#743: Dr. Jane Goodall and Cal Fussman

This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #421 "Dr. Jane Goodall — The Legend, The Lessons, The Hope" and episode #145 "The Interview Master: Cal Fussman and the Power of Listening."

Please enjoy!

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Timestamps:

[00:00] Start

[04:48] Notes about this supercombo format.

[05:51] Enter Dr. Jane Goodall.

[06:19] Connecting with Louis Leakey and becoming his secretary.

[09:43] Gaining acceptance among chimpanzees.

[13:09] Primate personalities, compassion, and the story of Old Man saving Marc Cusano.

[17:34] Observations of chimpanzee compassion and violence, and inferences about human nature.

[19:19] Explaining variance in chimpanzee attitudes toward dominance.

[20:55] Cultivating hope to overcome apathy.

[26:19] Mr. H, Gary Haun, the indomitable human spirit, and overcoming adversity.

[29:37] Dr. Goodall's billboard.

[31:20] Enter Cal Fussman.

[32:56] Quincy Jones' unique book signing practice.

[34:19] Cal's pivotal childhood moment.

[38:55] Deconstructing the skill of asking great questions.

[42:43] Contrasting interview styles from different life stages.

[48:25] University of Missouri Journalism's role in Cal's career.

[52:24] Drinking with Hunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp.

[55:45] Cal's start in international travel (and my family trip to Iceland).

[1:06:34] How a single question got Cal six months of lodging.

[1:14:45] Common mistakes and lessons learned about the art of asking questions.

[1:23:30] Honing the ability to tell stories.

[1:27:11] A life-changing event at the end of Cal's travels.

[1:31:43] Perfecting the conversational interview.

[1:33:43] Speaking at Summit at Sea.

[1:46:15] What Mikhail Gorbachev taught Cal about the art of the interview.

[1:55:45] Boxing Julio César Chávez.

[2:30:31] Why Alex Banayan and George Foreman define success for Cal.

[2:42:58] Most gifted books.

[2:49:47] Favorite documentaries and movies.

[2:55:37] Cal's billboard.

[2:56:08] Advice to Cal's 30-year-old self.

[2:59:05] Overcoming writer's block with Harry Crews' advice.

[3:18:56] Parting thoughts.

*

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