The Jacob Shapiro Podcast

• The Geography of a Missing Daughter

  Book episode! What happens when a policy meant to shape a nation reaches into the most intimate corners of a family’s life? Journalist Barbara Demick'sDaughters of the Bamboo Grove becomes a prism for a China where babies vanish, families fracture, and two identical lives grow up worlds apart. One twin speaks Mandarin, the other English. One hides in a bamboo grove; the other lands in Texas. Demick joins The Jacob Shapiro Show to explore the lives shaped, and misshaped, by China's restrictive one-child policy. Shapiro and Demick probe the emotional aftershocks of separation, the uneasy collision of two cultures when twins are reunited across continents, and the moral ambiguity of institutions that believed they were doing the right thing.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Introduction(00:46) - Discussing the Book: Daughters of the Bamboo Grove(02:04) - Barbara's Journey and Discoveries in China(05:15) - The Impact of China's One-Child Policy(11:28) - Adoption and Family Planning in China(21:21) - Cultural and Demographic Shifts in China(25:35) - Cultural Juxtaposition of Twins(26:35) - Impact of COVID on US-China Relations(27:35) - Adoption and Diplomatic Relations(28:31) - Challenges for Chinese and American Families(30:57) - Adoptees as Cultural Ambassadors(32:02) - Religious Influences in Adoption(34:42) - Economic Comparisons Between Families(39:18) - Psychological Trauma of Adoptees(45:13) -Author's Career and Future Projects(50:27) - Upcoming Book on Berlin--Referenced in the Show:Barbara Demick - https://www.barbarademick.com/Daughters of the Bamboo Grove - https://www.barbarademick.com/book/daughters-of-the-bamboo-grove/--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--

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• The Geopolitics of Personalized Money

  As global finance strains under shifting power structures, author and fintech thinker Emmanuel Daniel, founder of TAB Global, argues that the real disruption isn’t technological - it’s personal. This episode explores finance as a geopolitical arena where identity, data, and sovereignty reshape who holds leverage. What happens when individuals, not institutions, become the organizing unit of the monetary system? And how does that rewire cross-border power, trust, and risk? A provocative look at the future architecture of money.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction (00:15) - Emmanuel Daniel's Book and Key Insights(02:44) - The Ice Metaphor in Finance(03:22) - The Evolution of Finance and Personalization(10:11) - Impact of Financialization on the Economy(25:31) - Cryptocurrencies and the Future of Finance(30:59) - The Spectrum of Tokenization(31:31) - Information as the Ultimate Token(32:44) - The Digital Nature of Money(33:40) - The Durability of Bitcoin and Ethereum(38:06) - The Role of AI and Open Source in Tokenization(42:23) - The Future of National Debt and Financialization(48:37) - The Impact of Financialization on Global Economies(58:48) - The Role of the US in Financialization(01:00:56) - The Tension Between Personalization and Intermediaries(01:03:38) - Concluding Thoughts and Future Implications--Referenced in the Show:Emmanuel's Website: https://www.emmanueldaniel.com/biography/TAB Global - https://tab.global/The Great Transition - https://www.emmanueldaniel.com/the-great-transition/--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--

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• Demand Shock

  Tariffs promise protection but unleash deeper shocks - reshaping demand, distorting prices, and testing the resilience of an already-strained economic system. Rob Larity and Jacob unpack the widening gap between political narratives and material reality, probing how erratic policy, volatile markets, and institutional guardrails collide. They ask whether the U.S. is entering a new era of economic fragility, what signals truly matter beneath the noise, and how global outliers like Chile reveal the stakes of navigating a fractured, multipolar world.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction (01:46) - Discussion on San Francisco Fed Paper(05:14) - Historical Context of Tariffs(14:11) - Mechanics and Impact of Tariffs(18:26) - Political and Economic Realities(26:22) - Market Reactions and Volatility(30:03) - Election Aftermath and Voter Priorities(30:59) - Moderation and Economic Focus in Politics(31:58) - Scott Bessent and the Trump Administration(36:43) - US Institutions and Economic Policies(40:37) - Chile's Political Landscape and Economic Potential(48:29) - Global Energy Dynamics and Future Outlook(01:01:08) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts--Referenced in the Show:--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--

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• "What the West Should Learn from China"

  China’s rise is often framed as a geopolitical contest, but Kaiser Y Kuo, host of the Sinica Podcast, pushes us to confront something deeper: what if China’s transformation exposes the West’s blind spots about modernity, power, and progress itself? Jacob and Kaiser wrestle with uncomfortable parallels between America’s Gilded Age and China’s present, the myths we cling to about innovation and identity, and the way global narratives harden into self-soothing fictions. It’s a challenge to rethink both China - and ourselves.--Referenced in the Show:Kaiser's "Great Reckoning" Article - https://www.theideasletter.org/essay/the-great-reckoning/Sinica Podcast - https://www.sinicapodcast.com/podcastThe China Project - https://thechinaproject.com/series/sinica/--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction (01:31) - Starting the Conversation with Kaiser Kuo(02:44) - Discussing 'The Great Reckoning' Essay(04:27) - China's Learning from the West(06:43) - Comparing Historical Growth: US and China(09:46) - Role of the State in China's Growth(12:01) - Innovation and Perceptions of China(20:09) - Environmental Consciousness in China(22:59) - China's Global Ambitions and Comparisons to the US(28:17) - The Current US-China Relationship(31:58) - Shifting American Perceptions of China(32:33) - Chinese Public Opinion on the U.S.(34:00) - G2 vs. Multipolar World(36:16) - Marxism in Modern China(40:56) - China's Economic Strategies(45:14) - Xi Jinping's Centralized Power(01:01:36) - China's Cultural Influence--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--

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• “The Longevity Dividend, or, Why You Shouldn’t Bathe in the Blood of Virgins”

  Aging quietly shapes everything - our economies, our politics, our families, and the horizon of what nations can become. Jacob and longevity expert Dylan Livingston, founder of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI), take a dive into the emerging science that treats aging not as fate, but as a solvable biological problem with staggering geopolitical consequences. The two explore how extending healthy human life could transform productivity, rebalance global power, upend healthcare economics, and challenge long-held assumptions about decline. At its core is a question: what happens when longevity becomes a public policy frontier, not a personal fantasy?--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction(00:21) - The Importance of Longevity(02:48) - Personal Journey into Longevity(04:48) - Historical Quest for Immortality(10:02) - Modern Longevity Science(13:13) - Challenges and Societal Implications(19:53) - A4LI's Mission and Achievements(27:38) - Policy and Future Goals(32:51) - FDA Guidance and Incentives for Therapeutics(34:01) - Supply Chain Concerns and American Manufacturing(35:32) - Political Perspectives on Longevity(37:13) - Bipartisan Efforts and Advocacy(41:55) - Challenges and Opportunities in Longevity Research(52:28) - Economic and Demographic Implications of Longevity(01:01:45) - Closing Remarks and Future Conversations--Referenced in the Show:A4LI - https://a4li.org/ --Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--

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