Jeff Schechtman's "Talk Cocktail"

"To discover to the world something which deeply concerns it, and of which it was previously ignorant; to prove to it that it had been mistaken on some vital point of temporal or spiritual interest, is as important a service as a human being can render to his fellow creatures..." John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty"

Friday, January 29, 2010

Make a decision!

What happens in our brain when we try to make decisions? Why is decision making effortless for some and others struggle just to decide what ...

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Empathic Civilization

The health care debate is but one example of the difficulty of enacting any kind of social or political change. The Supreme Court saw to i...

Friday, January 22, 2010

Making decisions in a Dangerous World

Of the twenty most costly catastrophes since 1970, more than half have occurred since 2001. Is the world simply going to fast and is the r...

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Globalization of Mental Illness

Just as American culture is homogenizing the world, with respect to everything from movies to junk food, so to is it globalizing the human ...

Friday, January 15, 2010

The science of compassion

The outpouring of aid and support for Haiti has been overwhelming. It should make us wonder if we are somehow hardwired to be compassionate...

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The responsibility of command

In the entire history of the US, only forty-four men have known exactly what it feels like to have the full weight of the nations security ...

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A good talk spoiled...

Texting, twittering, email, all have replaced true conversation. Pharmaceuticals have replaced talk therapy, shouting has replaced dialogu...

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Element of Passion

In an economy where over ten percent of the population is unemployed, it might be easier if people pursued any job. Ken Robinson points ...

Monday, January 11, 2010

Globalization = Good

Nothing in the current recession should lead us to think that globalization will be slowing. In fact, the free flow of money in internatio...

Friday, January 8, 2010

The best and the brightest

Janine Wedel is getting lots of attention for her book Shadow Elite: How the World's New Power Brokers Undermine Democracy, Government, ...

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The price of everything, the value of nothing

Both Oscar Wilde and later Arthur Miller talked about those who knew "the price of everything, and the value of nothing." In to...

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

If you can't solve a problem, there is a lot of money to be made in prolonging it

A new year and a new decade, but many of the same old problems. In trying to face the complexity of problems and issues facing us in the 21...

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Thank You

Since January of 2009 It has been my singular pleasure to put 262 posts up on this site. Interviews and conversations and links covering ev...

Monday, December 28, 2009

The unbalanced work/life balance

Imagine how different so many aspects of our society and our economy would be if the whole idea of retirement and a "life plan" we...

Thursday, December 24, 2009

and Polar Bears....oh my

As the world dithers and debates what to do about climate change, polar bears have become the poster children for all aspect of the deba...

Monday, December 21, 2009

A Fiery Peace

Neil Sheehan is the embodiment of why good journalism is both necessary and relevant. In his new book A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard...

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Naked City

While those that love cities often claim to love their authenticity, we still want them to have the latest trendy cafe, boutiques, and gal...

Monday, December 14, 2009

Pandemic!

According to the Center for Disease control, we are in the midst of an Influenza pandemic that begin in April of this year. Flu activity i...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.....

As government attempts huge undertakings in healthcare, the environment, and the economy, how can we make sure that these often exciting pla...

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Why we need a new Enlightenment

More than at any other time since the Enlightenment, we fear science as much as we embrace it. Our technical and scientific capabilities hav...

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About

Jeff Schechtman: Napa, California, United States; I grew up during the Kennedy Presidency. It was a time when the best and the brightest sat center stage in the nation's psyche. I've always remembered the story, that at an arts gala at the White House, Kennedy looked around the room and proclaimed it "the greatest gathering of talent since Thomas Jefferson dined alone." Without the benefit of such trappings, I've had the opportunity, for the past nineteen years, to have a seat at an international banquet of ideas and history. My radio program provided me a unique opportunity to "travel" around the world and speak to thousands of the most imaginative thinkers and leaders in the arenas of politics, religion, journalism, business, popular culture, academics, science, economics, history, and medicine. During these years, I have taken many people with me on this journey. It has been a momentous time. The trauma of politics, the onslaught of technology, the insights of science, and the changes in the human condition make this a period almost unequaled in history. I'm excited that technology has now made it possible for me to take more of you along with me on this journey.

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