I’m Ben Baran. For years, I’ve been interested in how people, groups, and organizations deal with adversity. I’m an associate professor of management at Cleveland State University, co-founder of the consulting firm Indigo Anchor, and a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

I wrote a book. It’s titled Crucibles: How Faith and Science Help Us Navigate Suffering, and it’s set to publish on Sept. 8, 2026, but it’s available for pre-order now.

To learn more about the book and pre-order, click here, or click on the button below if you’d like to check it out on Amazon.

Also, consider subscribing to my Substack, where I periodically write about dealing with adversity, social science, the accumulated wisdom of the ages, and various intersections across those domains. Simply enter your e-mail address into the form below and click “Subscribe.”