Aspen Ideas To Go

Michael Lewis is the author of the bestsellers "Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt", "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game", and "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game", among other books. After graduating from Princeton University and the London School of Economics, Lewis worked on the bond desk at Salomon Brothers, an experience he recounted in "Liar's Poker", his first book. He left the financial world to become a journalist, writing on politics, finance and more for the New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, Slate and other publications. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and columnist at Bloomberg View. Recorded live at Aspen Words. NOTE: This episode contains explicit language. aspenideas.org

Lawrence Lessig (professor at Harvard Law School) says there's a profound loss of confidence by Americans in their government. In this Aspen Lecture, Lessig shows exactly why Americans are right, and just how we could restore the rightful sense that we have a government that represents us. aspenideas.org

Congressman John R. Lewis (D-GA), civil rights leader, and co-author of the bestselling graphic memoir March: Book One, is the recipient of numerous awards including the United States' highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His new graphic memoir trilogy, March, is a vivid first-hand account of Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Recorded live for the McCloskey Speaker Series. aspenideas.org

Our interconnected world is susceptible to sudden and dramatic shocks and stresses: a cyber-attack, a new strain of virus, a structural failure, a violent storm, a civil disturbance, an economic blow. Through an astonishing range of stories, Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation and author of The Resilience Dividend: Being Strong in a World Where Things Go Wrong, shows how people, organizations, businesses, communities, and cities have developed resilience in the face of otherwise catastrophic challenges. This conversation between Rodin and Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, was recorded live at the Institute's Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series. aspenideas.org

Want to be happy? Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, has read all of the books and studies about what makes us happy — so you don't have to. By marrying ancient wisdom and new data, he says we can identify what brings the most happiness, and the most unhappiness, to the most people. In short, love people, not pleasure. This Aspen Lecture was recorded live at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Check out the Aspen Lectures Compendium on iTunes U. aspenideas.org

Journalist Katie Couric interviews "House of Cards" creator and producer Beau Willimon. Recorded live at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the two have a lively conversation about Willimon's career (he studied painting in college and later worked on political campaigns) and the turbulent lives of the show's characters. The third season of the political drama hits Netflix on Feb. 27, 2015. NOTE: This episode contains explicit language. aspenideas.org

Cheryl Strayed discusses her journey, chronicled in the hugely popular book, Wild, and shares her search to overcome heartache and find healing. (Recorded live at Aspen Words.) The book was adapted for film in 2014, and now the actresses playing Strayed and her mother (Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern, respectively) are up for Academy Awards. Strayed's latest project is Dear Sugar Radio. Check out that podcast, too. aspenideas.org

Professor Robert Reich examines what's happened to income and wealth in this country, why it's a problem, and what we can expect in future years. Recorded live at the Aspen Ideas Festival. aspenideas.org