Richard Leakey and Donald Johanson: The Quest for Humankind

Jonas Salk: Vanquisher of Polio: Before Jonas Salk created the Polio vaccine, thousands of children died every year or were left paralyzed by the virus (adults too). In 1952 alone, there were 58,000 cases in the United States. When news of the discovery was made public on April 12, 1955, Jonas Salk was hailed as a miracle worker. He further endeared himself to the public by refusing to patent the vaccine. He had no desire to profit personally from the discovery, but merely wished to see the vaccine disseminated as widely as possible. The interview with Dr. Salk featured in this episode was recorded in 1991. In it, Salk talks about being the child of uneducated immigrants, and carving his own path to medical school and eventually virology -- a specialty that didn't exist when he began as a researcher. He discusses the anti-semitic quotas he had to overcome, as well as the doubt and scorn of many of his peers. But he also describes the transformation and relief his polio vaccine brou by What It Takes®

25 min listen

Andrew Young: My Life, My Destiny: Andrew Young has worn many hats: pastor, congressman, ambassador & mayor, but his first role in public service was as Martin Luther King Jr’s strategist and negotiator. He was at King’s side for many of the biggest battles of the civil rights movement, and he helped draft and secure the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In this episode, Young shares his unique, personal stories about that turbulent period in our country’s history - from the center of the storm. He pays tribute to the women who were the often unacknowledged backbone of the civil rights struggle. And he recounts his fascinating life story, from his youngest days growing up in New Orleans, where his father taught him to fight racism with brains and heart, to his spiritual revelation at the top of a mountain. by What It Takes®

45 min listen

Olivia de Havilland: The Last Belle of Cinema: There is only one surviving superstar from the Golden Age of Hollywood: Olivia de Havilland. The actress who portrayed Melanie Hamilton in "Gone With The Wind" (and admit it: you liked Melanie better than Scarlett, right?) turns 100 years old on July 1, 2016. This episode features an extensive conversation with Ms. de Havilland about the early days of the American film industry. She explains how the studio system confined her to the role of the ingenue, and how she eventually broke out of it to play some of the more complex and fascinating women on the silver screen -- including two that won her Academy Awards for Best Actress (in "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress"). by What It Takes®

45 min listen

Coach John Wooden: Character for Life: During March Madness, can you think of anything more satisfying to do between games than listen to an interview with legendary coach John Wooden?! Wooden led UCLA to more NCAA championships than any other team in history, and he did it with a quiet, old-fashioned approach that challenged notions of what it takes to win. Wooden talks about his fatherly love for the players, his famous pyramid of success, and the difference between reputation and character. He also explains why basketball is the greatest spectator sport there is. by What It Takes®

37 min listen

Carol Burnett: Laughter and Reflection: Whether you grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show, or your parents did, this comedian, actress, singer and writer is someone you want to get to know better. Burnett broke new ground when she launched her own television variety show in 1967 (hosting was still a man's game in those days). And she kept Americans laughing for the next 11 years. She had a huge influence on the comedians that followed in her footsteps, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Kristin Wiig. In this episode she talks about her very humble beginnings and dysfunctional family, her mysterious benefactor, her breakthrough role on Broadway, and the path that finally landed her in the medium she loved best - television. She also describes the moment she knew that making people laugh was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. by What It Takes®

43 min listen

George Lucas: The Force Will Be With You: George Lucas’s only dream as a teenager was to race cars, but he went on to create the most popular films in motion picture history. Along the way, while writing and directing Star Wars, Indiana Jones and American Graffiti, he learned life-changing lessons about humility, generosity, and the inestimable value of friendship…. as well as the secret to happiness. A not-too-subtle hint here: it has nothing to do with fame and fortune. by What It Takes®

37 min listen

B.B. King: King of the Blues: BB King began life as a humble Mississippi cotton farmer, and ended up one of the most influential guitarists and singers of the past century. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones and many others are among his disciples. During his lifetime he was celebrated by presidents, kings & queens - and declared a national treasure. The interview you’ll hear in this episode was recorded at the 2004 Academy of Achievement Summit in Chicago, and includes stories about King’s prowess on a cotton field as well his awakening to the racial injustice all around him. He recalls seeing the bodies of people who’d been lynched… and years later, the feeling he had the first time he arrived to play before an adoring crowd of white fans. by What It Takes®

37 min listen

This is.... What It Takes: In this brief introductory episode we explain what the podcast is all about (rare & revealing conversations with history-making, game-changing, courageous people)... we give you a sense of the kind of people you're going to hear when you subscribe (Willie Mays, Johnny Cash, Elizabeth Holmes, Jonas Salk, and many others)... and we tease you with excerpts from several of our upcoming episodes. by What It Takes®

6 min listen

Oprah Winfrey: The Queen of Talk… and Determination: “Fourth grade is when I first began to believe in myself… I felt I could control the world.” On this episode of “What It Takes,” Oprah Winfrey talks frankly about the inner voice that allowed her to survive a trauma-filled childhood with unwavering focus and unrelenting determination, to become the top-ranking television talk show host of all time. She describes learning oration, at an age when most of us have yet to speak in full sentences. And she tells stories about intensely personal revelations she experienced WHILE she was on the air, interviewing other people. Oprah is currently the wealthiest African-American and the most philanthropic, but in this conversation, recorded in 1991, she defines her success in ways her fans might find surprising. by What It Takes®

19 min listen

Archbishop Desmond Tutu: The Power of Faith: Desmond Tutu was the moral force that helped bring down Apartheid in South Africa. As a young priest, he was not very political, despite the fact that he’d grown up under the most brutal form of segregation. But his theology evolved, he says, and he realized it was a divine calling to fight for justice. In this episode you’ll hear Archbishop Tutu describe his personal, spiritual and political journey -- including the Nobel Peace Prize and chairmanship of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. You’ll also hear his passionate explanation of why humans are essentially good, no matter how often it may seem to the contrary. by What It Takes®

38 min listen

Benazir Bhutto: Paying the Ultimate Price: Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, just after she returned from exile in the hopes of becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan for the third time. She had held the position for the first time in the 1980’s, and then again in the 90’s. When she was still in exile, unsure whether she would ever return to Pakistan to run again, Bhutto sat down with the Academy of Achievement for a long and candid interview. In this episode of What It Takes, you’ll hear the highlights of that conversation. She describes how her childhood fed her belief in democracy and women’s rights, as well as her abhorrence of violence and poverty. She talks openly about the failings of her leadership when she was Prime Minister and the lessons they taught her. It is haunting to hear Benazir’s profound words here and know that Pakistan might have been on a different course were she still alive. “I feel that society is like a canvas, and that if you get into office you' by What It Takes®

29 min listen

Elie Wiesel: A Light in the Darkness: After World War II, when few survivors of the Holocaust were willing or able to describe what they’d been through, Elie Wiesel decided silence was not an option. Even if words could never adequately express the horrors, the world had to know what had happened. He wrote “Night," and became the best-known witness to the Nazi atrocities, as well as winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In this episode Elie Wiesel (who died on July 2, 2016) explores how it was possible for him to find hope after Auschwitz and Buchenwald, by defending the victims of hate and injustice around the world. He also talks about his childhood devotion to God, and the "wounded faith” he was able to find as a survivor. by What It Takes®

29 min listen

Johnny Cash: True To His Own Voice: Johnny Cash had a voice that could make a mountain quake. His impact on the world of music is legendary. On this episode, you'll hear the deeply introspective Cash near the end of his career (1993). He reflects on how he overcame considerable personal obstacles and turned his failures into the stepping stones to success. He also talks about the first music he remembers, the voice teacher who advised him to stop taking lessons, and the source of his creativity. by What It Takes®

18 min listen

Mike (Coach K) Krzyzewski: Inspiring Greatness: Coach K, as Mike Krzyzewski is best known, has more wins than any other men's basketball coach in the NCAA. He’s placed his team - the Duke University Blue Devils - in five consecutive Final Fours, won five national championships, and is the first coach in the history of NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball to win 1,000 games. He also has three Gold Medals under his belt, as coach of the USA Men’s National Team. In his 30 years with the Blue Devils, Coach K has proven he has a winning recipe for leadership and inspiration, and that starts, as he says in this episode, with relationships. It’s a talent he’s honed since he was a kid, growing up in a working class part of Chicago, where there were no little leagues. Whenever groups of kids gathered on the basketball courts in his neighborhood, he says: “Somebody had to organize it, and it was always me." Music "Going Higher" from Bensound.com by What It Takes®

27 min listen

James Michener: Master Storyteller: James Michener was born to tell stories. He was one of the most popular and best-selling American novelists of all time… able to merge equal parts fiction, history, geography and culture into a perfect, page-turning blend. But when you hear Michener’s voice in this episode, you’ll realize his enormous talent for storytelling was not limited to the page. He is sure to win you over in this 1991 interview, recorded when he was 85 years old and was looking back on his own dramatic life story. He talks about the unlikely approach he took to overcoming considerable obstacles, and about his very first venture into writing fiction, when he was stationed on an island in the Pacific during World War II. The book that emerged from that experience was "Tales of the South Pacific," which won him a Pulitzer, and later became the Broadway hit and movie: “South Pacific.” Michener also describes what he calls some of the “differential experiences” in his life, li by What It Takes®

37 min listen

Oprah Winfrey, Part 2: A Vision for Success: Oprah Winfrey’s career in broadcasting started when she won Nashville’s Miss Fire Prevention Contest. She was 17. Part Two of our Oprah conversation focuses on Oprah’s life in media. It was too hard to fit everything fascinating the Queen of Talk had to say into one episode! Here, she describes the reasons she was terrible at news reporting and terrific at talk show hosting. She also talks about how she stopped imitating Barbara Walters and developed her own voice, how she willed herself into the acting role of a lifetime, and how the key to success in her life has been trusting her instincts. by What It Takes®

28 min listen

Ray Dalio: Maestro of the Markets: How do you become a multi-billionaire, and the most successful hedge fund manager ever? Ray Dalio attributes his success to transcendental meditation and what he calls "radical honesty.” In this episode, he lays out the principles that have guided his life and his investment firm, Bridgewater Associates. He also talks about caddying for Richard Nixon as a child, his first investment at age 12, and how he managed to go from being a terrible high school student to a graduate of the Harvard Business School to founder of a fund that manages $150 billion in global investments. by What It Takes®

35 min listen

Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush: The Freedom to Lead: In the midst of this political season… here’s a chance to hear two former U.S. Presidents hold forth on their lives in public service. Bill Clinton spoke to hundreds of graduate students from 50 nations at the 44th annual International Achievement Summit in Chicago. George H.W. Bush did the same, 9 years earlier at the Academy of Achievement's program in 1995 at Colonial Williamsburg. In this episode we present those inspiring and entertaining talks, unedited and unfettered. by What It Takes®

47 min listen

August Wilson and Lloyd Richards: The Voice of Genius: Meet two giants of the American theater: playwright August Wilson and director Lloyd Richards. Together they brought many award-winning plays to Broadway, including "Fences," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and "The Piano Lesson." August Wilson, who wrote ten plays (together known as the Century Cycle), started out as a poet. When he turned to writing plays, intent on telling the stories of African-Americans on stage, it was Lloyd Richards who recognized his talent and helped him shape it. Richards was already an icon in the theater world. He had begun his career a generation before, aspiring to be an actor at a time when there were almost no roles for African-Americans. His big break came when Sidney Poitier asked him to direct a new play called "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. In this episode you'll hear Lloyd Richards tell the story behind that ground-breaking production. You'll also hear both August Wilson by What It Takes®

41 min listen

Steve Jobs and Tony Fadell: Inventing the Future: In this episode, an intimate history of two pocket-sized devices that changed the world, and the two men who created them: Steve Jobs and Tony Fadell. Jobs famously co-founded Apple. In the late 90’s, when the company was failing, he hired a young engineer and designer named Fadell, who created a little device that became known as the iPod. It not only turned Apple’s fortunes around, it transformed the music industry and the experience of listening. Fadell’s next assignment was the iPhone, which changed the nature of communication itself. After leaving Apple, Fadell went on to found Nest Labs, a company that has begun to alter the technology of the home. You’ll hear Tony Fadell’s fascinating personal story, told with all the passion and enthusiasm he brings to his game-changing inventions. And you’ll hear Steve Jobs, speaking as a young man (in 1982) about what it takes to innovate. by What It Takes®

60 min listen

William McRaven: A Life of Service: "There are some things in life you control. I don't know that you control the sweeping hands of destiny." Admiral William "Bill" McRaven's destiny was to plan and oversee the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. True, he may not have controlled the historical moment, but his intensive training and vast experience as a Navy Seal and a commander enabled him to carry out the precision operation and change history. In this episode you'll hear about what it means to be in Special Ops, but you'll also learn why the former Admiral - now Chancellor of the University of Texas - believes that sometimes it's the little things you do in life that may change the world the most. by What It Takes®

37 min listen

Lauryn Hill: Family, Faith & Hip-Hop: Lauryn Hill has had an outsized impact on the world of hip-hop, soul and R&B. She entered the music world in the mid-1990’s as one third of the band The Fugees, and soon after released a solo album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. It was a phenomenon, and swept the Grammys. But then Ms. Hill pretty much vanished from music and public life, in an internal battle between fame, family and faith. On this episode you’ll hear the incomparable and enigmatic Lauryn Hill, speaking in 2000, just as she had begun her retreat. She’s open, honest, raw and very funny about the transformation she was undergoing. by What It Takes®

37 min listen

Willie Mays: For the Love of the Game: Baseball fans may argue to this day about which was the best of Willie Mays’ many spectacular catches, but nearly all agree — he was one of the most versatile, virtuosic players of all time. In this episode, featuring an intimate interview with Mays recorded in 1996, the Hall-of-Famer talks about growing up in segregated Alabama, and winning over racist baseball fans soon after he became the first African-American player on his team. He recalls the day he got the call to move up to the majors, and describes in delightful terms how he never had to actually work at being a great athlete. He also talks about the catch he swears was better than “The Catch.” Hearing his voice, you’re reminded why Willie Mays was one of America’s most beloved baseball players, as well as one of its greatest. by What It Takes®

26 min listen

Sir Roger Bannister: The Mile of the Century: When Englishman Roger Bannister was studying medicine at Oxford in the 1940's, he began to have great success as a member of the track team. He knew enough about physiology to question a long-held belief: that humans were simply not built to run a mile in less than four minutes. He was determined to shatter that myth, and he did. In this episode, Bannister describes how he developed his own unique approach to training, one that allowed him to very gradually improve speed, while leaving time for his studies in neuroscience. After eight years, he was ready. At a meet held in May of 1954, he stunned the world, running a mile in 3:59.4. It is considered one of the greatest athletic achievements of all time, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mt. Everest. by What It Takes®

34 min listen

Sally Ride and Eileen Collins: Wonder Women: Sally Ride was the first American woman to rocket into space. Eileen Collins was the first woman to command the Space Shuttle. These two astronauts changed history and broke a very high glass ceiling for little girls. But they traveled different paths to get to NASA and achieve their dreams. Sally Ride graduated from an elite private school in Los Angeles and earned a doctorate in Physics at Stanford, while Eileen Collins was raised in public housing in upstate New York and joined the U.S. Air Force, where she became a test pilot. In this episode, both women talk about the obstacles they overcame to reach the highest of heights. by What It Takes®

36 min listen

Albie Sachs: Freedom Fighter: Albie Sachs awoke one day in 1988 in a Mozambican hospital, with no remembrance of the car bomb that had maimed his body. But it hadn't broken his will to remain in the struggle to end Apartheid in South Africa. This episode is drawn from Sachs's 3-hour conversation with the Academy of Achievement. He tells stories, with love and with humor, about joining the movement as a young white teenager in the 1950's, about his detentions in solitary confinement, about helping to write his nation's new constitution, and about becoming one of the first justices on The Constitutional Court of South Africa. by What It Takes®

63 min listen

Wynton Marsalis: Philosopher King of Jazz: Wynton Marsalis has been THE preeminent name in jazz for the past 30 years. The Louisiana-born trumpeter has made it his life's work to bring jazz back from the brink of neglect, to its rightful place - as one of the pillars of American culture, history & art. He's just as accomplished as a classical musician, a composer and an educator. In this episode you'll hear Marsalis as a young man, still in his 20's, full of the fire and the talent that has carried him throughout his career. by What It Takes®

38 min listen

Sidney Poitier: Trailblazing Screen Legend: Sidney Poitier changed America’s view of black men. And he changed Hollywood (though the change is far from over, given the issues of diversity at this year’s Oscars.). The star of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “The Defiant Ones,” and “In The Heat of the Night” was the first African-American to win an Academy Award - for “Lillies of the Field” in 1964. He was a leading man and box office sensation throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, portraying a huge array of characters with a dignity, courage and humanity that was radical for its time. In this episode, featuring an interview with Poitier at 82, you’ll hear him discuss how his childhood on a tiny island in the Bahamas made all the difference in his view of himself, and in the choices he made throughout his career as an actor. by What It Takes®

53 min listen

Maya Angelou, Part 2: In the Spirit of Martin: Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist and a friend of Martin Luther King Jr., years before she became known throughout the world for her memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." In this, the second our two Maya Angelou podcasts, she offers her personal reflections of Dr. King as a poet and as a man with with great humility (and humor). She talks about the state of the African-American community decades later, and the importance of using language to uplift (describing an encounter she had with Tupac Shakur to make her point). And in her powerful, unique voice, she reminds us of the eternal relevance of Dr. King's wisdom. by What It Takes®

33 min listen

Maya Angelou: Righteousness and Love: Maya Angelou took the harshest experiences in her life and turned them into words of triumph, justice and hope. Her memoirs and her poems told of her survival, and uplifted people around the world. Her first book, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," is a classic of American literature. Her voice and the rhythm of her speech were absolutely unique. In this episode you'll hear that iconic voice, in interviews, speeches and conversations, and be reminded why she was one of the most inspiring figures of the past century. by What It Takes®

34 min listen

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Richard Leakey and Donald Johanson: The Quest for Humankind

Richard Leakey and Donald Johanson: The Quest for Humankind

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