Join our panelists for informative and fun commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our news quiz! We'll get into the D.C. scandals, the Banghazi controversy, the America's Cup production, and much more.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 17, 2013

Former Member of Congress (D-MA)

Scott Shafer, Host, "The California Report," KQED San Francisco - Moderator

First elected to Congress in 1980, Frank gained a reputation as a forceful legislator and a pragmatic politician whose intellect and sense of humor has made him one of the most influential and colorful figures in Washington. In 1987, Frank became the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as openly gay, and in 2012 he married his longtime partner, becoming the nation’s first congressman in a same-sex marriage while in office. Don't miss this chance to get up close and personal with the legendary legislator as he delves into his decades in political life, his ideas about current economic realities and his ambitions for the future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 13, 2013

American Bar Association President

Jeffrey Brand, Dean, University of San Francisco Law School - Moderator

Nationwide, our courts are withering – starved for adequate funding. Meanwhile, there are more than 100,000 people in the United States who are forced to provide sex and labor services for their captors’ profits. And according to some estimates, women continue to earn just 77 cents for every dollar that men earn. Come listen to one of the nation’s top legal voices, ABA President Bellows, speak about these issues and possible solutions.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 10, 2013.

New York Times Food Columnist; Author, VB6

In conversation with Chef Joey Altman

Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, with 1 million copies in print, is a mainstay of the modern kitchen. In his latest book, he makes the case that a partially vegan diet can dramatically improve your health. Come hear from one of America’s most widely read and entertaining food personalities.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 7, 2013

In conversation with Adam Rogers, Articles Editor, Wired Magazine

Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before you literally burst? Can constipation really kill you? The ever-curious Mary Roach is set to find out. In her latest release, Gulp, the best-selling author of Stiff, Bonk and Packing for Mars takes readers on a crazy tour of the invisible realm that we carry around inside of us. With the help of mad scientists, nuns, exorcists and Eskimos, she examines the weird questions about our insides that we never think – or are too afraid – to ask. Join us as we go down the hatch with “America’s funniest science writer” for a fun and funky examination of what it means to be a hungry human.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 17, 2013

Mark Mazzetti, National Security Reporter, The New York Times; Winner, Pulitzer Prize

Philip Yun, Executive Director and COO , Ploughshares Fund - Moderator

According to Mazzetti, the CIA, created as a Cold War espionage service, is now more than ever a paramilitary agency ordered by the White House to kill off the nation's enemies: from the sustained bombing campaign in the mountains of Pakistan and the deserts of Yemen and North Africa to the simmering clan wars in Somalia. For its part, the Pentagon has turned into the CIA, dramatically expanding spying missions in the dark spaces of U.S. foreign policy, like Iran. Mazzetti will share what he has learned by following and reporting on these secret wars over the past decade, including tracking key characters from the intelligence and military communities across the world.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 24, 2013

Michael Nacht, Ph.D., Professor and former Dean, Goldman School of Public Policy, U.C. Berkeley; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs, Obama Administration - Moderator

Former State Department advisor for Afghanistan and Pakistan and best-selling author Nasr delivers a sharp indictment of America’s flawed foreign policy and outlines a new relationship with the Muslim world. Drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the Middle East and firsthand experience in diplomacy, Nasr offers a powerful reassessment of American foreign policy that directs the country away from its failing relationships toward more productive, and less costly, partnerships.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on May 1, 2013

Mary Cranston, Former Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Retired Senior Partner Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman - Moderator

Prominent alternative dispute mediator and attorney Feinberg has negotiated settlements in some of the most challenging and emotional crises of our times. The American Bar Association called Feinberg ‘the Master of Disasters .” Feinberg was dubbed “The Pay Czar” for his hands-on administrative work in the federal bailout assistance program called TARP and has taken on similar tasks for the September 11th Compensation Fund and the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund. He is currently working out settlements in Aurora, Colorado, for the victims of the mass shooting there. Penn State has hired him to help create a victim fund in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky case. He does many pro-bono projects including, after the Virginia Tech shootings, setting up a Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 16, 2013

Stockman, one of the architects of the Reagan Revolution, says that crony capitalism has made fools of us all, transforming Republican treasury secretaries into big-government interventionists and populist Democratic presidents into industry-wrecking internationalists. Stockman will discuss where he believes capitalism went wrong in this country and how it might be restored. His analysis questions the assumptions of Keynesians and monetarists alike, arguing that both "liberal" and "neo-conservative" interference in markets can be damaging and often dangerous. Stockman was elected as a Michigan congressman in 1976 and joined the Reagan White House in 1981.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 11, 2013

Come hear the firsthand story of the Canadian ambassador who, at enormous risk, housed six American embassy workers during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979. Portrayed by actor Victor Garber in the recent Oscar-winning film Argo, Taylor will share experiences from his storied career, which has included assignments ranging from Guatemala, Detroit, Pakistan, London to Ottawa, Tehran and New York. He resigned from the diplomatic service in 1984 to join Nabisco Brands / RJR Nabisco. He formulated and implemented polices to strengthen the $21 billion company's international presence.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 17, 2013

MOOCs – Massive Open Online Courses – promise to revolutionize higher education. Last year Thrun kicked off MOOC-mania and made history by offering his Stanford Artificial Intelligence class to an unprecedented 160,000 students and sparked a discussion about the future of education. Can MOOCS be the solution to affordable and accessible college? What impact will they have on traditional colleges? Hear what’s next for higher education.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 2, 2013

We prove that politics doesn't have to be a shouting match. Join our panelists for informative and fun commentary on political and other major news, plus audience discussion and ideas about the week’s events, and our famous competitive news quiz.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 15, 2013

David Straub, Associate Director, Korean Studies Program, The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University; Former U.S. State Department Officer for Korean Affairs

Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, Commonwealth Club - Moderator

North Korea shocked the world when it recently threatened nuclear war with the U.S. and announced it was severing the armistice signed in 1953 signifying the end of the Korean War. What does this threat mean for the U.S., and particularly for those living on the West Coast? Experts well acquainted with North Korea weigh in on both the political climate and military threat in the short as well as the long term. Please bring your questions.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 8, 2013

The Modern Republican Party and the Future of America

Jonathan Weber, West Coast Bureau Chief, Thomson Reuters - Moderator
Don't miss this chance to hear from anti-tax crusader, National Rifle Association board member and conservative leader Norquist, who as president of Americans for Tax Reform works to limit the size and cost of government, opposes higher taxes at the federal, state and local levels, and supports tax reform that moves toward taxing consumed income one time at one rate. Norquist organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to the American people to oppose all tax increases. In the 113th Congress, 219 House members and 39 senators have taken the pledge. A lightning rod for controversy, Norquist has been instrumental in helping direct conservative politics during the 21st century. Come ask your tough questions.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 4, 2013

Senator Feinstein says that the United States should restrain the use of guns on the street and drones in the air. Gun control legislation is inching forward in Congress, though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cut out the assault weapon ban that Feinstein has long championed. Calling drones a “very dangerous weapon,” she says sales to other countries should be prohibited and that rules need to be placed on commercial use in this country. And though the Obama administration's drone program aimed at al-Qaeda has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle, Feinstein contends that the CIA has conducted itself responsibly and should keep running the program rather than transfer it to the Pentagon, as news reports indicate may happen.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on April 3, 2013

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on March 28, 2013

Yves Béhar, CEO/Founder, fuseproject; COO, Jawbone
Tim Brown, President and CEO, IDEO
Peter Schwartz, Co-founder, Global Business Network; Senior Vice President, Salesforce - Moderator

Design is not just for house interiors or a tech gadget’s user interface. Design has come to infiltrate how great leaders think, collaborate and tackle the world’s smallest and greatest problems. The idea of design thinking, often credited to IDEO CEO Tim Brown, has transformed analytical thinking into creative yet practical problem solving. It is thinking outside the box come to life. Yves Béhar has leveraged his design ethos with a dedication to quality and a positive consumer-product relationship, and has led a number of diverse design projects like One Laptop Per Child and the NYC Condom, for that city's Department of Health. Join us as the wizards of design thinking Brown and Béhar dissect the formula for harmonizing industry, beauty, brand and meaning.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on March 21, 2013

Former CEO, HP; Chair, Good360; Contributor, CNBC

Alison van Diggelen, Host, "FreshDialogues" and Contributer, NPR's KQED Radio - Moderator

What is the financial outlook for our country? Are we on the verge of the next tech revolution? Former HP CEO Fiorina shares her thoughts on how the U.S. and California are performing in terms of innovation, job creation and economic growth.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley Branch in Palo Alto on March 20, 2013

University Professor, Georgetown University; Author; Poet; Essay Writer

Sedge Thomson, Radio Host, "West Coast Live" - Moderator

Tannen is the author of You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, which was on the New York Times bes- seller list for nearly four years. Specializing in explaining how conversational style - how you say what you mean - can make or break relationships, she has examined conversations between men and women, mothers and daughters, co-workers, lovers, and siblings Her insights aim to help all of us understand what is really going and provide ways to make things better. Her many books include You Were Always Mom’s Favorite!: Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives and You’re Wearing THAT?: Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation. Tannen is university professor at Georgetown University and has authored many scholarly books and articles as well as plays, poems, short stories and personal essays.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on March 14, 2013

Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation, Oxford University; Co-author, Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think
Kenneth Cukier, Data Editor, The Economist; Co-author, Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think
Moira Gunn, Host, "Tech Nation," NPR - Moderator

What does a car's paint color reveal about its roadworthiness? How did Google searches predict the spread of the H1N1 flu outbreak? One key to answering questions like these is big data. “Big data” refers to our ability to crunch vast collections of information, analyze it instantly, and draw conclusions from it. Two leading experts in the field reveal what big data is, how it may change our lives, and what we can do to protect ourselves from its hazards.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on March 13, 2013

Karen Elliott House, Author, On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines – and Future
Robert Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting - Moderator

House has spent the last 30 years writing about Saudi Arabia — as diplomatic correspondent, foreign editor, and then publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Through observation, anecdote, extensive interviews and analysis she navigates the maze in which Saudi citizens find themselves trapped and reveals the mysterious nation that is the world’s largest exporter of oil, critical to global stability, and a source of Islamist terrorists. Join us for an in-depth examination of what all this portends for Saudi Arabia’s future, and for our own.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on March 6, 2013

In conversation with Nick Bilton, New York Times columnist and lead blogger, Bits Blog

From allowing people to opt out of invasive internet tracking on Twitter and refusing to shut the site down during the SOPA conundrum to his former days as a Chicago stand-up comedian and his passion for improv, Twitter CEO Costolo is known for bold and sometimes surprising decision making. In his day-to-day as Twitter’s chief, Costolo has the challenging post of managing the revolutionary global company. Come hear from the man who has taken the social media site to unprecedented reaches of success.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on March 7, 2013

Lieutenant Governor of California; Author, Citizenville: How to Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government

In conversation with Adam Lashinsky, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune Magazine

Anyone with an iPhone can publish, purchase, invest and entertain with the touch of a button – and now it’s time for government to get in the game. In his new book Citizenville, Newsom looks at how new digital tools can be used to dissolve political gridlock and technology can transform modern government. What would happen if the hours we spend playing Angry Birds could be used to crowd-source infrastructure design or participate in policy decisions? The former mayor of one of the country’s most high-tech and progressive cities, Newsom sees the potential in harnessing the online power of the ordinary citizen. Come hear his visions for digital governance and how you can reinvent your relationship with the powers that be.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 28, 2013

Larry Gerston, Professor of Political Science, San Jose State University; Analyst, NBC 11; Author, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California
Melissa Griffin, Columnist, San Francisco Examiner; Contributor, KPIX TV, San Francisco Magazine; Attorney
Carly Schwartz, Founding Editor, Huffington Post San Francisco
John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club - Host

Our political discussion series returns to help try to make sense of the political landscape and all of the local, state and national issues that have the world vexed. Come enjoy some wine and light snacks and discuss current events during the social time before the program, then join the other informed citizens as our panel discusses (and occasionally disses) the current affairs. Throw in our popular news quiz, and you've got a program that's intelligent, informative and fun.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on March 4, 2013

Founder and CEO, StudentsFirst; Former Chancellor, D.C. Public School System; Author, Radical

In conversation with Kirk Hanson, Executive Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

Rhee, a fearless pioneering advocate for education reform, delivers her plan for better American schools. Informing her proposal are her years of teaching in inner-city Baltimore; her turbulent tenure as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public schools; and her current role as CEO of the nonprofit StudentsFirst.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 21, 2013

Former U.S. President; Founder, The Carter Center; Recipient, Nobel Peace Prize

Don't miss this rare visit with the 39th president of the United States. Jimmy Carter's tenure as president was marked by some of the greatest challenges facing the country in the late 20th century: an energy crisis, a troubled relationship with Iran — issues that are still relevant today. Significant foreign policy accomplishments of Carter's administration included the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords, the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. He championed human rights throughout the world. In 1982, he became University Distinguished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded The Carter Center. Actively guided by President Carter, the nonpartisan and nonprofit center addresses national and international issues of public policy. Through the Global 2000 programs, the Carter Center advances health and agriculture in the developing world. It has spearheaded the international effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease, which will be the second disease in history to be eliminated.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 24, 2013

Former U.S. Secretary of State; Author, Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948

In conversation with Dan Ashley, News Anchor, ABC 7 TV; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

When Albright was U.S. secretary of state in the 1990s, she brought to her job as America's top diplomat a deeply felt understanding of the lessons and wounds of history. Come hear Albright share her remarkable personal story of growing up in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation. From the historical accounts of World War II to the onset of the Cold War, she reflects on the complex events, experiences, and moral choices faced by that generation. Albright served as secretary of state under President Bill Clinton and was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. In 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 22, 2013

Reporter; Television Host

In conversation with Quentin Hardy, Deputy Technology Editor, The New York Times; Technology and Business Expert

The lively and playful Worley comes to us for a discussion about how to make technology more accessible to the masses by eliminating the stresses associated with complicated new gadgets. A contributing reporter on "Good Morning America" and ABC and host of “Upgrade Your Life,” “The Next Frontier” and the Travel Channel’s “Cash and Treasures,” Worley aims to enlighten even the novice digital immigrant.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 13, 2013

Professor of Geography, UCLA; Author, Guns, Germs, and Steel and The World Until Yesterday

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Diamond examines how Amazonian Indians, Inuit and other traditional societies have adapted and evolved for nearly 6 million years. He explains what we can still learn from these traditional societies regarding universal human problems like elder care, child rearing, physical fitness and conflict resolution.

This program was recorded in the Silicon Valley branch office of The Commonwealth Club of California on

Manager, SF Giants; Two-time National League Manager of the Year

In conversation with Roy Eisenhardt

Giants President Larry Baer has stated that hiring Bruce Bochy was "probably the best move [this Giants management] ever made.” The team had a surprise win in the 2010 World Series, followed two years later by an outstanding season and another big win in an epic World Series sweep of the Tigers. With spring training just around the corner, you may be wondering about Bochy’s plans to hold on to that title in 2013. Come meet the manager who strategized the Giants' latest World Series triumph and hear what's in store this season. Bochy will take you behind the scenes and down into the dugout to give the lowdown on who's in, who's out, and what strategies will keep the Giants at the peak of their game.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 6, 2013

Gina Baleria, Assistant News and Social Media Director, KGO; Lecturer, Beginning Radio and Multimedia Content Delivery, San Francisco State University
Debra J. Saunders, Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; "Token Conservative" Blogger, SFGate.com
Todd A. Vogt, President and Publisher, the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Bay Guardian
John Zipperer, Vice President, Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California -- Host

Join us for food, discussion and some socializing! Our political discussion series returns in the new year to help try to make sense of the new Congress, Obama's second term, and all of the local, state and national issues that have the world vexed. Come enjoy the conversation as our panel discusses (and occasionally disses) the current affairs, plus our popular news quiz, and stick around afterward for some food and drink in the company of other informed citizens.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 8, 2013

Rob Reiner, Film Director, This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally..., A Few Good Men, Misery, The American President, Ghosts of Mississippi, The Bucket List; Actor; Screenwriter; Producer; Executive, Castle Rock Entertainment; Political Activist

In conversation with Dan Ashley, News Anchor, ABC 7 TV; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

From his starring role as Meathead on the popular 1970s sitcom "All in the Family" to his blockbuster films The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men, Reiner has been entertaining audiences for decades with his singular humor and artistic vision. As a director, he’s worked with A-list actors Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, and Kathy Bates, as well as celebrated writers Nora Ephron and Aaron Sorkin. Son of comedic genius Carl Reiner, he grew up in a political family where civil rights were a frequent topic around the kitchen table. A Hollywood legend and political activist, Reiner joins us to talk politics around our proverbial table. In light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to hear challenges to both Proposition 8 and DOMA, Reiner will discuss his views on the future of marriage equality, his involvement in other political causes, and his incredible contributions to the entertainment industry.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 1, 2013

Ambassador William H. Luers, Director, The Iran Project; Former U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Venezuela; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe
Ambassador James Dobbins, Director, RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center; Former Assistant Secretary of State for Europe; Former Clinton and George W. Bush Administration Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti and Somalia.
Lieutenant General Frank Kearney (Ret.), Former Deputy Director, Strategic Operational Planning, National Counter-Terrorism Center; Former Deputy Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command
Philip Yun, Executive Director, Ploughshares Fund – Moderator

Former U.S. ambassadors Luers and Dobbins, along with Lieutenant General Kearney, all members of The Iran Project, will provide unique insight into the prospects of reaching a diplomatic solution with Iran regarding its nuclear program, especially in this time of renewed negotiations and a belief on the part of the Obama administration that there is still time for a political solution. Drawing from decades of experience working with both Iranian and U.S. officials, The Iran Project recently released the second of three reports, “Weighing Benefits and Costs of International Sanctions Against Iran.” The first report, “Weighing Benefits and Costs of Military Action Against Iran,” was released earlier this fall; the third is anticipated early in 2013. These reports present objective, nonpartisan, fact-based analyses designed to serve as a basis for an informed public discussion and have received prominent coverage. The Iran Project is composed of seven core members and an impressive and unprecedented list of 50 "validators," including military leaders, national security and foreign-policy experts, and former officials, who are working together to bring a nonpartisan perspective to this critical issue.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 30, 2013

Keith Hennessey, Director, National Economic Council Under President George W. Bush; Member, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
Christina Romer, Professor of Economics, University of California, Berkeley; Immediate past Chair, President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers

In conversation with Anna Mok, Vice Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP

As we come off an election year and face a series of new and ongoing challenges, don’t miss this lively discussion with two former top presidential economic advisors on where the U.S. and global economies are headed in 2013 and what should be done to put them – and keep them – on track.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 25, 2013

John Mackey, CEO, Co-founder, Whole Foods Market; Co-author, Conscious Capitalism

Iconic CEO and co-founder Mackey is known for his all-natural approach to a mega chain of grocery stores, Whole Foods. The success of his stores is, in part, credited with a boom in the healthy food movement whereby terms like organic, local, wild and hormone free are becoming rote for more than just the Birkenstock crowd. He’s also taken the formula for conscious capitalism and corporate social responsibility to a whole new level, and other businesses are following suit. In his new book, Conscious Capitalism, co-authored with Professor Raj Sisodia, Mackey discusses the transformative business movement wherein value rests on something more than just finances. For Mackey, it’s about the emotional, ecological and even spiritual purposes of business. The market for competitive advantage is changing, and the world’s best companies are catching on to the holistic equation. Find out more about the Whole Foods story from the man himself.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on January 22, 2013

Nancy Skinner, Member, California State Assembly
Benjamin Van Houten, Managing Attorney, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Sgt. Kelly Dunn, SFPD Special Victims and Psychiatric Liaison Units
Gene Hoffman, Chairman, The Calguns Foundation; Member, Board of Trustees, Second Amendment Foundation
John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Come hear a wide range of views and expert voices tackle one of the most polarizing issues vexing our nation. A spate of recent high-profile massacres, including the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, has sparked a vigorous national conversation about designing new laws - at the state and federal level - that protect all citizens, including the rights of responsible gun owners. More than 30,000 people die in American annually from gun violence, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our panel will discuss the national issues and California’s role in the dialogue regarding proposals to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, to pass stricter laws to buy and license guns and ammunition, to require gun vendors to do background checks on potential owners, and report sales so law enforcement can track guns and their owners.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on January 17, 2013

Addiction affects 23.2 million Americans. The head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse believes that all addictions can be eliminated if the brain’s receptors can be controlled. She will explain her groundbreaking work and the amazing personal story that has allowed her, as the great-granddaughter of famed Russian dissident Leon Trotsky, to achieve her current prominence.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on January 14, 2013

Harj Taggar, Partner, Y Combinator
Joe Gebbia, CPO and Co-founder, Airbnb
Steve Huffman, Co-founder, Hipmunk and Reddit
Jude Gomila, Co-founder, Heyzap
Randall Stross, Author, The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's Most Exclusive School for Startups - Moderator

Companies like Heyzap, Airbnb, Hipmunk, Reddit and Dropbox are all very different but have one mighty factor in common – they got their initial green and kibitz from Y Combinator. Heralded by Wired as the “most prestigious program for budding digital entrepreneurs,” YC rests on a formula of seed funding, peer networking and a three-month do-or-die boot camp. What is the secret to the Y Combinator sauce that turns out such wildly successful companies? Hear from Y Combinator Partner Harj Taggar and four of its most booming YC graduates to get a look behind the curtain of this Silicon Valley incubator icon.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on January 10, 2013

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro electrified the Charlotte audience during his keynote speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, reminding the audience that “The American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay!” Castro’s rise began in San Antonio, encouraged and inspired by his Mexican-American single mother, a political activist. Mayor Castro has prioritized creating economic and educational opportunities for his constituents, because he knows it can change the course of your life. Indeed, both Mayor Castro and his twin brother, Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, went to Stanford University and Harvard Law School. Come hear from the man many say is a rising star of the Democratic Party.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on January 7, 2013

Chief Wine Critic, The New York Times; Author, How to Love Wine

Oenophiles and wine novices are being exposed to an ever-expanding universe of wines. Though providing an exciting opportunity for exploration, this staggering array of choices can prompt a feeling of being overwhelmed and make choosing a good wine a stressful experience. Happily, the chief wine critic for The New York Times and author of How to Love Wine is here to help. Join Asimov for an enlightening conversation on how to embrace variety and the quest for a fantastic vintage.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on November 13, 2012

Inventor; Futurist; Author, How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed

For decades pioneering inventor and theorist Kurzweil has explored how artificial intelligence can enrich and expand human capabilities. Now he takes this exploration to the next step: reverse-engineering the brain to understand how it works, then applying that knowledge to create vastly intelligent machines. Drawing on the most recent neuroscience research, his own research and inventions in artificial intelligence, and compelling thought experiments, Kurzweil describes his new theory of how the neocortex (the thinking part of the brain) works: as a self-organizing hierarchical system of pattern recognizers. He shows how these insights could enable us to vastly extend the powers of our own mind and provides a roadmap for the creation of superintelligence.

Dr. Joseph Fink, President Emeritus, Dominican University of California - Moderator

Thomas Jefferson hated confrontation, and yet, according to Meacham, his understanding of power and human nature enabled him to prevail. In his biography of Jefferson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author brings to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era. Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius, Meacham argues, was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power.

This program was recorded in front of a live Commonwealth Club of California audience in San Francisco on November 29, 2012

Jill Abramson, Executive Editor, The New York Times
Robert J. Rosenthal, Executive Director, the Center for Investigative Reporting - Moderator

As executive editor of The New York Times, Abramson is the highest ranking person in that newsroom and the first woman to ever have the title. She oversees The New York Times news report in all its various print, digital and mobile platforms. Abramson says that as a born-and-raised New Yorker, she considered being named editor of the Times to be like "ascending to Valhalla. In my house growing up, the Times substituted for religion.” Abramson was previously the managing editor, in which post she helped guide the newsroom through a particularly turbulent period covering two wars, four national elections, hurricanes and oil spills. She joined The New York Times in 1997, becoming Washington editor in 1999 and then bureau chief in 2000. She was previously a deputy bureau chief and an investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on December 6, 2012

Simon Winchester, Journalist; Author, A Crack at the Edge of the World and Skulls: An Exploration of Alan Dudley’s Curious Collection

Brian Hackney, CBS 5 Correspondent - Moderator

The renowned writer and raconteur whose books on the 1906 earthquake, Krakatoa and the Oxford English Dictionary captivated readers worldwide now presents a spellbinding exploration of an obsessive collector of what some may call the macabre: more than 300 animal skulls, including amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles. Winchester writes: “Skulls have exerted for scores of thousands of years an almost inexplicable power over the human imagination. They are symbols both of existence and of former existence; they are freighted with terror and awe; they tell of life, death, and the afterlife, of good and evil, of danger, authority and majesty.” Join the bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, Atlantic, The Map That Changed the World, Krakatoa and A Crack in the Edge of the World for a fascinating and entertaining exploration into obsession and the macabre.

This program was recorded in front of a live Commonwealth Club of California audience in San Francisco on December 5, 2012

Yaron Brook, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Ayn Rand Institute; Co-author, Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government
David Callahan, Ph.D., Co-founder, Demos; Author, The Moral Center: How Progressives Can Unite America Around Our Shared Values

Dr. Ruth Shapiro, Principal, Keyi Strategies; Social Entrepreneur in Residence, The Commonwealth Club - Moderator

From the financial crisis to Obamacare to the budget debates, the size and scope of government is being debated across the country. One side calls for more regulation to foster equitable prosperity, because they believe an under-regulated free market is out of control. The other side says government has grown too big and intrusive, and we need to mitigate its power while rediscovering the founders' principles. Two staunch advocates debate government, values and the economy – the fundamental social, economic and moral ideas that underlie politics in the U.S. today. Bring your questions.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on October 22, 2012

Ferriss has changed lives (in 4-hour increments) twice now. The author of New York Times best-sellers The 4-Hour Workweek and The 4-Hour Body, Ferriss is on a one-man mission to make you more effective in everything you do – whether it’s in the office, the gym or even the kitchen. Now, in The 4-Hour Chef, he dishes up the radically counterintuitive advice that his devotees have come to expect, via culinary pointers from world-renowned chefs and insider tips from chefs who get paid to make you dinner. Join us as this jack of all trades schools us in the ways of chefdom and living life like a pro.

This program was recorded in front of a live Commonwealth Club of California audience in San Francisco on November 28, 2012

Jake Norton, Co-founder and Lead Climber, Challenge 21
Evan Thomas, Assistant Professor and Director, The SWEET Lab; Executive Vice President, Manna Energy Limited
Jon Rose, Professional Surfer; Founder, Waves for Water
Peter Gleick, Water Expert; Co-founder and President, Pacific Institute; MacArthur Fellow
Jason Mark, Editor, Earth Island Journal - Moderator

Water: We can’t live without it – but most of the world practically does. The event will begin with a meaningful but refreshing conversation about the global water crisis and those working on creative new approaches for providing clean drinking water. Hear from the leaders in the field and find out more about innovative projects like a town run entirely off recycled water, collaborative coalitions and breakout projects that deliver on reliable and safe water for those who need it most. After the kick-off panel, we’ll dive right into an interactive social in an attempt to grasp the realities of H20 hardships and opportunities. It’s the ultimate genesis of life as we know it - let’s hear the stories and wade neck-deep into the worldwide water crisis.

This program was recorded in front of a live Commonwealth Club of California audience at Levi's Auditorium in San Francisco on November 7, 2012

Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America; Former Senator, Connecticut

In conversation with Gavin Newsom, Lt. Governor, California; Host, The Gavin Newsom Show

MPAA chief Dodd is charged with advocating for the film, home entertainment and television industries around the world. The MPAA represents one of the most creative, productive and powerful industries in America - one that supports 2.2 million creators and makers in every state and particularly in California. With technology advancements and the migration of content to the cloud, it is more important than ever to make sure industries and, where appropriate, governments work together to ensure the Internet works for everyone. Dodd will discuss why technology and creative communities are essential to the economic well-being of their industries, consumers and the country.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 2, 2012

Eric Schmitt, New York Times National Security Senior Reporter
Stephen Zunes, Professor, Department of Politics/Middle East Studies, University of San Francisco - Moderator

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times senior writer Schmitt has covered the military, terrorism and national security affairs for two decades. He is currently covering the evolving story of the FBI Investigation that led to the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus. He co-authored Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda. Since the September 11 attacks, he has made many reporting trips to Iraq and Afghanistan to cover American military operations there. He has also reported on counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan, Mali and Southeast Asia. As Pentagon correspondent, he covered the Persian Gulf War from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and also reported from Haiti and Somalia. Domestic reporting included covering Congress, following financial and business news, demographic and immigration issues, commercial aviation and the travel industry. Come hear his inside view on the conflicts and challenges facing the U.S. in the post-9/11 world and the latest on the breaking news of the day.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 19, 2012

Renée L. Binder, M.D., University of California, San Francisco Medical School; Psychiatrist; Professor; Founder and Director, UCSF Psychiatry and the Law Program
Carol Kingsley, Attorney/Mediator; Board Member, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Her husband Jack was among those killed at 101 California Street in 1993.
Mark Follman, Senior Editor, Mother Jones, focused on politics and national security. This past summer, Follman led an in-depth data investigation into mass shootings following the incidents in Aurora, Colorado and Wisconsin.
Robert J. McMenomy, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Francisco Division, headquarters and field agent investigating and managing criminal, counterterrorism and administrative matters
John Diaz , Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

A loaded gun in the hands of an unstable person wreaked havoc almost 20 years ago at 101 California Street in downtown San Francisco. Nine people died and scores of lives were forever shattered. In the decades since, mass shootings have happened across America: Columbine High, Virginia Tech, Tucson, Aurora, Oak Creek – most of them with legal weapons, many in the hands of a mentally ill person. How can we predict and prevent violent acts in those who are mentally ill? What is the medical profile of a mentally ill person capable of carrying out this kind of violent act? How do the state and federal laws protect the rights of mentally ill persons and the community at large? We will examine these challenging questions with an expert panel.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 1, 2012

Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, American Cancer Society; Co-author, How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America

Lisa Aliferis, KQED Health Editor - Moderator

Finance, Brawley asserts, is inextricably linked to health care in America’s current system. Even the very procedures patients undergo, he says, are frequently determined more by doctors’ expected payment for performing them than their actual appropriateness in mitigating the ailment with which the patient is afflicted. Brawley will discuss the extent of this problem as well as possible solutions.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 29, 2012

California Governor Jerry Brown says his Prop. 30 ballot initiative prevents a round of swingeing cuts to the state's education system. Locked into a heated campaign against opponents of any tax increase as well as a competing tax-increase measure, Brown tells San Francisco's Commonwealth Club of California that it's Prop 30 or nothing – there's no other money that can be funneled to schools if the new revenues aren't passed.

Brown also details some of the significant cuts he's already made in the state's budget, even reducing his own office's budget by 25 percent. "The rug's falling apart, I'm eating day old tuna sandwiches," he said, emphasizing his willingness to keep cutting budgets if that's what it takes to get things done.

In this program, Brown also responds to audience questions and concerns, including worries that California's budget system is wildly out of control, is unaccountable, and his ballot measure is just more of the same behavior from Sacramento. The governor, noting hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the state and the growth in personal income in California, argues that he has righted the budget and put it back on an even keel in his first year in office, and that California needs to prevent the mandated budget cuts to the schools that would kick in if his proposition is defeated by state voters on election day.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on November 1, 2012

Charles Best, Founder, Donorschoose.org
Vince Bertram, Ph.D., President and CEO, Project Lead the Way
Helen Quinn, Ph.D., Emerita Professor of Physics and Former Chair, Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Stanford University; Chair, National Board on Science Education
Dennis Bartels, Ph.D., Executive Director, Exploratorium; Member, Education Working Group for the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology - Moderator

It's no secret California and the nation continue to fight an uphill battle to stay educationally competitive. A recent study showed that American students ranked 25th among 34 countries in math and science, behind China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Finland. And California ranked "below average" in the U.S. What are the solutions for getting back on track? How can students develop the critical thinking and communication skills necessary for postsecondary success and citizenship in a world fueled by innovations in science and technology? Hear from a panel of educational experts who say the answer lies in real world problem solving, what's termed "experiential education" or learning by doing. Hear about innovative work that could well hold the key to turning around the educational system and America's future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 17, 2012

Theodore B. Olson, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Former U.S. Solicitor General (2001-2004)

Pamela Karlan, Professor of Public Interest Law and Co-director, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford Law School - Moderator

Selected by Time magazine in 2010 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, Olson is one of the nation's premier appellate and U.S. Supreme Court advocates. He has argued 58 cases in the Supreme Court (prevailing in over 75 percent of those arguments) and has been at the forefront of groundbreaking litigation, including Bush v. Gore and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In 2009, Olson teamed up with his former adversary David Boies to challenge California’s Prop. 8 in federal court. While the future of Prop. 8 and marriage equality remains uncertain as the U.S. Supreme Court decides to hear the case, Olson will discuss his experience challenging the initiative in federal court and what lies ahead.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 18, 2012

Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund

In conversation with Clara Jeffery, Editor in Chief, Mother Jones

Website tickets for this program have ended. You can still buy tickets at the door or online here

Cecile Richards, a high-profile defender of women’s rights, will be honored with INFORUM’s 21st Century Visionary Award on October 10. She has earned respect for her poised leadership amidst controversy, braving congressional budget debates and forcefully advocating for equal access to health care and women’s reproductive rights. Her initiatives extend far beyond the gender sector, however, and include promoting leadership programs for today’s youth and leading national health-based educational campaigns. Richards has mastered the seeming oxymoron of a gentle revolutionary, which this award recognizes, as she continues her lifelong fight to inspire women and the next generation.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on October 10, 2012

Professor of Psychology, Harvard University; Author, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

Despite what can sometimes appear to be a pervasive culture of violence, Pinker, a leading expert on language and the mind, posits that we might in fact be living in one of the most peaceful times of our existence. Our wars are proportionally a fraction as deadly as ancient tribal warfare, and smaller-scale violence has also waned over the centuries, he claims. If human nature is unchanged, asks Pinker, then why has violence in society declined? Come explore the lessons of history with Pinker as he examines how the decline in violence has transformed our society and offers his thoughts on the continuation for future generations.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Club's Silicon Valley on October 9, 2012

John Chiang, Controller, State of California
Peter Gruebele, Executive Vice President, Commercial Banking, Wells Fargo
Joel Kotkin, Distinguished Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures, Chapman University; Author, The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050
Ro Khanna, Visiting Lecturer, Department of Economics, Stanford University; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Obama Administration; Author, Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing Is Still Key to America's Future
Ross DeVol, Chief Research Officer, Milken Institute - Moderator

A high-level panel looks at California’s economy as we head toward year’s end and compares the state’s challenges with those of the nation. Will the pickup in home prices and construction spur on the rest of the economy? Will the tech sector boom sustain and jumpstart job growth in other industries? Which geographical centers serve as the best models for success? How can government prevent budget shortfalls from getting in the way of private sector progress? A wide range of economic experts will weigh in on the outlook for recovery and prosperity as the year comes to a close.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on September 19, 2012

Hedrick Smith, Former Reporter, The New York Times; Producer, PBS; Author, Who Stole the American Dream?

Robert Rosenthal, Executive Director, California Watch, Center For Investigative Reporting - Moderator

Is the American Dream becoming a lost ideal of the past? Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy-winning journalist Smith suggests that it is as a result of four decades of erosion induced by corporate and political decisions. Smith will discuss the extent to which the American Dream has declined, as well as the future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on September 18, 2012

Lenny Mendonca, Member, California Forward Leadership Council; Director, McKinsey and Company
George Shultz, Former U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Secretary of Labor; Member, Advisory Board on the State Budget Crisis
David Crane, Former Special Advisor to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Member, Advisory Board on the State Budget Crisis
Karol Denniston, Partner, Schiff Hardin LLP's Municipal Restructuring Practice; Instrumental in Passage of California Assembly Bill 506 (Requiring Neutral Evaluation before Municipalities File for Bankruptcy)
Randy Shandobil, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism; Former Political Reporter, KTVU Television - Moderator

State budgets seem more and more unmanageable, but there are lessons to be learned from studying their flaws. Come hear the results of the first-ever comprehensive review of the specific threats to near- and long-term fiscal sustainability in six states: California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Virginia. The study reveals the ways in which budget procedures and accounting rules encourage structural budget gaps. The report questions how states will be able to restore the services and jobs that they cut during the downturn, saying that the loss of jobs in prisons, hospitals, courts and agencies had been more severe than in any of the past nine recessions. Come learn what this report's findings mean for California's fiscal future, and the nation's.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on September 20, 2012

Dan Fouts, Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers Quarterback; CBS Television Sports NFL Analyst
A. Brent Eastman, M.D., Trauma Surgeon, Chief Medical Officer and Corporate Sr. Vice President, Scripps Health; President-Elect, American College of Surgeons
John York, M.D., Co-chairman, San Francisco 49ers; Chairman, NFL’s Health & Safety Advisory Committee
Jed York, CEO, San Francisco 49ers - Introducer

The recent wave of lawsuits filed on behalf of former NLF players has brought to the forefront the dangers of sports injuries, as well as the question of liability. From broken noses to broken feet and everything in between, get an up-close-and-personal view of the health and safety issues related to playing in the National Football League. Six-time Pro Bowl selection and Chargers legend Dan Fouts will be joined by 49ers co-chair and physician York, as well as Eastman, whose expertise as a trauma surgeon has made him a leader in the field of emergency medical care.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 29, 2012

Adjunct Full Professor, UC Berkeley School of Information; Author, Ascent of the A-Word: A--holism, the First Sixty Years

Robert Sutton, Professor, Management Science & Engineering, Stanford University; Author, The No A--hole Rule - Moderator

It went from the mouths of WWII servicemen to the typewriter of a young Norman Mailer. By the 1970s it had become a staple of Neil Simon plays and Woody Allen movies. In 2000, George W. Bush accidentally uttered it on a live mic and sparked a debate about whether that made him a man of the people, or just an a--hole. Ours is the age of a--holism. Over time, the word has become an expression of contemporary American values – about civility, about relationships, about pretension, about class. Yet the media are obliged to bleep it or disguise it with asterisks. And we use it unreflectingly and give it no attention. Nunberg takes us behind the slur.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on Auust 15, 2012

Arturo S. Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers
Lavinia Limón, President and CEO, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Dulce Matuz, President, Arizona Dream Act Coalition
Deep Nishar, Senior Vice President, Products & User Experience, LinkedIn
Raul Ramirez, Executive Director of News and Public Affairs, KQED Public Radio - Moderator

At The Commonwealth Club in 1984, Cesar Chavez said “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.” The U.S. Committee of Refugees and Immigrants celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, and the Club is taking the opportunity to find out more about those at the center of the immigration debate, which dates back to the founding of the United States. In the Bay Area, the immigration conversation often centers around limited H1-B visas for techies, while most of the country broods over access to education, employment, social services and integration into the broader community. What does a "typical" immigrant really look like in the U.S. in 2012? How do immigration policies actually impact the lives of documented and undocumented immigrants? Our diverse panel dives deep into the issues. Come hear the true stories shared by more than 10 million individuals.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 24, 2012

Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics, UC Berkeley; Co-author, The Little Blue Book: The Essential Guide to Thinking and Talking Democratic

Dr. Terry Christensen, Professor Emeritus, San Jose State University and Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley Advisory Council Member - Moderator

Language matters – especially when it comes to politics. With the 2012 election season upon us, linguistics expert Lakoff dissects the way we vote on important issues and presents his progressive, in-depth guide to changing political rhetoric and ideology

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 31, 2012

Chairman, Joint Chiefs Of Staff

The nation's highest ranking military officer will discuss current international security challenges and the future of the U.S. military. General Dempsey serves as the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he is the principal military adviser to the president, the secretary of defense and the National Security Council. Prior to becoming chairman, the general served as the Army's 37th chief of staff. Past assignments have taken him and his family across the globe during both peace and war, from platoon leader to combatant commander.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 27, 2012

Peter Lee, Executive Director, California Health Benefit Exchange

Larry Levitt, Vice President of Special Projects, Kaiser Family Foundation

Bill Kramer, Executive Director for National Health Policy, Pacific Business Group on Health

Anthony Wright, Executive Director, Health Access (a consumer advocacy coalition)

Lisa Aliferis, Health Editor, KQED News - Moderator

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the majority of President Obama's health-reform plan, including the requirement of individual coverage, was one of the most closely watched decisions of the Supreme Court in years, with effects rippling outward to touch every corner of the country. How will this momentous ruling affect your health coverage and medical care? What does it mean for businesses and health-care providers? A panel of health-care insiders and advocates will dissect the Supreme Court's decision on The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, focusing on its impact on providers and patients in California.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on July 18, 2012

Chris Hayes, Editor at Large, The Nation; MSNBC Host, Up With Chris Hayes; Author, Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy

John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

In his new book, MSNBC’s rising star Hayes offers a radically novel answer to what led America into the “Fail Decade”: an era plagued with the failure of Congress, Wall Street and even Major League Baseball. An expert on political culture and political economy, Hayes mixes deft political analysis, timely social commentary, and deep historical understanding while offering a powerful argument that traces the roots of our present crisis and mistrust of authority to an unlikely source: meritocracy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on July 11, 2012

Larry Gerston, Professor, SJSU; Political Analyst, NBC 11
Carla Marinucci, Senior Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle
Debra J. Saunders, Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; “Token Conservative” Blogger, SFGate.com

Join our panelists for informative and fun commentary on political and other major news, plus an in-depth look at one topic in the news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our first competitive news quiz! Also join us for a reception with refreshments before and after the program.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on July 30, 2012

Joel Brinkley, Former New York Times Middle East and Washington Correspondent; Hearst Visiting Professional in Residence, Stanford University Department of Communication - Moderator

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on July 9, 2012

E.J. Dionne Jr., Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute; Columnist, The Washington Post; Author, Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in the Age of Discontent

A frequent guest on ABC’s This Week and NBC’s Meet The Press, The Washington Post Op-Ed columnist Dionne is thought by some to be an expert on competing political philosophies in America. Offering an incisive analysis of how hyper-individualism is poisoning the nation’s political atmosphere, Dionne argues that Americans can’t agree on who we are because we can’t agree on what it is that makes us Americans. Can we get past this impasse?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 18, 2012

Greg Dalton, Founder and Director, Climate One
John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle
Larry Gerston, Professor, SJ State Univ.; Political Analyst, NBC 11; Author, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California
John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club - Host

Join our panelists for informative and lively commentary on political and other major news, plus an in-depth look at the big international Rio+20 climate meetings, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our famous news quiz.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on June 29, 2012

Abraham D. Sofaer, George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and National Security Affairs, Hoover Institution; Legal Advisor, U.S. Department of State, 1985 to 1990; Author, Taking on Iran

George P. Shultz, Former U.S. Secretary of State; Distinguished Fellow, Hoover Institution - Moderator

A renowned expert in international law discusses legal options that the U.S. can pursue with Iran and how the U.S. can successfully use negotiation to convince Iran to give up any intention to develop nuclear weapons. It makes sense now, Sofaer posits, before Iran has shown both the abilities and the intention to develop nuclear weapons, for the U.S. to stop projecting weakness by indulging the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ illegal conduct, and to start utilizing any opportunity that greater strength provides to negotiate professionally and consistently.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on June 27, 2012

Activist; Academic; Author, Stuffed and Starved, The Value of Nothing

In conversation with Rose Aguilar, Host, "Your Call" on KALW 91.7 FM

Half the world is malnourished, the other half obese. Why is there such a large discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots for what we all need: food? Patel conducts a global investigation to make sense of the world food crisis and charges that “the food system is filled with choices made by a handful of powerful people, in smoke-filled rooms, over the objections of the majority.” Hear a story of nefarious false choices and of international resistance movements that takes you from seed to store to plate.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on June 12, 2012

Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Memorial Prize Winner for Economics; Professor, Columbia University; Author, The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future
Joan Walsh, Editor at Large, Salon.com – Moderator

Critics are charging that our current economic system has made America the most unequal advanced industrial country, with crippled growth and undermined democracy. With the top 1 percent of Americans controlling an estimated 40 percent of the country’s wealth, Stiglitz makes a forceful argument against our divided society and vicious circle of inequality. In an effort to bridge that growing gap, Stiglitz offers his plan for changing our current fiscal and budgetary policies and create a more just and prosperous future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in San Jose, California on June 12, 2012.

Founder, President and CEO, Comeback America Initiative; Author, Comeback America

Through his efforts with Comeback America Initiative, Walker aims to remain a non-partisan voice for lawmakers in the hopes of correcting America’s federal, state and local fiscal imbalances.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on June 6, 2012

Former U.S. Secretary of State; Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Author, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership

In conversation with Dan Ashley, News Anchor, ABC 7 TV; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

Throughout his decades of service to the country, General Powell has kept his private life out of the limelight. Now, in his new book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, Powell is opening up to reveal the important principles that guided his journey from being the son of Jamaican immigrants to becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African-American secretary of state. He will reveal the foundations for achievement and leadership that worked for him and can help make others' dreams come true, too.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in Santa Clara, CA on June 7, 2012

Bill Bradley, former U.S. Senator (D-New Jersey); Author, We Can All Do Better

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on May 18, 2012

In conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club

U.S. House Democratic leader Pelosi will headline a special Commonwealth Club conversation in which she will reflect on 25 years of representing San Francisco in Congress, her rise to become the first woman speaker of the House, and her continued efforts to represent the American people.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 29, 2012

Kevin Starr, California State Librarian, Emeritus; History Professor, University of Southern California; Author, Golden Gate: The Life and Times of America's Greatest Bridge
John Harper, Historian, Chevron Corporation
Paul Giroux, American Society of Civil Engineers’ Chairman, Golden Gate Bridge 75th anniversary
Brian Hackney, Correspondent, CBS 5 TV’s “Eye on The Bay” - Moderator

Come take an incisive look at the history of the Golden Gate Bridge and how it’s achieved iconic status in both an aesthetic and emotional sense. At 75 years old, the Golden Gate Bridge has many meanings. A unique combination of panelists will discuss its significance to them and, in turn, to the wider community.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on May 24, 2012

Nobel Laureate economist Krugman believes that the U.S. and world economies are not getting better. He says we are still in the midst of a depression rather than a recession, and that “nations, rich in resources, talent, and knowledge, all the ingredients for prosperity and a decent standard of living for all, remain in a state of intense pain.” Yet he also believes that a quick, strong recovery is but one step away. Come hear his thoughts on what political leaders can and must do.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on May 22, 2012

Larry Gerston, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, San Jose State University; Political Analyst, NBC 11; Author, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California
Carly Schwartz, Founding Editor, Huffington Post San Francisco
In conversation with John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California

It's our first Monday program of Week to Week! Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week's news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look at a topic in the news, audience discussion of the week's events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead. It's a new experience from The Commonwealth Club, a recurring program offering timely insight, opinions, and commentary on the news of the world, the nation, and the Bay Area.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 14, 2012

John Stossel, Fox News/Business Correspondent; Author, No They Can’t: Why Government Fails…but Individuals Succeed

Fox News and Business Correspondent John Stossel has criticized government programs as inefficient, wasteful, and harmful, and he says he’s prepared to lay out the facts about why government can’t solve our problems. Come hear his thought provoking arguments about job creation, healthcare, education, and product regulation ... and his further thoughts on how Americans can achieve success.

Stossel hosts his own one-hour weekly Fox Business Network show, Stossel, and a series of one-hour specials on Fox News. He also appears regularly on The O’Reilly Factor and other Fox News shows. During three decades in journalism, Stossel has received numerous honors and awards. He is also known for having been co-anchor of ABC’s 20/20 and the host of the John Stossel Specials for ABC television and radio, and ABCNews.com. He is a 19-time Emmy Award-winner, and a five-time honoree for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club. His two previous books spent more than twenty weeks on The New York Times bestseller list.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 20, 2012

Timothy Geithner, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

Adam Lashinsky, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune; Author, Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired and Secretive Company Really Works - Moderator

In his visit to San Francisco, Secretary Geithner will address the condition of the U.S. economy as he argues that we have made significant progress toward economic recovery over the last three years, despite a series of external shocks to the economy. Secretary Geithner will also address the state of the global economy ahead of the Administration's 2012 U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED).

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 26, 2012

Larry Gerston, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, San Jose State University; Political Analyst, NBC 11; Author, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California
Debra J. Saunders, Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; "Token Conservative" blogger, SFGate.com
Carla Marinucci, Senior Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle
In conversation with John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California

Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week's news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look at what is now the general election - yes, it's that time again - plus audience discussion of the week's events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead. It's the newest experience from The Commonwealth Club, a recurring program offering timely insight, opinions, and commentary on the news of the world, the nation, and the Bay Area.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on April 27, 2012

Host, The Rachel Maddow Show; Author, Drift
In Conversation with Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, Author; Screenwriter; Accordionist

Rhodes Scholar, AIDS activist, civics geek, "blindly partisan" and even the “grand doyenne of liberal demagoguery” according to Gawker – Rachel Maddow has been called many things over the years, but until now, "author" has not been one of them. This year the sassy and smart-as-a-whip host of MSNBC’s politico program, The Rachel Maddow Show, joins the literary fold and takes on what she believes to be the debate between civilian life and the war machine in her new book, Drift. Join us for an organ intro, popcorn munchies, and an exclusive interview with Rachel Maddow.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 12, 2012

Contributing Editor, Wired; Author, How We Decide and Imagine: How Creativity Works
Tim Ritchie - President, The Tech Museum- Moderator

Acclaimed science writer and popular blogger Jonah Lehrer helped us learn about our decision making process in his best-selling book How We Decide. Now he delves into the human mind to decipher the anatomy of imagination and explore the new science of creativity with Imagine. Lehrer introduces us to musicians like Bob Dylan and Yo Yo Ma, artists working at Pixar, engineers at Procter and Gamble, and even a bartender who thinks more like chemist, to demonstrate our most important mental talent: the ability to imagine what has never existed. Find out what cities and companies are doing to double our creative output and make our culture more creative.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 5, 2012

Larry Gerston, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, San Jose State University; Political Analyst, NBC 11; Author, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California
Carly Schwartz, Editor, Huffington Post San Francisco
Susan Reynolds, Editor, The Marina Times
John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California -- Host

Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week's news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look at San Francisco's sheriff controversy, audience discussion of the week's events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead. It's a new experience from The Commonwealth Club, a recurring program offering timely insight and commentary on the news of the world, the nation, and the Bay Area.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 30, 2012

Dave Eggers, Founder and Editor, McSweeney’s; Co-Founder, 826 Valencia; Author, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius;

In conversation with Dan Moulthrop, Co-Author, Teachers Have It Easy; Co-founder, The Civic Commons; Former Public Radio Host

Having charmed the literary world at the age of 30 with his best-seller, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Eggers immediately lent his commercial success to the enlightenment of our youth through literature and education. Infusing his personal passions and writing talents into the community, Eggers has taken on numerous philanthropic efforts including 826 Valencia, ScholarMatch and onceuponaschool.org. INFORUM is pleased to award this Bay Area humanitarian with our 21st Century Visionary Award. Eggers has got a way with words, so you won’t want to miss out on this sharp discussion, which is sure to expand your appreciation for the scholastic prospects of our youth and the value of fair access to higher education.

This program was recorded at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 22, 2012

Jodi Kantor, Arts and Leisure Editor, The New York Times; Author, The Obamas
Belva Davis, Journalist/Host, KQED, This Week in Northern California- Moderator

The author of the new highly publicized bio of President Obama and the first lady reveals personal and political details, and how the first couple’s partnership affects all Americans.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on March 21, 2012

Dr. Larry Gerston, Professor of Political Science, San Jose State University; Political Analyst, NBC 11; Author, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California
Debra J. Saunders, Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; "Token Conservative" Blogger, SFGate.com
Brian Caulfield, Technology Journalist, Forbes
John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California -- Moderator

Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week's news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look by Brian Caulfield at the new iPad 3 and tablet computing, audience discussion of the week's events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead. It's a new experience from The Commonwealth Club, a recurring program offering timely insight and commentary on the news of the world, the nation, and the Bay Area.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 16, 2012

Author, When the Killing’s Done: A Novel; Distinguished Professor of English, University of Southern California
Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club- Moderator

Prolific and renowned author T. Coraghessan Boyle has written 22 novels, many of which probe the relationship between contemporary human civilization and the natural world. His latest work, When the Killing’s Done, adopts as its setting California’s geographically isolated Channel Islands and gives a harrowing fictional account of the battle that ensues when two ideologically opposed environmentalists disagree over the fate of the islands’ species. Much like Boyle’s previous novels, including the best-selling The Tortilla Curtain and The Women, this new book combines suspenseful narrative and strong characterization with provocative questions about our role in, and responsibility to, the world in which we live. Come hear Boyle share his thoughts on the making and implications of this powerful book.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on March 5, 2012

Former U.S. Senator (D-Wisconsin); Author, While America Sleeps: A Wake-up Call for the Post-9/11 Era
Christopher Edley, Jr., Dean, Berkeley Law School, University of California -- Moderator

Widely known for his efforts to spur campaign finance reform during his 18 years as a U.S. senator, Democratic Feingold was the only senator to oppose the Patriot Act of 2001 and the first to propose a concrete timetable for the dissolution of American troops in Iraq. He is also a major opponent of financial deregulation and controversial trade agreements, cosponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, and founder of Progressives United, an organization formed to combat the results of the Supreme Court’s contentious ruling on Citizens United v. FEC.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 1, 2012

George Shultz, Former U.S Secretary of State under President Reagan
William Perry, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Clinton
Sam Nunn, Former U.S. Senator, Georgia (1972-96), Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative
Philip Taubman, Consulting Professor, Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation; Former New York Times Washington Bureau Chief; Author, The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb – Moderator

Three distinguished statesmen discuss their vision for international security in these precarious times. Secretaries Shultz and Perry and Senator Nunn will assess the current state of nuclear threats, including Iran's drive to build a bomb, the North Korean nuclear weapons program, and future prospects for limiting the spread of nuclear materials and eventually eliminating nuclear weapons.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 23, 2012

Adam Lashinsky, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune
Jessica Vascellaro, Senior Technology Reporter, The Wall Street Journal - Moderator

If Apple is Silicon Valley’s answer to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, then Lashinsky provides readers with a golden ticket to step inside. In a 2008 Fortune cover story entitled, “The Genius Behind Steve: Could Operations Whiz Tim Cook Run the Company Someday?” he predicted that Tim Cook, then an unknown, would eventually succeed Steve Jobs as CEO. Come hear the secret systems, tactics and leadership strategies that allow Apple to churn out hit after hit and inspire a cult-like following for its products as well as predictions for the future in the post-Steve Jobs era.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 15, 2012

Laszlo Bock, Senior Vice President, People Operations, Google
George Anders, Author, The Rare Find
In conversation with Brad Stone, Senior Writer, Bloomberg Businessweek

The nature of work is changing. Companies are learning to hire during a recession and hold onto increasingly smart, proficient and flexible employees. Google’s unique hiring process and reputation for wooing potential hires has generated a lot of myths and models. What is the Google way? What is the philosophy of talent at the Bay Area’s most successful companies, and what skills can you develop to bring you to the top? Anders and Bock are two leaders in the world of work. Come hear their perspectives on how to recruit and get recruited differently.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 9, 2012

Founding Editor, The Baffler; Author, What’s the Matter with Kansas? and Pity the Billionaire: The Hard Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right

Joseph Fink, President Emeritus, Dominican University of California - Moderator

The best-selling author of What's the Matter with Kansas? takes a sardonic look at why he believes the the worst economy since the 1930s has brought about the revival of conservatism. When Frank set out in 2009 to look for expressions of American discontent at the collapsing economy, he said all he could find were loud demands that the economic system be made even harsher on the recession's victims and that society's traditional winners receive even grander prizes. The American Right was reinvigorated by the arrival of hard times. Join us as Frank examines the peculiar mechanism by which dire economic circumstances have delivered wildly unexpected political results.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on January 26, 2012

Dave Barry, Humor Columnist; Co-author, Lunatics
Alan Zweibel, Former Writer, "Saturday Night Live"; Co-author, Lunatics
Doug Sovern, KCBS Radio/ CBS 5 TV Correspondent (Moderator)

Beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Barry and quirky Thurber Prize-winning writer and "SNL" alum Zweibel take you on a literary journey of inspiration and mayhem. In a world filled with unbelievable jerks and morons, the two main characters of their new book Lunatics are about to collide in a swiftly escalating series of events that will send them running for their lives, pursued by the police, soldiers, terrorists, subversives, bears and a man dressed as Chuck E. Cheese. Experience the world through the eyes and words of bestselling humorist Barry and five-time Emmy Award winner, renowned "SNL" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" writer Zweibel – a sure way to tickle your funny bone!

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 19, 2012

Host, “The Dylan Ratigan Show,” MSNBC; Author, Greedy Bastard$!
Quentin Hardy, Deputy Technology Editor, The New York Times- Moderator

Dylan Ratigan, host of one of the highest rated daytime shows on MSNBC, graces The Commonwealth Club with his hardball, gloves-off approach to American politics and big business. In his first book, Greedy Bastards, Ratigan details what he calls a “broken system” and “illustrates how fixing these problems will release a renaissance of growth and innovation.” Prior to joining MSNBC, Ratigan previously launched CNBC’s highly successful Fast Money and Closing Bell. Come join the debate as Ratigan discusses the repercussions and remedies to the problems we face in America today.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 18, 2012

Michael Gazzaniga, Professor of Psychology and Director of the SAGE Center for the Study of Mind, UC Santa Barbara

Known as the "father of cognitive neuroscience," Gazzaniga makes a powerful argument for free will. The question of free will versus determinism continues to vex scientists, psychologists and philosophers, but the biological evidence is not as stridently deterministic as it is often presented. Dr. Gazzaniga argues that the human mind constrains the brain and monitors our behavior, much as a government constrains its citizens. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, as well as ethics and law, he offers a deeply considered case for human responsibility.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 5, 2012s

#OWS, pepper spray, book sharing, tents, mic checks and protest signs: Since September, the Occupy movement has staked a claim in every Facebook feed, almost every news program and in literally more than 100 major cities in the United States alone. Using the tools of collective assembly, occupiers have mobilized thousands in their fight for global change and against the richest 1 percent, but so many people are still less than sure what Occupy is all about. What have been the strategies and intent of this people-powered movement? Now that they have the world’s attention, what are they going to do with it? What is driving the movement forward?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on December 15, 2011

John Merrow, Education Correspondent, NPR/PBS; Author, The Influence of Teachers
Kathleen Martin McCarthy, Recipient, 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching; Teacher, Washington Elementary School, San Leandro
Anthony Smith, Ph.D., Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District
Steven Thomas, Science Teacher/Director, De Anza High School Health Academy, West Contra Costa Unified School District
Dr. Colleen Wilcox, Executive Director, Silicon Valley Alliance For Teachers; Former Superintendent of Schools, Santa Clara County; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors (Moderator)

A panel of high-level educators and experts discuss what they believe makes a great teacher and what the public and government can do to ensure that standards of excellence are set and adhered to at the primary and secondary level.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on December 5, 2011

PBS President Paula Kerger and KQED President John Boland

In conversation with Robert Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting

Kerger is president and CEO of PBS, the nation’s largest non-commercial media organization, with more than 350 member stations throughout the country. Boland oversees KQED Public Media, including KQED Television – one of the nation's most-watched public television stations during primetime, with more than 1.5 million households viewing per month – as well as KQED Radio, the most-listened-to public radio station in the country, reaching more than 745,000 listeners each week. Our members ask the leaders of PBS and KQED their plans for future programming.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 29, 2011

In conversation with Phil Bronstein, Editor-at-Large, Hearst Newspapers

Vanden Heuvel challenges the limits of our downsized political debate, arguing that timid incrementalism and the forces of establishment power that debilitate American politics can be overcome only by independent organizing, strategic creativity and determined idealism. In the wake of the economic crisis, says vanden Heuvel, it is clear that neither one election, nor one person, can wholly reshape American politics.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 30, 2011

Jennifer Granholm, Former Governor of Michigan; Co-author, A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future
Dan Mulhern, Senior Advisor, Families and Work Institute; Co-author, A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future
Lisa Vorderbrueggen, Reporter and Columnist, Contra Costa Times, Bay Area News Group, Media News – Moderator

The impact of the recent economic crisis was felt especially intensely in Michigan, the heart of American manufacturing. As the state’s governor from 2003 to 2011, Granholm was on the front lines of a series of battles that began in the Great Lakes state before spreading across the country. During her eight years of leadership, Granholm tackled creating new jobs and reworking health care, rebuilding manufacturing industries and repairing the education system, in attention to attempting to restore public faith in the local and national economies. Join us for an exclusive conversation with Governor Granholm and her husband and co-author, Mulhern, as they discuss Michigan’s unique struggles, how the state weathered the economic storm, and what advice they can offer other policy makers and citizens.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 29, 2011

NBC Nightly News Special Correspondent; Author, The Greatest Generation, Boom! and The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation about America

Dan Ashley, News Anchor, KGO TV and Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors - Moderator

With all of the current political, social and economic challenges facing our country, veteran television broadcaster Brokaw asks: What happened to the America I thought I knew? In an effort to reconnect our families, communities and commitment to civic engagement, Brokaw looks back at his own family history and South Dakota upbringing and discusses the many changes that have transformed society. He offers inspiring stories of Americans who are leading the way for change in their own communities and shares his thoughts on how we can revitalize the promise of the American dream.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Santa Clara Convention Center Theatre on November 21, 2011

Robert S. Mueller III, Director, FBI

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 17, 2011

Host, “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” MSNBC; Author, Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero

David Kennedy, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History, Emeritus, Stanford University - Moderator

Discover a new side to an American icon. Throughout the media storm that has followed him in life and death, President John F. Kennedy is still referred to as “that elusive man” by even his closest friends and family members. TV Host Chris Matthews sought to pull away the mystery when he began interviewing those who knew Kennedy best. From childhood in Massachusetts to a private battle with Addison's disease and finally Kennedy’s White House days, Matthews reveals the man behind the iconic initials.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Schultz Cultural Hall in Palo Alto on November 8, 2011

Amory Lovins, Author; Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute

Renowned environmentalist Lovins maps business-led pathways for the U.S. to phase out fossil fuels and win the global clean energy race. He envisions a future in which a 2.6-times larger U.S. economy in 2050 could need no oil, coal or nuclear energy, use one-third less natural gas, and save trillions. The transition can be led by business for profit and requires no act of Congress, says Lovins. He lays out his bold vision.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 17, 2011

Adam Gazzaley, Associate Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry and Director, Neuroscience Imaging Center, UCSF
Josh McHugh, CEO, Attention Span Media
Tiffany Shlain, Founder, Webby Awards; Filmmaker, Connected: An Autobiography about Love, Death and Technology
David Ewing Duncan, Author, Experimental Man; Co-host, Tech Talk Radio – Moderator

More than a billion people around the world are engaged in a massive and unprecedented experiment in how social media technologies are changing society, commerce, politics, health, innovation, love, work, the arts and more. But what is this new tech literally doing to our brains? How is it impacting who we are as humans, and how is it making us different from previous generations in how we interact with information, our environment and each other? This provocative panel features a neuroscientist who studies the impact of multitasking on our gray matter and those who believe new social networking may be leading us to a more connected and even better world, as well as those who are wary of the physiological and societal impact that social media has on humanity. Listen to this mind-bending special event.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 1, 2011

Ever wonder what’s going on in your brain when you tune in to your favorite radio station or hum that song stuck in your head? Humans have been creating and enjoying music for thousands of years, but what really creates the experience? Is the brain of a musician different than the brains of the rest of us? Hear Levitin and De Grassi jam, chat and foot tap their way through the story of “Music and the Mind Machine.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 3, 2011

Reid Hoffman, Partner, Greylock; Executive Chairman and Co-founder, LinkedIn; Previous Executive VP, PayPal
Brian Chesky, Co-founder and CEO, Airbnb
In conversation with Brad Stone, Senior Technology Writer, Bloomberg Businessweek

One of Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs and one of the Valley’s most promising individuals are coming together to talk about the business of tech. Hoffman has not only been an important angel funder, an instrumental player in the birth of PayPal and now a thriving venture capitalist at Greylock; he also led LinkedIn to a public offering at more than $8 billion this past spring. Chesky launched the very popular and controversial Airbnb to change the way people look at ownership and dove into the world of self-monitoring online marketplaces. Find out what this tech duo has to say about crisis management, building trust, learning to be a leader and harnessing the power of the Internet.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 2, 2011

Former News Anchor, PBS “NewsHour”; Author, Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain

In conversation with David Kennedy, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History Emeritus, Stanford University

As the “man in the middle seat,” legendary broadcaster Lehrer has presided more than 11 presidential and vice-presidential debates. Drawing on his own experiences and interviews with candidates and other moderators, Lehrer gives an insider account of all of the backstage drama and reflects on some of the “major moments” and “killer questions” that defined each historical debate.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch on October 19, 2011

Laurence Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard Law School
Roger Pilon, Founder and Director of Cato's Center for Constitutional Studies

Jesse Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law - Moderator

Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act constitutional? As the litigation on health-care reform percolates up toward the Supreme Court, legal experts Pilon and Tribe debate the constitutionality of health-care reform.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 26, 2011

Director, the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics, Harvard University; Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Author, Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress – and a Plan to Stop It

With the influx of private donations and corporate campaign expenditures continuing to balloon, trust in government is at an all-time low. Lessig discusses the evolution of our “economy of influence,” faulting both Democrats and Republicans and offering a plan to end corruption and restore our trust in the political system. Hear his thoughts on how to stop, correct and change the process.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch on October 24, 2011

Congresswoman; Republican Candidate for U.S. President

According to the World Economic Forum, the United States has slipped to fifth in global competitiveness. Republican presidential candidate and Minnesota Congresswoman Bachmann will present her views on pro-business economic policies that will allow private sector businesses to compete in the global market while addressing the need for job-skill retraining, innovation, comprehensive tax reform and reduction of regulations that threaten jobs. She will share her thoughts on how to revive America's competitive edge and restore the United States to the top of global competitiveness. Don't miss this chance to ask your questions directly to the presidential candidate herself.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 20, 2011

Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University, Special UN Advisor; Author, The Price of Civilization

Michael Moritz, Managing Member, Sequoia Capital - Moderator

Sachs gives a startling account of the inadequacies of U.S.-style capitalism. He offers a bold plan of reforms relating to sustainable infrastructure, taxes, job training, etc., that he says must be taken to avoid further damage. One of the most influential international economic advisors, Sachs was the director of the UN Millennium Project and is the president and co-founder of Millennium Promise Alliance.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch on October 10, 2011

Joseph Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund; Author, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons

In conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club

How should the U.S. confront nuclear terrorism and the currently unstable economic and political dynamics in the Middle East? Osama bin Laden’s death and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan indicate that the post-9/11 security era is ending. While the U.S. defense budget shrinks, strategic priorities rise to importance. Which priorities will remain? Cirincione explores these points and more.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 4, 2011

Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, President and Chief Executive Officer, Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin; Board Chair, East Bay Community Foundation
Major General Michael Myatt, President and CEO, Marines Memorial Association; Chair, Fleet Week Association
Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Ana Thompson, Executive Director, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
Jane Whitfield, President, Whitfield Consulting – Moderator

Nearly 2 million veterans live in California, with more than 200,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area alone and tens of thousands of troops returning home over the next year. Collaboration between philanthropy, corporations and government is being hailed as the possible solution for the urgent needs of this massive population. Joining Forces, a White House initiative announced in March, is an attempt to catalyze this collaboration by increasing the national discourse. How can our community unite to support veterans? Experts and insiders weigh in.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 4, 2011

President, ACLU; Author, Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of Democracy

Following the 9/11 attacks, Americans watched as the government implemented numerous pieces of antiterrorist legislation such as the Patriot Act in an effort to fight the war on terror. In recent years, however, many civil rights advocates have increasingly argued that these emergency measures may pry too deeply into the lives of not only suspected terrorists, but of nearly all Americans. ACLU President Herman contends that civil liberties have rapidly eroded in post-9/11 America. She will examine whether laws and policies, like the Patriot Act, are constitutional and effective, or just counterproductive.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 5, 2011.

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D, Director, National Institutes of Health

Larry Brilliant, M.D., MPH, President and CEO, Skoll Global Threats Fund - Moderator

Hear one of the world’s most influential scientists and medical researchers discuss the coming revolution in biomedical innovation – and what it might mean for you. Dr. Collins oversees the work of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the federal agency that is the nation’s largest supporter of biomedical research. Before taking the helm of NIH in August 2009, he led the international Human Genome Project and made landmark discoveries of a number of important disease genes. Today, one of Dr. Collins’ top priorities is to accelerate the movement, or translation, of scientific advances from the research lab to the medical clinic. However, despite dramatic progress in identifying the molecular basis of many diseases, translation remains a slow, expensive and failure-prone endeavor. For example, it currently takes about 13 years and more than $1 billion to develop a successful new drug. To help reengineer this process, NIH recently announced plans to establish a new entity, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Dr. Collins describes how NCATS, along with other NIH research initiatives, will catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies to enhance the development, testing and implementation of new treatments for a wide range of diseases.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 3, 2011

John Donahoe, CEO, eBay; Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
John Lee, Executive Director, The Bread Project
Nicole Levine, Executive Director, Women's Initiative for Self Employment for San Francisco and the Bay Area
Sid Espinosa, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Microsoft Corporation; Mayor, City of Palo Alto
Sydnie Kohara, Broadcast Journalist - Moderator

During challenging economic times, creative solutions to boosting underserved communities are at a premium. Our panel of experts discuss how the private and public sectors can best join forces to support underserved communities through education, entrepreneurship and job training. eBAY CEO John Donahoe brings his unique expertise in both business and government (through his presence on the White House Council for Community Solutions) to this high-profile panel. WISE is a Bay Area nonprofit that provides high-potential, lower-income women with training, resources and ongoing support to start and expand their business. The Bread Project’s mission is to empower individuals with limited resources on their path to self-sufficiency through on-the-job training in our social enterprises and assistance for employment in the food industry. All panelists offer creative solutions that can provide empowerment not only to the underserved communities but to California as a whole.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 20, 2011

Julian Guthrie, Journalist, San Francisco Chronicle; Author, The Grace of Everyday Saints
Michael Krasny, Ph.D, KQED Radio Host; Author, Spiritual Envy: An Agnostic’s Quest
Rabbi Stephen Pearce, D.D., Ph.D., Senior Rabbi, Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco
Bishop William Swing, President and Founder, United Religions Initiative; Episcopal Bishop of California, 1980-2006
Alan Jones, Dean Emeritus, Grace Cathedral - Moderator

A panel of provocative thinkers and leaders of San Francisco’s interfaith community discuss the role faith and the sacred play in modern society. Is the faith found in nature any less or more powerful than faith felt in a house of worship? Can communities save us when hierarchies fail? Must a religious community depend on a physical structure for its reality? In this eye-opening conversation, an esteemed group of panelists shed light on what it means to have faith in the 21st century, as well as push us to rethink what we hold as truly sacred in our own lives.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 14, 2011

Eric Ries, Author, The Lean Startup

In conversation with Dave McClure, Founder, 500 Startups

Starting one, working for one, going public with one – startups seem to be the thing to do in SF. But how do you make your startup great? Ries, the guru behind the “Lean Startup” sensation, asks: Is your startup employee-centric and knowledge-obsessed? Is your company functioning at optimal efficiency? Is your office a fun place to work? Ries reveals what he believes to be the necessary hard facts that lead to a successful startup.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 27, 2011

Joel Brinkley, Journalism Professor, Stanford University; Foreign Affairs Columnist

John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Former New York Times Israel bureau chief and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Brinkley takes us inside his recent working trip to the Middle East, where he covered a tour of U.S. and European officials in the Middle East and interviewed several senior, regional leaders. Hear an eyewitness perspective on the changes reshaping that region.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 19, 2011

Lieutenant Governor, California; Former Mayor, San Francisco

In conversation with Scott Shafer, Host, "California Report," KQED

Now that Newsom has packed up his San Francisco office and moved to Sacramento, he’s encountering many new challenges and responsibilities. He began his term with California billions of dollars in debt and facing numerous contentious issues. Come hear Newsom’s positions on the most important issues facing California and how he thinks we can get back on track.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 8, 2011

Frances Moore Lappé, Author, Diet for a Small Planet

Drawing on the latest research from disciplines ranging from anthropology to neuroscience and her own field experience, Lappé argues that the biggest challenge to human survival isn't our fossil fuel dependency, melting glaciers or other calamities. Rather, she says, it's our faulty way of thinking about these environmental crises that robs us of power. Lappé dismantles seven common "thought traps" that belie what we now know about nature, including our own, and offers contrasting "thought leaps" that suggest our hidden power.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 6, 2011

Navi Radjou, Independent Consultant and Fellow, Cambridge Judge Business School; Former Executive Director, Centre for India & Global Business, University of Cambridge

India’s pervasive resource and capital scarcity combined with massive diversity and growing connectivity are turning the country into a large-scale, living laboratory where grassroots entrepreneurs and corporations are coming up with frugal inventions that are both affordable and sustainable. Radjou explains how “indovations” have relevance not only within India but worldwide.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 31, 2011

Rajiv Doshi, M.D., Executive Director (U.S.), Stanford-India Biodesign; Consulting Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford University
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., Director, Global Biodesign Exchange Programs, Stanford University

The emerging health-care needs of the rapidly expanding Indian population require the development of novel, cost-effective medical technologies that are relevant for the needs of the Indian people. However, the medical technology industry in India is still in its infancy, and there have been relatively few successful examples of medical technology innovation in that country's history. Stanford University’s program in biodesign has been working closely with the government of India to promote medical technology innovation within industry and academia, with the goal of creating scalable medical technology innovation for the masses. Doshi and Mairal will share their experiences in medical technology innovation for India and discuss the opportunities and challenges for medical technology innovation in the future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 29, 2011

William Miller, Herbert Hoover Professor of Public and Private Management Emeritus, Stanford Graduate School of Business; President Emeritus, SRI International
Rafiq Dossani, Senior Research Scholar, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University; Executive Director, South Asia Initiative
Sean Randolph, President and CEO, Bay Area Council Economic Institute - Moderator

India and China are the world’s two most populous countries, with dynamic, fast-growing economies that are reshaping the economic balance of power. It is widely accepted that both countries are becoming forces to contend with – which will present the United States with challenges and opportunities. But though they are often spoken of together, their political and economic systems are very different. The similarities and differences between India and China, the distinct economic paths they have chosen, and the success of their respective models will heavily influence the shape of the future global economy – and the United States. Two noted experts on China and India compare and contrast modern India and China, and assess their present and future roles.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 25, 2011

The story of India’s 30-million-and-growing worldwide diaspora is reshaping trade, identity and culture all around the globe. Hajratwala will speak on what she says Americans need to know today about the rapidly changing country to which nearly 2 million Americans trace their roots. Hajratwala will draw from the seven years of research that led to her nonfiction book, Leaving India, winner of a California Book Award (Silver) and other literary awards.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 25, 2011

Bulbul Tiwari, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

In this special program, Stanford Fellow Tiwari introduces us to historical and contemporary Indian Hindi film. She will provide insight into the significant conventions, economics and genres, including a screening of excerpts from old and new musical film performances.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 24, 2011

Ranjan Dey, Proprietor, New Delhi Restaurant; Founder, New World Spices

A special event with acclaimed chef and proprietor of San Francisco’s New Delhi Restaurant. The evening included a cooking demonstration using Chef Dey’s “speed scratch” style with a masalas spice-blend, sampling of traditional Indian flavors, and henna hand painting.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 23, 2011

Rajasvini Bhansali, MPA, Executive Director, International Development Exchange

The rhetoric of India Shining, a 2004 public relations campaign, engineered by the then-ruling Hindu fundamentalist party, referred to the economic growth following India's IT boom and a few years of plentiful rain. As India's image as a developed nation grew in the eyes of the global north, it disguised the growing economic, social and cultural disparities in a country where over 400 million people continue to live in extreme poverty. A vibrant civil society and many grassroots movements in India work to deepen democracy and build the power of ordinary people. Bhansali will discuss what has been learned from the ground up from these movements working across sectors, cultures, issues and regions. She will focus on the success of women-led, community-driven initiatives working for long lasting social transformation and discuss the current lgbt movement.

Salma Arastu, Artist; Author

Michael Pappas, Executive Director, SF Interfaith Council - Moderator

Renowned Indian-born Muslim artist Arastu speaks to the contemporary relation of religion to art. In conjunction with her art exhibit at the SF Club office, she shares the inspiration for her imagery, a blending of spirituality, Islamic values and beauty in modern culture.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 22, 2011

Veena Srinivasan, Ph.D., Research Associate, Pacific Institute

As India’s urban population and income grow in unprecedented numbers, supplying water reliably to the community has become a growing concern. Faced with limited reservoir storage, aging piped infrastructure, and rapidly growing demand, no Indian city today has a 24/7 water supply. India’s rapidly growing cities represent both a challenge and an opportunity. Because much of the infrastructure is still being built, there is the opportunity to follow a different development path than has been followed elsewhere in the world. Join Srinivasan for a discussion on possible pathways to build a sustainable water supply system in India.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 18, 2011

Nirvikar Singh, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, UC Santa Cruz; Author; Member of an Advisory Group to the Finance Minister of India on G-20 matters

India’s economy is projected to grow in 2011 at a rate faster than almost every other country in the world. Is this growth sustainable? What will drive, and limit, its growth? How will it sustain innovation and entrepreneurship? What will be the role of the government? A prominent economist and expert on India will share views on the Indian economy and its future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's main office in San Francisco on August 11, 2011

Rafiq Dossani, Ph.D.; Author; Senior Research Scholar, Stanford University

India’s 160 million Muslims differ geographically by language, socio-economic status and culture. The Muslim-Indian community shares a common trajectory of challenges in their political power and socio-economic status. Their identity, in the eyes of the average Indian, is evermore monolithic and faith-based. To some politicians, Muslim Indians are now considered a security risk. Dossani will discuss the causes of their challenges and possible future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 10, 2011

Barbara Desoer, President, Bank of America Home Loans

Jed Kolko, Ph.D., Policy Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California – Moderator

Bank of America’s purchase of mortgage giant Countrywide three years ago came at the height of the housing crisis. Since that time, Bank of America has spent billions of dollars to clean up legacy issues including a recent announcement to pay $8.5 billion to resolve nearly all of the Countrywide-issued first lien residential mortgage-backed securitization repurchase exposure - the largest settlement in the banking industry to date. Desoer will discuss the future of the housing market: the various reforms in play, the state of lending, foreclosure trends and housing recovery metrics. With Bank of America being the largest U.S. bank by assets and the nation’s second largest lender, originating one out of every five home loans, Desoer is uniquely positioned to provide insight into the housing industry. She has been with Bank of America since 1977 and, in 2010, was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” by Fortune magazine and one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” by U.S. Banker.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's offices in San Francisco on August 4, 2011

Monday Night Philosophy dives deep into dharma, as detailed in the divine conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. Hear as they discuss the byways of yogic philosophy, and delight in Krishna’s failure to convince the warrior Arjuna to do battle with his relatives until Krishna realizes he must forego reasoning and rely on the usual divine persuasiveness of overwhelming power.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 8, 2011

Sunil Asnani, Portfolio Manager, Matthews International Capital Management
Jennifer Schatz, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Matthews International Capital management

India’s ability to not only achieve respectable economic growth in a turbulent environment but to do so without injecting mammoth stimulus, demonstrates its inherit resilience, says Asnani. However, blindly investing in anything in India could lead to disappointment. Come learn about growth opportunities as well as the challenges for this country of 1.2 billion people.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 3, 2011

Swami Beyondananda, Cosmic Comic

Swami Beyondananda gives a heart opening presentation. Find out why noted author Marianne Williamson has called Swami “The Mark Twain of our generation.” The Swami also takes live questions from the audience. If you have an answerable question, the Swami will have a questionable answer for you.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 1, 2011

U.S. Under Secretary, Arms Control and International Security

Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club - Moderator

The former U.S. congressional representative and current senior adviser to the president and secretary of state for arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament discusses the prospects for U.S. and international security in the midst of continued global unrest. Under Secretary Tauscher represented California’s 10th Congressional District for 13 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes San Francisco’s suburbs in Contra Costa, Alameda Solano, and Sacramento counties. She was the only member of Congress to have two national defense laboratories, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia California, in her district.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at a Commonwealth Club event held in Lafayette California on July 28, 2011

Contributor, Fox News; Author, American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party

Hoover lays the groundwork for how the GOP can capture the allegiance of the “fiscally conservative but socially liberal” millennial generation and help solve some of the country’s most pressing issues. Hear Hoover in an impassioned conversation on the future of the GOP and the country.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 26, 2011

Nour Ahmedin, Egyptian Student
Janet Penley, American Traveler
Maher Kalaji, British/Jordanian Academic
Dr. Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford University; Co-director, Iran Democracy Project, Hoover Institution; Author, The Shah
Jonathan Curiel, Journalist; Author, Al'America: Travel Through America's Arab and Islamic Roots - Moderator

Jonathan Curiel leads a discussion with panelists who have travelled throughout North Africa and the Middle East and discusses their observations about the tumultuous Arab spring and the enormous changes coursing through the region.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 18, 2011

Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch, Co-editors, Reason Magazine and Reason.tv; Co-authors, The Declaration of Independents
In conversation with Joe Garofoli, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle; Author, Politics Blog, SFgate.com

What do health care, same-sex marriage, marijuana law, the budget and social service policies look like on a Libertarian ticket? Authors of a new Libertarian manifesto, Gillespie and Welch offer up principles of “free minds and free markets” as their fix to what’s wrong with America. Hear how Libertarian solutions for modern America match up against the other platforms.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 25, 2011

Stephen Zack, President, American Bar Association

Geoffrey Hazard, Thomas E. Miller Distinguished Professor of Law, UC Hastings College of Law - Moderator

Lauded as one of the country’s best lawyers in 2011 and the American Bar Association’s first Hispanic president, Zack will discuss underlying threats to the American legal system such as underfunding and political indecisiveness. Zack fled Cuba at the age of 14 after a harrowing night of detention and isolation at the hands of the Cuban secret police. After building up a powerhouse Florida litigation firm, he was tapped by David Boies to work on Gore vs. Bush in 2000. Following that monumental case, the two law firms merged. Come listen to one of the nation’s top legal voices speak about what he sees as a failing system.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 14, 2011

Larry Harvey, Founder, Burning Man

A first-time Burning Man attendee once said, “I walked through the gates, looked around, and asked myself, 'What is this place? Is it real?'” Every year up to 50,000 ‘burners’ make the pilgrimage to Black Rock City for eight days of commerce-free, debauchery-filled expression of human imagination. Leaving no trace of the party behind them, this diverse group of international artists, CEOs, technologists, intellectuals, families and bohemians alike carry on Burning Man founder Harvey’s world – one of mutant cars, themed villages and a 40-foot fiery effigy. Join us as we speak to the founder himself, and find out what Burning Man’s new HQ in SF will mean for that fair city.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 19, 2011

Jose Antonio Vargas, Former Reporter, The Washington Post; Founder, Define American

In conversation with Phil Bronstein, Editor-at-Large, Hearst Newspapers

“I convinced myself that all would be OK if I lived up to the qualities of a 'citizen': hard work, self-reliance, love of my country.” Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist Vargas just revealed to The New York Times that he immigrated to the United States illegally at the age of 12. Raised and educated in the Bay Area, Vargas won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his breaking news piece on the Virginia Tech shootings. Now 30 and no longer a reporter at the Post, Vargas has founded Define American, to changed the conversation on immigration reform. Fresh on the heels of this game-changing Times article, hear Vargas speak first at the Club.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 11, 2011

Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., Author; Motivational Speaker

Lipton unveils a vision of life science that is shattering old myths. New discoveries in cell biology, epigenetics and physics suggest that we are not victims of our genes but instead have unlimited capacity to live a life overflowing with peace, happiness and love. Infusing his pioneering stem cell research with insights from frontier cell biology, quantum physics and fractal mathematics, Lipton argues that our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs create the conditions of our body and our place in the world.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 18, 2011

Beth Kanter, CEO, Zoetica; Author, Beth’s Blog; Co-author, The Networked Nonprofit
May Boeve, Director for Partnerships and Policy and Co-founder, 350.org
Ben Rattray, Founder and CEO, Change.org
Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Editor, Nonprofit Management 101; Former Executive Director, Craigslist Foundation – Moderator

What are the tools, tricks and triumphs of social media as an essential component of any organization’s mission in the 21st century? Social media experts examine the consequences, opportunities and workable lessons this landscape presents for nonprofits and causes.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 23, 2011

Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation

If you have ever been stuck in traffic on the Bay Bridge, late to meetings, or have had a ruined weekend because you couldn’t make it to a destination in time, you know that California suffers from a major transportation infrastructure problem. From pot holes jarring people’s necks and backs, to bridges collapsing nationwide, thousands of commuters are being affected every day by America’s inadequate and faltering transportation infrastructure system. U.S. Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Policy Polly Trottenberg explores solutions to this serious crisis. Trottenberg works toward implementing the president’s priorities for transportation including safety and creating jobs. The DOT employs more than 55,000 employees with a $70 billion budget that oversees air, maritime and surface transportation missions. For 12 years she worked extensively on transportation, public works, energy and environmental issues in the U.S. Senate, for Senators Barbara Boxer, Charles Schumer and Daniel Patrick Moynahan.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 24, 2011

David Eagleman, Neuroscientist, Baylor School of Medicine; Author, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
In conversation with Kishore Hari, Director, Bay Area Science Festival

What is our subconscious mind doing while we pay our bills, write emails and decide between crunchy and smooth at the grocery store? As neuroscientists are learning more and more about our body’s hidden frontier, we have gained fleeting insights into our own intuition, habits and seemingly unexplainable preferences. Neuroscientist Eagleman draws connections between our perception of the world and the hidden functions of the brain.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 23, 2011

John Gray, Ph.D., Author, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Come hear from best-selling relationship author Gray, whose monumental Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus sold an astounding 50 million copies worldwide. Now, Gray reveals what he says are the associations between hormone levels and happiness and advises men and women to harness the connections between stress, blood sugar, body fat and behavior to create lifelong passion and better health. He will talk about how the differences between the sexes and how they relate to one another, can be explained and managed by our hormones.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 20, 2011

Steny Hoyer, Democratic Whip, U.S. House of Representatives

House Democratic Whip Hoyer (D-Md.), the second-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, will discuss the "Make it in America" agenda: a Democratic legislative program designed to help American businesses innovate here, grow here, make products here, and sell them to the world. Hoyer will explain his belief that wise investments in innovation, infrastructure and education can create jobs in the U.S. and help our country regain its competitive edge in the world economy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 27, 2011

Adam Gazzaley, Professor, UCSF

It is now known that our brain changes structurally and functionally in response to our interactions with our environment throughout our lives, not just during critical times like childhood. This modern perspective is called neuroplasticity and scientists are actively exploring the intricacies of this phenomenon. Gazzaley discusses new theories on the topic, such as cognitive reserve, use-it-or-lose-it, and neural efficiency. He will also tackle the hotly debated topic of the impact of brain training and cognitive exercises.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 15, 2011

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association; Author, The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream

In conversation with Richard Watson, Co-founder and Partner, Essential

From broadband spectrum to HDTV, from gaming to Hollywood and social media, innovation is happening through industry, entrepreneurs and technology advances. How is consumer electronics driving innovation in the U.S. and abroad? What lessons can be learned from the electronics industry that can be applied to other segments of the U.S. comeback? Come hear from the head of an organization that represents 2,000 technology companies and produces the International CES Conference.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 7, 2011

President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Katrina Heron, Editor-at-Large, Newsweek and The Daily Beast - Moderator

This year, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care for women, found itself at the center of a congressional budget debate over abortion that almost shut down the United States government. Calling it the “most devastating assault on women’s health in American history,” Planned Parenthood and President Richards vowed to continue providing affordable health care to women across the United States. Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2011, Richards is one of the country’s leading voices in support of women’s rights, sex education and reproductive health. The daughter of Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, Cecile will speak about the current status of women’s health care in this country and what lies ahead for her organization.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 14, 2011

Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies and Law, University of Virginia; Author, The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry)
Brewster Kahle, Digital Librarian and Founder, Internet Archive and the Open Content Alliance

Learn about the legal, cultural and economic implications of Google moving into the center of the publishing ecosystem. Will Google’s presence cheapen the value of “book culture,” or will the power of the service to connect people to information generate a boost to the hopes of those who wish to preserve “long-form” writing and reading? The panel will answer these questions and raise new concerns about our heavy dependence on Google to navigate the world.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 17, 2011

Reza Aslan, Co-author, Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities; Contributing Editor, The Daily Beast
Aaron Hahn Tapper, Co-author, Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities; Swig Chair of Judaic Studies, USF
Aysha Hidayatullah, Assistant Professor of Islamic studies, USF
Sydney Mintz, Rabbi, Congregation Emanu-El

A distinguished panel takes a new look at the innovative ways in which Judaism and Islam have absorbed, and been profoundly altered by, the so-called “American experience.” American Jews and American Muslims have consistently engaged each other in conversation – whether directly or indirectly, constructively or not – in ways that have usually eluded their co-religionists throughout the rest of the world. The members of these two groups often find themselves the focus of a disproportionate amount of media attention, particularly when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. American Jews and American Muslims struggle with similar inter-communal concerns when it comes to education, politics or even pop culture. Join in a fascinating discussion.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at a The Commonwealth Club event in Lafayette Ca on June 1, 2011

Bruce Bodaken, CEO, Blue Shield of California

Sarah Varney, Health Reporter, KQED Radio - Moderator

The rising cost of health care looms large over the state and the nation. The CEO of Blue Shield of California, one of the state's largest health-plan providers, will discuss new initiatives to address rising health-care costs in the context of national health reform. A native of Iowa, Bodaken doesn't fit the typical profile of a health-plan CEO. He earned a masters degree and taught philosophy at the college level before embarking on a career in health care. He has been at the helm of Blue Shield of California for 11 years.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 7, 2011

Walter M. Bortz II, M.D.

Recognized as one of the country's most distinguished scientific experts on aging and longevity, Bortz believes that the defects of the American health-care system threaten the stability of the nation. He argues that the financial interests of biotech and drug companies have eroded the values of the medical profession and placed profit before human well-being. Bortz makes a powerful case for a new kind of American health care – one based on rigorous science and a fearless acknowledgement of human potential.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 31, 2011

Former Foreign Minister, Mexico; Professor of Politics and Latin American and Caribbean Studies, NYU; Author, Manana Forever?

Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, Professor of Law and Political Science, Stanford University - Moderator

Mexico’s future is most certainly dependent on its relationship with the United States. In fact, Mexico ranks third in total trade with the United States behind Canada and China. But in the midst of this positive relationship, there is also a drug cartel war that has claimed the lives of more than 34,000 Mexicans and over 100 Americans in the past four and a half years. Ongoing issues of immigration and border control are also high on the list of mutual concerns. Mexico’s foreign minister under former President Vicente Fox, Castaneda will offer a broad perspective on the future of the Mexican people and on relations between our two countries. Hear from one of Mexico’s most profound social thinkers.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 1, 2011

Former Mayor, San Francisco; Chairman and CEO, Willie Brown Institute on Politics and Public Service

With a new governor and an unprecedented fiscal crisis in California, 2011 is shaping up to be a big year for politics. Two-term mayor of San Francisco, legendary speaker of the California State Assembly, and regarded by many as one of the most influential African-American politicians of the late 20th century, Brown gives us the inside scoop on what’s ahead for California and beyond.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 26, 2011

Founding Principal, Small Planet Institute; Author, Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It

Steve Wright, Vice President of Strategic Communications, Silicon Valley Leadership Group - Moderator

With as much as one-third of total greenhouse emissions related to food production, the cost of our eating habits on the environment has never been more apparent. Lappe highlights the hidden cost of America’s culinary culture and outlines seven principles for a climate-friendly diet.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 18, 2011

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist; Former Wall Street Journal Page One Editor; Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, Den of Thieves

Business journalist Stewart says that a “perjury outbreak” is symptomatic of a broader breakdown of ethics in American life. It isn’t just the judicial system that relies on an honor code: Academia, business, medicine and government all do. He explores the age-old tensions between greed and justice, self-interest and public interest. Stewart seeks to reaffirm the importance of truth.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 24, 2011

Jack Dorsey, Co-founder, Twitter; Founder and CEO, Square

In conversation with Kara Swisher, Co-executive Editor, All Things D

Making Square Hip

Entrepreneur, programmer, botanist, jean designer, taxi cab enthusiast and wanna-be mayor of New York City – Dorsey is a Jack-of-all-trades. Best known for revolutionizing communication via Twitter, Dorsey is now making waves with his one-inch-by-one-inch device called Square. “Payment is another form of communication... it’s never been designed. It’s never felt magical.” Who relates financial transactions to magic? Visionaries think differently. Join us as INFORUM gives Dorsey our 21st Century Visionary Award to find out more about the technologist who thinks differently.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 25, 2011

Annie Jacobsen, Columnist, Los Angeles Times Magazine; Author, Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base

Gil Gross, KGO Radio Host - Moderator

Myths and hypotheses about Area 51 have long abounded, thanks to the intense secrecy enveloping it. Some claim it is home to aliens, underground tunnel systems and nuclear facilities, and some conspiracy theorists believe that the lunar landing itself was filmed there. No credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside the base. With unprecedented access to military and intelligence personnel, Jacobsen takes an unprecedented look into the Nevada desert activities, from testing nuclear reactions to building super-secret, super-sonic jets to pursuing the war on terror.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 23, 2011

David Eisenbach, Ph.D., Professor of American History, Columbia University; Co-author, One Nation Under Sex

Legendary Hustler publisher Flynt is seen as a pro-sexuality trailblazer to some folks, but for others he’s the source for sex scandal and smut. Yet for three decades, Flynt has been a symbol of sexual freedom, crusading for First Amendment rights and against political hypocrisy. His landmark Supreme Court case, Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, is taught in law schools. Now, Flynt and Columbia historian Eisenbach have teamed up to tackle America’s sexual mores past and present, as well as the evolving role of the press as truth-seeking opinion-shapers. Join us as the fearless Flynt takes a look at freedom of expression, sexual politics and privacy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 18, 2011

Former Assistant Attorney General, Ohio; Former Trial Lawyer, Securities and Exchange Commission; Author, Eclipse and Exile

Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Journalist; Author, 'Al' America - Moderator

Patterson has brought us 15 novels, 11 of them best sellers. His works deal with issues such as religion, the gun lobby, capital punishment and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Patterson’s newest novel takes on the issue of international terrorism and the real possibility of a mass destruction that would dwarf 9/11. Devil's Light is centered around the global lust for oil. Join us for a rare discussion with this great, best-selling author.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center on May 11, 2011

TV Host, PBS; Radio Host, PRI; Author, Fail Up: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure

Award-winning television and radio broadcaster Smiley gives a peek behind the curtain of success to share personal stories of his missteps, misdeeds and miscalculations. Smiley recounts 20 instances of perceived “failures” that were, in fact, “lessons” that shaped the principles and practices he steadfastly employs in his business and personal life today. Come learn how to turn your perceived failures into stepping stones for success from this legendary broadcast journalist.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 10, 2011

Quentin Hardy, Executive Editor, Forbes - Moderator

Come hear from one of the most powerful leaders in media. Dow Jones CEO Hinton will discuss information in the digital era, the role of journalists, and harnessing technology to find intelligence admist the noise. Hinton has worked for News Corp. for more than 48 years as a journalist and executive in all corners of the world. After several executive positions, he was appointed president of Murdoch Magazines in 1990, two years later becoming president and CEO of News America Publishing, responsible for the company’s U.S. publishing operations. In 1993, he was appointed chairman and CEO of Fox Television Stations, and then in 1995 as executive chairman of News Corp. subsidiary News International Limited, Britain’s largest national newspaper publisher. He was appointed CEO of Dow Jones & Company in December 2007, after its acquisition by News Corporation.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 3, 2011

Joe Garofoli, Political Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Lee became mayor of San Francisco in January, when Gavin Newsom left the position to take over as California's lieutenant governor. Lee, San Francisco’s first Chinese-American mayor, steps in at a time when many controversies challenge this major city, including issues over the America’s Cup, budgeting, the Central Subway and the upcoming elections for the city’s next mayor.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on Ma 3, 2011

In this Climate One conversation at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, in San Francisco, Senator Dianne Feinstein touches on some longtime pursuits – national security experience and protecting the California desert from development. She also pledges to investigate the safety of the US nuclear fleet, protect children from toxins, and continue to shield California’s coastline from oil drilling. Feinstein is clear that clean energy is California’s future. “Energy is the largest source of new jobs for this state,” she says, citing an estimate placing the number at 100,000 additional jobs. Those new energy jobs – such as building large solar thermal power plants – should not be located, however, in the state’s undeveloped desert. “There is plenty of land in the desert that is disturbed that can be used. I think all of these [solar] companies are essentially finding other places to build, where there is no real environmental challenge to things that are endangered like desert tortoises,” says Feinstein. A trickier problem, especially in the wake of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear complex, is how to ensure the safety of, and store spent fuel from, America’s nuclear reactors. Insufficient attention has been paid to the full nuclear fuel cycle, Feinstein says. “I believe very strongly that we need either regional or centralized nuclear fuel storage. It’s asking for trouble to keep hot rods in spent pools for decades and dry casks right along the side of nuclear reactors. I think they should be moved right away.” She also pledges quick action on plant safety. “I’m going to try to push as far and as fast as I can push to see that we really take a good look, a real examination, of all the facilities,” says Feinstein. Feinstein warns against the danger posed by exposure to chemicals, especially for infants. Of particular concern is Bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor, which, she says, is added to the inside of canned goods and baby bottles. “I become very interested in chemicals that are added that we know very little about,” says Feinstein. Though a proponent of greater energy efficiency (in the Q&A, Feinstein cites her decades-long quest to boost fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles as her proudest Senate achievement) Feinstein says now is not the time to raise the gas tax. “I’d go slowly on that. We have very long commutes for workers in this state,” she says. “This is not the time, when gasoline is this high, with the nation trying to pull itself out of recession. We need to keep gasoline below the $4 mark right now,” Feinstein says. She blamed speculators for the high prices: “Demand is down, and supply is even – so what can it be?” She reaffirms that oil companies should not look to California’s coast for additional supply. “The people of California have spoken through initiative. They don’t want oil drilling off the coast.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 27, 2011

Co-founder, Microsoft; Chairman, Vulcan Inc.; Author, Idea Man: A Memoir

In conversation with John L. Hennessy, President, Stanford University

In 2007 and 2008, Time named Microsoft co-founder Allen one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since making his fortune with Bill Gates, Allen’s impact has been felt in science, technology, business, medicine, sports, music and philanthropy. Allen explains how he has solved problems, what he’s learned from his many endeavors (the triumphs and the failures) and his compelling vision for the future.

This program was recorded in The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley Office on April 26, 2011

Steven Levy, Senior Writer, Wired; Formerly Senior Editor and Chief Technology Writer, Newsweek; Author, In the Plex

In conversation with John Battelle, Journalist; Founder and Chairman, Federated Media Publishing

Is it the five-star chefs, free laundry and on-site masseuses that are the secret to Google's success? Perhaps its unique management style and innovative team? Either way, the revolutionary search engine has so deeply impacted our work and culture that we have turned the company name into a verb. Despite being one of the most successful and celebrated companies in history, Google maintains an air of mystery, and cultural myths abound. How has Google stayed innovative and cutting edge while making the transition to tech giant? What exactly happens inside the elusive Google campus? Levy took a deep dive into Google management, its products and its company culture. Join us as he shares untold stories and unpacks the mythology behind Google.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 19, 2011

Jim Louderback, CEO, Revision3
David Prager, CEO, Revision3 & Producer, Diggnation
Tara Long, Host, Destructoid
Dan Brown, Host, Dan 3.0
Jack Conte, Recording Artist, Pomplamoose
Martine Paris, Marketing Manager, Electronic Arts - Moderator

The revolution in web video distribution has opened the floodgates for those seeking fame and fortune. Hollywood talent are going directly to fans, and the rising stars of digital have production values that rival big media and audience numbers that can move ratings. Join us for this fascinating look at the economics of web celebrity, and see how video stars are making money in this golden era of opportunity.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 9, 2011

Founder and CEO, Teach for America; Author, A Chance to Make History: What Works and What Doesn’t in Providing an Excellent Education for All

Dr. Colleen Wilcox, Board of Governor and Executive Director, Alliance for Teaching - Moderator

On Teach For America’s 20th anniversary, founder Kopp draws on the experiences of the organization’s 25,000 teachers and alumni who, driven by passionate belief in their students’ potential, have set out to accomplish what most think is impossible. Through engaging stories from the front lines of the achievement gap, Kopp offers a provocative exploration of what’s driving the unprecedented success in a growing number of low-income communities’ classrooms, schools and districts. She will identify what she firmly believes will provide transformational education – education that changes the academic and life trajectories predicted by children’s socioeconomic backgrounds and our nation's future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in Palo Alto on April 21, 2011

Michelle Rhee, Founder and CEO, Students First; Former Chancellor, District of Columbia Public School System
Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento; Chair, U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Public Education

Students First is an organization that Rhee calls a “national movement to transform education.” In her controversial three years as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., school system, she closed nearly two dozen schools, cut administrative positions and proposed that teacher salaries be based on merit rather than tenure. Today, her goal is to “put pressure on elected officials and press for changes in legislation to make things better for kids.” Sacramento Mayor Johnson says he’s “committed to identifying ways to strategically drive education reform.” Upon retiring from the NBA after 12 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson returned to his hometown of Sacramento to serve as the CEO of St. HOPE, a nonprofit community development organization he founded to revitalize inner-city communities. Hear from these two leaders about what can be done to save the American education system.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 20, 2011

Julius Genachowski, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
Adam Lashinsky, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune Magazine - Moderator

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 14, 2011

L. Hunter Lovins, President and Founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions; Author, Climate Capitalism: Capitalism in the Age of Climate Change
David Chen, CEO and Founder, Equilibrium Capital Group
Bruce Klafter, Managing Director for Environmental, Health, and Safety at Applied Materials Inc.
Joel Makower, Chairman and Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group Inc. - Moderator

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 12, 2011

In conversation with Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Wired

One of the world’s most influential corporate leaders shares how a small Seattle coffee shop spawned a global empire. Schultz discusses what he’s learned on his journey from small business owner to head of a company with more than 17,000 locations.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco on April 4, 2011

Michio Kaku, Host, “Science Fantastic”; Professor of Physics, City College of New York; Author, Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100

No one has used the revelations of science fiction to explain the realities of science more than Kaku, who takes us on a fast-forward look at tomorrow. Based on interviews with more than 300 of the world's top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs, Kaku reveals the lives we'll be leading tomorrow. Prepare yourself for the Internet being embedded in your contact lenses, the ability to rearrange shapes of objects, nanotechnology monitoring your health and home, elevators to space, and even spaceships powered by lasers. Come meet the scientist and television star who makes science understandable and the future visible.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at Cubberley Theatre in Palo Alto, CA on March 28th, 2011

U.S. Senator (D-MA); Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Under Senator Kerry’s leadership, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee addresses the key foreign policy and national security issues facing the United States, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, nuclear nonproliferation and global climate change. As nations across the Middle East face unprecedented political upheaval, Kerry will discuss current affairs in that region as well as a variety of domestic issues. A U.S. senator for nearly three decades and a former Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, Kerry has distinguished himself as one of today’s most highly respected and influential leaders. Kerry has been a leading voice on a wide array of issues – from expanding health care to supporting small business – but his most notable work has been in regard to international affairs and national security. Kerry now chairs the very committee he notably testified before in 1971.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 1, 2011

Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers; Former president, United Federation of Teachers
Bruce Fuller, Professor, Education and Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley - Moderator

A recent CNN report states that Republican officials across the country have made teachers’ unions “public enemy No. 1.” Now teachers and their Democratic legislative allies are taking to the streets to protest what they see as the erosion of unions' rights and other issues. As the fever that started in Wisconsin spreads across the country, school districts are suspending classes and Democratic state senators are on the lam. As governors, claiming excessive benefits and out-of-control waste, look toward teachers unions to trim state budgets, state legislatures are coming to a standstill and school districts are scrambling to find substitutes and childcare. Is a compromise possible? Or is this battle headed for an all-out war? Join Weingarten for a discussion of what's going on, and how teachers and state houses can solve this financial and educational crisis. Weingarten was named by New York magazine as one of the most influential people in education in New York state. Crain's New York Business called her one of the 25 most powerful women in New York City business.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in Lafayette, CA on March 28, 2011

Ph.D., Author, Forged and Jesus, Interrupted

Alan Jones, Dean Emeritus, Grace Cathedral - Moderator

Ehrman takes you on a journey to the ancient world and the forgery battles that have raged through the centuries. Ehrman contends that the New Testament is riddled with contradictions about the life of Jesus and his significance. He has provided compelling evidence that early Christianity was a collection of competing schools of thought and that the central doctrines we know today were the inventions of theologians living several centuries after Christ. Ehrman is a distinguished and prominent religious scholar, and has also appeared on NPR, "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 21, 2011

Jim Steier, Founder and CEO, Common Sense Media
George Rose, Executive VP and Chief Public Policy Officer, Activision Blizzard Inc.
Michael McConnell, Director, Stanford Constitutional Law Center; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Do violent video games present a danger to national safety? Should selling them be restricted, as with pornography? Critics argue that there is a link between children's exposure to violent video games and their increased likelihood to commit violent acts. In a time when it is very easy for individuals to carry out senseless acts of violence, the state government has passed a law that bans the sale of video games deemed “ultra-violent” to children under 18. AB 1179 was signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2005 but is not in effect because of an injunction. The Supreme Court has heard arguments and will soon decide how far the government should go to protect the well-being of our children in a case that touches on free speech, national safety and the rights of video game manufacturers and retailers.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 17, 2011

Elissa Epel, Ph.D., Health Psychologist, UCSF
Calvin Harley, Ph.D., pioneer in telomere biology
Jue Lin, Ph.D., Telomere/telomerase assay specialist in Elizabeth Blackburn's lab, UCSF
Thea Singer, Author, Stress Less

Groundbreaking science by Nobel Prize Winner Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel links psychological stress not only with disease but directly with aging, all the way down to our cells – in particular, our “telomeres,” the caps on the ends of our chromosomes that protect our DNA and a marker of biological aging. Indeed, the subjects in those studies who perceived themselves as being under the most stress had telomeres that were the equivalent of 10 years older than the telomeres of those who perceived themselves as being under the least stress. Stress Less, science/health writer Singer’s new book, springs from Blackburn and Epel’s remarkable discovery; it enlists a veritable Who’s Who of stress and telomere researchers to explore this new science as well as the cutting-edge research that shows how we can slow, or even turn back, that ticking clock. Join a discussion of the implications of this ongoing revolutionary research with the scientists at the center of the research.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 3, 2011

Jamal Dajani, Vice President of Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, Internews Network
Stephen Zunes, Professor, University of San Francisco; Chair, Middle Eastern Studies Program; Author, Tinderbox and Non-Violent Social Movements
Nour Ahmadein, Student, University of San Francisco; Member, Yalla! Students in Solidarity; Born and raised in Cairo
Ayman Mohyeldin, Correspondent, Al Jazeera English – invited to drop in via Skype, live from Egypt
Chris Taylor, San Francisco Bureau Chief, Mashable
Dan Williams, Senior Emergencies Researcher, Human Rights Watch; Detained for 36 hours in Cairo during protests

In conversation with Adam Yamaguchi, Vanguard Executive Director and Correspondent, Current Tv

It all started in Tunisia, where the first dictator fell to the will of the people. Then the winds blew east; millions of Egyptian protestors with grassroots spirit, high-tech tools and an appetite for change came together and ousted their own autocrat. Now what? Egypt’s revolution has inspired the people of Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and elsewhere to forge their own change. Some have credited Facebook, Twitter, and Flip Cam as the champions of the Egyptian revolution. What impact did social media really have? Will democracy prevail in the Middle East, or will these movements become mute before we know it? Join journalists hot out of Cairo, political commentators and Middle East experts as we unpack the on-the-ground story, explore the role of social media, and discuss the future of the Middle East and revolutions 2.0.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 10, 2011

Pamela Hawley, Founder and CEO, UniversalGiving - Host
Bob Saldich, Former CEO, Raychem - Panel Introduction
Gabriele Zedimayer, Vice President of Global Social Innovation, Hewlett Packard
Trisa Thompson, Vice President of CSR, Dell
Mark Edmunds, Vice Chairman and Regional Managing Partner, Deloitte LLP

This expert panel of CEOs and executives will discuss the innovations and practical lessons learned from launching CSR programs all over the world. Come find out how Fortune 500 companies are scaling their international giving and volunteer programs worldwide. Join us for their successful stories, challenges, and lessons learned by the innovative leaders.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 14th, 2011

Adam Lashinsky, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune magazine - Moderator

Come hear from the filmmaker of this year's Academy Award-winning best documentary feature film. Could the global economic meltdown of the last few years have been prevented? Ferguson believes that the crisis was no accident. His latest documentary, Inside Job, makes the powerful case that an out-of-control finance industry took advantage of a deregulated atmosphere and purposely sought to get rich at the expense of others. Through extensive interviews with financial insiders and government officials, Ferguson crossed the globe to find proof that the financial industry intentionally engaged in unethical behavior. His gripping account of the global recession is sure to evoke feelings of disgust, anger, and concern that this all may happen again unless our regulatory system is changed. Ferguson’s previous film, No End in Sight, was nominated for an Oscar, and Inside Job brought home the grand prize at this year's awards ceremony.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 2nd, 2011

Phil Angelides, Chair, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission; Former Treasurer, State of California

Mary Cranston, Senior Partner, Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman; Past Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors - Moderator

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 3, 2011

Michael Scheuer, Former Chief, Central Intelligence Agency’s Bin Laden Unit; Author, Osama bin Laden

A 20-plus year veteran of the CIA, Scheuer provides a rare, detailed look at Osama Bin Laden, showing him still to be a formidable and implacable enemy of the West. Scheuer draws from a wealth of information about bin Laden and his evolution from peaceful Saudi dissident to America's Most Wanted. Shedding light on bin Laden’s development as a theologian, media manipulator and paramilitary commander, Scheuer makes use of all of the speeches and interviews bin Laden has given as well as lengthy interviews, testimony and previously untranslated documents. From 1996 to 1999, Scheuer served as the chief of the bin Laden unit, the Osama bin Laden tracking unit at the Counterterrorism Center. He then worked as special adviser to the chief of the bin Laden unit from September 2001 to November 2004.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on February 23, 2011

Max Levchin, Founder, Slide; Co-founder, PayPal
Peter Thiel, President, Clarium Capital; Co-founder, PayPal; Managing Partner, The Founders Fund
Brad Stone, Senior Writer, BusinessWeek – Moderator

Venture capitalists and entrepreneurs have long been ‘the masters of the universe,’ at least in Silicon Valley. They have turned the Valley into the heart of high-tech innovation and development and have the power to make or break some of the world’s largest companies. The 21st century has borne witness to the dot-com bubble, the private equity crash, yesteryear’s greentech capital wave, to today’s monetary flow into social networking, e-commerce and online game companies. What’s next? Paypal founders and renowned VCs Levchin and Thiel will discuss what they foresee as the best and brightest of 2011.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 2, 2011

Dambisa Moyo, International Economist; Author, How The West Was Lost and Dead Aid

Richard Waters, West Coast Editor, Financial Times - Moderator

Moyo daringly claims that the West can no longer afford to simply regard global up-and-comers as menacing gatecrashers. In a world where Western economies hover on the brink of recession while emerging economies post double-digit growth rates, Moyo calls out the economic myopia of the West and the radical solutions that it needs to adopt to salvage its global economic power. A former consultant for the World Bank and former emerging markets investment banker at Goldman Sachs, Moyo was named by Time Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World," and was nominated to the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Forum.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 17, 2011

Bob Edgar, President and CEO, Common Cause
Charles R. Bailey, Director, Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin

Wars don’t end when the guns fall silent. Thirty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, the legacy of Agent Orange - dioxin contaminated soils and a heavy burden of disability on people in Vietnam as well as on American veterans - continues to be a challenge. Recent progress, however, has created a window of opportunity for the U.S. to intensify its effort in a shared commitment to reduce the public health impact in Vietnam. Drawing on extensive experience in today’s Vietnam, the speakers will show how this is a humanitarian concern that we can do something about.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 25, 2011

Entrepreneur; Author, The Startup Game

Ann Winblad, Co-founder and Managing Director, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners - Moderator

For more than 40 years, Draper has worked with top entrepreneurs in fabled Silicon Valley, where today’s vision is made into tomorrow’s reality. This venture capitalist saw the value in Skype, Open Table and many other companies, and he will share his firsthand stories of success. Draper will provide an inside look at how the worlds of venture capital and entrepreneurship work and will reveal lessons for success in both business and life.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 10, 2011

Bruce Bochy, Manager, SF Giants; Two time National League Manager of the Year
Brian Sabean, Senior Vice President and General Manager, SF Giants

In conversation with Roy Eisenhardt

Now that they're the World Series champs, how can the San Francisco Giants stay on top and orchestrate a repeat performance in 2011? Come meet the people who strategized the Giants' World Series triumph and hear what's in store this season. Giants Manager Bochy and General Manager Sabean will take you behind the scenes and down into the dugout to give the lowdown on who's in, who's out, and what strategies will keep the Giants at the peak of their game.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 3, 2011

Author, Krakatoa, The Professor and the Madman and Atlantic: A Biography of the Ocean

Brian Hackney, Science Editor and host of "Eye on the Bay," CBS5 - Moderator

Come learn about the epic sea battles, natural phenomena and colorful personalities that have helped shape and traverse one of the world’s largest bodies of water. A site of trade, exploration and natural resources that brought the discovery of new worlds and new peoples, the Atlantic Ocean has played an undervalued but crucial role in the development of the modern Western world. Bestselling author Winchester explores the meanings of this vast body of water for select communities and locations along the Atlantic seaboard from historic and scientific perspectives. A prolific author, Winchester has written a number of other works about the intersection of geological features and human evolution, including the national and New York Times best sellers The Map that Changed the World, Krakatoa and A Crack in the Edge of the World. Winchester also worked as a journalist for nearly 30 years and covered Bloody Sunday and the Watergate scandal during his time at The Guardian. Join The Club for an informative and lively discussion of the complex ways in which Earth’s topography has changed human history.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 14, 2010

Barbara Lee, U.S. Congresswoman, California's 9th Congressional District
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO, Green For All
James Rucker, Co-founder and Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org
Richard T. Ford, George E. Osborne Professor of Law, Stanford Law School; Author, The Race Card
Martin G. Reynolds, Editor, The Oakland Tribune - Moderator

What is the real effect on the black community of the first African-American president? This February we take a look at the most momentous move forward in civil rights in decades: the election of the first African-American president of the United States. But what has this meant for the African-American community? Has Obama landed the final blow needed to break the glass ceiling? Or has electing the first African-American president during one of the worst times in our country’s history created an unfortunate association that will become more of a hindrance than a help?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience on February 7, 2011

Broadcast Journalist; Host, “This Week In Northern California,” KQED Television; Author, My Wildest Dreams

In conversation with Ray Taliaferro, KGO Radio Host

Raised in a dysfunctional family in Louisiana and the Bay Area, Davis rose through the black radio industry, became the first black female reporter west of the Mississippi with her hiring at KPIX, and eventually anchored KQED’s “Evening Edition,” the station’s nightly news show. Davis will discuss her extraordinary journey, personal and professional.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 10, 2011

Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford; Co-director, Iran Democracy Project, Hoover Institution; Author, The Shah

The life of Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlevi, the last Shah of Iran, continues to resonate today. Milani looks at the monarch who shaped Iran’s modern age and with it the contemporary politics of the Middle East. He reveals the complex and sweeping road that he says has brought the U.S. and Iran to where they are today.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience on January 19, 2011

Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World

Alison van Diggelen, Founder and Host, Fresh Dialogues - Moderator

Meet the man who said “no” to ice cream. Heir to the Baskin-Robbins empire, Robbins choose to walk away from the multi-million dollar ice cream business to pursue a healthier and ecologically balanced lifestyle. He outlines why eating is not just a culinary act, but one with profound political, economic and environmental consequences. He offers mind-boggling information on factory farming, genetically modified foods and the economics of food production. (For example, did you know that it takes over 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of beef?) Join him for his views on why we need to re-evaluate our food choices and how becoming a food activist is essential to living longer and saving our planet.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley Branch on February 2, 2011

Timothy Ferriss, Author; Investor

In conversation with Rachael King, Writer, Bloomberg Businessweek

Want to work just four hours a week? Ferriss believes he can show you how. This Jack-of-all-trades has done it all, from becoming the National Chinese Kickboxing Champion and the Guinness World Record-holder for tango dancing to working for education reform. In his controversial book, The 4-Hour Workweek, Ferriss advocates throwing out old ideas of retirement and deferred-life plans. His latest sensation, The 4-Hour Body, is a choose-your-own-adventure guide to the human body, covering topics ranging from fat loss to sex, and he says it’s all been tested.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on

Jon Coupal, President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Joe Nation, Lecturer, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
Roxanne Sanchez, President, SEIU Local 1021
Daniel Borenstein, Columnist and Editorial Writer, Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune – Moderator

California’s financial situation is in shambles, and some pundits have identified the state’s public-employee pension obligation as a central part of the problem. But what is the true cost of pensions to the state’s structural deficit? Nineteen states reformed their public pension benefits in 2010. California has the largest pension system in the nation; is it now time for our state to reform our program too? Our panel of experts will share their views on whether pension reform is needed in California and how it should be done.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on January 25, 2011

CEO, Free Press; Blogger, Huffington Post

The future of journalism and the Internet are both in jeopardy, says the president of the leading national organization working on media and technology policy in the public interest. Free Press chief Silver will address the three major fronts in the battle – Internet policy, journalism policy, and public media policy – and reveal how we can help solve this crisis at an individual level.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on January 31, 2011

Matt Cohen, Founder, Off the Grid: San Francisco and SF Cart Project
Iso Rabins, Founder, Forage SF (the Underground Farmers Market)
Shakirah Simley, Founder, Slow Jams; Food Justice Activist
Margarita Rojas, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, La Cocina
Jason Mark, Editor, Earth Island Journal; Co-manager, Alemany Farm - Moderator

The city's bursting at the seams with street food, our city blocks featuring everything from trucks selling kimchi tacos to carts wielding bacon crème brulee. What about the other foodie trends working their way up the haute cuisine ladder? INFORUM’s group of epicurean innovators will give you a taste of what’s going on in the culinary underworld. Learn which neighborhood blocks grow the most umami mushrooms as we give you the dirt on foraging. Or maybe you’ll get inspired to go public with your chipotle peanut brittle after hearing about the Underground Farmers Market, a new haven for outlaw urban eaters. Join us for a look at what’s fresh on the alternative food scene, both the trends and the motivations behind them.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on January 26, 2011

Visiting Professor of Economics and Law, Chapman U.; Former Bank of America Dean, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley; Former Member of Congress

Is the U.S. economic recovery in full swing, or are we headed for a double-dip recession? Former congressman, former Cal business dean and economic expert Campbell will lay out what we can expect in the year ahead and how you can be prepared. Campbell joined Chapman in January 2009 as a visiting presidential fellow. Prior to that, he was the Bank of America dean and professor of business at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. For 20 years prior to that, he was a professor of law at Stanford Law School, a member of Congress, a member of the California State Senate, and the director of the California Department of Finance, during the last year when the state balanced the budget without additional borrowing, taxes, or dipping into reserves.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco at The Commonwealth Club of California on January 21, 2011

Tyrus Cobb, Ph.D., Former National Security Council Member and Special Assistant to President Reagan

This February 6th, Ronald Reagan would have turned 100. A participant in many private meetings with President Reagan and various world leaders, Cobb will share with us his intimate perspective on Reagan and his relationships with such world leaders as Gorbachev, Thatcher, Mulroney, Kohl and Pope John Paul II. Cobb will provide first-hand insights into the role of other participants in those epic times as well, including George H.W. Bush, Tip O'Neill, Colin Powell, Oliver North, Bob Gates and George Shultz.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 25, 2011

Mark Warner U.S. Senator (D-VA), Hon. Co-Chair, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Weili Dai, Co-founder and Vice President and General Manager of Communications and Computing Business Unit, Marvell Technology Group
Steve Wright, Vice President of Strategic Communications, Silicon Valley Leadership Group - Moderator

A recent report by the Information Technology Innovation Foundation found that the U.S. ranks last out of 40 nations in progress made in the last decade on innovation-based competitiveness. When compared to other nations, we have failed to grow our innovation economy, which is measured by factors such as corporate R&D, numbers of scientists and engineers, venture capital investments, and more. The consequences of our decline are significant. Some people believe that the lack of innovation-based competitiveness contributed to the financial crisis and is a driving factor in the anemic nature of the current U.S. recovery. Unless we take steps now on an array of fronts - tax policy, trade, support for science and technology, education and others - the United States is likely to continue to slip, with deleterious implications for productivity, wage growth, business vitality and the trade deficit. Our panelists will discuss what is needed and how Washington can collaborate to play a more effective role in supporting the policies needed to restore America's innovation and leadership.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley Office in San Jose on January 19, 2011

Columnist, The New York Times; Commentator, PBS "NewsHour"

Dan Schnur, Chairman, Fair Political Practices Commission of California; Director, Jesse Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California - Moderator

New York Times op-ed columnist and American political and cultural commentator Brooks offers a fresh perspective on politics and culture in the age of President Obama. Is the country moving further to the left, right or center? What is the future of the tea party movement? As author of a twice-weekly column for The New York Times, Brooks has written extensively on regional and intergenerational differences in America, America as a consumerist society, the benefits of a free-market economy, and foreign policy. Brooks regularly appears on PBS’ "NewsHour" and on NPR’s "All Things Considered." A prolific writer and editor with a long career in journalism, he has also served as contributing editor at Newsweek and the Atlantic Monthly, senior editor of The Weekly Standard, and editor for The Wall Street Journal. Brooks is the author of two books, Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There and On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense. His eagerly anticipated new book will be released in March, 2011.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 11, 2011

Reza Aslan, Author, No God But God, How to Win a Cosmic War, and Tablet and Pen; Contributing Editor, The Daily Beast
Wajahat Ali, Playwright, “The Domestic Crusaders;” Journalist; Attorney; Creator, Goatmilk: An Intellectual Playground Blog
Zoe Ferraris, Author, Finding Nouf and City of Veils
Najva Sol, Photographer; Poet; Co-founder, the Lowbrow Society for the Arts
In conversation with Laura Sydell, Arts Correspondent, National Public Radio - Moderator

American headlines about the Middle East often focus on terrorism, suicide bombings and escalating tensions. The mainstream media can create a massive American cultural blindspot around the literature, history and stories of the Middle East. A political commentator, New York Times best-selling author and an analyst on CBS News, Aslan is considered by some to be an American window to Islam. He is now looking to bridge the gap and share the best of the Middle East's literary leaders. Join the acclaimed author and contributing editor to The Daily Beast as he brings you the cultural luminaries from Iran, Pakistan, Morocco and Turkey and beyond.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 11, 2010

Co-founder and President, Kiva

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending web site, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Combining technology with social issues in a way that allows mass participation in facilitating solutions, it inspires grassroot support for the financing of social alleviation projects. Kiva has generated extraordinary excitement and more than $100 million in small online loans that are reimbursed if the donor requests such an outcome. Says Shah: “What bummed me out was that microfinance is such a great tool to alleviate poverty and that there is a shortage of capital – but that there is no way for the average guy in the U.S. to invest in microfinance.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on December 8, 2010

Donald Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Sarah Varney, KQED Health Reporter, “The California Report” and “Health Dialogues” - Moderator

Berwick leads a department with a larger budget than the Pentagon and oversees the programs that provide health care to nearly one in three Americans, yet he has made few public appearances since President Obama made him CMS administrator in a recess appointment last summer. A recipient of numerous medical awards and honors, Berwick has a long history of involvement with public policy on health care and was given an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in 2005 for his work. Come hear him share his thoughts about how the recent reform bill passed by Congress will affect the longevity and viability of our nation’s medical system and his goals of improving patient care while reducing waste.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on

Laurie David, Producer, An Inconvenient Truth; Author, The Family Dinner

Research has shown that children who have regular dinners together with their parents do better in almost all areas of life, from higher grades in school to maintaining loving relationships, to avoiding bad behaviors like drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity. David presents practical and inspirational ways to keep your family at the table.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 9, 2010

Film Director, Sleepless in Seattle; Screenwriter; Author, I Feel Bad About My Neck and I Remember Nothing

In conversation with Jane Ganahl, Author; Co-founder, Litquake

Acclaimed director of Julie & Julia and writer of When Harry Met Sally, Ephron offers her hilarious observations and insights into the past, present and future, sharing everything she hasn’t (yet) forgotten. She reflects on what women really think when they reach a certain age and what she’s learned along the way.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in San Jose on November 21, 2010

Richard Wolffe, Political Commentator; Author, Renegade and Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the White House

Phil Bronstein, Editor at Large, Hearst Newspapers – Moderator

Wolffe, award-winning journalist, NBC and MSNBC political analyst, and author of the New York Times best-selling political epic, Renegade: The Making of a President, will tell the dramatic inside story of the defining period of the Obama White House, based on exclusive interviews with President Obama and his White House staff. As Newsweek’s former senior White House correspondent, Wolffe covered the entire length of Obama’s presidential campaign and has had unprecedented access to Obama – allowing us to see and hear President Obama with an immediacy and honesty never before witnessed. Come and listen to Wolffe as he answers the simple yet enduring question: Who is Barack Obama?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on December 7, 2010

Tony Kushner, Playwright, “Angels in America”

Kushner returns to celebrate the opening day of the new exhibition: “More Life! Angels in America at 20” at the Museum of Performance & Design. Exhibition curator Brad Rosenstein will talk with Kushner about this play’s dramatic evolution, its powerful ongoing legacy, and the much-anticipated New York revival.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on November 6, 2010

Author, The Color Purple and Hard Times Require Furious Dancing

In conversation with Laura Sydell, Correspondent, Arts Information Unit - Moderator

The masterful Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple, Walker is also a prominent political activist, feminist and a voice of cultural progressivism. With a quiet and enlightened sense, Walker speaks about the world as she sees it. Come and hear the legendary storyteller as she explores gut-wrenching and sorrowful topics in her new collection of poems, Hard Times Require Furious Dancing.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 4, 2010

Professor of Business and Political Science, Stanford University; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Author, Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family

In her first public appearance since the publication of her new family memoir, Secretary Rice provides a rare glimpse at the experiences that have shaped her world outlook and discusses her views on current issues. Rice details her remarkable childhood, which began in the late 1950s, when Birmingham blacks lived in segregation, and continued through the '60s, when Rice saw her girlhood friends lose their lives to the bloodshed of the era. Rice was the 66th U.S. secretary of state and the first black woman to hold that office. She will talk about the people and experiences that have guided her on her path to occupying one of the nation’s highest offices. Prior to serving as secretary of state, she was the first woman ever to serve as national security advisor, was provost of Stanford from 1993 to 1999, and served as the Soviet and East European Affairs advisor during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 18, 2010

Arthur Brooks, President, American Enterprise Institute; Author, The Battle: How the Fight between Free Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America's Future

Brooks outlines a new culture war – not the old struggle over guns or abortion or religion, but over two competing visions of America. In one, America continues as a unique and exceptional nation organized around the principles of free enterprise. In the other, the U.S. moves toward a European-style social democracy characterized by increasing bureaucracies, income redistribution and government control of corporations. Brooks argues that free enterprise is not merely an economic system but an expression of American values and American culture, and he makes the case that free enterprise is the system that delivers the greatest levels of prosperity to the greatest numbers of people.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 25, 2010

Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post; Author, Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream

In conversation with Raj Patel, Journalist, Activist, Author, Stuffed and Starved - Moderator

“It is no longer an exaggeration to say that middle-class Americans are an endangered species," says Huffington. She is now sounding the alarm on "Third World America" She takes on the menacing duo of Washington and Wall Street, brazenly charging politicians with abandonment of the middle class and claiming the disappearance of the American Dream. Is the American middle class really in danger of extinction? How can we close the widening gap between the haves and have-nots? Hear what one of the most influential voices in modern media has to say about America’s imminent (or not so imminent) collapse.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 18, 2010

Munir Jiwa, Founding Director and Professor, Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union
Ameena Jandali, Educator; Co-founder, the Islamic Network Group – Moderator

The controversial Park 51 project to build a mosque and Muslim community center near Ground Zero has thrust us into a national conversation about religious freedom, patriotism and Islamophobia. Jiwa posits that the general public still equates 9/11 with Islam rather than al-Qaida. He says we must work toward mutual respect and understanding.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 18, 2010

Bjorn Lomborg, Author, Cool It; Skeptical Environmentalist
Carl Pope, Chairman, The Sierra Club
Craig Miller, Senior Editor, Climate Watch, KQED Radio - Moderator

Skeptical environmentalist Lomborg declares that global warming is a chief concern facing the world, but says we should focus our resources on more immediate concerns like fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS. INFORUM is hosting a pre-release screening of Cool It, the film based on Lomborg’s 2007 book, which outlines Lomborg’s climate solutions. Are these the same solutions that the Sierra Club’s Pope would offer up? Probably not. This pair of environment advocates will tackle the issues in an exclusive discussion. Find out what happens when the environment’s devout defender meets the climate change critic.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 19, 2010

Evan Williams, Co-founder, Twitter
Biz Stone, Co-founder, Twitter
Brad Stone, Senior Writer, BusinessWeek - Moderator

Twitter founders Williams and Stone open up and answer our questions about the site that has the whole world chirping. A year after launching in 2006, Twitter had just a few thousand users and a quirky name. Now, the site has more than 160 million users who send nearly 100 million messages a day. The Twittersphere is flooded with the real-time updates by everyone from your 80-year-old grandmother to Iranian political protestors, Top Chefs, best-selling authors and uber-celebs seeking the Twitter crown. How did a social network based on tweets, or "short bursts of information," become the preferred voice for so many around the globe? Is Twitter the evolution of mobile messaging and news consumption and/or a soapbox for the world's attention seekers? Hear the true Twitter tale, its evolution and future from the men behind the hashtag.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 11, 2010

Founder and President, Arab American Institute; Advisor, Zogby International Polling Firm; Author, Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us, and Why It Matters

Based on a new Zogby International poll, Zogby reveals what people in the Middle East are really thinking right now and how we can better understand them. The poll results deliver insight on how people in the region view American society, world affairs, their own position in the world, and a host of other issues so that we can truly grasp their perspective beyond assumptions and bias. Zogby is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. Since the mid-1990s he has been a senior advisor to Zogby International (ZI), the polling firm founded by his brother John. At ZI he has supervised a number of path-breaking public-opinion polling projects in countries across the Middle East.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 18, 2010

CEO, Permanente Medical Group

Following passage of health insurance reform, a fundamental challenge – and opportunity – facing our nation today is how to advance the medical delivery system into the 21st century. As CEO of the largest medical group in the nation, Pearl is responsible for the health care of over 3 million Kaiser Permanente members.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 3, 2010

Bob Edgar, President and CEO, Common Cause
Jesse Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law, UC Berkeley
Lawrence McQuillan, Director of Business and Economic Studies, Pacific Research Institute
John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Do our political leaders achieve their positions on merit, or are they buying them? After the Supreme Court ruled in January to permit both corporations and unions to promote and finance the campaigns of electoral candidates, many people, including the president, said that big business would now own and control politics. The issue appears to be polarized along party lines. Conservatives contend that prohibiting corporations from financing political campaigns is a violation of the First Amendment, and liberal politicians and policy groups have adamantly protested the ruling for giving equal representative rights to corporations and individuals. Dialogue is critical to fully understanding this thorny issue. Join The Club for a spirited debate on the ramifications, constitutionality and precedent of this landmark ruling.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 11, 2010

Devra Davis, Author, Disconnect; School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Oncology expert Davis blows the lid off what she asserts is the cell phone industry’s abuse of science. It isn’t just about brain cancer, says Davis: cell phones damage DNA, break down the brain’s defenses, reduce sperm count, and increase memory loss. Radio frequency radiation from phones is especially threatening to children, whose brains are still growing. But the U.S., helped along by the powerful mobile phone industry, has done little to examine these risks or set standards that significantly improve our safety, Davis and others contend. She will reveal the untold inside story of how we got here.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 6, 2010

The State of the Economy: A Conversation with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner

Secretary Geithner will address the Obama administration’s proposals to help get more Americans back to work and help reinforce long-term growth at home as well as efforts to build a more stable financial system and to strengthen the global economy. Before his ascension to the Treasury in 2009, Secretary Geithner helmed the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. His many years of service include jobs in three presidential administrations for five secretaries of the treasury in a variety of positions. He served as under secretary of the treasury for international affairs from 1999 to 2001 for secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers, and was director of the Policy Development and Review Department at the International Monetary Fund from 2001 until 2003. Don't miss this chance to get up close and personal with one of the most important figures entrusted with getting the nation’s economy back on track.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in San Jose on October 18, 2010

Associate Clinical Professor, New York Medical College; Health Care Columnist, The Advocate

Internist and medical professor Spinelli is a leading expert on gay men’s health and wellness. He will discuss principles of gay men’s health, new paradigms for wellness and health promotion, and important insights for health-care providers.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Jose at The Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley on October 1, 2010

Greg Dalton, Founder of Climate One, moderator

In just her third appearance before a US audience as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton touts the potential of American innovation to further public diplomacy and to help tackle a host of global challenges. Before a sold-out Commonwealth Club crowd of 1,500, Clinton comments on global flashpoints – Afghanistan, Iran, and Mexico – while addressing climate change and clean energy. Clinton repeatedly stresses the need to leverage the creativity of Silicon Valley with work underway at her department. “Innovation is one of America's greatest values and products,” she says, “and we are very committed to working with scientists and researchers to look for new ways to develop hardier crops or lifesaving drugs at affordable costs, working with engineers for new sources of clean energy or clean water to both stem climate change and also to improve the standard of living for people.” In the Q&A, Climate One founder Greg Dalton asks Clinton if the State Department would reconsider granting a permit for the controversial Alberta Clipper Pipeline. Clinton concedes that while a final decision had not been made, the project is likely to go ahead: “We're either going to be dependent on dirty oil from the Gulf or dirty oil from Canada. And until we can get our act together as a country and figure out that clean, renewable energy is in both our economic interests and the interests of our planet.” Clinton also comments on Senate’s failure to act on climate change. “I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone how deeply disappointed the President and I are about our inability to get the kind of legislation through the Senate that the United States was seeking,” she says. Clinton closes with advice for Ellie, a 10-year-old who expresses concern for the future environment. “I think that there is a lot that you can do, because it's been my experience that young people are much more environmentally conscious and committed to protecting the world you're growing up in than some of us older people are,” she says. “I'm out of politics, as you all know. So speaking as a private citizen,” she adds, to laughter, “I think people running for office should be asked to explain their positions on what they're going to do.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 15, 2010

Vinton Cerf, VP and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google; one of the “fathers of the Internet”
Paul Mockapetris, Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Board, Nominum; Creator, Domain Name System (DNS)
Esther Dyson, Chairman, EDventure Holdings & Angel Investor - Moderator

Viruses, spyware, spam, phishing, zombie machines. Several years ago, we might have thought of these as just a nuisance, and their perpetrators as mostly underemployed kids. Today, cybercrime is worth billions of dollars to loosely organized networks of criminals that prey on individuals, businesses and governments with malicious or profit-seeking intent. What are some of the current threats, and how is industry responding to them? What new threats might we expect in the coming years? Is the Internet's health partly a result of misaligned incentives, where those who cause the damage don't bear its costs? How can we change that? What more should industry, government and individuals be doing to protect the network and, ultimately, ourselves?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Jose on October 4, 2010

Corina Casanova, Federal Chancellor, Switzerland

Switzerland has one of the most extensive systems of democratic rights in the world. Chancellor Casanova will compare the Swiss and U.S. constitutions, elaborating on commonalities and differences, particularly with regard to state institutions, direct democracy, people's rights and federalism. Casanova was a delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross in South Africa, Angola, Nicaragua and El Salvador. She has held the office of federal chancellor since January 2008 following her election by the Swiss parliament in December 2007.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 6, 2010

Part of The Chevron California Innovation Series

Raj Atluru, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Ralph Cavanagh, Energy Co-director, Natural Resources Defense Council
Cathy Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association
Jack Stewart, President, California Manufacturers and Technology Association
Virgil Welch, Special Assistant to the Chairman, California Air Resources Board
Greg Dalton, Climate One - Moderator

The low-carbon economy is California’s future. But this panel of energy experts convened by Climate One disagrees on how fast that transition will take, and how it will impact the economy. Jack Stewart, President, California Manufacturers and Technology Association, and Cathy Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association, repeatedly stress that California could be more business friendly, and that green jobs alone won’t pull the state out of recession. “We all see a clean energy future,” Stewart says. “The question is: When do we get there? How fast do we get there? And at what cost?” “We cannot lose sight of the fact that we are not in a good state in California,” says Reheis-Boyd. “I can tell you my members are making some very difficult choices about where to invest their next dollar.” We have to get the rules right, the remaining panel members say, but they see no trade-off between environmental and economic good. “I think the energy history of California over the last 30 years is how to do both well,” says Ralph Cavanagh, Energy co-director, Natural Resources Defense Council. “Nobody is satisfied with 12.4% unemployment, but I don’t think the answer is doing less of what we already know we do better than anyone else. I think it’s speeding up.” For Virgil Welch, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, it’s also about maintaining California’s global competitiveness. “The policies that we as a state are working on are not just what we need to do for our energy and environmental needs, but they’re critical to driving us towards where the global economy is heading, which is clean energy.” As long as California’s maintains its forward-thinking policy framework, green innovators will call the state home, says, Raj Atluru, Managing Director at the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson. “California has succeeded over the last century because of its innovation. We’ve innovated in entertainment, flight, defense, communications, PCs, the Internet. Our bet, at our firm, is that the next wave of innovation is going to be the green jobs economy. ”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 12, 2010

Dan Walters, Political Columnist, Sacramento Bee
In conversation with Josh Richman, Politics and Legal Affairs Reporter, Oakland Tribune and Bay Area News Group

Renowned political columnist Walters takes a look at the upcoming November election that could drastically change California’s political climate. Will political newbies Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina lead California into a Republican dominance not seen since Governor Ronald Reagan and Senator Richard Nixon were in power? Or will the deep California roots of political veterans Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer knock California securely back into the blue? Walters weighs in on these two heated campaigns as well as what else we should be watching out for this November.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on September 22, 2010

Founder, Daily Kos; Author, American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right

In conversation with Jonathan Weber, Editor-in-Chief, The Bay Citizen

“Think about it. The freedom that jihadists hate – freedom of thought, inquiry and lifestyle – are the very freedoms that the conservatives hate.” In Moulitsas' new book, American Taliban, he pulls out the big guns against the American conservative movement. Quoting pundits and politicians, pointing to polls and news, Moulitsas makes a litany of charges claiming that the entire conservative movement in America is comparable to the U.S.’s international enemy #1 – Islamic radicalism. Does he go too far? Does he make some valid points and observations? Decide for yourself. Come see a candid, no-holds-barred interview with the founder of the popular online blog Daily Kos and frequent contributor for Newsweek and MSNBC.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on September 27, 2010

Robert Reich, Professor, Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley; Former U.S. Secretary of Labor; Author, Aftershock

When the nation’s economy foundered in 2008, blame was almost universally directed at Wall Street, but celebrated economic policymaker and political theorist Reich suggests a different reason for the meltdown and describes a potentially treacherous road ahead. Reich explores a blueprint for lastingly improving our economy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 28, 2010

Owner, the French Laundry, Bouchon, Per Se, Ad Hoc; Author, Ad Hoc at Home and The French Laundry Cookbook

Clark Wolf, President and Founder, Clark Wolf Company; Consultant; Author; Writer - Moderator

World-renowned chef Keller serves up stories from the front line of fine dining. The owner of such celebrated restaurants as the French Laundry, Bouchon, Per Se and Ad Hoc, Keller penned the award-winning The French Laundry and Bouchon cookbooks, as well as Under Pressure, on sous vide cooking, and Ad Hoc at Home. In 2001, he was named “America’s Best Chef” by Time Magazine. In 2003, Johnson & Wales University awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Culinary Arts for his contributions to the industry. His accolades include consecutive "Best Chef" awards from the James Beard Foundation and "Chef of the Year" by the Culinary Institute of America. He is the only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings by the Michelin Guide. Don’t miss a rare opportunity to hear from this modern kitchen master.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on September 30, 2010

Author, Everything Is Illuminated and Eating Animals

Foer looks at our dining habits, insatiable appetites and the cultural meaning of food. He explores the ethical, environmental and health risks behind commercial fishing and factory farming and discusses his journey from carnivore to vegetarian. Hear from the man that actress Natalie Portman claims changed her from a “20-year vegetarian to a vegan activist.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on September 21, 2010

Frank Puglisi Jr., Executive Director, Health Care Interpreter Network
Melinda Paras, President and CEO, Paras and Associates
Carolyn Wang Kong, MPH, MPP, Practice Leader, Language Access, Northern California Diversity, Kaiser Permanente
Sarah Varney, Health Reporter, "The California Report," KQED - Moderator

The increasingly critical role of interpreters in health care and the skill required to interpret in such delicate and emotional situations have spurred the creation of a revolutionary service. This sophisticated and integrated technological system aims to break down the language barriers between service providers and patients with limited English proficiency. Language technology is rapidly becoming an integral part of health care. By using interpretation services, doctors and patients can overcome the language barriers to enable and enhance access to health care. Come hear how technology is helping doctors and patients communicate through cyberspace.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 24, 2010

David Walker, Former U.S. Comptroller General; Former Head, U.S. Government Accountability Office
Robert L. Bixby, Executive Director, The Concord Coalition
Michael Boskin, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Professor of Economics, Stanford University; Chairman, President George H.W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisors
Isabel Sawhill, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Tom Campbell, Visiting Professor of Economics and Law, Chapman University; Former Director of Finance, State of Calfornia; Former Member of the Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress - Moderator

We are inundated with facts and figures that support the argument that the U.S. government is headed toward fiscal crisis, yet we rarely read or hear a discussion of how such a crisis can be avoided. Experts with years of front-line experience in the fiscal jungle of Washington share their ideas on what steps should be taken now to place the nation on a sustainable course of fiscal responsibility.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 23, 2010

Melanie Cheng, Founder OmOrganics.org and FarmsReach.com
David Hodgson, Co-founder, the Idea Hive; Fellow, the International Futures Forum
Kevin Jones, Founder Good Capital; Convener, SOCAP
Hope Neighbor, Founder and CEO, Hope Consulting
Sean Stannard-Stockton, CEO, Tactical Philanthropy Advisors; Columnist, Chronicle of Philanthropy; Author, Tactical Philanthropy Blog
Amy Benziger, Co-producer, SOCAP - Moderator

More than 1,000 people from more than 35 countries are coming to San Francisco in October, intent on showing the world that there is a real market at the intersection of money and meaning. Experts in areas as diverse as mobile, food systems, philanthropy and international development will introduce and explain the growing social enterprise investment movement. Join us for an exciting and informative preview of the ideas and issues of SOCAP 2010 in conversation with the team leading the upcoming conference.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 17, 2010

In-conversation with chef Joey Altman

Award winning Chef and TV Personality Bayless has spent the last 30 years putting his own delicious twist on gourmet Mexican cuisine. With successful restaurants around the country, he has cooked for everyone from Oprah Winfrey to President Obama.

Bayless will share his unique culinary philosophy and highlight a few of his new 150 mouth-watering recipes from “Fiesta at Rick’s”. The season one winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters will also discuss why supporting local sustainable farms is so important to him.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 17, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

The Taste for Civilization

Janet A. Flammang, Professor and Chair of Political Science, Santa Clara University; Author, The Taste for Civilization: Food, Politics, and Civil Society

The recent deterioration of family mealtime traditions raises questions about the concomitant lack of civility in America’s political and civil discourse. Are our dining rooms the fundamental education foundation of our civility? Could they be the source of our awareness of the importance of the common good and what it means to be a good citizen? Professor Flammang combines political theory, feminist analysis and cultural study to explore the familiar world of our dinnertime rituals and the civilizing function of food.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 31, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Achieving Success with the Help of a Mentor: Women Advising Women on Power, Progress and Priorities

Mary Stutts, Author, The Missing Mentor; Senior Vice President, Elan Corporation
Evelyn Dilsaver, Former President and CEO, Charles Schwab Investment Management
Mary Cranston, Senior Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Immediate Past Chair and CEO of the Firm

What is my next career move? How can I achieve balance between career and family? How can a mentor help? This expert panel of powerful women will help answer these questions, based on their own experience and successful business careers, and they will explore top tips and major pitfalls to avoid. Stutts and fellow panelists will discuss how to increase your confidence, create a life plan, maintain your well-being, and define and achieve your own success in life.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 30, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

The Women of Israel: A Remarkable Diversity

Donna Rosenthal, Author; Journalist; Television Producer
Rita Semel, Vice Chairwoman, SF Interfaith Council - Moderator

Rosenthal will describe the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of Israeli women – Christians, Jews, Muslims, Druze – who range from the radically modern to staunchly traditional. Some work in high tech, the government or the military, while others practice polygamous marriages, march in gay pride parades, or support the religious fervor of their husbands.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on August 27, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Remembering Afghan Women

Katherine Brown, Truman National Security Project Fellow; Former Communications and Public Events Advisor, U.S. Embassy Kabul; NGO Worker; Former White House Staffer
Olga Oliker, Senior International Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation

Following the overthrow of the misogynistic Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the situation for women seemed to enter a promising era. A Ministry of Women was established, and a new constitution guaranteed women 25 percent representation in the legislature. But progress has been stymied in Afghanistan. More than 80 percent of Afghan women are illiterate and many remain victims of violence. Brown and Oliker will address the key challenges that hamper progress in Afghanistan and discuss how women are working to create possible solutions

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 23, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Kate Kendell

Now occurring on August 26

Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)

The NCLR’s precedent-setting case victories have literally re-written the law, changing the legal landscape for LGBT individuals and families. Kendall stands at center stage in our nation’s discussion of civil rights and social justice. Topics explored will include the role of women in securing economic parity, marriage equality and parenting rights. Kendall will also share her views on domestic and international issues such as female circumcision, homophobia and bullying in our nation’s schools.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 26, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

What Is a Woman Worth?

Jackie Speier, Member of Congress, (D-CA)
Jan Yanehiro, Director of Multimedia Communications, Academy of Art University; Broadcast Journalist - Moderator

With more than 20 years in national, state and local political work, Speier has set precedents for women and what they are worth in creating state and national politics and policies. Currently, her work includes three pivotal congressional committees: Finance Services, Oversight and Government, and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Join in this important discussion about the power of women's voices and actions during the unprecedented storm of turmoil, change, energy crisis, money and job uncertainty in the second decade of the 21st century.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 24, 2010

Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer

Thomas Nesbitt, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Technologies and Alliances, UC Davis School of Medicine - Moderator

Chopra, assistant to the president and the nation's first-ever chief technology officer, has made it a priority to advance America's health-care reform goals through the use of technology and innovation for one of the administration's top priorities. He will discuss using technology, such as telemedicine and mobile health, to drive new care models for disease management, independent living and appropriate virtual care for people in their own homes. With millions of Americans about to apply for health insurance for the first time, Chopra is leading the effort to make enrollment as easy as using the Internet to pay bills or file income taxes. He will also discuss how policies, standards and harnessing the potential of technology, data and innovation can transform the nation's health-care system and improve the lives of everyday Americans.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 18, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Midori in Conversation with Ruth Felt

Midori, Violinist
Ruth Felt, President, San Francisco Performances

Renowned violinist Midori has captured the world’s heart with her brilliant performances. Her repertory and career has established a record of achievement that sets her apart as a master musician, an innovator and a champion of the developmental potential of children. In this conversation with her long-time presenter, San Francisco Performances President Felt, Midori also will reflect on her community engagement programs that bring music closer to the lives of people who may not otherwise have involvement with the arts. She will also speak about her role as a United Nations messenger of peace.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 20, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Spin It Green: The Story of Marissa Muller

Marissa Muller, Solar-Powered Bicycle Pioneer

After graduating from business school in Spain, Muller returned home to California and worked with her family in building her vision: a solar powered electric bike. During her 1,000-mile solo adventure on the roads of California, she visited 14 high schools, offering a seminar on solar and electric vehicles, and sparking a dialogue with the students to start brainstorming ways to combat our energy and environmental challenges. Though the ride is over, her goal of reaching 1,000 clean ideas is ongoing. Meet this amazing young woman and hear her message of clean power.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 19, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Women Changing the Way We Eat

Temra Costa, Author, Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat
Nina Simons, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Bioneers, Collective Heritage Institution
Jesse Ziff Cool, Restaurateur; Cookbook Author, Simply Organic
Kira Gould, Co-author, Women in Green; Director of Communication, William McDonough & Partners - Moderator

Women (including First Lady Michelle Obama) are using their unique leadership skills to play a critical role in the sustainable food movement. Come learn how women are working diligently and effectively to change the way Americans eat and farm. From bringing organic fruits and veggies into schools to ensuring that farm workers are treated fairly to pioneering new methods of sustainable farming, women are fighting to ensure that we and the planet thrive well into the future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on August 16, 2010

Member, United States Senate (D-CA)

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, Senator Boxer is now preparing for a tough race against Republican challenger Carly Fiorina. Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee, Boxer is the only U.S. senator to chair two committees. She also serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Boxer was a strong supporter of President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus plan and co-authored the bipartisan Invest in the U.S.A. Act, to encourage companies to bring overseas profits back to the United States to create jobs here. She wrote the first-ever law to authorize federal funding for afterschool programs. Come hear her thoughts on jobs, the economy and California’s future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 31, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Rosalynn Carter: Ending the Mental Health Crisis

Former First Lady; Author

Former First Lady Carter is an icon and an advocate for mental health, early childhood immunization, human rights and conflict resolution through her work at The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter will discuss her decades working in the mental health field. Following the program, she will also sign copies of her new book, Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 13, 2010

Senior Political Analyst, CNN; Director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Environmental catastrophe, economic uncertainty, international strife – where’s America headed as it faces down these and other challenges? Hear an insider’s view from the man with a front-row seat to history-making headlines. Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and has served as an adviser to four U.S. presidents. A professor of public service and the director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, Gergen got his start in public life as a speech writer in the Nixon White House. He went on to serve in the communications department for Gerald Ford and director of communications for Ronald Reagan, and as an adviser to Bill Clinton and to the 1980 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 28, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Yves Saint Laurent: Creating Power in Style for the Modern Woman

Julia Geist, Docent Lecturer, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

In the 1960s, master couturier and fashion pioneer Saint Laurent radically changed the way women dressed. His pantsuits and tuxedos – traditional symbols of male power – conveyed elegance and chic. This illustrated lecture is a retrospective of his imaginative and sexy designs through 40 years.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 4, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

A Life in Science: Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn in conversation with UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann

Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D., Nobel Laureate, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, M.D., M.P.H., UCSF Chancellor; Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor

On October 5, 2009, UCSF molecular biologist Blackburn learned that she had received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for her co-discovery of an enzyme that plays a key role in aging and cancer. Join us as Blackburn discusses her life in science. We encourage both scientists and non-scientists to come hear Blackburn's reflections on an unfettered childhood, skirting the "safe" scientific projects, the benefits of not listening to naysayers, and the difference between good and bad stress.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 4, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Girls Gotta Do Business: The Rising Force of Women Entrepreneurs

Alison Covarrubias, Co-founder, The Hatch Network, SF
Baat Enosh, Entrepreneur Alliance Program Director, NCWIT; VP of Operations, Women 2.0
Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa, Director, Savor the Success, SF Bay Area
Julie Abrams, CEO, Women's Initiative for Self Employment
Cathy Curtis, Financial Advisor, Curtis Financial Planning – Moderator

The exponential growth of women-owned businesses has been in the news for well over 20 years. More than a quarter of a million women in the U.S. own businesses with revenue exceeding $1 million. Demographics have played a role: female empty nesters, corporate escapees and the newly laid off are flexing their entrepreneurial muscle. However, there are some studies that indicate that women-owned businesses on average generate less revenue than businesses owned by men. Panelists will explore this issue and more, and give insight on how women entrepreneurs can get to the next level of success.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 3, 2010

Attorney; Chairman, Boies, Schiller and Flexner LLP

Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law, Stanford University; Co-director, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford University - Moderator

Challenging Law and Making History: Overturning CA’s Prop 8 Gay Marriage Ban.

Boies has been deeply involved in some of the most prominent legal disputes of the past two decades. From serving as special counsel to the Justice Department in the United States v. Microsoft trial to representing Vice President Al Gore in the Bush v. Gore case following the 2000 presidential election, Boies' legal experience is extensive and varied.

Together, Boies and former Solicitor General Theodore Olson have successfully overturned California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage. The judge’s ruling on the case happened just one day before this program was recorded. In a recent interview with Salon.com, Boies asserted that overturning this legislation will "improve the lives of gay and lesbian couples...it will not in any way harm heterosexual marriage." In 2010, Boies was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Boies provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Prop. 8 case, and provide insight into what it takes to challenge the status quo and make legal history.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 5, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

The Origins of the Education of Women

Patricia Lundberg, Professor Emerita of English Language and Literature and Women’s Studies, Indiana University Northwest

Monday Night Philosophy peers back in history, where not that many men were educated, and almost no women. How was that stifling cultural ideal challenged and changed, so that the ascent of woman could get started? The history of breaking this taboo, and who did it, is bound to surprise you.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 2, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Population Aging as a Feminist Issue

Adele M. Hayutin, Senior Research Scholar and Director of the Global Aging Program, Stanford Center on Longevity

Older women face particular challenges due to gender differences in life expectancy, labor force participation and income levels. Hayutin will provide a global demographic framework for understanding historical changes in the status of women as well as future challenges and opportunities that older women face. She will highlight women’s living arrangements, care-giving responsibilities and potential social isolation.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 2, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Outliers and Outperformers: Women in Fund Management

Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments
Ivka Kalus-Bysticky, Portfolio Manager,The Pax World International Fund
Luz Padilla, Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income, Doubleline
Mary Ellen Stanek, Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, Robert W. Baird & Co.
Cathy Curtis, Investment Advisor, Curtis Financial Planning - Moderator

The position of portfolio manager occupies the apex of the career hierarchy in the world of investment management. Yet the gender gap remains inordinately wide in this industry. Though women own half of the investment wealth in the U.S., one recent study found that only 10 percent of mutual fund managers and 3 percent of hedge fund managers are women. What barriers confront female analysts and traders who aspire to take their place at the helm of professionally managed portfolios? And how did those exceptional women who have joined this elite circle achieve their breakthrough success? What are their lives like – inside and outside of work? How can more women join the small but distinguished ranks of female money managers? Our panelists will explore these issues and more.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 30, 2010

Laura Tyson, Economist; Member, President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board; Chair, Council of Economic Advisors for President Clinton; Professor and Former Dean, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
Paul Saffo, Managing Director, Discern Analytics; Visiting Scholar, Stanford Media-X Research Network
Nancy Pfund, Managing Partner, DBL Investors
Robert Klein, J.D., Chairman, Governing Board of California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Robert Hertzberg, Former Speaker, California State Assembly; Partner, Mayer Brown LLP; Environmental Entrepreneur
Sydnie Kohara, News Anchor, CBS 5 Television - Moderator

How can California remain economically competitive with the eager, talented and educated middle classes emerging in China, India and elsewhere? How can the California Dream be prevented from turning into a California Nightmare? Gold drove the first economic boom, and information technology fostered California’s most recent revolution of jobs and growth. What will be next? As the world becomes flat, globalization presents challenges. Will Californians innovate their way out? Prominent Californians (including a world-renowned economist, urban analyst and business innovators) discuss the issues challenging the state's business environment and provide insight into what must be done to ensure economic success.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 13, 2010

Author, Delivering Happiness; CEO, Zappos

In conversation with Geoffrey Fowler, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Meet the man who built a business based on happiness. Hsieh co-founded LinkExchange and sold it to Microsoft for $265M in 1998. He then took Zappos from $1.6M in 2000 to more than $1 billion in 2008. Contrary to the take-no-prisoners persona one might presume would be required to rake in such revenues, Hsieh has made his mark by focusing his business model, ironically enough, on happiness. Hsieh now brings you his secret recipe for Zappos success. How does a company go from $1.6M to more than a billion dollars on happiness? And how did Hsieh make Zappos one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on June 17, 2010

Academy Award-Winning Actor; Founder, The Dreyfuss Initiative

Recognized for his roles in Jaws, American Graffiti, and Mr. Holland's Opus, Richard Dreyfuss has issued a call to action in our classrooms. Dreyfuss believes civic education is the foundation of public education; yet over the years, it has become more about memorizing facts and dates than understanding context and history. By incorporating logic, history, and critical thinking with a national standard, Dreyfuss hopes to inspire a new way of teaching and preparing America's youth. Learn more about his bold national initiative to enhance civic education in today's classrooms.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's office in San Jose on July 19, 2010

Nimat Hafez Barazangi, Ph.D., Islamic and Arabic Studies, Cornell University; Author, Woman's Identity and the Quran
Laura Sydell, Correspondent, National Public Radio - Moderator

Barazangi posits that it’s time for Muslim women to have a peaceful, silent revolution, firmly grounded in the Quran. Barazangi is a researcher for feminist, gender and sexuality studies at Cornell and has worked to improve attitudes and conditions for women in Islam. Hear from this dedicated educator, who helped draft the Iraqi constitution.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 19, 2010

David Sullivan, Professional Cult Investigator

Learn about cults from a man who’s seen them from the inside. Professional investigator Sullivan describes the process of identifying and investigating cults, providing an overview of how cults recruit, convert and maintain control of their members through a variety of psychologically coercive techniques. A licensed private investigator for more than 19 years, Sullivan has worked in collaboration with leading authorities in the area of undue influence.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on July 19, 2010

Former Secretaries of State

Marvin Kalb, Former CBS/NBC News Correspondent; Edward R. Murrow Professor Emeritus, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government – Moderator

At the halfway point between 2010 and 2011, the United States is facing numerous challenges, as well as opportunities. Two wars are still raging in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Middle East peace process has stalled. Concerns about global terrorism, nuclear proliferation and climate change dominate the headlines, all against the backdrop of financial instabilities in many realms, including our own. Yet the promise of new technologies, the information revolution and engaged citizens hold out hopes for innovation and problem-solving. What should be the major priorities for the U.S. in the second half of 2010? Is it possible to create the political will for positive change? Albright and Shultz address the challenges.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience by The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 14, 2010

M.D., M.Ph., Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Haile T. Debas, Executive Director, UCSF Global Health Sciences; chancellor emeritus, ucsf; Dean Emeritus, UCSF School of Medicine - Moderator

As director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Frieden works to control communicable and noncommunicable diseases in the United States and around the world. He led the nation’s response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Most recently, his efforts have focused upon protecting the nation’s water supply against high levels of lead as well as raising awareness to the dangers of tobacco – the single largest preventable cause of death, killing 443,000 Americans every year and costing $193 billion in annual direct medical costs. As head of the CDC, Frieden has called for urgent action to be taken against abuse of prescription painkillers, which have caused a 111-percent increase in emergency room treatment and is threatening America’s public health system. Come hear about the next potential pandemic and how we are combating future outbreaks.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 22, 2010

Founder, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights; Former Advisor to President Obama

Jones broke new ground with his proposal for a green-collar economy, stating that “the time has come to move beyond eco-elitism to eco-populism.” He fights for environmental justice and to create an economy that is both sustainable and that lifts up the poorest communities through green-collar jobs. Jones describes how the third wave of environmentalism – the investment wave – could solve inequality and catastrophe with a “Green New Deal” mindset. We award Van Jones a 21st Century Visionary Award for guiding our nation to ecological equality.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco at The Commonwealth Club on June 29, 2010

Lori Saldana, California State Assembly Member; Author AB1934
Karen Arntzen, California Chapter Services Coordinator, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Yih-Chau Chang, Press Secretary, Responsible Citizens of California
Adnan Shahab, Republican candidate for State Assembly; Open carry advocate
Josh Richman, Politics and Legal Affairs Reporter, Oakland Tribune and Bay Area News Group - Moderator

Open carry policies around the country are being ardently tested and fiercely debated. Contra Costa County has become a hotbed for this controversy, hosting some of the most active open carry movements locally. Open carry groups have been congregating at different locations to demonstrate their right to carry unloaded, unconcealed fire arms in public. Others have come out en masse to protest this right. There is now even a proposed bill, AB 1934, that would make it a misdemeanor to openly carry an unloaded handgun in specified public areas. As the state struggles with what’s right – constitutionally and morally – we take a close look at this controversy from different sides.

This program was recorded live by the Commonwealth Club in Lafayette California on June 17, 2010

CEO, MIA Consulting; Ashoka Fellow

In 1993 Bretos was appointed Florida secretary for aging and adult services, a position that allowed her to see the thousands of low-income elders and disabled adults who were not getting the services they needed to stay in their homes. Bretos became the driving force behind the nation’s first public housing project to bring assisted living services to older adults who just need a little help to stay in their homes. Now she runs a consulting company that has helped 40 public housing projects nationwide bring assisted living services to their residents.

This program is part of The Club's Social Entrepreneurship Series, recorded live at The Commonwealth Club on June 22, 2010

Within the next two decades, the Census Bureau estimates that the U.S. population will increase by as many as 50 million people, including at least a 25-percent increase in California’s population alone. This population growth, combined with a growing backlog of overdue maintenance work on roads and transit systems, creates a need for significantly expanded transportation revenues. However, the current political climate is generally unfavorable to tax increases. Given these political realities, what new or expanded revenue sources could be generated for transportation? In particular, what options will be politically feasible in the short and medium term? Our panel of transportation experts, representing viewpoints from the national and state level, will discuss possible revenue options and their likely reception from the public and legislators.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 25, 2010

John Stumpf, Chairman, President and CEO, Wells Fargo

Hear from the man at the helm of one of banking’s biggest powerhouses at a time of industry uncertainty. Stumpf became chairman of Wells Fargo & Company in January. He was named CEO in June 2007, elected to Wells Fargo's board of directors in June 2006, and has been president since August 2005. A 27-year veteran of Wells Fargo, Stumpf will provide insight into where financial services are headed in the short and long term, and what you need to know to protect yourself and stay informed.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 16, 2010

William Perry, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Perry will discuss how we must reframe the global debate to eliminate nuclear weapons and keep them out of the hands of terrorists. Perry will provide an overview and further thoughts on changes in the U.S. nuclear doctrine and the new START treaty.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in the Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley office in San Jose on June 9, 2010

Mark Frauenfelder, Editor, Make Magazine
Dale Dougherty, Publisher, Make Magazine; Co-founder, O'Reilly Media

In conversation with Adam Savage, Host, “Mythbusters”

You know that guy or girl who can make or fix anything? Yes, the same MacGyver wannabe who repairs a flat tire with an empty water bottle and a pen. You can now compete with these handy heroes. Especially now, in times of financial hardship, people want to fix and create useful and awesome gadgets from scratch. Make Magazine leads this “yes I can” attitude with tips for new self-sufficiency. From fixing your cracked iPhone screen to make-shifting an aerial camera rig from Popsicle sticks, a drugstore kite and Play-Doh, Make has it all. Find out where technophile and editor-in-chief Frauenfelder plans to lead this DIY movement.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on June 14, 2010

Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director, Chevy Volt, General Motors
Mark Duvall, Director of Electric Transportation, Electric Power Research Institute
Jit Bhattacharya, CEO, Mission Motors
Richard Lowenthal, CEO, Coulomb Technologies Inc.
Kerry Curtis, Chair, The Commonwealth Club’s Environment & Natural Resources Member-Led Forum; Member, The Commonwealth Club's Board of Governors - Moderator

As legislation compels manufacturers to innovate with cleaner vehicles, the world’s need for mobility is increasing. How can we meet that combined challenge? Hybrid and natural gas vehicles have been accepted and proven viable. But what about electric vehicles? Can they address their shortcomings while improving on their advantages? Our panel of experts will discuss the environmental, engineering, market acceptance and other issues regarding electric cars possibly becoming the vehicle of the future.

This program was recorded at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 18, 2010

Filmmaker; Author, War and The Perfect Storm

The author who brought us The Perfect Storm, Junger explores the harsh realities of soldiers dealing with war and combat. For 15 months, Junger followed a single platoon through its tour of duty in Afghanistan’s dangerous Korengal Valley. Through the harrowing experiences of the young men he joined, Junger examines the physical and mental strength needed to fight, serve and survive on a daily basis. This experience also led to his documentary Restrepo.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 25, 2010

Reporter, The New York Times

Sarah Varney, KQED Reporter, "The California Report" and "Health Dialogues" - Moderator

Pulitzer Prize winning Times reporter Moss will share his insights gained while uncovering some of the food industry’s best kept secrets. Moss just won the Pulitzer Prize for his investigation of lapses in food safety surrounding contaminated hamburger meat. Moss traced the sordid history of one hamburger that left a 22-year-old woman paralyzed from E. Coli. The day after Moss’ article ran in The New York Times, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak launched a review of all department meat safety practices. Moss was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for his work on the lack of protective armor for soldiers and Marines in Iraq. Moss will discuss his work to uncover hamburger and other food-safety issues, as well as other nutrition-related issues, from the White House’s war on obesity to an exploration of salt, sugar and fat in processed foods. Moss will also comment on the financial future of investigative reporting in a world of cash-strapped newspapers.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 20, 2010

Walter M. Bortz II, M.D.

Sure, you can’t live forever, but renowned doctor and aging expert Bortz contends that we can live far longer – and happier – than most people can even dream of. Recognized as one of America’s most distinguished scientific experts on aging and longevity, Bortz is past co-chairman of the American Medical Association’s Task Force on Aging, former president of The American Geriatric Society and is currently chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation and a clinical associate professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. He will talk about the breakthrough science that is being done on aging and give you his road map to living a long, healthy and happy life.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 20, 2010

2006 Nobel Peace Prize Winner; Founder, Grameen Bank; Author, Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs

Microcredit pioneer and Grameen Bank founder Yunus shows how he believes the social business model can harness the entrepreneurial spirit to address poverty, hunger and disease. Yunus shows how social business has gone from being a theory to an inspiring practice, adopted by leading corporations including BASF, Intel, Danone, Veolia and Adidas, as well as entrepreneurs and social activists worldwide. He demonstrates how social business transforms lives; offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own; explains that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model; and claims that social business holds the potential to redeem the failed promise of free-market enterprise.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco at The Commonwealth Club on May 24, 2010

Editor, Newsweek; Author, The War Lovers

Thomas’s work in journalism has won him praise from all quarters. He explores our nation’s idiosyncratic urge to invade via the context of the Spanish-American War. He will present his take on America’s mindset for war, drawing links between the likes of hawkish Teddy Roosevelt and William Randolph Hearst and our current leaders.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 10, 2010

Author, Innocent, Presumed Innocent, The Burden of Proof

Writer and attorney Turow has authored seven best-selling novels and taken the literary world by storm. His latest, Innocent, is the sequel to his 1987 best-seller Presumed Innocent. Join us at The Club for an inside look from Turow himself on writing Innocent, a reflection on American criminal law as much as it is an explosive crime drama.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 6, 2010

Jason Mark, Co-manager, Alemany Farm; Editor-in-Chief, Earth Island Journal
Novella Carpenter, Founder, Ghost Town Farm; Author, Farm City
Christopher Burley, Founder, Hayes Valley Farm
David Gavrich, Founder, City Grazing
Sarah Rich, Writer; Editor; Co-founder, The Foodprint Project; Co-author, Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century - Moderator

Enterprising city dwellers are bursting from their pre-packaged lives and taking back their choices for consumption. Urban farms foster community and healthy eating beneath towering city blocks, where fast and easy often supersede fresh and home-grown. Like SF’s own Alemany Farm and Hayes Valley Farm, these urban crop spaces allow neighbors to trade their Swingline staplers for pitchforks and break new ground. Fresh, organic veggies are grown and sold, and the locavore food economy is epitomized. What’s the appeal of throwing away the chain grocery store for the neighborhood till? Come hear from local leaders of the movement like Novella Carpenter, founder of Oakland’s Ghost Town Farm, and trailblazing San Franciscans Jason Mark, of Alemany Farm, Christopher Burley, founder of Hayes Valley Farm, and David Gavrich, "goat whisperer" and founder of City Grazing. They’ll discuss the urban farming movement's place in the world of organic, local-grown culture, and how they’re bringing the farm to the city - goats included!

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 12, 2010

Author, The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement

Stephen M. Dobbs, Ph.D., Consultant in Philanthropy - Moderator

Though the Jewish people only represent 2 percent of the United States' population, they comprise 36 percent of the world's Nobel Prize recipients in economics, 51 percent of Pulitzer Prizes for nonfiction, 21 percent of Ivy League university enrollment and 37 percent of Academy Award-winning directors. Pease, raised a Presbyterian, asks why Jews are disproportionately high achievers and attempts to answer these questions through hundreds of fascinating case studies, ultimately making the case for the important role Jewish culture has played in this high-achieving result. Pease will discuss what drew him to investigate this topic, as well as the significance of the Jewish emphasis on literacy and education in creating this legacy of achievement.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 13, 2010

Former Mayor of SF

Two-term mayor of San Francisco, speaker of the California State Assembly, and widely regarded as among the most influential African-American politicians of the late 20th century, Brown has played a key role in California government for the better part of four decades. He heads the Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics and Public Service, where he shares his knowledge and experience with new generations of the state’s leaders. Join him for a sweeping look at the state of politics.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 11, 2010

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 3, 2010

Louann Brizendine, M.D.; Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic, UCSF; Author, The Female Brain and The Male Brain

For all those times you’ve wondered “Why?,” Brizendine has the answers. A neuropsychiatrist, Brizendine has studied why our brains lead us to act and react the way we do. Founder of the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic, Brizendine first focused on the female brain, studying the neurology behind the emotions and actions of women, and coming to conclusions that helped answer many of those “why” questions that females kept asking her. Now she has answers for the other half. Brizendine explores the male brain, showing how, through every phase of life, the "male reality" is fundamentally different from the female one.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on April 22, 2010

Andy Bichlbaum, Leading Member, the Yes Men
Joe Garofoli, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle – Moderator

Bichlbaum and his partner, Mike Bonanno, pose as top-notch representatives for large corporations and nations…yes, nations. At the Copenhagen Climate Conference last December, the Yes Men delivered a faux press release claiming Canada was reversing its position on climate change. And how can one forget the jaw-dropping statements made by “spokesperson for Dow Chemical” accepting full responsibility for the Bhopal disaster on worldwide news station BBC? Needless to say, they have a knack for striking chords of condemnation and admiration, stimulating polar perspectives simultaneously. Their latest documentary, The Yes Men Fix the World, has been hailed as “a riotous reminder that patriotism is often misconstrued as troublemaking.” Get a load of the Yes Men.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 27, 2010

Gene Yang, Creator, American Born Chinese
Andy Hartzell, Creator, Fox Bunny Funny
Lark Pien, Creator, Long Tail Kitty; Colorist, American Born Chinese
Dash Shaw, Creator, Body World and Bottomless Belly Button
Summerlea Kashar, Acting Director, Cartoon Art Museum

The popularity of graphic novels is exploding. For many years, these comics were not taken seriously by readers or critics; however, with the recognition and success of works like Ghost World, Persepolis and American Born Chinese, graphic novels have surged to a widely respected status in the literary and art landscape. How did this happen? Are we as a society simply tired of reading huge, verbose novels? Or does this shift illustrate a new appreciation of the synthesis between visual art and literature? Leaders of the form talk about these issues and more.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 26, 2010

John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Operation HOPE; Vice Chair, U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy; Author, Love Leadership

Don J. McGrath, Chairman and CEO (retired), Bancwest Corporation - Moderator

As a 26-year-old upstart at a thriving local business firm, Bryant realized his life’s mission as he witnessed the Los Angeles riots. Since then, his speeches have inspired many people and his personal philosophy aims to help everyone become a better leader, using love and respect. Bryant, the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, a nonprofit organization that aims to eliminate poverty through its ‘Silver Rights Movement,’ has shown how leaders can make lasting positive change. In fact, Bryant has raised more than $500 million for these causes. Through a business perspective, Bryant will explain how to lead in today’s economy by combating a fear-based world and focusing on giving. He will demonstrate his five secrets to personal success by helping others.

This program recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 5, 2010.

Author, When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man

In conversation with Mary Bitterman, Chair, The Commonwealth Club’s Board of Governors; President, The Bernard Osher Foundation

The producer of films from Oh God, The Karate Kid and Nashville to the recent Oceans Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen discusses his friendships with George Clooney, George H.W. Bush, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and other famed politicians, stars and confidants. Weintraub is a self-made, Brooklyn-born, Bronx-raised impresario, Hollywood producer and legendary deal maker. Don’t miss this opportunity to go beyond the glitz and glamour to get the real dirt on what goes on inside Hollywood, and Weintraub’s role at the heart of it all.

Scott James, Columnist, The New York Times; Author (aka Kemble Scott), SoMa, The Sower
Elizabeth Block, Author, A Gesture Through Time; Recipient, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation Fiction Fellowship
Teresa LeYung Ryan, Author, Love Made of Heart, Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published
Paula Hendricks, Founder and Book Designer, Cinnabar Bridge Communications; Author, September in Corrales

Book publishing is undergoing a sea change. Come and participate in our dynamic and interactive three-part series covering all aspects of self-publishing, taught by front-line experts who have done it themselves Ð and succeeded. Bookstores are closing; newspaper book reviews are almost gone; and online options can be overwhelming. What’s an author or publisher to do?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 19, 2010.

Lee Foster, Owner, Foster Travel Publishing; Author, The Photographer’s Guide to San Francisco
Joel Friedlander, Proprietor, Marin Bookworks; Blogger, TheBookDesigner.com
V. Vale, Publisher, RE/Search Publications; Founder, Search and Destroy
Paula Hendricks, Founder and Book Designer, Cinnabar Bridge Communications; Author, September in Corrales – Moderator

Book publishing is undergoing a sea change. Come and participate in our dynamic and interactive three-part series covering all aspects of self-publishing, taught by front-line experts who have done it themselves Ð and succeeded. What goes into making a book truly a book? What are the essentials of editing and page layout – and how can they make or break you? Learn from an insider panel of experts about the critical design and production of your book and the ins and outs of available formats, from traditional to e-books and apps.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 12, 2010.

Program 1 – Options, Directions and Resources

Lisa Alpine, Publisher, Good to Go Media; Co-author, Self-Publishing Boot Camp Workbook
Peter Beren, Literary Agent; Publishing Consultant; Author, The Writer’s Legal Companion
Carla King, Publisher, Good to Go Media; Social Media Consultant; Author, Miss Adventuring Series
Paula Hendricks, Founder and Book Designer, Cinnabar Bridge Communications; Author, September in Corrales – Moderator

Book publishing is undergoing a sea change. Come and participate in our dynamic and interactive three-part series covering all aspects of self-publishing, taught by front-line experts who have done it themselves Ð and succeeded. What does it take to publish a book, and how do you choose which route to follow? Discover your options – from traditional to cooperative to true self-publishing – with industry experts who’ve done it themselves.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 6, 2010

Goodman has exposed human-rights violations in East Timor and Nigeria, has been arrested covering the Republican National Convention and was the first person to interview exiled Haitian President Aristide. “The role of reporters,” she says, “is to go to where the silence is and say something.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 10, 2010.

Dan Harris, International Lawyer; Author, China Law Blog
David Gorodyansky, CEO and Co-founder, AnchorFree Inc.
George Koo, Ph.D., Special Advisor, Deloitte China Services Group; Member, Committee of 100
Jeff Richards, Partner, GGV Capital
Edith Yeung, Founder, BizTechDay
Quentin Hardy, National Editor, Forbes - Moderator

Google’s recent struggle with China over censorship has raised the possibility that China's regulatory regime may be too restrictive for the free operation of American technology companies. HBS's February review of the Google/China skirmish says that "the Google issue has become a cause celebre that exacerbates the already fragile and festering U.S.-China relationship." Is it worth it for American businesses to acquiesce to the Chinese government’s control and censorship requests in order to operate in China’s ever-growing market?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 6th, 2010.

Mark Halperin: Editor-at-large and Senior Political Analyst, Time; Co-Author, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
John Heilemann: National Political Correspondent & Columnist, New York magazine; Co-Author, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
Phil Bronstein: Executive Vice President, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Go behind the scenes of the historic 2008 election and learn more about the riveting book that even Stephen Colbert just can’t put down. Political journalists Halperin and Heilemann, discuss in extensive detail the momentous rise of Barack Obama, shocking fall of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House, and the national phenomenon around John McCain choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. From hundreds of interviews with people working inside the '08 campaigns, learn more about the Obama campaign machine, how McCain staffers truly felt about Sarah Palin, and how Hillary Clinton was wooed as secretary of state. Since its debut, Game Change has been one of the most talked about books of the year – skyrocketing to #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 13, 2010.

In conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club

Don’t miss a rare opportunity to come face to face with the speaker of the House, as she addresses challenges facing the nation and world, including the economy, health care and Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Hear the view from inside Washington in this frank and timely discussion.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on April 6, 2010.

Steve Poizner, California Insurance Commissioner; Republican Gubernatorial Candidate

Can Steve Poizner defeat Meg Whitman in the GOP gubernatorial primary? From Silicon Valley executive to East San Jose public school teacher, co-founder of the California Charter Schools Association to California Insurance Commissioner, Poizner's resume offers a much different Republican option for governor. Both GOP candidates made a lot of money as Silicon Valley executives, but Poizner is one of only two statewide elected Republicans.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 18, 2010.

Craig Barrett, Retired CEO/Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation
Michael Kirst, Professor Emeritus of Education and Business Administration, Stanford University; Former President, California State Board of Education
Wendy Kopp, Founder, Teach for America
Moira Gunn, Host, NPR’s “Tech Nation” - Moderator

With school budgets in crisis and critics decrying the quality of public education, what does this bode for the future of California? Can the state remain smart and competitive? Ultimately, will we have qualified leaders to carry forth the mantle of our cutting-edge technology as well as the other businesses necessary for economic success?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 31, 2010.

James A. Baker III, Former U.S. Secretary of State

The man who played a crucial role in crafting American policy over the last four decades returns to the spotlight for a candid discussion of the ethical concerns that must guide U.S. foreign policy.
A Republican Party powerhouse player since the 1970s, James A. Baker III served at top levels of government, including stints as chief of staff in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush White Houses, and as President Reagan’s treasury secretary and George H.W. Bush’s secretary of state. Since leaving these roles he’s stayed active in politics, acting as advisor to President George W. Bush and being tapped for the co-chair position in the Iraq Study Group. Secretary Baker will draw on the lessons of his extraordinary career in a hard-hitting exploration of what the United States must do in order to develop an effective and secure foreign policy.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco at The Commonwealth Club on March 16, 2010

In conversation with Kevin Kelly, Founding Executive Editor, Wired

Are elephants truly scared of mice? Can trousers really spontaneously combust? Is it movie magic, or can a person actually hold on to the hood of a speeding car? Learn how urban legends and illusions are debunked.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 13, 2010

Can the woman who launched eBay to success help turn around California’s flailing economy? As former president and CEO of eBay, Whitman has a different idea about what California needs to return to its golden days. She sees her background in business as a gubernatorial asset, one that can help her lead California into the future just as she lead eBay.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club on February 16, 2010.

In conversation with Commonwealth Club President and CEO Dr. Gloria Duffy

Now including 28 countries of Western, Eastern and Southern Europe – as well as the United States – NATO has evolved to include roles as varied as fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, airlifting aid to Haiti after the recent earthquake, and ensuring collaboration among its members in combating terrorism. What else does NATO do today? How strong is this alliance? How is it measuring up to the new challenges of security we and our European allies face, from terrorism and cyberterrorism, climate change, the global economic rollercoaster, pandemics, natural disasters, and nuclear proliferation? What should an alliance of economically developed democracies be doing in the world today?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 25, 2010

William T. Bagley, Former California Assemblyman and UC Regent; Author, California’s Golden Years

Tracing what he sees as the downfall of the art of governance, Bagley describes the causes and effects of gridlock in Sacramento. He’ll detail personal participatory knowledge of the creation of California’s golden era, before “political reform,” when non-ideological legislators produced what might be the state’s most significant gains in education, civil rights, infrastructure, environmental protection and more.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on March 8, 2010.

Winner, 2001 Nobel Prize Winner for Economics; Author, Freefall

In conversation with Andrew Leonard, Senior Technology and Business Writer, Salon

Stiglitz argues that America exported bad economics, bad policies and bad behavior to the rest of the world. Stiglitz outlines a way forward building on ideas that he has championed his entire career: restoring the balance between markets and government; addressing the inequalities of the global financial system; and demanding more good ideas (and less ideology) from economists.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 22, 2010.

Nobel Laureate; Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University; Author, Reducing Injustice on Earth

Nobel Laureate Sen has been called the "Mother Teresa of economics" for his work on famine, human development theory and welfare economics. He argues that social justice is more than a matter of intellectual discourse, and that the idea of justice influences how – and how well – people live. Sen offers a powerful critique of the mainstream theories of justice that, despite their many specific achievements, he argues, have taken us in the wrong direction.

This program was recorded in front of live audience at the Commonwealth Club on February 25, 2010.

William H. Taft, IV, Professor of International Law and Diplomacy, Stanford Law School

The International Criminal Court is almost 10 years old, but the Obama administration has yet to decide if the U.S. will join. Fear that it would be a politicized institution likely to prosecute American soldiers have not been realized, nor has it been effective in prosecuting persons responsible for war crimes. In recent years the U.S. has moderated its hostility to the court, but where do we go from here?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 24, 2010.

Historian; Author, The Modern Presidency and the National Security State

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Wills argues that the atomic bomb paved the way for presidential authority that has “enfeebled” Congress and the courts, and that reached its apex with George W. Bush.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 11, 2010.

Molly McKay, Media Director, Marriage Equality USA
Jennifer Morse, President and Founder, Ruth Institute at the National Organization for Marriage
Therese Stewart, Chief Deputy City Attorney, San Francisco; Attorney for the plaintiffs in current court case challenging Prop. 8
Kevin Snider, Chief Counsel, Pacific Justice Institute
Doug Sovern, Broadcast Journalist, "Sovern Nation" on KCBS; Three-time Winner, AP’s Reporter of the Year Award for California - Moderator

Six years ago, the eyes of the nation were focused on San Francisco when Mayor Gavin Newsom granted almost 4,000 same-sex couples marriage licenses. But the battle was far from over. With the passage of Proposition 8 in 2008, only marriage between a man and a woman is recognized in California; this year, after numerous protests, lawsuits and campaigns, San Francisco’s Federal District Court will decide the constitutional validity of the law.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 17, 2010.

John Yoo, Law Professor, UC Berkeley; Author, Crisis and Command

Allen Weiner, Co-director, International Law Program, Stanford Law School - Moderator

At the Department of Justice, Yoo played a large and controversial role in shaping the Bush administration’s policy in the war on terrorism, arguing that prisoner of war status under the Geneva Conventions does not apply to “enemy combatants.” He further asserted executive authority to undertake “enhanced interrogation techniques” regarded as torture by the current Justice Department.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 27, 2010.

Eve Ensler, Author, I Am An Emotional Creature; Playwright, "The Vagina Monologues"

In conversation with Daniel Handler, "Lemony Snicket"; Author; Screenwriter; Accordionist

Since creating her groundbreaking first work, "The Vagina Monologues," Ensler and the performers she inspired have grown into nothing less than a global movement. A best-selling author, award-winning playwright and anti-violence activist, Ensler has been the voice for women and girls across the globe for over a decade. She will reveal the daily struggles faced by many modern women around the world.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 16, 2010.

Margaret Hamburg: M.D., Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration

J. Michael Bishop, M.D., Professor and Director, G.W. Hooper Foundation, UCSF and Chancellor Emeritus UCSF - Moderator

FDA chief Hamburg has been tasked with an extremely difficult job: ensuring the safety of everything we consume, in an increasingly globalized world with increasingly obscured accountability trails. With a background in medicine, science and public health, she is well-positioned to meet the myriad of challenges facing the FDA. As New York’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene commissioner, Hamburg improved services for women and children, instituted needle-exchange programs to reduce the spread of HIV (the AIDS virus), and created the first public health bio-terrorism defense program in the nation. Her most celebrated achievement, however, was curbing the spread of tuberculosis. Learn what she has planned to help keep the nation and its food and medicine supply safe. As New York’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene commissioner, Hamburg improved services for women and children, instituted needle-exchange programs to reduce the spread of HIV (the AIDS virus), and created the first public health bio-terrorism defense program in the nation.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 28, 2010.

Janice Mirikitani, Co-founder/Founding President, Glide Foundation; San Francisco’s 2nd Poet Laureate

Mirikitani speaks about recovery of her life from a childhood history of incest, abuse, violence and internment of her family in WWII camps. She has worked for 43 years in partnership with the Rev. Cecil Williams.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 8, 2010.

Eliot Spitzer, Former Governor and Attorney General, New York

Mary Cranston, Senior Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Immediate Past Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors - Moderator

As the former attorney general and later governor of New York, Spitzer prosecuted some of the most notorious white-collar crime and securities fraud on Wall Street. He now questions whether we have what it takes to regulate and reform the banking industry. Does “too big to fail” mean too big? Without successful financial regulatory reform, are we just waiting for the next economic meltdown?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 26, 2010.

Paul Linde, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF School of Medicine

What happens behind closed doors in an urban psychiatric ER? What medical, psychiatric and social problems does a front line psychiatrist confront? Linde sheds light on this place, highlighting the history, politics, finance and ethics of society’s current involuntary commitment laws.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California, on February 9, 2010.

David Walker, President, CEO, Peter G. Peterson Foundation; Former Comptroller General of the U.S.; Author, Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility

One of America’s foremost independent financial experts, former comptroller general of the U.S. and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office from 1998-2008, Walker will discuss a range of compelling ideas, including how to control spending, save Social Security, dramatically alter our health-care system, reform our tax system and re-engineer the base of the federal government – all taking into account the Obama administration’s efforts to-date to do the same.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 25, 2010.

Michael Pollan, Author, The Ominvore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food

Mike Cassidy, Columnist, San Jose Mercury News

According to Pollan, the advent of “nutritionism” has vastly complicated how Americans see food, without doing very much for our health. Nutritionism arose to deal with genuine issues – addressing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and many cancers – but now seems to be obscuring and perpetuating the real problems of the American diet, says Pollan.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 27, 2010.

Is the U.S. economy showing signs of recovery, as some indicators suggest, or are these assertions dangerously premature? He served in three administrations, wrote best-selling books and published articles in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 22, 2010

Steve Buster, CEO, Mechanics Bank
Mike Walker, Northern California President, U.S. Bank

Perry Pelos, Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo National Commercial Banking
Tom Cleveland, Professor, St. Mary’s School of Economics and Business; Former Banking Executive – Moderator

Top executives from a range of national, regional and local banks will stand and deliver on the questions we all are asking: What is the future of credit and bank lending for businesses as well as for individuals?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 27, 2010.

Patrick Geary, Professor of Medieval History, UCLA

Does history matter in the New Europe? Geary will explore the recent, dangerous resurgence of ethnocentric nationalism since 1989 in Europe, which makes an appeal to long-discredited but still powerful myths about the region’s deep past.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 20, 2010.

Barry Moltz, Author, Bounce!

In conversation with Cassandra Phillipps, Executive Producer, FailCon; Founder, WebWallflower Events

Conventional wisdom teaches us that the road to business success is a straight one – if you work hard you’ll win big, and if failure finds you at least there will be lessons to be learned. Not so, says entrepreneurship expert Barry Moltz, who regularly serves up unorthodox views on dealing with failure and defining success. In Bounce!, Moltz teaches that sometimes failure simply stinks. But if we recognize failure as a fixture of the business cycle and an opportunity for choice and change, we can build the business confidence needed to go the distance in a challenging economy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California, on January 11, 2010.

Tom Campbell: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate; Former U.S. Congressman; Former Dean, Haas School of Business; Former CA Director of Finance

Republican gubernatorial hopeful and economics Ph.D. Campbell says that his experience as state finance director in 2004-2005 (when California had a balanced budget) can help lead the state out of its current fiscal crisis.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 20, 2010/

Kamala Harris, District Attorney, San Francisco; Candidate, California Attorney General; Author, Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safe

Are corrections institutions failing their mission? Many people say that prisoners are leaving the system as increasingly hardened criminals, not rehabilitated citizens.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 14, 2010

Author, Stuffed and Starved and The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy

If economics is about choices, who gets to make them? Activist and academic Patel says that prices often mislead us, and he reveals the "hidden costs" of goods. To demonstrate his argument that the free market and corporations distort price and value, Patel suggests that the true price of a hamburger would be $200 if we factor in the hidden environment and health costs.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on January 6, 2010.

Bill George, Professor, Harvard Business School; Former CEO, Medtronic; Author, Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis

As the U.S. continues to feel the devastating effects of the economic meltdown and widespread job losses, George reminds us that it is precisely in times like these that leaders of organizations of all sizes must remember to “never waste a good crisis.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on December 2, 2009.

Madeleine Kunin, Former U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland; Former Governor of Vermont; Author, Pearls, Politics and Power

The first woman elected governor of Vermont, Kunin held positions of power during the Bush Sr. and Clinton administrations, eventually taking her as a U.S. ambassador back to Switzerland, from which she fled with her family at the outbreak of World War II. She will share her views of the problems facing women in power in an insightful, candid discussion of what it means to become a leader.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on December 8, 2009

William Eggers, Co-author, If We Can Put a Man on the Moon…Getting Big Things Done in Government

Frustrated by the growing list of high-profile failures, Americans have rarely expected so much from our government while also having so little public confidence in government’s ability to actually get things done.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on December 9, 2009

Bay Area Pilot; Author, Highest Duty

In conversation KGO TV’s Dan Ashley

Sullenberger had less than three minutes to plan and execute the water landing hailed around the world as “the miracle on the Hudson” last winter. In a talk about work, priorities and challenges, Sully reveals how he’d spent his entire life preparing for those minutes in the cockpit of US Airways Flight 1549, when his actions would mean life or death.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco

Co-founder, Central Asia Institute; Co-author, Three Cups of Tea; Author, Stones in Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Mortenson picks up where Three Cups of Tea left off in 2003 and shares his broader vision to promote peace through education and literacy. He discusses his relentless and ongoing efforts to establish schools for girls in Afghanistan, his extensive work in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan after the horrific 2005 earthquake, and how he has managed to stay alive among feuding Afghan warlords and an eight-day abduction by the Taliban. The recipient of The Star of Pakistan, the country’s highest civil award, Mortenson also provides a candid look at the current social and political situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in San Jose

A.J. Jacobs, Author, The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life As an Experiment; Editor at Large, Esquire
David Ewing Duncan, Chief Correspondent, NPR’s "Biotech Nation"; Author, Experimental Man: What One Man’s Body Reveals About His Future- Moderator

An acclaimed journalist and a best-selling author, Jacobs takes journalistic commitment to a whole new level. His experimental and "experiential" undertakings have led him from conquering all 32 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica to outsourcing his entire life to India (yes, even his children’s bedtime stories). In the 2007 best-seller,

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on September 16, 2009

Professional Tennis Champion; Author, Open: An Autobiography

In conversation with Barry MacKay, Tennis Promoter and Broadcaster

During his exhilarating, epic 21-year professional career, Agassi captured eight Grand Slam championships and is the only man to win a career “Golden Slam” – adding an Olympic gold medal to his four Grand Slams. His new book reflects candidly on his life on and off the court, from pivotal matches with rivals Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer to his personal relationships with Brooke Shields and wife Stefanie Graf, and his role as an education advocate and philanthropist. As the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, he has raised more than $85 million for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, an acclaimed K-12 charter school for underprivileged children in his hometown, Las Vegas.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club's San Jose office on November 20, 2009

Erica Fernandez, Stanford student; Grassroots Organizer Opposing Liquefied Gas and Pesticide Spraying in S. CA
Rachel Barge, Director and Founder, Campus InPower
Alec Loorz, Founder, Kids vs. Global Warming
May Boeve, Co-coordinator, 350.org

The Millennials and Generation Y are perhaps the most eco-savvy generations in U.S. history. Born between 1978 and 2000, 95 million youth are inheriting an ecosystem on the brink. The climate crisis is a key issue for them and has birthed a new branch of environmentalism – diverse in its leadership, global in scope, and youth-driven.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California, on November 23, 2009.

Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Neuroscience Imaging Center, UCSF

Our brains, despite extraordinary complexity and remarkable capabilities, have distinct limitations – we misplace car keys, we confuse names, we forget phone numbers.

This Program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on December 2, 2009.

Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law, Harvard University; Author, The Future of the Internet – and How to Stop It

In conversation with Amanda Congdon, Co-president, Oxmour Entertainment; Co-owner, Rocketboom; Independent Videoblogger, Starring Amanda Congdon

Imagine a future in which passengers on a subway stare into screens for a few minutes – and earn as much money in that time as their respective skills and stations allow. New projects like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and LiveOps are making the application of human brainpower as purchasable and fungible as additional server rackspace.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on November 18th, 2009.

Haleh Esfandiari, Founder and Director, Woodrow Wilson Center’s Middle East Program; Author, My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran

Renowned Iranian journalist and scholar Esfandiari was forced to leave the country and settled in the U.S. during the 1979 revolution. Over the years, she returned to visit family members, but during a 2006 visit she was told by officials that she was under investigation and could not leave the country. She later discovered that the Intelligence Ministry believed her scholarly work at the Woodrow Wilson Center was a cover by the U.S. government to overthrow the Iranian regime. What ensued was a Kafkaesque journey through the paranoid and repressive Iranian bureaucracy that left Esfandiari a prisoner for eight months.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on October 28, 2009.

Kevin Hunsanger, Co-owner, Green Apple Books
Jared Friedman, Co-founder, Scribd
Brewster Kahle, Director and Co-founder, Archive.org
Dan Clancy, Engineering Director, Google Books
Pamela Samuelson, Distinguished Professor, Law and Information, UC Berkeley
David Hellman, Associate Librarian, San Francisco State University – Moderator

Will the printed word become obsolete? Access to information is constantly changing, and the popularity of e-books and online material is on the rise. To survive, publishing companies are trying to adapt to new forms of written media.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on November 16, 2009.

John Nieters, Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine; Certified in Integrated Diabetes Care, Xin Hua Hospital

As the oldest professional integrated medicine in the world, traditional Chinese medicine has been recognized by the World Health Organization as the number-one treatment for stroke recovery and for many orthopedic pain syndromes. Acupuncture is considered evidence-based medicine and is recognized by nationwide organizations.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on

Steve Levitt, Economics Professor, University of Chicago; Blogger, The New York Times; Co-author, Freakonomics, SuperFreakonomics
Stephen Dubner, Journalist; Blogger, The New York Times; Author, Freakonomics, SuperFreakonomics

In Conversation with Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor and Executive Editor Online, Wall Street Journal

With Freakonomics, Levitt and Dubner revealed the good, bad, ugly and super freaky of the world around us. The freakquel is here.

This program was recorded in font of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on November 4, 2009.

John Perkins, Author, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and Hoodwinked

Economic hit man Perkins has confessed the sins of predatory politicians and analyzed the reasons for the current meltdown. A reformed economist, he warns that returning to our “normal” blueprints for the global economy would prove disastrous.

This program was recoded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on November 18, 2009.

Author, Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create A New You

Lata Krishnan, Vice Chair, American India Foundation and Member of Commonwealth Club Board of Governors - Moderator

“You can’t change the body without changing the self, and you can’t change the self without bringing in the soul,” says Chopra, a renowned pioneer in holistic medicine. Chopra believes the highest choice is to reinvent your body and resurrect your soul. He will discuss aging, the many lifestyle diseases he says are the result of the steady loss of energy inside the body, and how awareness can reverse the process.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley office in San Jose, CA

Author, Nickel & Dimed and Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America

Alyssa Byrkit, VP of Advancement, American Leadership Forum, Silicon Valley - Moderator

We’ve been told that optimism is the key to success and prosperity, but is that really the truth? Ehrenreich embarks on a myth-busting exposure of America’s history of forced positive thinking and its downside.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on October 24, 2009.

CEO, IDEO; Author, Change By Design

One myth of innovation is that brilliant solutions leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. In reality, we don’t simply realize solutions; we design them. Design thinking is now being applied to address a wide range of concerns, from delivering clean drinking water to improving airport security and microfinancing.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on November 9, 2009

Sally Pipes, President and CEO, Pacific Research Institute; Author, The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care: A Citizen’s Guide

Inundated with medical terminology and ill equipped to navigate the options available, most people probably could use a little health-care-system guidance. In this program, Sally Pipes offers her extensive experience in the field and an at-times controversial outlook.

This program was recorded in front of a live audence at the Commonwealth Club of California on October 26th, 2009.

Frank Luntz, Pollster; Political Consultant; Communications Expert; Author, What Americans Really Want…Really

Joseph Tuman, Professor of Political and Legal Communications, San Francisco State University; Political Analyst, CBS5 News and KCBS Radio - Moderator

Whether it’s health care, religion and the Bill of Rights, or the size of your retirement nest egg, Luntz answers the question of “what Americans really want.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on November 6, 2009.

In conversation with Phil Bronstein, Executive VP, San Francisco Chronicle