Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

America’s Latinx population is diverse, complex and has plenty of untold stories to share. Paola Ramos, a correspondent for Vice and former deputy director of Hispanic media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, has spent the past 2 years exploring the changing nature of Latinx identity. In her first book, Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity, Paola presents a travelogue with stories from Latinx community members across America that will move, empower and enrage you. Join Paola at INFORUM, where she will talk about the intense field research that went into writing Finding Latinx and how her personal experiences informed her work. Be sure to tune in for what will be a fascinating discussion of the contemporary Latinx community. NOTES Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a virtual conversation with award-winning historian David Reynolds to discuss his new biography of Abraham Lincoln, which also illuminates the riotous tumult of American life in the decades before the Civil War. It was a country growing up and being pulled apart at the same time, with a democratic popular culture that reflected the country's contradictions. From New England Puritan stock on his father's side and Virginia Cavalier gentry on his mother's, Lincoln was linked by blood to the central conflict of the age, and was aided by his genius for striking a balance between opposing forces. Lacking formal schooling but with an unquenchable thirst for self-improvement, Lincoln had a talent for wrestling and bawdy jokes that made him popular with his peers, but also had an appetite for poetry and prodigious gifts for memorization that set him apart throughout his childhood, and in his years as a lawyer and a politician. No one can transcend the limitations of his time, and Lincoln was no exception. But Lincoln did, at each stage of his life, arrive at a broader view of things than all but his most enlightened peers. As a politician, he moved too slowly for some and too swiftly for many, but he always pushed toward justice while keeping the whole nation in mind. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a special post-election Week to Week political roundtable. Less than a day after polls closed, will we know the victor in the race for the White House? What about control of the U.S. Senate and House? Our panelists will discuss the results of the election, covering significant local, state and national results. Whatever the outcome, there will be many important impacts on our country, so we'll have a panel of informed political experts to dissect it all and help you make sense of one of the wildest years in recent American political life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the role of power in deciding the fate of a planet? 2020 has seen a reckoning with various forms of power embedded in racial, gender, and generational identities. As we think about a transfer of U.S. presidential power, what can we learn about how other types of power are shaping our climate and our future?“It is precisely for people when they vote to not just think of the vote as voting for health or voting for schools or libraries, but to start connecting the dots,” says Dorceta Taylor, an original leader of the environmental justice movement. “That's another dimension of power.”Guests:Dorceta Taylor, Professor, Professor of Environmental Justice, Yale School for the EnvironmentJamie Margolin, Co-Executive Director, Zero Hour; Author, Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use ItThis program was recorded via video on October 26, 2020 and September 15, 2020.Visit our website for full show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shellye Archambeau is a well-respected business leader, former tech CEO, and sought-after advisor. She is also a black woman who has taken risks throughout her career and blazed new trails in a predominantly white male-driven industry. Through her journey, Archambeau says she discovered that ambition alone is not enough and offers a blueprint with key takeaways and actions to increase the odds of achieving personal and professional success. Join us for this candid conversation as Archambeau shares her personal story and the best ways to create success on your own terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Christakis is a physician and sociologist at Yale University who explores the ancient origins and modern implications of human nature. Christakis’ research focuses on the social, mathematical and biological rules that form social networks as well as the implications of human connection that influences thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In his new book Apollo’s Arrow, Christakis explores the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in America and the implications that will follow in the coming years. Christakis uses a range of disciplines to unpack the effects of a modern pandemic, including historical epidemics, contemporary analyses and trailblazing scientific research. The coronavirus pandemic and the epidemics that have come before it, though mostly unknown territory to those alive today, is fundamental to the human biological experience. Join Christakis and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for a conversation about adaptation, survival and the rapid change we’ve undergone in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo and The Wall Street Journal's James Freeman say that America needs an economic revival after the coronavirus shutdowns and argue that the playbook that resulted in "the greatest job market in history" can now put Americans back to work. Bartiromo and Freeman say that President Trump's cutting of red tape and slashing business tax rates spurred corporate investment that led to record numbers of U.S. job openings, and they say these policies will once again lead to prosperity. Maria Bartiromo is a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, who was the first person to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in 1995, and in 2011 made history once again as the first female journalist to be inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. James Freeman is a former investor advocate at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. On the eve of the presidential election, come for a spirited discussion of the U.S. economy, and bring your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dessert is easy to enjoy but harder to make. Watching Claire Saffitz’s viral videos might not help ease the anxiety of new bakers. While a contributing food editor at Bon Appetit, Saffitz’s claim to fame was "Gourmet Makes"--a web series where the acclaimed chef reverse engineered sweet and savory snacks with an incredible amount of skill. While her expertise in baking might seem unattainable to those who love her show, her new cookbook, Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence, can convince anyone that they can be a “dessert person.” Saffitz has plenty of tips and tricks for the kitchen and beyond to share at INFORUM. Tune in to learn more about her new recipes and about her journey to becoming a baking expert for the masses. NOTES Part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Gary Kamiya and artist Paul Madonna are two of the most critically acclaimed contemporary chroniclers of San Francisco. Now, they join forces for a new book, Spirits of San Francisco, marrying image and text in a way no book about the city has done before. Kamiya's captivating narratives accompany Madonna's masterful pen-and-ink drawings, breathing life into San Francisco sites both iconic and obscure. In this COVID era, when San Francisco faces unprecedented challenges, come hear from two of the city's wisest observers about what makes San Francisco special and what the future may hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people have the next great idea for a company, but what does it take to make a dream a reality? Kara Goldin decided to start the unsweetened flavored water brand Hint in 2005 after observing how sugary and artificial most drinks were. In her new book Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters, Kara shares her advice for tackling the obstacles that are holding you back from achieving your dreams. Join Kara at INFORUM to learn more about entrepreneurship, female leadership and perseverance. With her award-winning experience in business, Kara has guidance aplenty for people looking to actualize the next big idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices