Les Misérables by Victor Hugo w/Jesan Sorrells & Libby Unger
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Jesan Sorrells and Libby Unger explore Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Misérables, examining its insights on moral authority, the impact of historical Trauma, and the power of redemption in leadership. They discuss Hugo’s romanticism, the enduring influence of French history on civic institutions, and how individual heroism still inspires contemporary audiences. The episode also draws parallels between Les Misérables’ characters, modern social issues, and the necessity of aligning leadership values with virtuous action.

• Book Title: Les Misérables
• Author: Victor Hugo
• Guests: Jesan Sorrells, Libby Unger

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Time-Stamped Overview
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00:00 Introduction to a Classic Book

06:31 Discovering French history through Les Mis

13:15 European influence and historical trends

17:10 Victor Hugo’s impact on France

26:14 Moral authority in leaders and characters

27:34 Ben Hur and themes of revenge

36:57 Monsignor Bienvenue’s isolating virtue

42:19 Life after prison struggles

42:58 The power of small kindnesses

49:50 Perceptions of America through the FIFA World Cup (2026)

58:02 Discussing political candidates’ solutions

59:35 Consequences in a democratic republic

01:07:35 Populism and public sacrifice

01:12:55 Valjean’s transformation through grace

01:17:16 Reflections on Waterloo’s aftermath

01:23:54 Impact of Waterloo on French psyche

01:28:57 Napoleon crowns himself emperor

01:33:13 Understanding homelessness as a human issue

01:39:34 Discussing poverty in Les Misérables

01:45:57 Unexpected performance sparks epiphany

01:48:24 Lessons on being heroic

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• Opening theme composed by Felipe Sarro – Bach – Silotti – “Air”  from Orchestra Suite No. 3, BWV 1068 
• Closing theme composed by Brian Sanyshyn of Brian Sanyshyn Music.

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Jesan Sorrells Podcaster

Jesan is the Founder of Leadership ToolBox, LeaderBuzz, and LeadingKeys. He's a 3x "least selling" business book author, and host of Leadership Lessons From The Great Books podcast, and serves as a start-up advisor and leadership team member with GrowthCraft Start-Up Community out of Boston.