The Arik Korman Show

World famous meditation teacher Bob Roth discusses whether Transcendental Meditation (TM) gives CEOs and Hollywood celebrities their creativity, demonstrates the difference between TM and mindfulness, and explains what a mantra is.

His new book is Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation. Follow him on Twitter @MeditationBob.

Writer Emily Dufton shares stories about the personalities involved in marijuana politics, makes a prediction on whether pot will be legalized in all 50 states, and reveals what she would say to her own son about marijuana.

Emily's new book is Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall of Marijuana in America. She was in the Northwest to speak at University Lutheran Church, presented by Town Hall Seattle as part of the Civics Series.

Legendary scientist Freeman Dyson talks about how to achieve a scientific breakthrough, what it was like being around science rockstars like Albert Einstein, and whether curiosity is important.

Professor Dyson’s new book is Maker of Patterns: An Autobiography Through Letters. He was in the Northwest to speak at the Meydenbauer Center Theatre, presented by Town Hall Seattle and the Meydenbauer Center as part of the Science series.

Comedian Bo Burnham, writer and director of the new film Eighth Grade, and actor Elsie Fisher, star of Eighth Grade, talk about how schools can be less awkward, how parents can better connect with their teens, and whether Elsie suffered PTSD from having to re-experience her eighth grade year.

John Medina, University of Washington Affiliate Professor of Bioengineering and author of the bestselling Brain Rules book series, explains why teens behave the way they do, tells us how to build a school that will effectively educate them, and shows us the scientifically proven best way to parent teens.

Dr. Medina’s newest book is Attack of the Teenage Brain: Understanding and Supporting The Weird and Wonderful Adolescent Learner. Info at JohnMedina.com

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is an award-winning journalist based in the Washington, DC area who regularly writes for the Atlantic, Fortune, USA Today’s magazines, Washington Post, and Working Mother. Her story about school discipline was Mother Jones' most-read article ever, and she is a certified parent educator with the Parent Encouragement Program.

Katherine’s new book is The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever – And What to Do About It. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineLewis

Steve Coll is author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Ghost Wars and the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. From 2007 to 2013, he was president of the New America Foundation, a public policy institute in Washington, DC. He is a staff writer for The New Yorker, and previously worked for twenty years at The Washington Post, where he received a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism in 1990.

Steve is the author of seven other books, including On the Grand Trunk Road, The Bin Ladens, and Private Empire. His new book is Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveCollNY

Mokhtar Alkhanshali is a historian, community organizer, and coffee innovator, who envisions a world where industry empowers rather than exploits, uplifts rather than represses. Following his studies, he worked with some of the most respected civil rights and community organizations, including the ACLU and Asian Law Caucus. On several occasions, he’s been requested to partner with the city of San Francisco in working on initiatives regarding civil liberties.

In 2013, Mokhtar shifted his focus toward his family’s roots as coffee farmers in Yemen. Seeking to reverse Yemen’s nearly lost art of coffee cultivation, he founded Port of Mokha. Combining his knowledge of specialty coffee production, progressive infrastructure strategy, and community organizing, Mokhtar has helped to reverse the declining quality of Yemeni coffee and re-establish it as one of the industry’s most treasured origins.

Mokhtar is the subject of bestselling author Dave Eggers’ new book, The Monk of Mokha.

Mokhtar was in the Northwest to speak at The Elliott Bay Book Company.

Tami Asars is a writer focused on outdoor recreation and a nature photographer, living in the Cascade foothills of Washington state with her husband, Vilnis and her rough collie, Scout. She is the author of Hiking the Wonderland Trail, Day Hiking Mount Adams and Goat Rocks, Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Washington, and the upcoming Day Hiking Mount Rainier, all published by Mountaineers Books.

Tami also is a contributor and columnist for Washington Trails Magazine, as well as a host of other outdoor publications and online hiking resources. Connect with her at TamiAsars.com

Philip Kramer is an outdoor photographer and writer based in Washington state. He holds an AFA in photography from Everett Community College, and assisted under legendary travel and nature photographer Art Wolfe before creating his own business. His photography has been published internationally and is represented by Getty Images.

Philip is the author and photographer of Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California, published by Mountaineers Books. He thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, walking 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. Connect with him at PhilipKramer.com

Steven Pinker is the Harvard College Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and the winner of many awards for his research, teaching, and books, he has been named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People and one of Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers. His books include The Stuff of Thought, The Better Angels of Our Nature, The Blank Slate, and The Sense of Style.

Professor Pinker’s new book is Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. He was in the Northwest to speak at University Temple United Methodist Church in Seattle, presented by University Book Store. Follow him on Twitter @sapinker