Megyn Kelly is Joined By Doug Brunt To Talk About His New Book, and the Importance of Laughter in Marriage

Key Takeaways

Doug Brunt's new book details Emanuel Nobel's forgotten Russian oil empire.
Shared family traditions, including costume nights, strengthen bonds.
Small details, like font choice, significantly impact communication and atmosphere.
Laughter and humor are vital for marital happiness and stress relief.
College academic accommodations have dramatically increased, raising concerns.

Doug Brunt's new book, "The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel," is the second in a trilogy.
Emanuel Nobel established Russia's oil industry, building a business larger than Standard Oil by 1900.
His superior oil empire was largely forgotten after its nationalization by the Bolsheviks.
Nobel played a crucial role in establishing the Nobel Prizes, despite initial family opposition.
His family, including chemists and engineers, transformed oil extraction in the Caucasus region during the Tsarist era.

A family tradition involves watching 'It's a Wonderful Life,' including specific actions like ringing bells and hissing at characters.
An attempt at caroling last year was unsuccessful, described as a disaster with unreceptive audiences.
An ideal winter vacation includes two weeks in Montana for snow activities, playing poker with children, and relaxing by the fire.
The family maintains a tradition of starting each day with coffee and conversation, sometimes watching movies together.

Senator Marco Rubio instructed diplomats to use Times New Roman, eliminating a Biden-era Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative.
The guest agreed with Rubio, arguing that font choice matters and sets a specific tone, similar to how book publishers select fonts.
The principle extends to urban environments, where visible disorder like broken windows can foster an atmosphere conducive to crime.
A more whimsical font, such as a handwriting style from 'The Hobbit,' was suggested as an alternative for state communication to set a different tone.

A strong emphasis was placed on a good sense of humor as a desired quality in spouses for children, noting its importance in their own marriage.
Shared laughter contributes significantly to happiness and serves as a vital stress-relief mechanism for life's challenges.
An anecdote referenced the speaker's 101-year-old grandmother, whose long life was attributed to consistent laughter despite an unhealthy lifestyle.
Jordan Peterson's view that daily family interactions, rather than vacations, constitute the majority of one's life and contribute to happiness was discussed.

Tony DeCopel was mentioned as the new CBS evening news anchor.
The relevance of traditional evening news programs is decreasing compared to the immediacy of podcasts and modern media.
The hosts noted the aging content of traditional news and predicted a continued downward trend despite attempts to revitalize programming.

Doug Brunt's new book, "The Lost Empire of Emmanuel Nobel," underwent a cover design change to feature a less prominent image of Tsar Nicholas II.
His previous bestseller, "The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel," had its original title "Engines and Empires" changed at the last minute.
Brunt expressed enjoyment for the research, archival work, and collaborative process with cover artists and editors, valuing external perspectives.
On his podcast, "Dedicated with Doug Brunt," Michael Lewis recounted Steve Bannon purchasing film rights to "Liar's Poker" and writing a screenplay.

An Atlantic article, "Accommodation Nation," details a significant increase in college students receiving academic accommodations.
This rise is attributed to more diagnoses of conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and depression, and universities making the accommodation process easier.
Elite universities, including Stanford, Brown, Cornell, Harvard, and Yale, show dramatic increases in students receiving accommodations since 2014.
The Americans with Disabilities Act has expanded to include conditions affecting learning, reading, concentrating, and thinking.
Examples of accommodations include extra time on exams, assignment extensions, and housing options for emotional support animals.

The college admission process and parental pressures are fundamentally flawed, offering 'cheat codes' that do not prepare students for life.
The current system is argued to have negatively impacted both academics and athletics, disadvantaging students who work hard without exploiting accommodations.
The pursuit of elite college placement has perverted educational goals, leading to a rise in diagnosed learning disabilities.
The guest suggested a significant portion of diagnosed learning disabilities may be faked for academic advantage.