Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Celebrated historian Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography of founding father Alexander Hamilton inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wildly popular “Hamilton.” Now America’s preeminent biographer turns his attention to the Civil War and Reconstruction with a new biography of one of history’s most compelling presidents, Ulysses S. Grant. Grant has one of the most complicated legacies of any Civil War hero. Though a famously successful general, he was a failure of a businessman and a notoriously corrupt president. Moreover, according to Frederick Douglass, Grant was “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race.” But he was also a virulent anti-Semite. He vanquished the Confederacy, and yet he was continually defeated by his own alcoholism. Join us for a nuanced psychological portrait of the man Walt Whitman called “nothing heroic ... and yet the greatest hero.” Ron Chernow’s work captures the complexity of monumental chapters of history, from the nation’s founding to the upheavals of the Gilded Age, through the lens of great individuals. His landmark biographies of J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington earned him a dizzying array of awards and nominations in American nonfiction literature. He is the recipient of a National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Humanities Medal, awarded by President Barack Obama in 2015.

Julie Lythcott-Haims is the New York Times best-selling author behind the "anti-helicopter" parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult. She’s also a biracial black woman who’s experienced the highs and lows of race relations in America. In her new memoir, Real American, Lythcott-Haims focuses her discerning eye on relations both in and out of the home to help us all fearlessly grow into our best selves. Join Julie Lythcott-Haims as she returns to The Commonwealth Club and reveals how she’s navigated through the heavy, forceful blows of racism and the small, sharp cuts of “micro” aggressions. She’ll discuss the importance of a generous and wise community as a healing power to fractured race relations and what we can all do to make America a better place for everyone. Moderated by LaDoris Cordell, a longtime civil rights advocate, this is a can't-miss conversation.

Our distinguished panel will discuss the increasing threats and intimidation against much of the world’s press, especially in the Middle East, which has been called the place where the freedom of the press goes to die. In countries such as Turkey, newspapers and hundreds of media outlets have been shuttered and journalists unfairly imprisoned. The panel will also discuss politically motivated attacks on CNN and Al Jazeera and the importance of free press and media.

Startup stress burning you out? Between jobs and dreading the next one? Overwhelmed by the stresses of life? Maybe it's time for a pause or an intentional shift in behavior. It doesn't need to be time consuming; even a moment, minute or hour can work wonders. Senior account manager at Google and leadership coach Rachael O'Meara’s best-selling book, Pause: Harnessing the Life-Changing Power of Giving Yourself a Break, weaves together old philosophies and current research. O’Meara lays out a step-by-step, extraordinarily detailed, proven plan for how to take pauses and restore your sense of balance in the world, increasing your ability to take a risk and maybe even find a more fulfilling job and path in life. Her book has received rave reviews; she's been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Harvard Business Review. O’Meara says, "Taking a pause [is] the perfect excuse to step away from your everyday life and not focus on what is ruling your thoughts. ... Part of what’s gained in the pause process is courage; pausing means being okay knowing you’re uncertain of an outcome." So hop off the addictive, familiar, exhausting hamster wheel. Join us and learn how you can take a pause in your own life. O’Meara will provide many practical examples of useful tools she learned in her research. We'll practice a few, and you'll be inspired to move forwards. As Google's Chade-Meng Tan, author of Search Inside Yourself, says, "This is truly a book worth pausing for."

Fifty years ago, Sir Richard Branson started his first business, and he hasn’t stopped since. In his new autobiography, Finding My Virginity, the Virgin founder shares his personal, intimate thoughts on five decades as the world’s ultimate entrepreneur. This is the true account of how the Virgin founder reinvented himself and his brand for the 21st century while continuing to push boundaries, break rules and reach for the stars in more ways than one. This is the story of the man behind the beard, the business, the bravado and the brand. In Finding My Virginity, Branson shares the secrets that have seen his family business grow from a student magazine into a global brand. He discusses his dream of private citizens one day flying into space, an idea that developed from a childhood fantasy to the brink of reality. He also shares his focusing shift from battling bigger rivals to changing business for good. Go behind the scenes as Branson creates the world’s first commercial “spaceline,” Virgin Galactic. Learn how Branson created 12 different billion-dollar businesses and hundreds more companies across dozens of sectors, going from living on a houseboat to owning a private island. 

It’s not all business though: Join Sir Richard as he juggles working life with his dedication to his wife and family. Get the real story behind his adventures with everyone from Bill Gates and Kate Moss to Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. Get under the skin of his world record attempts on land, sea and air. See how the original business hippy adapted to becoming a doting “grand-dude” to his four grandchildren.

 This book goes far beyond numbers and achievements—it’s a journey into the heart and mind of Britain’s best-loved businessman. Join us for the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime with Sir Richard Branson.

Nature, money, work, care, food, energy and lives—these are the seven things that have made our world and will continue to shape its future. But at what cost? Throughout history, rebellions and uprisings have prompted fresh strategies to make the world cheap and safe for capitalism. And while technology and commerce have modernized and transformed society, our planet has paid a hefty price. In this program, Patel will issue an urgent call for innovative and systematic thinking to help reclaim our world and save us before it’s too late.

Elizabeth Kolbert's book Field Notes from a Catastrophe was instrumental in creating and shaping Climate One. Greg Dalton’s interview with Kolbert in 2006 prompted the Arctic trip that inspired Climate One. She returns to discuss her recent reporting on the Trump administration and how facts don’t seem to change people’s minds. She also will touch on the themes in her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. When Al Gore visited Climate One recently he gave a shout-out to the writing of Dave Roberts, who hails from Tennessee. Roberts earned a wide following covering climate for Grist and eventually got so burned out that he walked away from that beat for a time. He’s back now writing insightful stories for Vox and, in response to the recent doomsday story in New York magazine, says it’s okay to talk about how bad the climate situation really is. But that doesn’t mean he’s a downer. He writes frequently about top solutions and what you can do that matters. Join a conversation with two veteran writers about covering the climate story in an age of fake news, climate denial and rising public concern about the reality of rising seas and temperatures.

In recent years, the Pacific region has garnered attention related to international security, with hot spots such as North Korea and the South China Sea looming large in the public mind. Since 2016, Gen. Robert Brown has overseen the U.S. Army's largest service component command. Headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, with portions of the command forward deployed and based throughout the Indo-Asia Pacific, 106,000 active, reserve soldiers and civilians support the nation's strategic objectives and commitment to the region. Brown will discuss the current security dynamics in the Pacific from the perspective of land forces throughout the region, with emphasis on the centrality of leadership and the U.S. Army's emerging concept of multi-domain battle. Prior to this command, Brown most recently served as commanding general at the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He also served for 12 years with units focused on the Indo-Asia Pacific region and was deputy commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, which included a second deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Brown holds a bachelor of science from the United States Military Academy, a master of education from the University of Virginia, and a master of science in national security and strategic studies from National Defense University.

Hear about INFORUM and the Club’s mission and goals over a glass of wine, then enjoy a fireside chat with Tristan Walker, founder and CEO of Walker & Company (and an INFORUM stage favorite!) and Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint Inc. We want to get inside the mind of these two rising CEOs, and the INFORUM stage usually induces candor!

This event is the latest in the San Francisco Foundation’s series on People, Place and Power. A safe and secure shelter, one of humanity’s most basic needs, has eluded far too many people in this resource-rich region. In the past five years, Bay Area home prices have surged by an astounding average of 72 percent. This is one reason why even six-figure household incomes are considered “low income” in certain parts of the Bay Area and why homeless tent encampments and the number of RVs lining the streets of cities across the region are growing dramatically. Currently, 1.5 million households in the Bay Area pay more than half of their income in rent. And people of color and seniors are being hit the hardest. But for the first time, the public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors are working together on creative solutions to produce, preserve and protect affordable homes for all residents. Last fall, voters passed 15 affordable housing measures throughout the Bay Area. The tech giant Facebook has committed to help build a nearly $20 million fund to partner with local governments and nonprofits to create “innovative and scalable” affordable housing near its Menlo Park headquarters. Please join The San Francisco Foundation and the Bay Area’s most influential leaders concerned about our housing crisis to discuss ways in which the region is advocating, innovating and building in order to keep Bay Area residents in their homes.