Conversations with History (Audio)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes former NBA superstar Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, California since 2008. Tracing his journey from Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood to his current role as Mayor, Johnson discusses the many influences that have shaped his goals and principles including family, faith and education at Cal. He compares leadership and teamwork in basketball and politics and describes the challenges of working in the private and public sectors. He offers his thoughts on the problem of inequality focusing on reforming public education. He concludes with advice to students as they prepare for the future reflecting on whether opportunity will remain a key element of the American dream. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23600]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes pollster Merv Field for a discussion of his remarkable career. Tracing his intellectual odyssey, he describes his education, early work with George Gallup, and his stint in the Merchant Marines. He recalls the early history of polling in the US including the founding and development of the Field Research Corporation and the Field poll. He analyzes the challenges of conducting reliable polls while maintaining ethical standards in the profession. Field reflects on the skills required in survey research and the challenges of adapting to new technologies. He reflects on the changes in California since his arrival after World War II and the shifting agenda of California politics. Looking to the future, he concludes with his thoughts on the future of survey research. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23599]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Stewart Patrick, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, for a discussion of his new book, “Weak Links.” Patrick discusses the criteria for defining fragile states and for creating benchmarks for evaluating whether they pose national security threats with reference to terrorism proliferation, criminal activity, energy insecurity and infectious disease. He argues that in most cases the links are tenuous and the focus on one category obscures the challenges these states actually pose for the U.S. and the community of nations. He proposes that the United States focus on an early warning system that anticipates problem areas, identify local environments that shape harmful outcomes, engage in multilateral solutions, and de-emphasize the over reliance on military solutions. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 23260]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes writer Glenn Greenwald for a discussion of his new book, “With Liberty and Justice for Some.” Greenwald traces his intellectual odyssey; analyzes the relationship between principle, power, and law; and describes the erosion of the rule of law in the United States. Highlighting the degree to which the legal system frees the powerful from accountability while harshly treating the powerless, Greenwald describes the origins of the current system, its repudiation of American ideals, and the mechanisms which sustain it. He then analyzes the media’s abdication of its role as watchdog role. He concludes with a survey of the the record of the Obama administration in fulfilling its mandate, argues for an alternative politics, and offers advice for students as they prepare for the future. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23138]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes John Campbell, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, for a discussion of his new book, “Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink.” Emphasizing the strategic importance of Nigeria, Ambassador Campbell discusses the nature of the political system, the role of oil, the corrupt patronage system that drives politics at all levels of government, the complex dynamics of the Niger Delta region, the failure of economic development, and the divisions (North-South; Muslim-Christian) that hinder stability. He concludes with an analysis of U.S. goals in its relations with Nigeria. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 22443]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Daniel Yergin for a discussion of his new book, “The Quest.” Tracing his intellectual odyssey, Yergin reflects on the challenges of writing a comprehensive account of energy, and he highlights the importance of storytelling in crafting a powerful narrative. He then analyzes the role of creativity, technology, markets, and geopolitics in shaping the unfolding story of energy. The conversation moves on to three important questions: whether there will be enough energy to meet the world’s demands, whether the security of the energy system will be insured, and what will be the future mix of energy sources. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 23053]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Pulitzer Prize winning historian Eric Foner for a discussion of his book, “The Fiery Trial.” The conversation focuses on Lincoln’s relationship to slavery over the course of his career. As Lincoln moved from local, to state and then national politics, he grew in stature and his understanding of the complexity of the issue matured. The discussion focuses on the key dimensions of his intellectual and political growth including Lincoln’s background, his command of language in his speeches and writings, and his remarkable skills as a political leader. The discussion concludes with a comparison of Lincoln and President Obama and the political situations they confront. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 22930]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Cornell's Steven Squyres for a discussion of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Reflecting on the intellectual journey that led to his role in the Mars mission, Squires reminisces about his early years, his education and his career in geology and astronomy. Discussing the role of leadership in a complex scientific project, he compares the characteristics, skill set, and work of scientists and engineers, and he describes the dynamic process that led to the project’s success in exploring Mars. He explains the importance of the mission and what was learned and concludes with thoughts on the future of planetary exploration. Series: "Conversations with History" [Science] [Show ID: 22444]

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes John Witte, Jr., Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. Witte explores the evolution of legal studies and the emergence of an interdisciplinary study of religion and law. He describes the nature of each realm and the dialectic that shapes their interaction. He traces religion's role in securing political and civil rights in the West exploring the implications of this for addressing the complexity of a multicultural world in which many religions seek a place in the global community including the questions raised by the introduction of Sharia law into Western courts. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 22442]

Harry Kreisler welcomes Philip Bobbitt for a discussion of his book, “The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History.” Bobbitt explores the relationship between constitution and strategy and its consequences for the transformation of the state. Epochal wars are fought and then settlements reached that legitimate changes in the structure and form of the state. Bobbitt explains how in this epoch fascism,communism and liberal democracy competed. Bobbitt focuses on the intervention in Libya, the response to Iran’s nuclear programs and the dilemmas they pose for the Obama administration. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 21989]

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes artist and engineer Ken Goldberg from Berkeley. Goldberg discusses robotics in surgery and cancer therapy, and their application in disasters and on the battlefield. Describing several of his recent art projects, Goldberg then discusses complementarities with his engineering research and reflects on the philosophical implications of 'telepresence.' The conversation then moves to military drones, wiki-leaks, and the problem of bringing ethics to a world in which technology changes the nature of war, undermines secrecy, and challenges the legitimacy of the state. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 21565]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Francis Fukuyama for a discussion of his new book, “The Origins of Political Order.” Fukuyama traces his intellectual odyssey, discusses the origins of "The End of History" thesis, and describes the influence of Samuel Huntington. Fukayama identifies his purpose in writing the new book, the importance of history and comparative studies to the development of his arguments, the relevance of insights from the biological sciences, and the role of ideas in institution building. He compares the evolution of the state in China and India and then assesses the relevance of the Chinese model of state power in an era of globalization. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 21952]

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Nobel Laureate Michael Spence for a discussion of his new book, “The Next Convergence.” Spence discusses his intellectual odyssey focusing on his Nobel Prize research on information and market structure then explains how his work as Chairman of the Commission on Growth and Development led him to write his new book. Tracing the impact of the internet, globalization, and domestic and international policy on the trajectory of economic growth in the emerging economies, he highlights the implications of the resulting high speed economic growth for the global economy and global governance. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 21951]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Sylvia A. Earle, Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, for a discussion of her work as a research scientist, oceanic explorer, entrepreneur, and public educator. Tracing her intellectual journey,Earle talks about the influence of her formative years, her education, the importance of the ocean for life on earth, and the challenges of being both a scientist and a citizen concerned about the fate of the oceans. Series: "Conversations with History" [Science] [Show ID: 23047]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Pepperdine’s Dan Caldwell for a discussion of his new book, “Vortex of Conflict.”Professor Caldwell analyzes U. S. policy toward Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Comparing the two wars undertaken after the 911 attacks, Professor Caldwell analyzes the assumptions of the Bush doctrine, the evolution of military strategy, and the role of intelligence in failing to explain the nature of the conflicts. Caldwell also reflects on the consequences of the wars for U.S. preparedness and for U.S. values. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23046]