Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Dan Ariely and Jeff Kreisler explore the hidden motivations that are secretly driving our choices about money. They explain why our irrational behavior often interferes with our best intentions when it comes to managing our finances. Ariely and Kreisler cut through our unconscious fears and desires to help improve our spending habits. They offer tangible advice and lessons when it comes to credit card debt, household budgeting and holiday spending. Learn how to make better financial choices by saving and spending smarter. Dan Ariely Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics, Duke University; Co-Author, Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter; Twitter @danariely Jeff Kreisler Comedian; Podcast Host; Co-Author, Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter; Twitter @jeffkreisler Elizabeth B. Davis Dean, School of Management at University of San Francisco—Moderator

Do you have to be an extrovert to be successful in today’s hyper-social world? Author Morra Aarons-Mele says no: She argues that the common belief that success can only be the result of constant networking, deal-making and “leaning in” is nonsense. In her new book, Hiding in the Bathroom: An Introvert’s Roadmap to Getting Out There (When You’d Rather Stay Home), Aarons-Mele covers how she and others approach everything from schmoozing to FOMO (fear of missing out) to open-plan offices. She demonstrates that there is more than one “type” of person and highlights how each of us can reach our goals without conforming to a one-size-fits-all lifestyle. As a successful entrepreneur who shares many of her personal experiences and anxieties, Aarons-Mele knows what it takes to make your mark in the world no matter your personality type. Her insights, coupled with proven tools, simple exercises and more than 100 interviews, will empower you to evaluate your own work–life balance, take control, and build a life based on your own version of happiness and success.

Overlooked by his father, and overshadowed by his brother, Bobby Kennedy was the perpetual underdog. Drawing on extensive research and interviews, MSNBC host Chris Matthews pulls back the curtain on the younger Kennedy’s public and private life. Matthews covers significant moments, from Kennedy’s childhood and start in politics to his crucial role as attorney general in his brother’s administration and his tragic run for president.

Mueller indictments, Democrats' election wins, Trump in Asia — all that and Moore (Roy Moore, that is). We'll discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz!

Kenneth Walsh is one of the longest-serving White House correspondents in history and has traveled to more than 70 countries as part of his job. He joined U.S. News in 1984 as a congressional correspondent and has covered the presidency, presidential campaigns and national politics for over three decades. Join Walsh for an insider’s view of a group of people virtually unknown to the public: White House photographers. With photos and commentary, Walsh will reveal how these visual historians can make or break a presidential administration as well as define an era. He’ll also provide his own commentary on the photos and the presidents they depict.

While solar panels and electric cars are typically associated with upper-class white people, the transition to clean energy is also a civil rights issue. Communities of color often live closest to factories and refineries that spew toxic pollution. That’s one reason why polls show more African-Americans and Latinos, compared to non-Hispanic whites, say climate change is a serious concern. Rev. Gerald Durley works with preachers and activists across the country advocating for a cleaner and more inclusive economy. Join us for a conversation about the climate and civil rights movements.

In July 2016, just four months before Donald Trump’s stunning victory, the Democratic Party was in shambles. Their computer systems had been infiltrated by a mysterious and seemingly unstoppable hacker. Leaked emails revealed that disgraced former party leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz and several of her top aides had machinated behind the scenes to tip the scales during the primary in favor of Hillary Clinton. Bitter internal rivalries and power struggles had ground Democratic staffers’ work to a near halt, all while the Republican attack machine leveled broadside after broadside against “Crooked Hillary” and her progressive agenda. In desperation, the Democrats turned to the only person they could trust to stabilize their flailing operation: legendary political strategist Donna Brazile, who shepherded the Democrats through one of the most turbulent general elections in history. During her time at the helm of the Democratic National Committee, Brazile weathered some of the most difficult challenges of any party leader in American history—from bomb threats called in to Democratic headquarters to cyberattacks suspected to be orchestrated by Russian intelligence to a brutal personal Twitter feud with Donald Trump. Now, Brazile is speaking out about her time as the leader of the Democratic Party. Join her for an unfiltered conversation about the 2016 election and the chaotic battlefield of American politics.

What is the difference between pleasure and happiness? These two positive emotions are often confused with each other, yet they couldn’t be more different. Lustig says that pleasure is short-lived, visceral, usually experienced alone, achievable with substances. Happiness, by contrast, is often the opposite—long-lived, ethereal, often experienced in social groups and cannot be achieved through substances. Pleasure is taking, while happiness is giving. Pleasure relies on dopamine, while happiness relies on serotonin. These too emotions involve two different neurotransmitters, regulatory systems and pathways in the brain. But why should we care? Dopamine downregulates its own receptor: You get a hit, a rush—and then the receptors go down. Next time, you need more and more. Anything that generates pleasure can lead to addiction. Conversely, serotonin does not downregulate its own receptor, so you cannot overdose on too much happiness. There is one thing that does downregulate serotonin though: dopamine. The more pleasure we seek, the less happy we become. In the last 45 years—in order to sell us their junk—Wall Street, Madison Avenue, Las Vegas and Silicon Valley have conflated pleasure with happiness so that we don’t know the difference anymore. Congress and the Supreme Court have codified corporate behavior, leaving us addicted and depressed. In the process, society has become fat, sick, stupid and broke. The only way to reverse this is by understanding the science of these two ostensibly “positive” emotions—how they interact and how to modulate them. Otherwise, those who abdicate happiness for pleasure will end up with neither. Lustig is a neuroendocrinologist with basic and clinical training relative to hypothalamic development, anatomy and function. Prior to coming to San Francisco, he worked at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. A native of Brooklyn, Lustig graduated from MIT and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. He has been a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Tennessee, Memphis. More information can be found here.

In our fast-paced world, how do we live longer, healthier lives? New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner seems to have discovered the secret. He believes we must embrace the lifestyles of those in “blue zones,” geographic areas where people live the longest. In his new book, The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From the World’s Happiest People, Buettner reveals the surprising secrets of the world's happiest places—and gives us the tools to achieve true happiness and longevity in our lives. Buettner is a National Geographic fellow and New York Times best-selling author. His visit will offer practical steps to improve our happiness and change our lives for the better.

Want to get the full story on post-9/11 American electronic surveillance … in the form of a graphic novel? Follow journalist Pratap Chatterjee and illustrator Khalil Bendib through their new book, Verax: The True History of Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare, and Mass Surveillance: A Graphic Novel, which blends Chatterjee’s sleuth journalism with Bendib’s comic illustrations for a uniquely visual perspective on a complex issue. Chatterjee and Bendib explain the many ways that governments track individuals and countries, highlighting the complicity of tech giants such as Apple, Verizon and Google in these covert operations. They also share the stories of the journalists and whistleblowers such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, who blew the lid off electronic surveillance operations and exposed them for the entire world to see. Finally, Chatterjee and Bendib will predict the future of electronic surveillance practices and those who choose to resist them, asking: Whose side are you on?

As the debate about out-of-control policing continues, come hear a provocative discussion about threats to constitutional rights involving the use of force and surveillance by law enforcement agencies and how those threats can be kept in check. Panelist Barry Friedman, a noted authority on constitutional law, argues that the problem is not so much the policing agencies as it is the rest of us. He says we allow these agencies to operate in secret and to decide how to police us, and that it’s time for citizens to take responsibility for governing those who govern us. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón established a blue-ribbon panel on transparency, accountability and fairness in law enforcement as an advisory body in 2015. What should be the parameters of policing? Bring your questions.

Amy Goodman has built a career on covering movements that highlight solutions and catalyze change. She has explored how grassroots activism and general muckraking can give a voice to those otherwise ignored. Goodman does not shy away from difficult issues and is not afraid to take on powerful industries when bringing a story to the public. As the president of Union for Concerned Scientists (UCS), Kenneth Kimmell has the same tenacity as Goodman in terms of getting to the bottom of things. Under Kimmell’s leadership, UCS has led the charge in exposing the relationship between oil companies, climate change and climate denial. Join us for a conversation about what it’s like to go up against one of the most powerful industries in the world in and convince people they have been lied to.

Chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski always have a line out the door for their award-winning dishes. Inspired by years of catering parties, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo adopted a casual dim sum cart style of small plates at their debut restaurant, State Bird Provisions. They then expanded their empire with The Progress, a place where the menu feels like a dinner party banquet. Both restaurants have garnered critical acclaim, including multiple James Beard Awards and Michelin Stars, and their shared special event space, The Workshop, creates even more opportunities for good food and community. Now Brioza and Krasinski want to get into your kitchen too. Join us as they discuss their first book, State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook. We’re hungry just looking at the recipes for some of their most popular dishes, and the breathtaking photography will no doubt inspire you to get creative and get cooking.

Oliver Sacks, scientist and storyteller, was one of the most talented minds of our time. He offered us some of the most compelling and seminal ideas on evolution, consciousness, creativity and more, with passion and honesty. Sacks was instrumental in introducing autism, Tourette’s syndrome and schizophrenia to a general audience. A true polymath, Sacks explored many other topics both scientific and poetic, and he frequently turned his inquisitive mind onto his own experiences. Sacks’ book, The River of Consciousness, is a posthumous collection of essays that reveals Sacks’ ability to make unexpected connections while also showing Sacks’ sheer joy in knowledge and uncovering his unceasing, timeless project to understand what makes us human. Join Bill Hayes, New York Times writer and photographer; Steve Silberman, science writer; and Victoria Sweet, associate clinical professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, in celebrating the extraordinary life and work of Oliver Sacks.

Marin wellness coach Carlyn Montes De Oca, an animal–human health expert and author of Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse, will share the surprising ways that our furry best friends can make us healthier and happier. Speaking from her book, Montes De Oca will explore the many ways our animal companions enhance our health and well-being. She will relay heart-warming stories of healing, transformation and redemption. Hoping to inspire more pet adoptions, Montes De Oca is eager to share how pets can be terrific lifelines, adding years to owners’ lives.