The Gilded Age and Progressive Era

The Gilded Age and Progressive Era Podcast is 1 year old. I use this opportunity to reflect on the year, the top downloaded shows, the new friends made, and some behind-the-scenes insights. I also want to thank everyone who has joined me on this journey - the guests, the listeners, and the publishers. Many, many thanks!

Of all the tycoons of the Gilded Age, Jay Gould stands out as a speculator and industrialist that would do anything to make money. Greg Steinmetz, a journalist and Wall Street analyst joins me to discuss the life of this legendary "rascal." Regardless of how you might interpret Gould's place in American history, he cannot be ignored.Essential Reading:Greg Steinmetz, American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built Wall Street's Biggest Fortune (2022).Recommended Reading:T. J. Stiles, The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt (2009).Edward J. Renehan Jr., Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould (2006).H. W. Brands, The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield: A Tragedy of the Gilded Age (2011).

Do you know Vivekananda? He was the leading Hindu spiritualist of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, and a major influence on modern mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. You should know him, and thanks to Professor Ruth Harris we have a new biography that provides an intersectional approach to his life. Essential Reading: Ruth Harris, Guru to the World: The Life and Legacy of Vivekananda (2022).