The Book of Charlie with David Von Drehle

Hello from Team Simon! We’ll be back next week—January 27, 2026—with brand-new episodes of A Bit of Optimism. We’re excited to bring you new guests, conversations, and opportunities to learn.Until then, we’re diving back into the archives to revisit one of our favorite episodes f ...  Show more

Team Simon here! We’re revisiting some of our favorite episodes from 2025. But we'll be back in just two weeks with brand-new episodes of A Bit of Optimism on January 27, 2026. We think you’re going to love them!Today, we’re going back to January of last year when Dr. Becky Kenne ...  Show more

💙IN LOVING MEMORY OF DAVID A. ARNOLD So what is “That Thing“ you gotta have about you in order to be successful? To separate from the pack? To make a dream a reality?This week you are gonna hear from someone who knows.BECAUSE HE'S LIVED IT!My guest this week is David A. Arnold.N ...  Show more

My guest today is David Downie, an attorney from Australia. David found himself stuck in the middle of his career, frustrated at life and simply decided to quit without much of a backup plan. 

Many adventures have ensued!

Since that time, David has:

Meet David Itzkoff, an American journalist, writer and former cultural reporter for the New York Times. If you would like to catch up on everything culture, this is the episode for you! Don’t miss David’s books Cocaine’s Son: A memoir and Robin, a biography of Robin Williams and ...  Show more

“People are only influenced if you can communicate with them.”

Today's guest is billionaire and philanthropist David Rubenstein. He’s the Co-Founder of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful private investment firms managing $230 billion from 3 ...