Frank Lavin talks about doing business in China with Ken Wilcox, the former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, who went on to run the SVB joint venture in China, the story of which resulted in his insightful book, “The China Business Conundrum.” Beyond his book, Ken also recommends “Red Roulette” by Desmond Shum and “Beijing Rules” by Bethany Allen for those interested in a deeper reading of the challenges U.S. businesses face in China.

Frank Lavin talks about the mid-east with Bucky Apisdorf, President and CEO of the Israeli charity, Let’s Do Something, formed after the tragic attacks of Oct 7, 2023. We discuss how this calamity affected Israel, the Palestinians, and prospects for peace. Bucky recommend’s Herman Wouk’s magisterial novels of World War II, “The Winds of War,” and “War and Remembrance.”

Frank Lavin talks with Anil Ananthaswamy, journalist and author to discuss the role of artificial intelligence. We discuss Anil’s book, “Why Machines Learn” which examines machine learning and the origins of AI, and we learn of Anil’s recommendation of Anil Seth’s “Being You.”

Frank Lavin talks with Jonathan Martin, Senior Political Writer, Politico, to discuss the 2024 presidential race and what Harris and Trump each need to do in the final stretch. We also discuss Jonathan’s book, “This Will Not Pass,” as well as Richard Ben Cramer’s masterpiece of the 1988 presidential campaign, “What it Takes.” At least one swear word in this episode. If you need more than that, you can listen again.

Frank Lavin talks with Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for New American Security, to discuss why the U.S. should shift from a Europe-oriented foreign policy to an Asia-oriented one. We review recent developments in U.S.-Asia policy in a discussion of Richard’s book, “The Lost Decade,” written with Robert Blackwill. Richard also recommends David Fromkin’s, “A Peace to End All Peace,” a look at the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, with implications for the Mideast of today.

Frank Lavin talks with Jason Hsu from the Kennedy School of Government, discussing semiconductors and Taiwan-China-U.S. relations. Appropriately, Jason’s book recommendation is Thomas Schelling’s, Arms and Influence, the classic work of deterrence theory and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.

Frank Lavin discusses the Indo-Pacific region with Alexander Downer, former Foreign Minister of Australia. We discuss China, AUKUS, India, Indonesia, Ukraine - and most consequentially, the role of the U.S.  The book we discuss is The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.

Frank Lavin talks with Renee DiResta, Internet disinformation analyst. How does misinformation and disinformation travel so rapidly on the Internet and what steps can be taken to push back?  How will this affect U.S. elections or U.S. support for Ukraine? Books discussed include Renee DiResta’s Invisible Rulers, Peter Pomerantsev’s Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible and Annalee Newitz’s Stories are Weapons.

Frank Lavin talks with Alexander Radwan, Member of the German Bundestag (Parliament). Alexander formerly served in the Bavarian state Parliament and in the European Parliament, all of which makes him well-grounded in national, regional, and international issues. The discussion includes Russia’s war in Ukraine, the success and future of the European Union, anti-Israel and pro-Hamas protests on U.S. campuses, and immigration. Books discussed include Ian Kershaw, Personalities and Power and Theo Waigel, Honesty is a Currency. This visit was supported by the American Council on Germany and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

Frank Lavin talks with Mike Murphy, political analyst, presidential campaign strategist, and host of the “Hacks on Tap” podcast discusses 2024, the debates, Trump’s running mate, Trump’s legal problems, the prospects for unrest at the Democratic convention, the down-ballot races, Ibogaine and the politics of electric vehicles. Books discussed include Sasha Issenberg, The Lie Detectives; Ralph G. Martin, Ballots and Bandwagons; Ed Flynn, You’re the Boss; Tim Crouse, The Boys on the Bus; and Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail.