The Decoders: Ep. 270

This week on Unorthodox, Stephanie is out and Liel and Mark are podcasting from their man cave. Our Jewish guest is author Walter Isaacson, known for his biographies of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci, whose latest book is The Code Breaker Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race. We talk to him about the Jewish implications for the CRISPR gene editing technology, and the way that Jewish history can be mapped onto the history of scientific developments in America over the past century. He also tells us about growing up in Jewish New Orleans, and why his high school alma mater, the Isidore Newman School, produces so many fellow luminaries, like Michael Lewis, Eli and Payton Manning, and Odell Beckham Jr. Our Gentile of the week is Anne Bogel, who runs the literary community Modern Mrs. Darcy and hosts the podcast “What Should I Read Next?” She talks to Stephanie and Unorthodox producer Sara (who recently appeared on Anne’s podcast) about how she comes up with book recommendations for each of her podcasts guests based on their favorite and least favorite books, and explains why it’s important to understand and articulate why you don’t like a particular book. Her question for us is about bar and bat mitzvah gifts for her children’s classmates. Share your conversion story for our annual Shavuot episode! Leave us a voicemail (under a minute long) at (914) 570-4869, or record a voice memo on your phone and email it to unorthodox@tabletmag.com by April 30 to be featured on the episode. Upcoming virtual events: Tuesday, April 20 — Stephanie will be interviewing Bess Kalb, author of No One Will Tell You This But Me, for the Mandel JCC Book Festival, 7 p.m. EDT. Register here. Thursday, April 29 — Stephanie will be moderating Rachel Bloom and Tovah Feldshuh in ‘A Conversation Between a (Television) Daughter and Mother,’ presented by The Jewish Museum and the Jewish Book Council, 7 p.m. EDT. Register here. Find out about all our upcoming events at www.tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our.Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel! Join our Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com. Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts. Sponsors: American Jewish World Service supports more than 500 social justice organizations fighting for justice around the world, including at the forefront of action against the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges it’s created.AJWS is currently twice-matching all donations; find out more and make your donation at AJWS.org/unorthodox. The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at JTS provides an unparalleled academic experience that prepares its educators to work in diverse settings. MA degrees can be pursued fully online, for professionals in the field, or full-time in-residence in New York City. Learn more about the William Davidson School here or email edschool@jtsa.edu. Unstoppable is the ultimate immigrant story and an inspiring manual for survival in the face of tremendous odds. The true-life story of Siggi Wilzig offers a roadmap for recovery, vividly rendered by biographer Joshua M. Greene. Order this breathtaking and timely read here.