Sheila Bair Lecture

Sheila Bair, 19th Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), will be speaking November 20th as part of Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School “Leaders and Legends” speaker series, scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of every month beginning in October 2008.

Johns Hopkins University recently consolidated various educational programs in the business domain and created the Carey Business School (named after the Trustee who created the endowment to do this).  Critical to the School’s success will be its ability to understand the realities of the “marketplace” and to integrate its activities with the real world. To that effect, the new Dean, Yash Gupta, has started a “Leaders and Legends” speaker series that will showcase prominent leaders and allow them to share their experience and thoughts on current, relevant topics and issues facing the global economy.

With the financial crisis, Bair has frequently been in the news and I suspect that she is the star of the "Leaders and Legends" series. What you might not know about Bair is that she is the author of two books that teach children about financial management: Rock, Brock, And the Savings Shock and Isabel's Car Wash.

Before her appointment to the FDIC, Ms. Bair was the Dean's Professor of Financial Regulatory Policy for the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and she has had extensive experience in the financial industry.

Each 8am lecture (generally the 3rd Thursday of every month) is preceded by breakfast at 7:30am and takes place at the Renaissance Hotel at 202 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore. Tickets cost $35/person and may be purchased here.

Scheduled Dates
October 16, 2008 – General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff
November 20, 2008 - Sheila Bair, Chairman of the FDIC
December 18, 2008 - Mike Griffin, Administrator of NASA
January 15, 2009 - Ed Nusbaum, CEO of Grant Thornton
February 19, 2009 - Chris Inglis, Deputy Director, NSA
March 19, 2009 – Robert Stevens, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin
April 16, 2009 - To be determined
May 14, 2009 (different week due to JHU Commencement) - To be determined
June 18, 2009 - To be determined

Valerie Plame Lecture

Just as Kareem Abdul Jabbar will be speaking at Hopkins next week (on October 28, 2008) as part of the Milton S. Eisenhower Speakers Symposium "A More Perfect Union: Partnership, Progress and Prosperity in a Changing America," so shall Valerie Plame (on October 30, 2008).

Author of Fair Game: How a Top CIA Agent Was Betrayed by Her Own Government, Plame features heavily in Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War by Michael Isikoff and David Corn.

Click here to read about Hubris (an excerpt may be found here) and click here to read an excerpt from Fair Game.


Doors will open at 7:30 pm at Shriver Hall on the Homewood Campus the talk begins at 8:00 pm and will be followed by a reception in the Clipper Room.

This event is free and open to the public.

Shriver Hall Auditorium is on the university’s Homewood campus, 3400 N. Charles St., in Baltimore.

Visitor parking is available in the South Garage, 3101 Wyman Park Drive, Baltimore, Md. 21211.

Brenda Avadian Lecture

Brenda Avadian, author of eight books, is speaking at the 11th Annual Louis Mary Battle Lecture on  Monday November 3, 2008 at the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Auditorium, Mercy High School.

Dr. Rebecca Elon, director of the Lorien Columbia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center,  will also be speaking.

Avadian's books include:

• Drive North in Your Career
• Finding the Joy in Alzheimer's: Caregivers Share the Joyful Times
• Finding the Joy in Alzheimer's: When Tears Are Dried with Laughter
• "Where's My Shoes?": My Father's Walk Through Alzheimer's

The event posting I saw gave this description of the speakers:

Rebecca Elon, MD
The Absence of Presence: Lessons from American Medicine
Dr. Rebecca Elon is the founding medical director of Erickson Health Howard County (EHHC). The outpatient offices of EHHC are housed within the Lorien Columbia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where Dr. Elon has served as medical director since 2006.

Brenda Avadian, MA
Finding the JOY in Caregiving: When Tears are Dried with Laughter
Brenda Avadian, The Caregiver's Voice, is a spokesperson and advocate for caregivers and their loved ones with dementia. An eight-book author, she offers sprinkles of JOY from her own experiences caring for her father with Alzheimer's. For caregiving information, please visit thecaregiversvoice.com.

Reception starts at 6:00pm and lecture starts at 7:00pm at Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Auditorium, Mercy High School, 1300 East Northern Parkway, Baltimore, Maryland 21239.

Open to the public but reservations are required; call 410-252-4500 x7208.

The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces by Frank Wilczek

I'd like to read Frank Wilczek's The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces.

If it sounds familiar and you don't know why, it's probably because you've heard of Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Fantastic novel (set in Prague), but totally different.

I didn't realize that Wilczek chose this name partly because his favorite novel is The Unbearable Lightness of Being until I took a look at his website just now.

Wilczek, a physics professor at MIT and a Nobel Laureate, also wrote with his wife Betsy Devine Longing for the Harmonies (which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year) and Fantastic Realities: 49 Mind Journeys And a Trip to Stockholm.

Here's what the publisher has to say about this book:

Physicists’ understanding of the essential nature of reality changed radically over the past quarter century. MIT's Wilczek has played a lead role in establishing the new paradigms. Transcending the clash and mismatch of older ideas about what matter is, and what space is, Wilczek presents here some brilliant and clear syntheses. Space is a dynamic material, the engine of reality; matter is a subtle pattern of disturbance in that material.

Extraordinarily readable and authoritative, The Lightness of Being explores the implications of the newest findings in physics for basic questions about space, mass, energy, and the longed-for possibility of a fully unified theory of Nature. Along the way, Wilczek presents new perspectives on many strange aspects of our fantastic universe. Pointing toward new directions where the great discoveries in fundamental physics are likely to come, he envisions a new Golden Age in physics.

Sounds pretty nerdy huh? It's been some time since I've read a serious science book...

Some of Wilczek theories will be among the first to be tested at the controversial Large Hadron Collider, a $9 billion machine outside of Geneva at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).

Click here to read an excerpt, click here to view the table of contents, or here to read more about this book from the author's website dedicated to The Lightness of Being.

Also, Wilcek will be speaking about his book on Tuesday, October 28,2008 at 6:45 PM with the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program at the Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC. Tickets cost $20 for the general public, $13 for seniors, and $15 for members.

Click here to register.

Sylvia Earle Lecture

The National Museum of Natural History recently opened its Sant Ocean Hall, an interpretive exhibit that presents the ocean from a cross-disciplinary perspective, highlighting ongoing research in marine science and the biological, geological, and anthropological expertise and scientific collections of the Museum.

And marine biologist Sylvia Earle -- author of Sea Change: Visiting The Coral Reef , Hello, Fish!: Visiting The Coral Reef, Dive: Visiting The Coral Reef, and many other books -- will be giving a lecture with her co-author of Wild Ocean: America's Parks Under the Sea, Wolcott Henry, on Saturday (October 18, 2008) at 11AM at the Natural History museum's Baird Auditorium as part of an ongoing series of events related to The Sant Ocean Hall.

In 1998, Earle was named Time magazine's first "hero for the planet"and she has been a true pioneer in the field of marine ecosystems.

Not sure if I'll be able to make it down to DC for this talk, but I'd guess it'll be quite interesting. And I'd love to see The Sant Ocean Hall!

Kareem Abdul Jabbar Lecture

Kareem Abdul Jabbar -- Basketball Hall-of-Famer, Author, Actor, and Humanitarian -- will be speaking at Hopkins on October 28, 2008 as part of the Milton S. Eisenhower Speakers Symposium "A More Perfect Union: Partnership, Progress and Prosperity in a Changing America."

I had no idea he had written so many books:

• A Season on the Reservation
• Black Profiles in Courage
• Brothers in Arms
• Kareem
• On the Shoulders of Giants

Doors will open at 7:30 pm at Shriver Hall on the Homewood Campus and the talk begins at 8:00 pm.

Seating is free and open to the public.

Shriver Hall Auditorium is on the university’s Homewood campus, 3400 N. Charles St., in Baltimore.

A reception in the Clipper Room follows the event.

Visitor parking is available in the South Garage, 3101 Wyman Park Drive, Baltimore, Md. 21211.

October 6 Lectures

Janine Benyus gives a talk on Monday October 6, 2008 at 7PM titled "What Life Knows: New ideas from biology that could change the world" at Great Sage in Clarksville.

Biomimicry seeks to emulate the time-tested adaptive strategies of many species of plants, animals and microorganisms to transform how we live on this planet. Janine Benyus of the Biomimicry Guild celebrates the newest ancient ideas bubbling up in the natural sciences, illuminating how evolution’s wisdom can help us design benign, life enhancing technologies while inspiring us to protect Earth’s biodiversity.

This talk is free and open to the public. Great Sage is located at 5809 Clarksville Square Drive, Clarksville, MD 21029.

Benyus has authored several books including:

• Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
• The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States
• Nature's 100 Best: World-Changing Innovations Inspired By Nature
• The Secret Language & Remarkable Behavior of Animals, Northwoods Wildlife: A Watcher's Guide to Habitats
  
• Beastly Behaviors: A Watcher's Guide to How Animals Act and Why

Click here to view the table of contents of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature or click here to read an excerpt.

Two related lectures are also scheduled for 7PM on Monday, October 6, 2008 so you can't go to all of them.

• Jay Harman "Designing the Next Golden Age: A Progress Report" @ The Waldorf School of Baltimore/Music Room, 4801 Tamarind Rd., Baltimore
• Charlotte Brody "How Chemicals are Changing What it Means to Be a Woman (or a Man)" @ Breathe Books, 810 W 36th St, Baltimore

Read on below...

Jay Harman "Designing the Next Golden Age: A Progress Report"
This isn't a live talk, instead it is a DVD screening ( 30 minutes) and discussion of Jay Harman’s keynote from last year’s Bioneers conference. Award-winning inventor, entrepreneur and CEO of PAX Scientific, Jay Harman shows examples of streamlined geometries and biomimetic approaches to the design of energy efficient, quiet, and ecologically friendly technology. Designs include fans, boats, and water pumps, all based on nature’s efficient, beautiful spiral geometry and rigorous engineering analysis.
7 PM  at The Waldorf School of Baltimore/Music Room, 4801 Tamarind Rd., Baltimore; free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Charlotte Brody "How Chemicals are Changing What it Means to Be a Woman (or a Man)" ...and what women and men can do to change chemicals.
Commonweal's Charlotte Brody, an organizer for civil rights, women's rights, workers' rights, peace and environmental health since 1964, explores how chemicals are creating disease and disorders and how solutions are being created to regain health and democracy.
7 PM at Breathe Books, 810 W 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211; free and open to the public.

All of these lectures are part of Baltimore Bioneers.

Thomas L. Friedman Lecture

Just heard that Thomas L. Friedman, author of The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, will be speaking about his latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America, at the Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium this Friday, October 3, at 8 p.m. as Goucher’s 2008 Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Visiting Professor.

He will hold a book signing following the lecture.

This event is free and open to the public, but tickets must reserved in advance by calling the Goucher College Box Office at 410-337-6333 or by e-mailing boxoffice@goucher.edu.

Click here to find out more.

Nicholas Wolterstorff Lecture

Loyola College seems to be booking lots of first rate speakers lately!

Nicholas Wolterstorff, the Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology at Yale University, will present "Justice: Rights and Wrongs" at Loyola College on Wednesday, October 1 at 5 pm as part of Loyola's "Commitment to Justice" lecture series.

Wolterstorff will speak about his new book, Justice: Rights and Wrongs, in which he (per the Loyola College of Maryland press release) "develops a theory of rights and of justice and examines a remarkable span of ideas—from ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, through canon law of the twelfth century, the Enlightenment, and up to the present.  He offers a rich and compelling philosophical account of justice and helps overcome today’s divide between religious discourse and human rights."

Wolterstorff is a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MIchigan and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University in 1956. He has published more than 15 books, including:

• Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic
• Divine Discourse: Philosophical Reflections on the Claim that God Speaks
• Educating for Life: Reflections on Christian Teaching and Learning
• Educating for Shalom: Essays on Christian Higher Education
• Faith and Rationality: Reason & Belief in God
• John Locke and the Ethics of Belief
• Lament for a Son
• Religion in the Public Square: The Place of Religious Convictions in Political Debate
• Reason Within the Bounds of Religion
• Thomas Reid and the Story of Epistemology
• Until Justice and Peace Embrace: The Kuyper Lectures for 1981 Delivered at the Free University of Amsterdam

The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place in McGuire Hall on the second floor of the Andrew White Student Center on the College’s North Charles Street campus. The Andrew White Student Center is off of the east-west street just before the overpass just north of Coldspring Boulevard, east of Charles Street and West of Milbrook Road and next to the DeChiaro College Center.

Click here to view the table of contents of Justice: Rights and Wrongs or click here to download an excerpt in PDF format.

David Orr Lecture

Yet another lecture by a fascinating author scheduled for Baltimore this fall!

David Orr, professor of environmental science and politics at Oberlin College and one of the leading proponents of environmental literacy in higher education speaks at Roland Park Country School at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday October 1, 2008 in a talk titled "Some like it Hot, But Lots Don't: The Changing Climate of U.S. Politics."

David Orr is the author of many books including:

• Design on the Edge: The Making of a High-Performance Building


• Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect


• Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World


• The Nature of Design: Ecology, Culture, and Human Intention

Free and open to the public.

Roland Park Country School is located at 5204 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210 and directions can be found here.

Ta-Nehisi Coates Lecture

Yet another author lecture, this one by a Baltimore native!

The acclaimed journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, will be reading from and signing copies of his debut book, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood, at 1 PM tomorrow (Thursday, September 25, 2008) at the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus Bookstore, 3330 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.

Here's what Baltimore City Paper has to say about this book (City Paper awarded it the 2008 Best Book About Baltimore Award):

Ta-Nehisi Coates, one of the more nimble-minded American cultural critics and observers writing today, grew up in Baltimore in the 1980s, a hardscrabble and personally fraught adolescence that he recounts in The Beautiful Struggle. But Coates' memoir isn't some navel-gazing coming of age discovery; it's a thoughtfully considered examination of what it's like to grow up young and black in a midsized, post-industrial American city and a breathtaking portrait of a father who dedicated his life to making sure his urban African-American sons became proud, educated, and responsible black men. Best of all, Coates writes in a gripping, lyrical cadence that proves, yet again, that writing can sing and bounce with the life-giving pulse of hip-hop's vital beat. Exquisite.

This talk is free and open to the public.

Click here to read an excerpt from The Beautiful Struggle or click here to read the author's blog on The Atlantic website.

David Simon Lecture

David Simon, creator of "The Wire" and co-author of The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood, speaks tonight (Wednesday, September 24) at 8 p.m. in Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium.

This event is free and open to the public but tickets must be reserved in advance by calling 410-337-6333 or by e-mailing boxoffice@goucher.edu.

Click here to find out more about the lecture or click here to read an excerpt from The Corner.

Seems like there have been lots of book-signings / lectures going on in Baltimore lately.

Rakesh Khurana Lecture

Just heard that Rakesh Khurana, author of From Higher Aims to Hired Hands: The Social Transformation of American Business Schools and the Unfulfilled Promise of Management as a Profession and associate professor in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, will be speaking at Hopkins tomorrow (Sept 25) at 5pm for the "The Inaugural Carey Business School Dean's Lecture."

To view the table of contents, click here; download the Introduction in PDF format here.

Click here to register.

Nancy Pelosi Lecture

Tonight (Tuesday, September 23) at 7PM, Baltimore's own Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, will speak about her memoir, Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters, in Mount Vernon at the  Enoch Pratt Free Library Central Library, 400 Cathedral, Baltimore, MD.

Click here to find out more.