Conversations with History (Audio)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes New Yorker staff writer George Packer for a discussion of the impact of Silicon Valley on society and politics. Topics covered include: the implications of technology for the status of the American worker, for American culture, and for economic inequality. Amazon and the consequences of its business model for the publishing industry are discussed. President Obama’s response to the 2008 economic crisis is also analyzed. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 28134]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes the Carnegie Endowment’s Marwan Muasher for a discussion of his new book, “The Second Arab Awakening.” Topics covered include: “The First Arab Awakening;” the political failure of Arab states in the wake of nationalism and pan Arabism; the evolution of political Islam; the role of the military and technology in shaping the course of the Arab Spring; what is required for the second Arab Awakening to succeed; and the importance for the building of a third force in Arab politics, one that respects pluralism and establishes institutions that are accountable and which focuses on achieving equity, accountability, and a new educational system. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 28055]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcome Nobel Laureate Carol Greider, Daniel Nathans Professor and Director of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University, for a discussion of her intellectual odyssey. Topics covered include her education; her Nobel winning research on telomeres and telomerase; the implications of this research for treatment of disease; science education; and women in science. Series: "Conversations with History" [Science] [Show ID: 28054]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld, Professors at the Yale Law School, for a discussion of their new book, “The Triple Package.” Chua and Rubenfeld explain the rise and fall of certain cultural groups, primarily, 2nd generation recent immigrants to the U.S. These groups which demonstrate high success rates manifest 3 characteristics – a superiority complex (rooted in theology, history, or imported social hierarchies), a sense of insecurity (driven by scorn, fear and family) and impulse control(resulting in a drive to work harder). Chua and Rubenfeld analyze the interface of these characteristics with American institutions and incentives to create high rates of success as measured by material goals, academic achievement, and prestige. They also offer a critique of recent US cultural trends that contribute to American relative decline. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 28008]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard’s Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, for a discussion of his intellectual journey. Pinker discusses the origins and evolution of his thinking on human nature. Topics include: growing up in Montreal in a Jewish family, the impact of the 1960s, his education, and the trajectory of his research interests. He explains his early work in linguistics and how he came to write his recent work, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. In the conversation, Pinker describes the importance of interdisciplinary research and analyzes creativity. He concludes with a discussion of how science can contribute to the humanities and offers advice to students on how to prepare for the future. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 27968]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Columbia law professor Philip C. Bobbitt for a discussion of his new book on Machiavelli, “The Garments of Court and Palace.” Focusing on “The Prince” and the “Discourses on Livy,” Bobbitt argues that Machiavelli, steeped in the political turmoil of his time and drawing on his experiences as a diplomat and constitution draftsman, wrote an insightful and prophetic analysis of the transition from feudal city state to embryonic nation state. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 27838]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ellen O'Kane Tauscher, former Democratic congresswoman (1996-2009) and former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs (2009-2012), for a discussion of her career in Congress and in the State Department. After reflecting on her formative experiences growing up in New Jersey and her career in business, Ms. Tauscher discusses the work of legislating, the crisis of the Republican Party, the need for reform in the congressional electoral process, and the role of leadership in preserving the legitimacy of the center. She analyzes the work of an arms control diplomat and concludes with advice for students as they prepare for a future in public service. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 26311]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Michael Walzer, Professor Emeritus of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study, who reflects on his intellectual journey. Topics covered include: the influence of his parents; his Jewish upbringing; his education at Brandeis; Harvard, and Cambridge; his tenure at Dissent and the impact of the protest movements of the 1960’s. Walzer compares the work of a political theorist and that of a social critic. He analyzes humanitarian intervention and drone warfare in the context of just war theory. He also discusses the aftermath of the 2008 economic collapse from the perspective of a social critic. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 26208]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Stanford’s Tanya Luhrmann for a discussion of her work as a psychological anthropologist. Professor Luhrmann looks back at her formative experiences and reviews her insights on how different communities—witches, psychiatrists, and evangelicals—learn to experience their world through practice and adjustment to the ambiguities of the modern world. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 26026]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes historian and artist Nell Irvin Painter for a discussion of her intellectual odyssey. Professor Painter discusses the influence of her parents, her work as a historian and the importance of art as a way to complement the traditional historical narrative. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 26023]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harriet Mayor Fulbright, Harvest Distinguished Women Lecturer at UC Berkeley, for a discussion of her involvement in international education and her leadership role in the Fulbright Fellowship Program. Mrs. Fulbright reflects on her own experiences including her days as an international exchange student in Colombia and the Soviet Union, her work in the Clinton administration as Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and the legacy of her late husband Senator William Fulbright. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 25948]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Richard Rosecrance for a discussion of how a transatlantic union can prevent war and restore the United States and Europe. The conversation includes a discussion of Rosecrance’s intellectual journey focusing on his work on the evolution of the state as it is driven over time by changes in the international economy. The discussion addresses the diminishing importance of the balance of power, the implications of the example of the European Union for the future of international relations, and the opportunities offered by a customs union between Europe and the USA as they both face the challenge of the rise of the East. Rosecrance also address the vulnerabilities embedded in the Asian economic miracle with particular emphasis on the weaknesses of China. He concludes with the possibility of drawing China into a customs union thereby avoiding the danger traditionally posed to the international system by the rise of a great power. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 25904]

Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Olli Rehn, Vice President of the European Commission, for a discussion of Europe's response to the 2008 Economic Collapse. Topics covered include a comparison of the U.S. and European institutional situation at the time of the Lehman collapse and the divergence of response; Europe's complex institutional structure; why political/economic analysis is necessary for understanding Europe's policy making; why timing, power and sequencing of priorities are so consequential; the role of the commission and its goals; the use of language in navigating the divisions between political and technocratic solutions with specific references to matters such as fiscal consolidation versus stimulus. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 25998]

Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Olli Rehn, Vice President of the European Commission, for a discussion of Europe's response to the 2008 Economic Collapse. Topics covered include a comparison of the U.S. and European institutional situation at the time of the Lehman collapse and the divergence of response; Europe's complex institutional structure; why political/economic analysis is necessary for understanding Europe's policy making; why timing, power and sequencing of priorities are so consequential; the role of the commission and its goals; the use of language in navigating the divisions between political and technocratic solutions with specific references to matters such as fiscal consolidation versus stimulus. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 25998]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Shibley Telhami for a discussion of Arab public opinion and the reshaping of the Arab world. Telhami discusses his new book, “The World through Arab Eyes" linking this work to his intellectual evolution. He analyzes the structural factors that shape Arab thinking about their aspirations at home and their perspectives on the world affairs. The conversation includes topics such as Arab identity, the impact of the information revolution, the political awakenings shaking the Middle East, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the struggle between Iran and Israel, and American intervention in the region. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 25862]