Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes NYU law professor Stephen Holmes for a discussion of the Bush administration's response to the 911 attack. He analyzes the motivations behind policies, examines the interplay between politics and ideas, and highlights the implications for American democracy. He also addresses the options available to the the next President in confronting the tragic errors of the Bush administration. (59 minutes)

In this edition, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler talks with Laura D'Andrea Tyson, the Class of 1939 Professor of Economics and Business at UC Berkeley. They discuss her research in international economics, her service in the Clinton administration, and the interaction between national economic policy and the international economy. (55 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harper's Editor Emeritus Lewis Lapham for a discussion of his career and the history of Harper's Magazine. Lapham compares print to electronic media, analyzes the corruption of language by politics, and reflects on the incompatibility of democracy and empire. He concludes with a devastating critique of the Bush administration and its impeachable offenses. (59 min)

One of the significant Irish poets and scholars of our time, Maire MacEntee, discusses the influences that led to her becoming a poet. (27 min)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard political scientist Stephen M. Walt for a discussion of how to think about balancing power in international politics. They also consider the role theory might play in formulating foreign policy and consider the way the world is responding to the U.S. hegemony in the aftermath of 911 and the Iraq War. (58 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes biblical scholar Bart Ehrman for a discussion of his intellectual odyssey with a focus on how the Bible explains the problem of human suffering. The conversation includes a discussion of the challenges of biblical interpretation when confronting this age old problem of the human condition. Included are topics such as the contribution of the prophets, a comparison of the old and new testaments, the book of Job, and the emergence of apocalyptic writers. (57 minutes)

Conversations with History host Harry Kreisler welcomes Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations for a discussion of the Anglo American maritime system—its origins, development, and impact on the world. The conversation touches on the unique synergy between Protestant religion and capitalism, the consolidation of Anglo American power in the process of transforming the international system, the importance of culture in international politics, and the need for a dialogue of civilizations in the 21st century. (57 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Yale Professor James Gustave Speth for a discussion of his career in the environmental movement. Professor Speth traces his changing perspective on the appropriate response to the environmental crisis. Concluding that only a radical transformation of capitalism will save the planet for future generations, he outlines the changes in consciousness and in the political agenda that will be required. (54 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes General Tony Zinni for a discussion of national security challenges facing the United States in the 21st century. He analyzes the failure of U.S. foreign policy to address the new instabilities threatening world order and discusses the lessons of the Iraq War. (57 minutes)

On this edition of Conversations with History, Harry Kreisler welcomes Michael Nacht, Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. Nacht discusses the making of U.S. foreign policy and comments on how it is changing in the aftermath of 9/11. (58 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard Professor Samantha Power for a discussion of her new book, "Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World." The conversation focuses on the lessons of De Mello's life for understanding the challenges confronting world order in the 21st century. (56 minutes)

Conversations with History host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ruan Zongze, Vice President of the China Institute of International Studies, Beijing, for a discussion of China's changing domestic scene and its implications for Chinese foreign policy. (57 min)

Ian Lustick, Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, joins UC Berkley's Harry Kreisler on this edition of Conversations with History to discuss Israel and its ongoing conflict with Palestine in the Middle East. (55 min)

Conversations with History and host Harry Kreisler welcome Harold Wilensky, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at UC Berkeley, to talk about his recently published book, Rich Democracies: Political Economy, Public Policy, and Performance. In this landmark work, Wilensky compares rich democracies and explores what makes these modern societies distinct and what makes them alike. (55 min)

UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler and Juan Guzman, Chief judge, Court of Appeals, Santiago, Chile, discuss human rights and the Chilean justice system. (59 min))

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes international lawyer and policy analyst Tom Farer for a discussion of the different world views of liberals and neo-conservatives within the foreign policy community. He analyzes their different perspectives on the U.S. role in the world, on the problem of terrorism, and their choice of means for the conduct of foreign policy. He also discusses the historical continuity in U.S. foreign policy. (56 minutes)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes neurobiologist Christof Koch for a discussion of what biology can tell us about consciousness. He discusses the framework for defining the problem which he developed with Nobel Laureate Francis Crick. He reflects on the ongoing revolution in our understanding of the brain and how technology is impacting the transformation of our neuronal correlates of consciousness. He also discusses the implications of his research for our understanding of manŐs place in the universe. (49 min)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes computer scientist Jaron Lanier. Lanier talks about his work in computer science and his work as a composer and student of music. He reflects on the implications of technology for culture and offers his assessment of how far the revolution in communications will go. (53 min)

Alan Cranston was a four term Senator from California and president and founder of the Global Security Institute and director of its nuclear weapons elimination initiative. This discussion on democracy, disarmament and public education with UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler was taped in April 2000. (53 min)

At the center of the foreign policy debate for the last 25 years, Karsten Voigt was a leader of the German Social Democratic Party, a member of the Parliament, and today heads efforts to coordinate cultural exchanges between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. (57 min)