Education

Should Certain Books Ever Be Banned in School?

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis passed a state education reform package meant to restrict certain books and how gender, sexuality, and race are taught in public schools. In Texas, school administrators restricted access to more than 800 books in 22 districts over concerns about whether they were considered “developmentally appropriate for student use.” Similar actions were carried out in Pennsylvania and Tennessee. In fact, all across the country school administrators are grappling with new pressures concerning what their students are reading and how they are taught. At its core is the fundamental question of whether some books are beyond reproach.…

May 19, 2023
May 19, 2023

Should Certain Books Ever Be Banned in School?

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis passed a state education reform package meant to restrict certain books and how gender, sexuality, and race are taught in public schools. In Texas, school administrators restricted access to more than 800 books in 22 districts over concerns about whether they were considered “developmentally appropriate for student use.” Similar actions were carried out in Pennsylvania and Tennessee. In fact, all across the country school administrators are grappling with new pressures concerning what their students are reading and how they are taught. At its core is the fundamental question of whether some books are beyond reproach.…

Is Religion a Force for Good?

Religion has long shaped human civilization, from creating legal systems based on religious laws to inspiring countless works of art and foundational aspects of culture. Yet its influence can stem beyond this into other topics,…
With Annie Laurie Gaylor, Shadi Hamid
April 5, 2024

Childhood Obesity Guidelines: Good Medicine or Too Extreme?

In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued groundbreaking guidelines to tackle childhood obesity, affecting over 14 million U.S. children and adolescents. These guidelines advocate for earlier, more aggressive interventions, including evaluating adolescents with severe…
With Julia Nordgren, Janna Gewirtz O'Brien
March 29, 2024

How to Resolve Conflict in Relationships: A Conversation with Esther Perel

Conflict is not reserved for politics or public policy — it also happens within relationships.  Couples have arguments over what’s happening behind closed doors, their beliefs, and how to navigate the future together. However, it’s through…
With John Donvan, Esther Perel
February 9, 2024

David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts on Conflict, War, and Debate

Debate is a form of conflict that is played out through words, arguments, civility, and the capability to exchange ideas with people we disagree with. But what happens when debate fails — and what leads…
With General David H. Petraeus, Andrew Roberts
January 12, 2024

David Brooks on the Art of Seeing and Hearing Others

A special conversation episode with David Brooks and John Donvan. In a society that is becoming increasingly polarized, as evident in our national political discourse and the powerful and divisive reverberations from two wars, people feel disconnected and hesitant…
With David Brooks, John Donvan
December 29, 2023

Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times with Mónica Guzmán

How can you have meaningful conversations in increasingly divided times, whether it’s against the backdrop of American politics or about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza? According to journalist and author Mónica Guzmán, it’s by…
With John Donvan, Mónica Guzmán
November 24, 2023
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