Ben Hockett: How a Berkeley Recluse Shorted the Housing Market

Ben Hockett: How a Berkeley Recluse Shorted the Housing Market

Who is Ben Hockett? How was he involved in the “big short” that profited from the 2008 financial crisis? Ben Hockett is a former Deutsche Bank trader who left Wall Street behind to trade derivatives from his home in Berkeley Hills. In 2006 he worked with investment company Cornwall Capital to short the housing market and profit from the 2007-2008 subprime mortgage crisis. In the movie The Big Short, Brad Pitt’s character Ben Rickert is based on Ben Hockett. We’ll cover Ben Hockett’s background, his major role in getting Cornwall Capital the recognition it needed to be a player on

Steve Eisman’s “Big Short” (and the Morality of Investing)

Steve Eisman’s “Big Short” (and the Morality of Investing)

Who is Steve Eisman, of The Big Short fame? What is his background in finance, and how did he profit from the 2008 financial crisis? Steve Eisman is an investor best known for having shorted the housing market and profiting from the 2007-2008 financial crisis. In the film The Big Short, Steve Carell’s character Mark Baum was based on Steve Eisman. We’ll cover Steve Eisman’s background, his brash personality, and how he shorted the housing market.

Leif Babin, Navy SEAL (Extreme Ownership)

Leif Babin is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer who served in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. With Jocko Willink, he honed the principles of Extreme Ownership on the battlefield, then applied the same tenets to the corporate world as business consultants. Willink and Babin illustrate how effective leaders exercise Extreme Ownership — by admitting failures, believing in their missions, checking their egos, delegating, and being accountable — through compelling war stories and useful business anecdotes. Learn how Leif Babin conducted himself in battle and how this led to his leadership ideas in

Jocko Willink, Navy SEAL: Stories from Battle

Jocko Willink, Navy SEAL: Stories from Battle

Jocko Willink is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who trained SEAL leaders and led his own team as an officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Willink was a lieutenant commander and Leif Babin served under him as a ground force commander in Ramadi, Iraq, the deadly and hostile center of Iraqi insurgency. After their military careers, they went on to advise businesses in a wide range of industries through their consulting firm, Echelon Front.  Learn how Jocko Willink conducted himself in battle as a Navy SEAL, and how this led to his leadership ideas in Extreme Ownership.

Tara Westover at Harvard: She Almost Failed Out

Tara Westover at Harvard: She Almost Failed Out

How did Educated author Tara Westover go from a dubious homeschool education to Harvard? What was Tara Westover’s Harvard life like? Educated is the autobiographical story of Tara’s Westover’s journey from being the child of extreme anti-government, anti-science, and religious fundamentalist Mormon parents to becoming a Cambridge- and Harvard-educated PhD. As you’ll see, Tara Westover’s Harvard life wasn’t all about academics. It was while Westover was at Harvard that her family life fell apart and depression almost prevented her from finishing her Ph.D.

Trevor Noah’s Education: The Misfit Who Got Expelled

Trevor Noah’s Education: The Misfit Who Got Expelled

What was Trevor Noah’s educational experience like? Did he go to private school? Public school? Was he popular? Nerdy? Trevor Noah attended a variety of schools and had a variety of educational experiences, not all of them academic. Learn how getting along with diverse groups of people, getting expelled from his Catholic grade school, and starting his own business as the “tuck-shop guy” contributed to his success as a comedian today.

Faye Westover: Tara’s Cruel, Anti-Medicine Mother

Faye Westover: Tara’s Cruel, Anti-Medicine Mother

Who is Faye Westover? What is Faye’s relationship with her daughter Tara like? And why isn’t Tara Westover currently in contact with her mother? Faye Westover is the fictional name Tara Westover gives her mother in her memoir Educated. We’ll look at Faye Westover’s relationship with the author and cover parts of Educated that might indicate why Tara no longer has a relationship with her mother.

Trevor Noah, Abel, and the Day Noah’s Mom Was Shot

Trevor Noah, Abel, and the Day Noah’s Mom Was Shot

Who is Abel Shingange? What significance did he play in Trevor Noah’s life? And what did he have to do with the shooting of Noah’s mother? Abel Shingange is Trevor Noah’s ex-stepfather. Noah writes about him extensively in his memoir Born a Crime. Learn the history of Abel’s abusive relationship with Noah’s mom and how these events led up to the day Noah’s mother almost died.