Allan Gregg in Conversation (Video)
269 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 11 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingAllan Gregg in Conversation presents in-depth conversations with some of the world's most prominent authors, artists, and cutting-edge thinkers. Allan Gregg in Conversation airs Fridays at 10:00 PM EST on TVO - Canada's largest educational broadcaster.
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Episodes
The 1990s - A Boom Time In America
June 06, 2012 18:56 - 108 MB VideoIn his book "The Best of Times: America In The Clinton Years", Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Haynes Johnson sums up the 1990s as an era of peace, prosperity, scandal, and missed opportunities. It was a time of unprecedented wealth; revolutions were taking place in technology with the world-changing Internet, and in medicine with the mapping of the human genome. However, there was another America dominated by a media filled with scandal and celebrity. 9/11 was definitely a catalyst for ...
Natalie Angier Explores The Female Physiology
June 04, 2012 20:29 - 108 MB VideoPulitzer Prize-winning science writer Natalie Angier, is the author of "Woman: An Intimate Geography", which is an investigation of female physiology and an explanation of how biology affects us as who we are. (Originally aired June 1999)
The Tragic Life of Sexually Re-Assigned David Reimer
June 04, 2012 20:29 - 113 MB VideoJohn Colapinto is the author of "As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl." The book recounts the tragic story of David Reimer of Manitoba, an identical twin boy who was raised as a girl after a tragic accident to his genitalia. Sadly David Reimer committed suicide in May 2004. (Originally aired March 2000)
Alzheimers: Why So Many People Have It
June 04, 2012 20:29 - 106 MB VideoDavid Shenk is the author of "The Forgetting: Alzheimer's, Portrait of an Epidemic". Shenk talks about this insidious disease, which, because of an ageing population, seems to be reaching epidemic proportions. There is still no known cause or cure although some drugs can mask some symptoms experienced in the early part of the disease. (Originally aired: November 2001)
Dr. Sanjay Gupta - full show
June 02, 2012 17:12 - 108 MB VideoNeurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has written a novel, "Monday Mornings". The title refers to the closed-door morbidity and mortality meetings which doctors attend on Monday mornings, to discuss medical errors. Dr. Gupta also talks about being embedded with troops in Iraq in 2003, and performing brain surgery in the field. On the topic of healthcare in the U.S., he believes more should be done to prevent rather than treat diseases. He thinks it is possible to er...
Rachel Simmons On How Girls Show Aggression
May 28, 2012 15:53 - 52.7 MB VideoRachel Simmons is the author of "Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls". Whereas boys' aggression often takes a physical form, girls will be more subtle, using manipulation and name-calling or threatening isolation from their peers. (Originally aired October 2002)
Jeffrey Rubin On Why High Oil Prices Stop Growth
May 26, 2012 15:57 - 108 MB VideoIn his new book "The End of Growth", economist Jeffrey Rubin says that the end of cheap oil will mean the end of growth. He explains the impact high oil prices have on the economy as they cause higher inflation and interest rates, thereby pushing the country into a recession.
Timothy Ferris on "The Whole Shebang"
May 25, 2012 19:15 - 105 MB VideoPulitzer Prize-winning author Timothy Ferris, talks about his latest book, "The Whole Shebang", which is about the state of the universe. (Original show aired June 1997)
David Hackett Fischer on Samuel de Champlain
May 25, 2012 19:15 - 112 MB VideoIn his new book, "Champlain's Dream", Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian David Hackett Fischer, brings to life a giant of Canadian history, explorer Samuel de Champlain. (Originally aired April 2009)
Roger Martin On Overhauling The Corporate World
May 19, 2012 16:41 - 107 MB VideoHead of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, Roger Martin talks about his book "Fixing the Game". He says it's time to overhaul the corporate world and to stop believing that corporations exist only to maximize shareholder value. Businesses should go back to being customer-based.
Susan Faludi On The Modern American Man
May 18, 2012 15:16 - 104 MB VideoAfter the success of her 1991 book, "Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women", Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Susan Faludi has written "Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man", which paints a sympathetic portrait of embattled modern men. (Originally aired October 1999)
Robert Bork - Critic of Judges, Defender of Democracy
May 18, 2012 15:16 - 111 MB VideoAmerican legal scholar Robert Bork is the author of "Coercing Virtue: The Worldwide Rule of Judges". He is critical of the role of judges whom, he says, often become activists making up constitutional law themselves, thereby usurping the power that belongs to the people and their representatives. (Originally aired April 2002)
Anna Quindlen On Getting The Most Out Of Life
May 16, 2012 15:57 - 109 MB VideoIn her book "A Short Guide To A Happy Life", Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Anna Quindlen gives us her take on domestic and political life, from graduating university to living through the new Bush administration. (Originally aired January 2001)
Jonathan Rauch Supports Gay Marriage
May 16, 2012 15:57 - 47.6 MB VideoIn his book "Gay Marriage", Jonathan Rauch posits that gay marriage reinforces the institution of marriage and all people should be allowed to participate in it. (Originally aired May 2004).
Janice Stein on "Diplomacy In The Digital Age"
April 28, 2012 22:09 - 107 MB VideoGlobal affairs expert Janice Stein is the editor of "Diplomacy in the Digital Age", a collaboration of essays inspired by former Ambassador to the United States, Allan Gotlieb, who believed the art of diplomacy had to change to adapt to the digital age. In this conversation, Stein addresses WikiLeaks, which she believes could not have happened before 9/11; Stephen Harper's more muscular foreign policy, trade with the U.S. and Canada's poor reputation for safeguarding the environment.
Cameron Bailey On Portrayal Of Blacks In Media
April 18, 2012 19:41 - 100 MB VideoScreenwriter (and later to become the Co-Director of the Toronto International Film Festival) Cameron Bailey talks about the portrayal of blacks in the media. He concedes that although there is a wider range of black role models in film and television, blacks are still largely cast as musicians or athletes. (Originally aired March 1999)
Ron Graham On Trudeau And The Constitution
April 14, 2012 18:48 - 74.4 MB VideoRon Graham is the author of "The Last Act", which is an account of Trudeau's struggle to make Canadians fully independent and to entrench the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Dave Chilton "The Wealthy Barber Returns"
April 13, 2012 22:09 - 108 MB VideoAfter the huge success of "The Wealthy Barber", Dave Chilton has written a follow-up; "The Wealthy Barber Returns". He dispenses financial advice for this economy, and addresses the subjects of personal debt and the importance of saving.
John English On Trudeau's Biography Pt 1
April 06, 2012 18:21 - 108 MB VideoJohn English is the author of "Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau". The book reveals intimate details about the former prime minister's personal life, from his time in psychoanalysis to his relationships with women. (Originally aired January 2007)
Doris Kearns Goodwin On The Glory Days Of Baseball
April 06, 2012 15:21 - 89.5 MB VideoPulitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about her new book "Wait Till Next Year". It is a poignant memoir about growing up in New York in the 1950s and her passion for baseball, specifically the Brooklyn Dodgers, which she inherited from her father. She believes the 50s were the glory days of baseball and she tells a charming anecdote about getting the autograph of her hero, Jackie Robinson. (Originally aired January 1998)
Psychologist Lt. Col. Dave Grossman On The Act Of Killing
April 06, 2012 15:21 - 111 MB VideoPsychology professor Lt. Col. Dave Grossman talks about his new book "On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society". He maintains that it is inherent in us to resist killing our own species and that research has proven that many soldiers engaged in face-to-face combat found it difficult to kill. Soldiers can be trained however, to overcome that resistance. Some veterans are still plagued with guilt about taking another man's life, but this guilt can be eased if...
Peter Reinart - Why U.S. Should Return To Its Liberal Roots.
April 04, 2012 16:27 - 60 MB VideoPolitical pundit Peter Beinart believes a return to the historical roots of liberalism will be the only political movement to save the U.S. and its place as a positive force in the world. Only liberals can win the war on terror by promoting freedom throughout the world. His book is called, "The Good Fight." (Originally aired June 2006)
Alan Young on Decriminalizing Drugs
April 04, 2012 16:27 - 60 MB VideoLaw Professor Alan Young has ruffled some feathers in the legal profession with his book "Justice Defiled: Perverts, Potheads, Serial Killers and Lawyers". He believes that drug use should be decriminalized, his argument being that too much money and court time is being used in the prosecution of drug users. He believes that if recreational drug use, including heroin and cocaine, was legal, the majority of people would use them responsibly. However, he concedes that some would not and pos...
Neuroscientist Marc Lewis On His Drug Addiction
March 31, 2012 21:16 - 49.2 MB VideoNeuroscientist Marc Lewis is a former drug addict. He talks about his descent into addiction, how he finally got clean and why he'll always be an addict. His book is "Memoirs of an Addicted Brain".
Patchen Barss On Pornography's Effect On The Internet
March 31, 2012 21:16 - 57.3 MB VideoPatchen Barss is the author of "The Erotic Engine". Barss contends that the main driving force behind the evolution of the internet, has been the pornography industry. Their early use of video streaming and their dominance in the commercialization of the internet, helped build up bandwidth. Barss thinks their next innovation will be tactile forms of communication.
Loretta LaRoche on Humour and Health
March 30, 2012 21:09 - 48.7 MB VideoLoretta LaRoche explains how laughter is the best prescription to reduce stress and improve health. A popular lecturer, LaRoche is a proponent of the positive effect of humour on healing. Her book is "Relax: You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left". (Originally aired June 1998)
Michael Gurian On How Girls Learn
March 30, 2012 21:09 - 105 MB VideoAs a sequel to his best-selling book "The Wonder of Boys", Michael Gurian has now released "The Wonder of Girls: Understanding the Hidden Nature of our Daughters". Gurian explains how biology, brain structure and hormones such as oxytocin and cortisol, are all factors that affect girls' academic performance and behaviour. (Originally aired September 2002
Michael Gurian On Why Girls In School Do Better Than Boys
March 29, 2012 21:09 - 57.2 MB VideoAuthor Michael Gurian is the author of "The Minds of Boys", which is an explanation of why boys are failing at school. He researched schools in 35 countries to find out why girls were outstripping boys. He believes the reason lies mainly with the learning differences of the two genders which are pre-determined by structural differences in the brain. Girls have a greater capacity for verbal skills, which encompass reading, writing and speaking, while boys have a natural advantage with spati...
Drew Haden Taylor On Aboriginal Humour
March 28, 2012 16:01 - 48.5 MB VideoDrew Hayden Taylor is an Ojibway from Ontario's Curve Lake Reserve. A playwright and columnist, Taylor spent 15 years writing and researching aboriginal humour. His book, "Me Funny" is a collection of essays on humour by native writers. He believes aboriginal humour, which tends to be self-depricating, has been an important survival tool used to help them through difficult times, such as colonization, residential schools and adoptions. (Originally aired June 2006)
Jeanne Beker On Her Autobiography "Jeanne Unbottled"
March 27, 2012 21:16 - 59.8 MB VideoJeanne Beker's autobiography is called "Jeanne Unbottled: Adventures in High Style". She talks about the early days as co-host of "The NewMusic", and then as host of "Fashion Television". There are anecdotes about the celebrities she met and she touches on the seamier side of the industry; drug use and racism.. (Originally aired February 2001).
Robin Sharma - The Sequel To "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari"
March 24, 2012 21:47 - 59.8 MB VideoSelf-help guru Robin Sharma, author of "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", which paralleled his own life, has now written a sequel; "The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari".
Ted Fishman - Consequences Of An Ageing Population
March 24, 2012 21:47 - 47 MB VideoTed Fishman is the author of "Shock of Gray", which looks at potential global implications, both political and financial, of an ageing population. He foresees generational conflict and the universal demise of pensions.
Charles Sirois On His Career In Communications
March 20, 2012 19:55 - 109 MB VideoCommunications entrepreneur Charles Sirois talks about his career. Sirois partly attributes his success to his strengths as a visionary and as a communicator. Early on, he saw the potential of wireless technology and the possibility of delivering internet services through wireless telephones. He is the author of "Organic Management: Creating a Culture of Innovation". (Originally aired October 2000)
Michael Bliss
March 17, 2012 21:36 - 56.5 MB VideoHistorian Michael Bliss is the author of "The Making of Modern Medicine", which looks at a turning point in the treatment of disease from 1885-1922, during which time medicine started to become more science-based, microbes were discovered and there was much more investment in health care.
Sholom Glouberman
March 17, 2012 21:36 - 49.4 MB VideoHealth care expert Sholom Glouberman is the author of "My Operation" . When he recently had to undergo a stay in hospital, he saw the health care system from the inside and was disgusted. Because of his experience, he started the advocacy group "Patients' Association of Canada".
David Starkey on Queen Elizabeth I
March 16, 2012 19:55 - 110 MB VideoBritish constitutional historian David Starkey has written a biography of Queen Elizabeth I, about whom there is an enduring fascination. It is called "Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne." (Originally aired May 2001)
David Attenborough Enthuses About His Work
March 16, 2012 19:55 - 21.1 MB VideoNaturalist Sir David Attenborough explains why he believes wildlife documentaries have become so popular. He adds that new technology allows him greater access to his subjects, be they plant or animal. (Originally aired Octobetr 1995)
Daniel Goleman Explains Emotional Intelligence
March 13, 2012 19:55 - 109 MB VideoPsychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman is the author of "Working With Emotional Intelligence". Goleman believes that I.Q. is not longer as valued as it once was as being an indicator of a person's success. Now it is Emotional Intelligence that has become the new yardstick. Emotional Intelligence refers to areas like self-awareness, empathy and social skills, and it is these qualities that employers are now looking for. (Originally aired February 1999)
Xinran - Memories of the Cultural Revolution
March 13, 2012 19:55 - 46 MB VideoBritish-Chinese journalist Xinran is the author of "China Witness: Voices From A Silent Generation". Her research is based on years of interviews with Chinese people of the last two generations. Older people were not used to being asked their opinions on anything and tended to be quite suspicious at first. Despite having lived through extreme hardship, many still share a nostalgia for the days of Mao.The younger generation knew nothing of the Cultural Revolution or of the sacrifices and ef...
Loretta Napoleoni On Why China Is Thriving
March 03, 2012 21:47 - 108 MB VideoEconomics Professor Loretta Napoleoni, is the author of "Maonomics: Why The Chinese Make Better Capitalists Than We Do". In it, she ascribes China's success to their flexibility. Having witnessed the demise of communism in Russia, China, in a bid to ward off a similar fate, decided to pump money into the infrastructure. This they did by tempting foreign investors with the promise of cheap labour, which in turn, gave many Chinese people an opportunity to earn money, and thus create a middl...
Taiaiake Alfred On His Indigenous Manifesto
March 01, 2012 21:47 - 110 MB VideoNative activist and professor Taiaiake Alfred is the author of "Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto". In it, he acknowledges that the Canadian government has tried to redress historic unjustices and to raise the economic well-being of indigenous peoples. However, their offer of help often comes with too many strings attached. Quite often, some band leaders respond to government-offered incentives and end up becoming assimilated into western government culture. Self-govern...
David Suzuki on the Symbiosis Between Species
February 28, 2012 18:48 - 45.8 MB VideoDavid Suzuki is co-author of "Tree: A Life Story", (augmented by illustrations from Robert Bateman) which spans the 700-year life cycle of a Douglas fir. How the survival of the tree is interlinked with a myriad of plant and animal life, is a metaphor for humans, whose lives are also part of a diverse ecosystem. Suzuki believes that one of the root causes of environmental problems is that there is often a disconnect between human behaviour and its outcomes. He also mentions the Nature Chal...
Ray Jayawardhana - full show
February 25, 2012 16:54 - 108 MB VideoAstronomer Ray Jayawardhana is author of "Strange New Worlds", which is about our search for new planets and alien life. In the last 15 years, astronomers have discovered hundreds of new planetary systems and if some of these planets have life-sustaining properties, then they may support alien life, even if only at the bacterial level.
Bishop John Spong On Interpreting The Gospels
February 24, 2012 17:22 - 104 MB VideoControversial Bishop John Spong has written another book, "Liberating The Gospels", the sub-title of which is "Reading The Bible With Jewish Eyes". In it, he says that because the Gospels were written by Jews in a midrashic style, the stories should not be taken as literal narratives but rather as portraits to capture the impact of Jesus. (Originally aired February 1997)
Jospeh Nye Explains The Term "Soft Power"
February 22, 2012 15:15 - 110 MB VideoJoseph Nye is Dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and former Assistant Secretary of Defence in the Clinton administration. His new book is called "Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics." He defines "soft power" as being the power to attract others to your value system. He further explains why America lost a lot of soft power after their invasion of Iraq. An example of a country with increased soft power is Norway, because of its role in peace processes. Canada, h...
David McCullough on Americans in Paris between 1830-1900
February 18, 2012 18:45 - 107 MB VideoPulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough has written "The Great Journey", which covers account the period 1830-1900 in which many American artists and scientists who lived and studied in Paris. Subjects include Samuel Morse, James Fenimore Cooper and Charles Sumner. Sumner witness racial equality whilst at the Sorbonne and became an abolitionist when he returned to the U.S. McCullough also mentions his past biography of President John Adams and states that the calibre of the Founding...
Chrystia Freeland on Russia's Transition to Capitalism
February 15, 2012 15:46 - 65.6 MB VideoJournalist Chrystia Freeland is the author of "Sale of The Century" which covers Russia's journey from communism to capitalism. The transition caused a huge drop in the standard of living for the average Russian but was also responsible for the birth of the super-wealthy oligarchs, who were given control of the country's natural resources in return for their political support. (Originally aired May 2005)
Samantha Nutt - full show
February 11, 2012 16:54 - 54.8 MB VideoFirst guest is Dr. Samantha Nutt, co-founder of War Child Canada. Her new book is "Damned Nations", in which Dr. Nutt writes about her sixteen years working in war-torn countries. She believes, that unwittingly, Canadians have become consumers of war because of the trade in "blood minerals" and heavy investment in arms companies by Canadian pension funds. Second guest is John Ralston Saul, President of PEN International. He talks about the work of PEN in protecting the rights of writers a...
John Ralston Saul On The Work Of PEN International
February 11, 2012 16:54 - 46.3 MB VideoJohn Ralston Saul is President of PEN International. He talks about the work of PEN in protecting the rights of writers around the world and of his work in preserving indigenous languages.
George Elliott Clarke On His Book "George and Rue"
February 10, 2012 16:54 - 60.9 MB VideoGeorge Elliott Clarke explores violence, racism and poverty in the Maritimes in the 1940s in his book, "George and Rue". It is a part fiction, part fact story based on a real event; that of his two cousins who were executed for murdering a cab driver. Apart from the book, Elliott Clarke says that black history has very little presence in Canadian history books. He also comments on his involvement with trying to get "To Kill A Mockingbird" replaced in the school curriculum with a book by an...