast nearly a decade ago, and today she's back to share why the ability to mingle is more important than ever and how to get better at it.
We discuss why small talk is more valuable than you might think, and can not only lead to finding a potential romantic partner or lifelong friend, but is something worth doing for its own sake. Jeanne then shares practical tips you can put to use at your next social gathering or simply when you're out and about. She explains how to identify people who are open to conversation, four ways to break the ice with them, as well as an opening line to avoid, how to keep a conversation going, how to gracefully extract yourself from an interaction that's gone on too long, how to recover from putting your foot in your mouth, and more. We end our conversation with how to find more opportunities to socialize and practice your mingling skills.
After the show is over, check out the show notes aom.is/artofmingling

Related
AoM Article: The Importance of Developing and Maintaining Your Social Fitness
AoM Article: How to Make Small Talk
AoM Podcast #502: Why You Should Talk to Strangers
AoM Article: How to Follow Up After Meeting Someone in Person
AoM Article: How to Break Away From Someone at a Party
AoM Podcast #874: Throw a 2-Hour Cocktail Party That Can Change Your Life
AoM article on having a host mindset
Connect With Jeanne Martinet
Jeanne's website
Jeanne on LinkedIn
Jeanne on IG
Jeanne on X

0:00 – Introduction
1:19 – Why a New Edition of The Art of Mingling
5:23 – What Is Mingling and Why It Matters
7:14 – The Value of Small Talk
11:10 – What Holds People Back from Mingling
12:43 – How to Spot Someone Open to Conversation
16:17 – The Thin Room, Wingmen & Arriving with a Partner
19:14 – Four Ways to Break the Ice
23:21 – Keeping the Conversation Going
26:41 – Navigating Politics and Sensitive Topics
28:56 – How to Gracefully Exit a Conversation
33:54 – Mingling Anywhere & Finding Opportunities to Socialize
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’ve been following the Art of Manliness for a while, you know that I typically interview the authors of books on this podcast. But,
if you’ve been following the Art of Manliness for a while, you’ll know why I had to make an exception for today’s guest.
Brandon Flowers is my very favorite musical artist. He is the frontman for the multi-platinum-record-earning band The Killers and has also put out three solo albums.
I recently had the chance to talk to Brandon backstage before one of his shows in Las Vegas. My wife Kate, as well as a couple of friends, were also on hand, and you’ll hear me allude to them a couple times during the interview.
Brandon and I had a great conversation. We discuss his third and latest solo album, Thrasher and why he went country-western on it, what his dad taught him about what makes a good man, what he’s currently reading (hint: it involves the author of my all-time favorite novel), his top five favorite country songs, the influence of faith in his life and music, what’s on his mind in midlife, and how he balances work and family.
Resources Related to the Podcast

Thrasher on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube
Flamingo on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube
Pressure Machine on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube
Imploding the Mirage on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck
AoM Podcast #824: Lonesome Dove and Life’s Journey Through Uncertainty
AoM Podcast #1,104: Ecclesiastes on Enjoying Our Weirdly Unsatisfying Lives
Mama Baskets at Costco
Come Follow Me LDS scripture study program
“My Lord, What a Morning”
Take the Simple Test That Can Predict Your Mortality
Brandon’s favorite country songs:
“Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Keith Whitley
“The Winner” by Kris Kristofferson
“Silver Stallion” by The Highwaymen
“A Lot of Things Different” by John Conlee
“What I’d Give” by Ian Noe

Connect With Brandon Flowers
Brandon’s Website
Brandon on Instagram
Brandon on YouTube
Brandon on Facebook

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We live in a world of pervasive noise. Even when we're alone and our surroundings are quiet, our devices bombard us with an endless stream of inputs — messages, news, opinions, entertainment — and we feel constantly connected.
My guest argues that this lack of both silence and solitude isn't just generating stress and fragmenting our attention, but doing real damage to our souls.
His name is John Mark Comer, and he’s a pastor and the author of Into the Quiet. Today on the show, we discuss what noise is doing to the deepest parts of us and how engaging in silence and solitude can help us cultivate inner stillness. We explore the monastic tradition behind these spiritual disciplines, why engaging in them can sometimes feel like a negative experience, and what happens when all our usual distractions disappear. We also get into simple ways to bring more quiet into everyday life.
After the show’s over, check out the show notes at aom.is/silence.

Resources Related to the Podcast
Get the Book: Into the Quiet
John Mark's previous appearance on the AoM podcast: Episode #1,013 — Practicing Spiritual Disciplines as an Act of Resistance
John Mark's Previous Book: Practicing the Way
AoM Article: The Spiritual Disciplines — Solitude and Silence
Clear Creek Abbey in OK
New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur
A Time to Keep Silence by Patrick Leigh Fermor
Connect With John Mark Comer
John Mark's website

0:00 Introduction
1:33 What Prompted "Into the Quiet"
5:42 Soundless Noise in the Digital Age
7:39 What Noise Does to Our Souls
11:02 Loneliness vs. Solitude
13:57 Cultivating Inner Stillness
19:02 The Eremos: Jesus' Practice of Solitude
23:58 The Desert Fathers & Monastic Tradition
29:06 What Happens in the Silence
39:17 Confronting Inner Demons in Solitude
47:36 Practical Ways to Practice Silence & Solitude
51:47 Outro

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Modern life is filled with conveniences designed to make things easier. We can order dinner without leaving the couch, check ourselves out at the grocery store, communicate instantly with anyone, and stream nearly every movie and song ever made.
So why do we often feel busier, more stressed, and more, well, inconvenienced than ever?
My guest today argues that many supposed advancements don’t actually save us time, money, or energy — and that even when they do, they can eliminate forms of friction that made life richer, more enjoyable, and more human.
His name is Gabe Bullard, and he’s the author of Against Convenience. Today on the show, Gabe and I discuss how self-checkout, mobile ordering, digital communication, streaming services, food delivery, and even smartphone cameras can paradoxically make life more annoying and less satisfying. Gabe also shares questions to ask yourself to decide which conveniences are worth keeping, and why deliberately adding a little friction back into your life can sometimes make it better.
0:00 Introduction
1:45 Why Convenience Isn't Working
4:22 Self-Checkout & Starbucks App Failures
11:29 The Illusion of Technological Progress
17:28 Phones as a Single Point of Failure
18:20 How Digital Communication Hurts Relationships
23:49 Dating Apps & Making Friends
27:15 Smartphone Cameras & the Value of Photos
32:41 Streaming & Entertainment Disappointment
40:10 Food Delivery Problems
46:30 Wendell Berry's Questions for New Tech
50:12 Practical Tips for Embracing Friction

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.