The Deep Dive

Hosted by Philip McKenzie

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Episodes

274

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

The Deep Dive is a culture and insights podcast with Philip McKenzie, an anthropologist who uses his expertise in culture to advise organizations on how best to thrive in an increasingly challenging and uncertain environment. Every week, Philip goes below the surface with the people who matter the most.

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60 recent

October 15, 202658 min

Episode 274: Restoring the Kinship Worldview w/ Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) and Darcia Narvaez

Philip welcomes Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) and Darcia Narvaez authors/editors of Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 18 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth to the show. In their conversation, they highlight how a kinship worldview contrasts with the dominant narratives and how to shift our perspectives to incorporate these ideas. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: Jim Crow: Voices from a Century of Struggle 1876-1976 (Library of America boxed set) Four Arrows Drop: https://wahinkpe.substack.com/ Darcia’s Drop: https://darcianarvaez.substack.com/s/the-evolved-nest-grows-and-maintains Special Guests: Darcia Narvaez and Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows).

October 8, 202656 min

Episode 273: The Idea & Threat of Progress w/ Samuel Miller McDonald

Philip welcomes Samuel Miller McDonald, author of Progress: How One Idea Built Civilization and Now Threatens to Destroy It to the show. In their conversation, they trace the idea of progress through western thought and how this dominant worldview threatens the world we live in. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After WWII – David Nasaw Samuel’s Drop: Suttree – Cormac McCarthy Special Guest: Samuel Miller McDonald.

October 1, 202655 min

Episode 272: Shop Different & Apple’s Genius w/ Ron Johnson

Philip welcomes retail executive/creative and author Ron Johnson to the show. In their conversation, they discuss Ron’s book Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple’s Genius. They look at Ron’s storied career across retail sectors, dive into the creation of the Apple store concept and explore the current retail environment. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: En Cavale – Isabelle Antena Ron’s Drop: War & Peace//Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy Les Miserables – Victor Hugo Special Guest: Ron Johnson.

September 24, 202658 min

Episode 271: The Louisiana Purchase and Making America w/ Alexander Mikaberidze

Philip welcomes Alexander Mikaberidze, historian and author of The Louisiana Purchase: The Grand Bargain and the Making of America to the show. In their conversation, they discuss the political and economic backdrop behind the Louisiana Purchase and how this played a pivotal role in making American empire. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: The Wire – (HBO Max) Lanterns – (HBO Max) Alexander’s Drop: Abbott Elementary -- (Hulu) This Vast Enterprise: A New Story of Lewis & Clark – Craig Fehrman Special Guest: Alexander Mikaberidze.

September 17, 202657 min

Episode 270: Lillian Smith: Inconvenient, Radical, Southerner w/ Keri Leigh Merritt

Philip welcomes Keri Leigh Merritt, author of An Inconvenient Woman: The Extraordinary Life of Lilliam Smith, The Southerner Who Defied Jim Crow America. In their conversation, they discuss the life, work and activism of Lillian Smith who championed anti-Black racism in the heart of the Jim Crow South. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: Zora Neale Hurston – Life & Stories (Library of America) Kerri Leigh’s Drop: The Firebrand and the First Lady – Patricia Bell-Scott

August 14, 20261 hr 6 min

Episode 269: Designing Hope & Shaping Our Future w/ Sarah Housley

Philip welcomes Sarah Housley, author of Designing Hope: Visions to Shape Our Future. In their conversation, they discuss how hope operates beyond aspiration and can become a major part of any possible future(s) we desire to create. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: Flip – Ngozi Ukazu Sarah’s Drop: Becky Chambers

July 30, 20261 hr 1 min

Episode 268: The Friend Machine & AI Companionship w/ Victoria Hetherington

Philip welcomes Victoria Hetherington, author of The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship. In their conversation, they explore how AI has become a substitute for human relationships and what that means to personal and societal intimacy. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: Real Humans (Swedish)

July 23, 20261 hr 7 min

Episode 267: Utopian/Dystopian Play w/ Matthew Leggatt

Philip welcomes Matthew Leggatt, author of Play in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction and Wastelands and Wonderlands: Utopias and Dystopias in Film & Literature to the show. In their conversation, they discuss how the way utopia/dystopia is framed in our literature, media and film impact how we see our future possibilities. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: Columbus and Other Cannibals – Jack D. Forbes Matthews’s Drop: “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” – Ursula K. Leguin “Ones Who Stay and Fight” – N.K. Jemison The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia – Bernard Suits

July 16, 20261 hr 6 min

Episode 266: Don’t Talk About Politics w/ Sarah Stein Lubrano

Philip welcomes Sarah Stein Lubrano, author Don’t Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st Century Minds to the show. In their conversation, they discuss how political conversations have a limited ability to change minds and how we can better share and adapt new ideas. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: Zora Neale Hurston – Novels & Stories (Library of America) Sarah’s Drop: The Venomous Lumpsucker – Ned Beauman Special Guest: Sarah Stein Lubrano.

July 2, 20261 hr 3 min

Episode 265: Artificially Intelligent & Being Human w/ David Eliot

Philip welcomes David Eliot, author of Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI to the show. In their conversation, they discuss how the AI landscape is shifting how we think about human capabilities and how to understand the social and behavioral shifts due to AI. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip’s Drop: Ivan Van Sertima- They Came Before Columbus David’s Drop: Diane Proudfoot – Turing Archive David Graeber – The Dawn of Everything Dr. Brett Aho – Data Communism: Constructing a National Data Ecosystem Special Guest: David Eliot.