Institute for Justice Strategic Research Director Dick Carpenter discusses his book, "Bottleneckers" which looks at how special interest groups advocate for government regulations to benefit their businesses. Mr. Carpenter says the right refers to the special interest groups as "crony capitalists" while the left labels them "fat cats." He says the name to best describe these groups is bottlenecker - a person who advocates for the creation or perpetuation of government regulation, particularly an occupational license, to restrict entry into his or her occupation, thereby accruing an economic advantage without providing a benefit to consumers.
In her book, "Storm in a Teacup," British physicist Helen Czerski uses every day objects and occurrences to explain physics and the universe in layman's terms.
Yale University's Chris Miller discusses why the Soviet economy collpased in the late 1980s. He argues that the Soviet attemp to transition from socialism to capitalism - modeled on China's tansition - was plagued by politics. This event was hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC.
Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation, discusses the organization's goals and involvement in the publishing world. She is joined in conversation by poet Robin Coste Lewis; novelist Rachel Kushner; and Los Angeles Times book editor, Carolyn Kellogg, at Scripps College in Claremont, California.
John Tamny, political economy editor at Forbes, discusses his book, "Who Needs the Fed?: What Taylor Swift, Uber, and Robots Tells Us About Money, Credit, and Why We Should Abolish America's Central Bank," at the 10th annual Savannah Book Festival in Savannah, Georgia.
Virginia Tech history professor, A. Roger Ekirch, recalls the extradition of Jonathan Robbins to Britain for his involvement in a mutiny aboard the British ship, the HMS Hermione, in 1797. The decision to extradite the Connecticut resident by President John Adams, was met with a critical backlash that paved the way for Adams' defeat to Thomas Jefferson in the presidential election of 1800. A. Roger Ekirch speaks at Regulator Bookshop in Durham, North Carolina.
Former President George W. Bush discusses his paintings of American veterans and why he chose them as his subjects. He's joined in conversation by Frederick Ryan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Historian Doug Wead discusses his book, "Game of Thorns" in which he examines why the Clinton campaign lost the 2016 election, the strategy of the Trump campaign and President Trump's plan to move America forward. He is in conversation with Ken Walsh, Chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report.
David Phillips, a former senior State Department adviser, takes a critical look at rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey and questions whether Turkey should continue to be a U.S. ally and NATO member. Mr. Phillips spoke at Columbia University in New York City.
Peggy Grande, who served as President Ronald Reagan's executive assistant, recalls her ten years working for the former President after he left the White House and returned to California. She speaks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, California.
Biochemist Sylvia Tara discusses her book, "The Secret Life of Fat" which looks the history and science behind body fat. Through her findings Dr. Tara argues that there are some aspects of fat that are necessary for the body. She says fat helps to strengthen our immune system, enables our reproductive system, and helps with brain size. She is interviewed by Gina Kolata, Medical Reporter for the New York Times.
Chelsea Clinton and Devi Sridhar examine the role public-private partnerships are taking in improving global health. Ms. Clinton and Ms. Sridhar say that these partnerships are significant to fighting diseases and can serve as a model for solving a number of serious health issues around the world.
A panel on immigrants and education from the 9th annual Tucson Festival of Books, featuring Julissa Arce, "My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive" and Daniel Connolly, "The Book of Isaias: A Child of Hispanic Immigrants Seeks His Own America."
Julissa Arce, author of "My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive," takes viewer phone calls and tweets on immigration policy from the 9th annual Tucson Festival of Books.
Stephen Kinzer recounts the public debate over American foreign policy at the turn of the 20th century. The author reports that President Theodore Roosevelt along with his supporters, the likes of William Randolph Hearst and Henry Cabot Lodge, proposed imperial expansion, with their sights set on the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Roosevelt's opposition, composed of public intellectuals and business leaders, such as Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, and Booker T. Washington, argued for restraint. Stephen Kinzer speaks at the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston.
Caroline Light, director of undergraduate studies in the Program in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Harvard University, offers a critical examination of stand-your-ground laws, now adopted in thirty-three states, and how the gun rights movement has emboldened DIY self-defense. She speaks at New York University Book Store in New York City.
