Josh Berson's guest appearances

Josh Berson

Our Hen House

It’s All About Food

At a Distance

That Anthro Podcast

Donald Trump

Sarah Williams

Edmund de Waal

Daniella Monet

Scott Smith

David Katz

Eddie Stern

Lori Gruen

Neal Barnard

Julie Piatt

James Aspey

Melanie Joy

Damien Mander

Dominick Thompson

Keegan Kuhn

OwlTail

Welcome to the podcast Dr. Joshua Berson, an independent researcher, author, and former Berggruen fellow who received his PhD in History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Josh has penned three novels, Computable Bodies, The Meat Question, and The Human Scaffold. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520380493/the-human-scaffold https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/computable-bodies-9781472530349/ https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/meat-question We gush about our love of paper books and how we miss spending hours reading at bookstores. I ask how or if this affected the way he has written to his audience, knowing they most likely wouldn’t be picking up the book in a store. This leads him into speaking about the process and thoughts put into his first book Computable Bodies. Next we touch on his second publication, the Meat Question, again diving into process and how the book formed over many years. He describes the goal of this book as to put the idea of what it means to be human and to consume animals in broader terms than just arguments for health and environment. Josh guides us through each step of inspiration, revision, and the review process in detail. Even describes what the face of meat looked like to him. Ultimately it was a paper he wrote “The Charisma of Meat” that sparked the substance of the book. The paper that inspired the Human Scaffold, his most recent publication was a 2004 paper by Joseph Henrick, and the discourses it launched. Josh enjoyed the technical questions it proposed, but wanted to examine empirical archaeological data from Tasmania for a new take. He also explains the takeaways he hopes readers get from reading the Human Scaffold. My sincerest thanks to the Berggruen Institute for working with me! https://joshberson.net/ https://www.berggruen.org/people/joshua-berson/ Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content. Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabby-campbell1/support

Welcome to the podcast Dr. Joshua Berson, an independent researcher, author, and former Berggruen fellow who received his PhD in History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Josh has penned three novels, Computable Bodies, The Meat Question, and The Human Scaffold. <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520380493/the-human-scaffold" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520380493/the-human-scaffold</a> <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/computable-bodies-9781472530349/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/computable-bodies-9781472530349/</a> <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/meat-question" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/meat-question</a> We gush about our love of paper books and how we miss spending hours reading at bookstores. I ask how or if this affected the way he has written to his audience, knowing they most likely wouldn’t be picking up the book in a store. This leads him into speaking about the process and thoughts put into his first book Computable Bodies. Next we touch on his second publication, the Meat Question, again diving into process and how the book formed over many years. He describes the goal of this book as to put the idea of what it means to be human and to consume animals in broader terms than just arguments for health and environment. Josh guides us through each step of inspiration, revision, and the review process in detail. Even describes what the face of meat looked like to him. Ultimately it was a paper he wrote “The Charisma of Meat” that sparked the substance of the book. The paper that inspired the Human Scaffold, his most recent publication was a 2004 paper by Joseph Henrick, and the discourses it launched. Josh enjoyed the technical questions it proposed, but wanted to examine empirical archaeological data from Tasmania for a new take. He also explains the takeaways he hopes readers get from reading the Human Scaffold. My sincerest thanks to the Berggruen Institute for working with me! <a href="https://joshberson.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://joshberson.net/</a> <a href="https://www.berggruen.org/people/joshua-berson/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.berggruen.org/people/joshua-berson/</a> Follow @thatanthropodcast on Instagram, and @ThatAnthroPod on Twitter for more behind the scenes content. Brought to you in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association check out their podcast library here <a href="https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.americananthro.org/StayInformed/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1629</a>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabby-campbell1/support" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gabby-campbell1/support</a>

The Human Scaffold with Josh Berson 

Anthropologist and historian Josh Berson, author of the new book “The Human Scaffold: How Not to Design Your Way Out of a Climate Crisis,” talks with us about why design thinking often fails to result in actual anthropological work, how reconsidering what it means to be comfortable can help us find environmental solutions, and the relationship between race, capitalism, and eating meat.

Josh Berson on Moving Forward Together When Things Fall Apart

This week Mariann interviews Josh Berson, author of The Meat Question, about what people really mean when they talk about a “paleolithic” diet, zoonotics and the role of animal-source foods in facilitating their leap into human populations, and why meat became regarded as what wealthy people ate. He also shares his insight about “street food,” and tells us why he is hopeful for the future. Josh Berson is an anthropologist and philosopher who has held appointments at the Berggruen Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, among other places. His work develops a critical perspective on how socially patterned behavior mediates the coevolution of community, individual, and milieu over timespans of one day to 1 million years, with an emphasis on food, the ecology of peripersonal space, and relationships between humans and other living things. He is the author of The Meat Question (MIT Press, 2019) and Computable Bodies (Bloomsbury, 2015) and the forthcoming The Human Scaffold (University of California Press, 2021). In the intro to the show, Mariann and Jasmin try to manage their anger towards people who aren’t wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Mariann reads an inspiring section from the book Living The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, and poet Gretchen Primack reads her beautiful new poem “Covid.”  We also continue our Supporting Vegan Businesses program by shouting out Seva Foods, Odeene Soaps, and BeLeaf Vegan’s amazing egg substitute. Later in the episode, Mariann brings us Rising Anxieties! As always, the award-winning weekly Our Hen House podcast is hosted by Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer.  This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. Our Hen House is now part of the iROAR podcast network. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by the incredible Michael Harren.

This week Mariann interviews <a href="http://Joshberson.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Josh Berson</a>, author of The Meat Question, about what people really mean when they talk about a “paleolithic” diet, zoonotics and the role of animal-source foods in facilitating their leap into human populations, and why meat became regarded as what wealthy people ate. He also shares his insight about “street food,” and tells us why he is hopeful for the future. Josh Berson is an anthropologist and philosopher who has held appointments at the Berggruen Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, among other places. His work develops a critical perspective on how socially patterned behavior mediates the coevolution of community, individual, and milieu over timespans of one day to 1 million years, with an emphasis on food, the ecology of peripersonal space, and relationships between humans and other living things. He is the author of<a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/meat-question" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Meat Question</a> (MIT Press, 2019) and<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/computable-bodies-9781472530349/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Computable Bodies</a> (Bloomsbury, 2015) and the forthcoming The Human Scaffold (University of California Press, 2021). In the intro to the show, Mariann and <a href="http://www.jasminsinger.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Jasmin</a> try to manage their anger towards people who aren’t wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Mariann reads an inspiring section from the book <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/120458/the-good-life-by-scott-nearing-helen-nearing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Living The Good Life</a> by Helen and Scott Nearing, and poet <a href="http://www.gretchenprimack.com/index.php?" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gretchen Primack</a> reads her beautiful new poem <a href="https://www.indolentbooks.com/what-rough-beast-covid-19-edition-05-02-20-gretchen-primack/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Covid.”</a>  We also continue our Supporting Vegan Businesses program by shouting out <a href="https://sevafoods.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Seva Foods</a>, <a href="http://odeene.org/index.php?p=home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Odeene Soaps</a>, and <a href="https://www.beleafvegan.com/#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BeLeaf Vegan’s</a> amazing egg substitute. Later in the episode, Mariann brings us Rising Anxieties! As always, the award-winning weekly Our Hen House podcast is hosted by Mariann Sullivan and <a href="http://www.jasminsinger.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Jasmin Singer</a>. This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of <a href="http://awfw.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">A Well-Fed World</a>. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at <a href="http://awfw.org" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">awfw.org</a>. Our Hen House is now part of the <a href="https://iroarpod.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iROAR podcast network</a>. You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-hen-house/id350069146" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider <a href="https://www.ourhenhouse.org/donate" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">making a donation</a>, or becoming a <a href="https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/ourhenhouse" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">member of our flock</a> (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: <a href="https://www.ourhenhouse.org/cooking/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast</a>, and <a href="https://www.ourhenhouse.org/animallaw/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Animal Law Podcast</a>. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by the incredible <a href="http://michaelharren.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Harren</a>.

Episode 540: Josh Berson on “The Meat Question”