George Santos and the great American tradition of "self-making"

New York Congressman George Santos has been embroiled in controversy since the day he stepped into office in November. <em>The</em> <em>New York Times </em>and other publications have reported that much of the Republican lawmaker's alleged resume – from where he went to college to his supposed time at Goldman Sachs – cannot be backed up with evidence. In this episode, rather than dig into what is true or false, host <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1123917129/brittany-luse">Brittany Luse</a> asks why someone would embellish their resume in the first place. Author <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousTIB">Tara Isabella Burton</a> says it all goes back to the uniquely American obsession with being "self-made."<br/><br/>Burton's book, <em>Self-Made: Curating our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians </em>is available for pre-order <a href="https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/tara-isabella-burton/self-made/9781541789012/">here</a>.<br/><br/><em>You can follow us on Twitter </em><a href="https://twitter.com/npritsbeenamin"><em>@ItsBeenAMin</em></a><em> or email us at </em><a href="mailto:ibam@npr.org"><em>ibam@npr.org</em></a><em>.</em>