The Sun Also Rises

The post-World War II rebuilding and reeducation of Germany and Japan contains lessons that remain as relevant as ever, especially at this time of year, when we look forward to a time when the entire world will need to be rebuilt out of the ashes and reeducated.

This episode shines the spotlight on the Star Spangled Banner.

In this episode, guest host Mr. Joel Hilliker shares some profound and inspiring lessons from the Revolutionary War.

We’ve seen the grainy video footage of Neil Armstrong, and heard the recording of his famous words about the “small step.” In our imaginations, this unbelievable achievement has essentially been distilled down to that. But it was the result of a massive team of people laboring for a decade on an effort unlike anything that came before it.

This episode shines the spotlight on some individuals, companies and organizations who have looked beyond the “bottom line.”

Finland has just been named the happiest country in the world for the second year in a row. The U.S., meanwhile, has fallen in the rankings. People in America and around the world are asking: What is Finland doing right? Why are the Finns happy? Can the Finnish model be exported to other countries? For this episode, we traveled to Finland to observe and speak with its people and to try to get some insight into those questions.

On this episode, we discuss the “Curse of Knowledge,” how each of us can overcome it, and why it is worth the effort.

When Irena Sendler saw the Nazis begin herding Jewish populations in Warsaw, Poland into squalid ghettos, she felt she had to help them. She decided to risk everything by trying to “rescue the drowning.”

On this episode, we take a look at some buzzing, winged, armored and leggy aspects of the natural world. We put them under the magnifying glass and consider a few lessons we can learn from them.

“A scientific discovery is also a religious discovery. Our knowledge of God is made larger with every discovery we make about the world.” Those were the words of Joseph H Taylor Jr., who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1993. This episode examines several recent scientific findings that provide confirmation of an ancient authority.

A growing body of evidence shows that language doesn’t just give people a set of words to express their thoughts. It actually can have a heavy influence on those thoughts and on the behaviors they lead to. What would this mean for the thinking and behavior of a person who speaks a “pure language”?

The story of a group of men who undertook a mission so dangerous and so rapidly prepared that only a fiction writer would have been optimistic about how it would turn out. But they refused to compromise with evil, so they charged into it wholeheartedly. The episode is built around an exclusive interview with Dr. Iddo Netanyahu, notable historian and brother of Israel’s Prime Minister.

On this episode, we discuss three remarkable yet mostly forgotten stories of heroism that occurred in Soviet Armenia in the 1970s and 80s—and a twist that connects them.

This episode examines how a serious injury sustained by a factory worker in 1867 not only changed the course of that man’s life, but also set in motion a chain of events that changed the course of American history—in a way that countless people for generations have benefited from.

By the beginning of the 1800s, Bell Rock in Scotland’s Firth of Forth was responsible for wrecking numerous ships each winter. It was clear to everyone that sailors needed to be warned. But since the Rock was miles from shore and submerged by the sea for all but two hours a day, experts thought it would be impossible to build a lighthouse there. For Robert Stevenson, the challenge would become an obsession.

There is little in the human experience that hooks attention and holds it like a story. In this episode, we demonstrate and explain the power of story. And we encourage listeners to more regularly tap into that power.

Despite America’s deep-rooted problems, the nation remains an unmatched paragon of prosperity, providing opportunity and wealth for great numbers of people. But how and why did the United States became so exceptional? Pundits debating this question point to things like America’s laissez-faire economic system, values, politics, societal mobility, freedom of religion and speech, and its prioritization of equal opportunity. But there is another, often overlooked answer. In many ways this unnoticed factor is the foundation that has made other aspects of America’s success possible. It is a deeply inspiring facet of the U.S. that takes us all the way back into the mists of the earliest human history.

Friend or foe? Are you with us—or them? In certain clashes, this can be a gristly question for soldiers to answer. In ancient times, the Gileadites devised an ingenious way to differentiate between their own troops and those of the enemy, which lives on in the ever-expanding English language today. This episode of The Sun Also Rises discusses words and language and also examines a fascinating account from the Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, elucidating how he became such a masterful communicator.

When the sun came up on May 28 in the year 585 BCE, the Medes and Lydians were still at war. They had been at each other’s throats for years, and it looked like there was no end in sight for their conflict. But something extraordinary happened on the battlefield that day, which changed everything. This episode also features an interview with Dr. Fred Espenak, an astrophysicist, and scientist emeritus at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Gunter Wetzel was 22 years old when he decided that he had to get his family free. But how could he get himself, his wife and their two small children past all the soldiers and over the razor wire-topped walls keeping them inside of East Germany? Mr. Wetzel recently gave an interview to The Sun Also Rises, and, in this episode, he shares the astounding story of how human ingenuity and the longing to be free triumphed over Communist East Germany.

In the mid 1800s, a major medical breakthrough happened that has saved countless lives since then. But could it be that this life-saving knowledge was actually available to mankind for millennia before that breakthrough?

In today’s episode, Mary Previte discusses a forgotten World War Two battle: The Girl Scouts vs. Imperial Japan. Mrs. Previte took part in the fight. Her story is astounding.

When it comes to intellect and creative power, there’s no question that humans vastly outperform every other creature on earth. But did you know there is also a basic physical ability in which people can outperform the animals? Today’s episode takes a look at the marathon as a metaphor for life, and examines some life lessons we can learn from endurance running.

It’s not enjoyable for us to be told that our creative work has problems, or that it is of inferior quality. We like to hear positive feedback, and generally recoil from such criticism. In this episode, host Jeremiah Jacques tells the story of an artist who was bombarded by critical feedback. The artist’s reaction to it contains a lesson for us all.

In our era, it’s usually the innovators who receive the bulk of reward and recognition. But what about those who restore, regrow, recover and rehabilitate? This episode turns the spotlight on individuals who have achieved remarkable accomplishments, not so much with new innovations, but by fixing something that went wrong.

On today’s episode, we dig deeply into a four-word sentence.

What is humor? Why is it? Where does it come from? What happens in its absence? In this episode, host Jeremiah Jacques addresses these questions, and also attempts to demonstrate humor in a way that makes the listeners laugh. Also discussed is the vital role that humor played in the life of a history-altering man.

Racism often becomes a self-exacerbating force. If a person feels hated by a certain group, his normal reaction is to hate that group right back: Meet hatred with hatred. It’s the natural, usual reaction. But today’s episode examines a man who does not behave in the natural, usual way. This man doesn’t meet hatred with hatred, but with authenticity, humility, patience, friendship and hope for his fellow man. This man’s unusual approach has achieved some extraordinary results that we can all learn from.

Outside the UN headquarters in New York City, stands a bronze sculpture of a man holding a hammer high in one hand, using it to beat a huge broadsword into the shape of a farming tool. The inscription reads: “We Shall Beat Swords Into Plowshares.” The UN says the sculpture symbolizes “man’s desire to put an end to war and convert the means of destruction into creative tools for the benefit of all mankind.” Today’s episode shows some examples from around the world of people converting weapons into life-enriching tools.

Grit is more important to success than intelligence or talent. This episode discusses the new book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” to show how you can develop grit in your life. It features an interview with the gritty new World Scrabble Champion, the story of how a young Benjamin Franklin went from a below average writer to a world-class one, and much more.

Today’s episode focuses on individuals and organizations that help people who are in need in remarkable ways. They take notice of others who are not doing well, and who are in over their heads, struggling and sinking deeper—and they reach out and give them a hand. From Paraguay to Australia to the United States, this episode looks for the helpers.

Calum MacLeod lived on the North side of the small, rocky island of Raasay, Scotland—miles away from the nearest road. One night his 12-year-old daughter became stuck in a blizzard as she was trying to walk up to their isolated settlement from the roads on the south of the island. Calum rescued her, but was furious and petitioned the government to build a road. The far-off bureaucracies refused. So Calum decided to conquer the unforgiving landscape, and build the road himself. What followed was an astounding testament to one man’s determination.

What is it about superhero stories that makes people want to put on a brightly-colored leotard, and yell “Flame on!”? This episode shows that the fascination with superhero-type figures is not a new phenomenon. It has left a herculean footprint on just about every culture that has come and gone for thousands of years. We love these stories because people through the ages have wished to break free from the limits of our finite human existence. But could there be something more behind this fascination?

If you were among the few North Koreans who break free, and who escape the country, what would your next move be? Most escapees choose to settle into a new life in a new country, and they try to forget the nightmare they left behind. But other escapees do something more noble, and more giving. Their example provides us with a powerful analogy.

This episode tells riveting true stories about a category of heroes that don’t generally make their way into the headlines. Whether the enemy is Al-Qaeda or the vast expanse of the Gobi desert, theses librarian heroes prevail.

Young, older, oldest. We begin this episode with a story from the early childhood of host Jeremiah Jacques, in which a turtle assistance situation turns potentially tragic. From there, we discuss the teenage brain, and what the latest neuroscience has discovered about its weaknesses and strengths. Finally, there is some encouragement for people of all ages.

When the Nazis began massacring European Jews, an unlikely man defied his government in order to save as many of them as possible: Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat stationed in Eastern Europe. Mr. Sugihara’s bravery and altruism ended up saving the life of some 6,000 people. One of those was a 7-year-old boy who grew up to become Mr. Leo Melamed. Today, Mr. Melamed is regarded as the most important financial innovator in the second half of the 20th century. But none of his remarkable accomplishments would have been possible had it not been for the courage of Sugihara. In this episode, Mr. Melamed tells The Sun Also Rises his astounding story—the story of Sugihara’s stand.

An ancient German proverb says, “A country can be judged by the quality of its proverbs.” This episode puts that to the test. Host Jeremiah Jacques speaks with proverb-loving guests from three different nations in order to get a glimpse into the ancient wisdom of their countries of origin. Some of them may seem strange, but, as the old Welsh proverb states: “The common sayings of the multitude are too true to be laughed at.”

For the first 27 years of his life, Ildefonso lived in isolation. No, he wasn’t locked in solitary confinement or stranded on a desert island. He was born totally deaf and never even learned that there was such a thing as language. He didn’t even know that sound existed. In this episode, we speak with Susan Schaller, whose patience, perseverance and resourcefulness freed Ildefonso from his dark and incomprehensible prison.

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 could have been hundreds of times worse if it had not been for the astounding sacrifice of three men. This episode tells their story. It also features an original poem by award-winning poet David Brandon, titled “The Chernobyl Three.”

This episode is about the art of bonsai, playing the accordion, learning Hebrew, taking up wildlife photography, writing your memoirs, ballroom dancing, and brewing the finest IPA microbrew this side of the Ganges. It’s about hobbies. Most of us don’t have much unclaimed time in our schedules, but we do have some. And if we spend a portion of it working toward becoming excellent at productive hobbies, we will be healthier, happier and more fulfilled in our lives. And we’ll be able to enrich and enhance the lives of others.

How do you join two sides of a divide? You build a bridge. In this episode, we examine Northeast India’s astounding living bridges that succeeded where traditional bridges all failed. We look at a bridge design that would prevent cultures from colliding in China. And we discuss an incredibly rare happening in the history of diplomatic efforts: a bridge that brought peace to a millennia-old conflict—if only momentarily.

The week is foundational to the rhythm of human life. It influences dozens, maybe hundreds, of the decisions each of us makes every day. But where did it come from? And how did it become the universal backbeat of human activity? The truth about the mysterious origins of the week can help us better understand not just our calendars, but our world and our place in it.

People are small. Each one of us is only about a 17-billionth of one cubic mile big, and we live on a planet that is 260 billion cubic miles in volume. That’s a major disparity. But sometimes people—tiny, mortal, ordinary people—reshape the planet. This episode brings you three accounts of people who permanently altered Earth’s topography in significant ways.

One night in 1983, a computer screen in a secret bunker in Moscow suddenly showed an American nuclear missile screeching toward the Soviet Union. Was Armageddon about to begin, or was it just a false alarm? One man had to make a tough judgment call. This is his story.

We’ve all felt frustrated by how forgetful and unreliable our memories are. We work hard to learn new knowledge and skills, but then if we don’t regularly maintain it, we forget it all within a few months or years. It is frustrating, but we should not give up.Today’s episode discusses some mysterious stories that give us a glimpse into how astoundingly powerful the human memory is. They show that much of what we think is slipping into the abyss isn’t actually gone.These stories show that each of us has worlds within us. To borrow a line from Whitman, we “contain multitudes.” The question is: Will we ever learn to easily access those worlds of knowledge contained in our memories?

Not only was Alexander the Great’s reign predicted in the Old Testament long before he was born, but when Alexander visited Jerusalem during his rule, the high priest showed those prophecies to him: These Bible prophecies are about you, Alexander! At that point, prophecy and history intersected in a dramatic way. If you’re not familiar with this fascinating, yet seldom-discussed chapter of world history, you may be astounded to learn how Alexander reacted.

Being generous does not usually come naturally. Giving to others can be difficult. And it can be especially hard when you yourself do not have much. This week’s episode brings you three stories that put the spotlight on people who have given to others in inspiring ways—even though they themselves didn’t have a lot.

Need to travel the 20 miles from Gehlaur village to Gaya, India? All you need to do is take Dashrath Manjhi Road, which cuts straight through the steep, rocky hills. It wasn’t the government or a relief organization that built this road. It was one man, and he did it by hand. Host Jeremiah Jacques brings you this man’s astounding story, a word on the power of daily effort, and a personal note about kicking a bad habit.