Lost and Found: Caroline Topperman on Family, Identity, and the Search for Home
Release Date: 04/07/2025
Troublemaker: Jessica Mitford’s Life of Principle, Protest, and Wit
The Not Old - Better Show
Troublemaker: Jessica Mitford’s Life of Principle, Protest, and Wit The Not Old Better Show, Art Of Living Interview Series I’m Paul Vogelzang and welcome to the show, brought to you generously by : Good Looking. Clean Cooking. And just for our listeners, you can get an extra 10% off by visiting or using code NOB at checkout. Today’s guest brings us a story about someone who was impossible to ignore in life—and refuses to be forgotten in history. What does it look like to live a life built on principles—but never lose your sense of humor? Jessica Mitford—known as “Decca” to...
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SAINTS, SEX, SENTIMENT, AND CHOCOLATE: A SHORT HISTORY OF VALENTINE'S DAY
The Not Old - Better Show
SAINTS, SEX, SENTIMENT, AND CHOCOLATE: A SHORT HISTORY OF VALENTINE'S DAY The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series 💌 Valentine’s Day wasn’t always about roses and chocolates. In fact, it started with a goat. Yes, really. In our latest episode on The Not Old Better Show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Smithsonian Associate Dr. Andrew Roth, cultural historian, prolific lecturer, and scholar-in-residence at the Jefferson Educational Society. will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates and you can find out more , but we have Dr. Roth today to talk about...
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Look Twice: What a CIA Spy Wants You to See Before It’s Too Late
The Not Old - Better Show
Look Twice: What a CIA Spy Wants You to See Before It’s Too Late THE NOT OLD BETTER SHOW, ART OF LIVING INTERVIEW SERIES 🕵️♂️ Tim Beard spent years in the CIA’s Clandestine Service. Now, he’s on a mission to help you and your family stay safe—starting with what he calls the Look Twice Mindset. You’re listening to The Not Old – Better Show, Art of Living series. I’m Paul Vogelzang and today’s episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. How are you showing extra love this February? Whether it’s for someone special or just for yourself, makes it easy to bring...
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🌧️➡️🌤️ Before the Change Came: Sam Cooke, Civil Rights & the Song That Still Waits
The Not Old - Better Show
🌧️➡️🌤️ Before the Change Came: Sam Cooke, Civil Rights & the Song That Still Waits The Not Old Better Show, Music Today Interview Series Thank you. I’m Paul Vogelzang and today’s episode is brought to you by Hungryroot. Hungryroot…tailored meals for your taste. There are voices that entertain us… and then there are voices that change us. Today, we’re talking about one of the most important voices in American music—and arguably, American history: Sam Cooke. Most of us know the hits. “You Send Me.” “Wonderful World.” “Twistin’ the Night Away.”...
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🚐🌄 Sacred Landscapes: Sam Gennawey’s 175,000-Mile Quest for Meaning
The Not Old - Better Show
🚐🌄 Sacred Landscapes: Sam Gennawey’s 175,000-Mile Quest for Meaning The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series 🌄 What if your second act began at 60… behind the wheel of a van? Meet — former urban planner, theme park historian, and now full-time van lifer. Sam made the bold decision to leave his Los Angeles loft, hit the road in a Mercedes Sprinter he calls Darlene, and spend six years exploring America’s most sacred places: our national parks. Sam Gennawey will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates coming up. Please check out our show notes...
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🔥 From Invisible to Invincible: Kimber Hardick on Reclaiming Intimacy, Confidence & Joy After 50 💃💫
The Not Old - Better Show
🔥 From Invisible to Invincible: Kimber Hardick on Reclaiming Intimacy, Confidence & Joy After 50 💃💫 THE NOT OLD BETTER SHOW, ART OF LIVING INTERVIEW SERIES💡 What if the second half of life is actually the most honest, sensual, and powerful part? On this week’s episode of The Not Old Better Show, award-winning host Paul Vogelzang speaks with Kimber Hardick, author of An Invitation to Shine, about intimacy, self-trust, and reclaiming desire after 50…today’s episode is brought to by Kimber brings a candid, empowering perspective to aging—one that challenges...
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The Quiet Strength of Nonviolence: What Dr. King Taught Us About Healing Conflict—At Home and Beyond
The Not Old - Better Show
The Quiet Strength of Nonviolence: What Dr. King Taught Us About Healing Conflict—At Home and Beyond The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series 🎙️ NEW EPISODE: “Nonviolence Isn’t Just for Protest Signs — It’s for the Living Room, Too.” As we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we often think of speeches, marches, and monumental change. But what if the most radical act of nonviolence today happens around the dinner table—or during a tough conversation with someone you love? Danielle Reiff, a retired U.S. diplomat with over two decades of experience in...
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🧠 Aging Doesn’t Have to Mean Losing Your Mind. Literally.
The Not Old - Better Show
🧠 Aging Doesn’t Have to Mean Losing Your Mind. Literally. The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series In our latest episode of The Not Old Better Show for the series, I sat down with neurologist and memory expert Dr. Barry Gordon—and let me tell you, this one stays with you. You may remember Dr. Gordon from his previous appearances, where he captivated us with his rare blend of scientific clarity, wit, and heart. He’s back today to talk about the facts—and fictions—surrounding Alzheimer’s and other dementias. And, Dr. Gordon will be back at Smithsonian...
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Is the American Republic Overdue for a Tune-up?
The Not Old - Better Show
Is the American Republic Overdue for a Tune-up? The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series Author and political thinker Mike Bedenbaugh believes so—and he’s done something about it. Drawing on his life as a Navy veteran, historic preservationist, and civic leader, Mike wrote Reviving Our Republic: 95 Theses for the Future of America. Today’s episode is brought to you by ! Hungryroot…tailored meals for your taste. In our latest interview, he explains how George Washington’s Farewell Address still holds powerful lessons for today’s governance—and how we’ve drifted...
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The Secrets Thomas Jefferson Tried to Keep
The Not Old - Better Show
🎙️📚 New The Secrets Thomas Jefferson Tried to Keep Episode: Being Thomas Jefferson—An Intimate History 🗽 Thomas Jefferson is often treated as an idea more than a person. But what happens when we pause, look closer, and ask who he really was—emotionally, physically, privately? In this week’s episode of The Not Old Better Show, I’m joined by historian Andrew Burstein, whose new book uncovers a Jefferson marked by chronic illness 🤕, obsessive order 📊, emotional vulnerability 💔, and lifelong secrecy. Today’s episode is sponsored by Caraway. Good Looking...
info_outlineLost and Found: Caroline Topperman on Family, Identity, and the Search for Home
The Not Old Better Show, Family History, Genealogy Interview Series
Welcome to The Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast. Today’s show is brought to you by Acorns. The Not Old Better Show. Acorns. ..I’Acorns makes it easy for everyone to start saving and investing
What does it mean to belong? Is home a place, a language, a history—or something else entirely?
Caroline Topperman thought she knew. She grew up speaking Polish, knowing her family’s deep roots in the country, and believing that moving there with her husband would feel like coming home. But instead of familiarity, she found disconnection. Instead of certainty, she found questions. The result of that search is her stunning new book, Your Roots Cast a Shadow: One Family’s Search Across History for Belonging.
Caroline’s story is not just about her journey—it’s about the generations before her who crossed borders and survived wars, about ancestors who built roads in Afghanistan, fought political battles in Poland, and escaped the horrors of World War II. It’s about what gets passed down through family stories, and what gets lost in translation.
She uncovered letters, documents, and even an entire book her grandfather wrote—one referenced in The Holocaust Museum and Stanford’s Hoover Institution. But she also found the gaps, the missing voices, the untold truths. And through it all, she wrestled with a question so many of us face: Do we ever truly find a home, or do we create it?
This is an unforgettable conversation about identity, history, and the invisible ties that connect us to our past. If you’ve ever wondered how much of your family’s story shapes who you are today, this episode is for you.
Let’s welcome to The Not Old – Better Show, writer, entrepreneur, and world traveler, Caroline Topperman.
And now, your host, the award-winning Paul Vogelzang.
My thanks to Acorns for sponsoring today’s episode. Acorns. Acorns makes it easy for everyone to start saving and investing—my thanks to Caroline Topperman
and her time and patience and willingness to answer our questions. My thanks to you our wonderful audience here on radio and podcast. Be well, be safe, and Let’s Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast. Thanks, everybody, and we’ll see you next week.