
← Fresh Air
Casey Gerald says ruining his reputation saved his life
September 8, 2026·46m
A decade ago, Casey Gerald was running a celebrated nonprofit, giving TED talks, and on magazine covers as proof that the American dream still works. Then he shut it all down and disappeared from public life. Now, in a new book, The Great Refusal, he turns his leaving into an argument about the limits of the American dream. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews SCTV, which is now available to stream on Netflix.