John Sullivan, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Author of “Midnight in Moscow”
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Release Date: 05/12/2025
Allen Weiner, author of “The Highflier Handbook: How to be Seen and Become a Leader at Work”
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks with Allen Weiner, the author of “” and discusses why some people fail to move ahead, even if they are strong performers. It has a lot to do with soft skills, collegiality, and perceptions. Allen challenges us as to how we can stand out while still being true to ourselves. In addition to reading his “The Highflier Handbook” Allen also recommends the Tom Clancy novels for insight as to how people can communicate and shape a consensus to advance their goals, starting with “.”
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John Sullivan, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Author of “Midnight in Moscow”
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks about Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. with John Sullivan, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and former Deputy Secretary of State. John was serving in Moscow when Putin launched Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and this was the basis for his book, “.” John also recommends H.R. McMaster’s “.”
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Ken Khachigian, Former Presidential Advisor and Author of "Behind Closed Doors"
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks about Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan with , author, speechwriter, strategic consultant, and presidential advisor. His book, “,” discusses his work with these two presidents. Ken also recommends Geoff Shepard’s “” and Richard Nixon’s “.”
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Gita Wirjawan, Visiting Scholar at Stanford University and former Minister of Trade for Indonesia
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks about Indonesia and Southeast Asia with , Visiting Scholar at Stanford University and former Minister of Trade for Indonesia. For insights on successful societies and successful lives, Gita recommends “” by David Epstein and “” by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson.
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Alex Capri, Author of “Techno-Nationalism: How It’s Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics, and Society”
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks about technology, trade policy, and international business with , Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore and author of “” Alex also recommends “” by Chris Miller, as a nice complement to his book.
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Mark Clifford, President of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks about human rights in Hong Kong and China with Mark Clifford, , and author of “T.” Mark also recommends the memoirs of political prisoner Wei Jingshen, “” and Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “” - given that some say Jimmy Lai has the “soul of a Russian poet.”
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Ken Wilcox, the former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks about doing business in China with , the former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, who went on to run the SVB joint venture in China, the story of which resulted in his insightful book, “.” Beyond his book, Ken also recommends “” by Desmond Shum and “” by Bethany Allen for those interested in a deeper reading of the challenges U.S. businesses face in China.
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Bucky Apisdorf, President and CEO of Let’s Do Something
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks about the mid-east with Bucky Apisdorf, President and CEO of the Israeli charity, , formed after the tragic attacks of Oct 7, 2023. We discuss how this calamity affected Israel, the Palestinians, and prospects for peace. Bucky recommend’s Herman Wouk’s magisterial novels of World War II, “” and “”
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Anil Ananthaswamy, Author Of Why Machines Learn
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks with , journalist and author to discuss the role of artificial intelligence. We discuss Anil’s book, “” which examines machine learning and the origins of AI, and we learn of Anil’s recommendation of Anil Seth’s “.”
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Jonathan Martin, Senior Political Writer, Politico
Books and Insight with Frank Lavin
Frank Lavin talks with Jonathan Martin, Senior Political Writer, Politico, to discuss the 2024 presidential race and what Harris and Trump each need to do in the final stretch. We also discuss Jonathan’s book, “,” as well as Richard Ben Cramer’s masterpiece of the 1988 presidential campaign, “.” At least one swear word in this episode. If you need more than that, you can listen again.
info_outlineFrank Lavin talks about Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. with John Sullivan, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and former Deputy Secretary of State. John was serving in Moscow when Putin launched Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and this was the basis for his book, “Midnight in Moscow.” John also recommends H.R. McMaster’s “At War With Ourselves.”