Talks at Google

This week, Broadway legend Idina Menzel visits Google to discuss her career, her personal life, and her new album "idina." She first rose to fame for her role as 'Maureen' in the popular Broadway musical RENT. Her career continued to take off when she won a Tony Award for her role as 'Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West,' in the smash hit musical, WICKED. But it was her role as 'Elsa' in Disney's Oscar-winning film Frozen, the second highest grossing animated film of all time, that truly launched her into superstardom. Menzel performed the film's signature song "Let It Go," which became an instant international phenomenon, winning the Oscar for Best Original Song and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. The track reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Menzel the first artist with both a Billboard Top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting. Originally published in October of 2016. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Checkers. Backgammon. Chess. Go. Poker. Scrabble. Bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In his book Seven Games, game theorist Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules, and the ways their design makes them pleasurable. Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across forty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai, the Master, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, defending tradition against "modern rationalism"; and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the space shuttle. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, and how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones. Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programs better than any human player, and what that means for the games—and for us. Funny, fascinating, and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human. Moderated by Matt Bongiovi. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

We all struggle with interpersonal conflict at some point in our lives. In his book Negotiating the Nonnegotiable, Harvard negotiation expert Daniel Shapiro introduces a groundbreaking method to bridge the toughest divides--whether with family members, colleagues, or in the polarized world of politics. He reveals the hidden power of identity in fueling conflict, and presents a practical framework to reconcile even the most contentious situations. For anyone struggling with conflict, this book can be transformative. Negotiating the Nonnegotiable takes readers on a journey into the heart and soul of conflict, providing unique insight into the emotional undercurrents that too often sweep us out to sea. With vivid stories of his closed-door sessions with warring political groups, disputing businesspeople, and families in crisis, Shapiro presents a universally applicable method to successfully navigate conflict. A deep, provocative book to reflect on and wrestle with, this book can change your life. Originally published in May of 2016. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Planetary protection engineer Dr. Moogega Cooper, also known as "Dr. Moo" visits Google to discuss her work with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory team, and as the planetary protection lead of the famed NASA 2020 Mars mission. Dr. Moo is an integral part to the ongoing mission to discern whether Mars could be habitable for humans and that we don't harm what's already there, working as a real life 'Guardian of the Galaxy'. She shares leadership lessons learned from her inspirational journey to the top of a male-dominated field—space exploration. She also shares insights on how perseverance pays off, and how diversity makes the JPL team even greater. Moderated by Helen Riley. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

In her book Quiet, author Susan Cain shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She also talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools, and questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh's sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert." This book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves. Originally published in February of 2012 Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Research has revealed that our brains are inherently noisy. Certain regions are always grinding away at involuntary activities like daydreaming, worrying about the future, and self-chatter. Daydreaming and ruminating can tug your attention away from the present and contribute to anxiety and depression. Bringing his groundbreaking research to the forefront, cognitive neuroscientist Moshe Bar argues that we can become aware of when our minds wander, directing them to stimulate creativity, increase focus and boost our mood instead of making us unhappy. He investigates these benefits and provides the tools and understanding to help harness our wandering minds in order to boost our productivity and improve our well-being. Moderated by Danielle Perszy. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Google welcomes behavioral economist and "Predictably Irrational" author Dan Ariely as part of our Modern Romance series. He discusses the paradox of choice in the "Age of Tinder," why a canoe is the best place to test your long-term compatibility, and other research-based insights and advice for modern dating and relationships. Dan Ariely has been fascinated by irrationality in human endeavors such as dating ever since he overcame severe injuries sustained in an explosion. The range of treatments he received for his burns made him face a variety of irrational behaviors that were immensely painful and persistent. He became engrossed with the idea that we repeatedly and predictably make the wrong decisions in many aspects of our lives, and that research could help change some of these patterns. As he learned more and more about decision making and behavioral economics, he realized that this knowledge is relevant to many aspects of our life, from financial decision making, to health, to better habits, and of course, to dating. Originally published in November of 2015. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Janney Marin Rivera—better known as Chiquis—is an artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and television personality. She first captivated audiences on reality shows with her late mother, Jenni Rivera, and their family. Chiquis launched her music career in 2014, making her musical debut on international television at the Premios Juventud. Her 2015 memoir, Forgiveness, was an instant New York Times bestseller, and in 2020, Chiquis won her first Latin Grammy for her album Playlist. This week, Chiquis visits Google to discuss her memoir Unstoppable: How I Found My Strength Through Love and Loss. Bringing her signature warmth, humor, and positivity to the page, the book picks up where her memoir Forgiveness left off. Reeling from her mother's tragic death, Chiquis finds herself at a major crossroads. As a new parent to her younger brother and sister, she struggles to balance her family's needs with her dreams of becoming a successful singer and entrepreneur. Filled with life-affirming revelations, Chiquis ultimately shares her greatest gift with her fans—the accessible lessons that have made her unstoppable. Moderated by Liliana Cerilo. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

In celebration of #IamRemarkable Week, Luvvie Ajayi Jones visits Google to discuss her New York Times bestselling book Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual. With humor and honesty, and guided by the influence of her professional troublemaking Nigerian grandmother, Luvvie walks us through what we must get right within ourselves before we can do the things that scare us; like how to use our voice for a greater good, and how to put movement to the voice we've been silencing - because truth-telling is a muscle. The point is not to be fearless, but to know we are afraid and charge forward regardless. It is to recognize that the things we must do are more significant than our fears. This book is about how to live boldly in spite of all the reasons we have to cower. Born in Nigeria, bred in Chicago and comfortable everywhere, Luvvie is committed to creating content and doing work that informs, inspires, and convinces others to make positive change. What started as a hobby has become a global business and has allowed her to help people in more ways than she could have ever imagined. Using her life and her story as the anchor, her professional troublemaking is all in the hopes of leaving people feeling more powerful than they ever have. Moderated by Alex Okosi. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Guneet Monga is an Indian film producer, a BAFTA nominee and amongst the first producers from India to be inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Most recently, she was the recipient of the second highest civilian honor of France, the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She is the founder of Sikhya Entertainment, a Mumbai-based production house that carved an unprecedented space in the Indian film industry by producing films that focused on heartland stories that resonate globally. Additionally, Guneet served as an Executive Producer on Period. End of Sentence. which won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. In celebration of #IamRemarkable Week, Guneet Monga visits Google to discuss her personal story and career, as well as how she is using her position as one of the most influential female film producers in India to facilitate change and normalize gender equality. Moderated by Roman Matla. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.