Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is universally praised as one of the greatest films ever made. The 1972 epic won best picture and best screenplay Oscars and was subsequently followed by two successful sequels. Join us for a rare conversation with Francis Coppola, who will take us behind the scenes of these legendary films, as spelled out in his just-published book, The Godfather Notebook. Here’s a chance to learn about Brando, Pacino, the casting and the filmmaking, along with the personal and professional qualities that turned director Francis Coppola into an American icon. An offer you truly can’t refuse.

Less than 20 years ago, one of the most disruptive technologies in human history came to America—broadband Internet. Like most technical advances, it was immediately adapted for sexual purposes. When it brought free, high-quality pornography into 100 million American homes, the country was simply not prepared for it. Dr. Marty Klein says we still aren’t. He says that as a result, the United States is in the midst of what he calls a "porn panic," marked by high levels of fear, outrage, misinformation, blame and demands for action. This is the background of the conflict many couples face about porn, of the anxieties of parents, and of the self-destructive uses of porn. In this talk, one of America’s experts on pornography discusses the context of our difficulties, with thought-provoking suggestions on how to respond. Using material from his new book His Porn, Her Pain, Dr. Klein will discuss building "porn literacy" in children, in couples and in porn consumers—while discussing the scientific evidence about how sexually explicit material actually affects consumers, their relationships and society. The subject of pornography sits at the intersection of politics, culture and our personal lives—and our audience last year found Dr. Klein so entertaining and provocative discussing "Sexual Intelligence" that we’ve invited him back again.

Saul Friedländer is widely regarded as one of the quintessential experts on the Holocaust. Forty years after his Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945, Friedländer returns with When Memory Comes: The Later Years, bridging the gap between the ordeals of his childhood and his present-day towering reputation in the field of Holocaust studies. After abandoning his youthful conversion to Catholicism, he rediscovered his Jewish roots as a teenager and built a new life in Israeli politics and a lifelong fascination with Jewish life and history. Friedländer went on to spend his adulthood shuttling between Israel, Europe and the United States, armed with his talent for language and an expansive intellect. Join us for a rare conversation with this renowned historian, who will share his personal story and his insights on the relevance of the Holocaust to the world of 2016.

The industrialization of food has caused much of the food we eat to taste the same, whether you are nibbling at a farmer’s market in San Francisco, a Midwestern barbecue or a fast food joint in China. Ninety-five percent of the world’s calories now come from only 30 species, and Simran Sethi says a closer look at America’s cornucopia of grocery store options shows that our foods are primarily made up of only corn, wheat, rice, palm oil and soybeans. Sethi traveled to six continents in search of delicious and endangered tastes and how we can save the foods we love.

Our ancestors evolved a frightened brain for survival in harsh conditions. Today, unnecessary and unwarranted fear can make it harder to speak from the heart, dream big dreams and stand up to the manipulations of advertisers and demagogues. Dr. Hanson will explore the practical neuroscience of courage in ourselves, our homes, offices and politics.

Over the past 10 years or so, the same methods used to spark love for new cars, technologies and toys have been used to design new ways for people to think and behave. Presenting the culmination of a lifetime of pioneering work on the front lines of design and communications, award winning designer and business strategist Cheryl Heller will preview her upcoming book through a series of highly visual case studies that illustrate where and how design is working to solve the daunting problems of our time: poverty,injustice, unsafe food systems, water, health and the effects of climate change. These are challenges that impact industry, governments, cities, foundations and every resident of the world. Learn the latest on how design today has a new, more direct and urgent purpose: to inspire healthier relationships—with each other, between us and the the earth, and with the machines and technology that have become such an integral part of our lives.

Leland Faust, an outspoken financial services insider and investment advisor, believes our great free enterprise system has been hijacked by Wall Street for its own gains, and he claims “you are being fleeced and exposed to risks you know nothing about.” Presenting a high-level insider view, Faust shares his real-world experience both from representing high-profile celebrities and managing a successful mutual fund. He warns that the financial services industry misleads us, and he delivers an upbeat message, saying "learn how to get ahead instead of getting taken."

France is steeped in refined traditions, with its rich history, exquisite art, robust culture and varied cuisine. Erin Byrne's essays draw upon her trips, from Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence to a tiny village in the Jura Mountains, from a Left Bank neighborhood bistro to a plain high above the Normandy beaches. She collects stories, characters, tastes and secrets that act as ingredients for change, and then digs deeper to uncover meaning. Henri Cartier-Bresson issues a challenge, Sainte Geneviève offers resilience, Salvador Dalí seduces, Picasso entertains, and a wrought iron sign portends the future. Wings, which won the Paris Book Festival award for travel genre, is about the gifts that we all glean from our travels.

It will be one day before the big election day; most of you will have already voted and are now biting your nails for the final outcome. We'll take a moment to commemorate the career of our longtime panelist, C.W. Nevius, who will be leaving the San Francisco Chronicle in just a few weeks. Join us then as we explore the biggest, most controversial, and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil, and have a good sense of humor. Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz!

The Sixth Annual Lundberg Institute lecture focuses on Dr. Wen's experiences as Baltimore's commissioner of health during times of change, as our medical institutions are under pressure from all sides. She will also draw on her personal experiences as a child immigrant, who started learning English at age 8, but by 18 had already graduated summa cum laude from college. She will explain how those experiences have influenced her interest in improving patient-physician communication.