In this episode of The One Drink Book Club, host Jamey Bowers sits down with author and Africa policy expert Witney Schneidman to discuss his memoir, This Africa Idea: A Memoir of Discovery, Diplomacy, and Opportunity.

Schneidman shares the remarkable story of how an adventurous trip to Africa as an 18-year-old—including finding himself in Uganda during Idi Amin’s 1971 coup—sparked a lifelong fascination with the continent. That experience ultimately led to a career spanning more than five decades working to strengthen relations between Africa and the United States.

Jamey and Witney discuss why Africa remains misunderstood by many Americans, the continent’s extraordinary political and economic transformation, and Witney’s experiences working with leaders including Nelson Mandela and President Bill Clinton. And, of course, there’s a drink: both host and guest independently arrive with passion fruit, inspired by Witney’s first unforgettable visit to Nairobi.

It’s a conversation about adventure, diplomacy, history—and how one unexpected journey can shape the course of an entire life.

Wayne Barnes joins Jamey Bowers to unpack the true story behind his book, A Traitor in the FBI, a first-hand account of the operation that helped expose Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in FBI history. Barnes explains how his counterintelligence background, undercover experience, and writing process shaped a story that reads like a thriller but is grounded in real bureau history.

We discuss the case itself, the psychology of recruiting sources, the FBI’s internal hurdles, and why Barnes believed the story had to be told in his own voice.

In this episode, Jamey talks with famed pollster, Scott Rasmussen about his new book Out of Touch: The Elite One Percent and the Battle for America's Soul. In it, Scott takes a closer look at the growing divide between America's ruling class and the rest of the country. Drawing on years of polling and research, Scott argues that a small group of political, media, corporate, and cultural elites has become increasingly disconnected from the values, priorities, and concerns of everyday Americans—and that this disconnect is reshaping our politics, our institutions, and our national identity.