{"podcast":{"title":"Book Club with Michael Smerconish","slug":"book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437","podcast_index_feed_id":4372437,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/Xjj1yH0V","website_url":"https://www.siriusxm.com","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/8436e3c1-2479-4466-ac48-fa58259960bb/9ed196e7-928b-4e34-8cad-cd044ed64d43/3000x3000/podcast-20on-20dark-6.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"SiriusXM","episode_count":543,"summary":"Reading for Independent Minds. Unlike many author interviews, if Michael didn't actually read the book, you won't hear about it. If he read it, you'll hear it and you'll love it. Insights into a wide range of topics, including many titles you've probably never heard of. The perfect book is just one listen away.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437"},"episode":{"title":"Dr. Nassir Ghaemi on The Psychology of Great Leaders: The Creative Power of Mental Illness","slug":"dr-nassir-ghaemi-on-the-psychology-of-great-leaders-the-creative-power-of-mental-illness","published_at":"2026-05-11T18:57:19+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/dr-nassir-ghaemi-on-the-psychology-of-great-leaders-the-creative-power-of-mental-illness","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437","url":"https://www.siriusxm.com","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/sxm.simplecastaudio.com/e3dd7ada-28ed-4fb2-9a98-2aa2a4696c24/episodes/bfd58852-32c2-4e46-9c86-edebd098ea1d/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=e3dd7ada-28ed-4fb2-9a98-2aa2a4696c24&awEpisodeId=bfd58852-32c2-4e46-9c86-edebd098ea1d&feed=Xjj1yH0V","summary":"In this episode of Book Club with Michael Smerconish, Michael speaks with psychiatrist and author Dr. Nassir Ghaemi about the surprising connection between mental illness and exceptional leadership. Drawing from Dr. Ghaemi’s books \"A First-Rate Madness\" and the newly published \"Soul on Fire\", the conversation explores how figures like Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ted Turner may have drawn strength from struggles with depression or bipolar disorder during times of crisis. It’s a thought-provoking discussion about stigma, creativity, resilience, and the misunderstood realities of mental health. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.","meta_description":"In this episode of Book Club with Michael Smerconish, Michael speaks with psychiatrist and author Dr. Nassir Ghaemi about the surprising connection betwee…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1470,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/episodes/dr-nassir-ghaemi-on-the-psychology-of-great-leaders-the-creative-power-of-mental-illness/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/book-club-with-michael-smerconish-4372437/dr-nassir-ghaemi-on-the-psychology-of-great-leaders-the-creative-power-of-mental-illness.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}