Interview with Steven Cook

When is the last time your coworker urged you to have a baby? We’re bracing for a global population explosion. But in reality, urbanization has eroded family structures and given rise to a growing peer influence. Join my new podcast with Empty Planet authors, Darrell Bricker & John Ibbitson, to hear what’s driving the trend.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we experiencing a global epidemic of pessimism? Or is this just a Western issue? Parag Khanna, author of The Future is Asian, explains on my podcast that isolation, populism and xenophobia are not the reality for Asia, a region on the rise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you believe that your view of the world is accurate? Meet Kevin Rudd. Former prime minister of Australia. One-time diplomat to China. Current resident of New York. He knows that all of us have a world-view colored by where we live, and that we all need to step back and consider other perspectives. Tune into my latest podcast, "What Could Go Right?" to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has grown exponentially, but we are now locked into a polarizing debate with dystopian fear on one end and utopian hopes on the other. Dr, Kai-Fu Lee, author of the new bestselling AI Superpowers, joins my podcast to discuss whether we’re truly prepared for the potential promise and peril AI brings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throughout history, women’s sexuality has been understood through the eyes of men. Now, with a growing presence of female sex researchers, we are finally gaining a clearer picture of the female libido. Listen in as Wednesday Martin, author of Untrue, joins me to discuss this, and more, only on What Could Go Right? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We obsess over reports of chaos and dysfunction while stories of hope and revival quietly unfold in small towns and cities across the U.S. Jim & Deb Fallows, authors of Our Towns, join me on What Could Go Right? to explain what we can gain from their momentum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you feel your middle-class standard of living slipping away, that one misstep could send you spiraling down? Alissa Quart, author of Squeezed, says, “It’s not your fault,” and that the game is rigged. Join us on What Could Go Right? to hear her take on the struggles of the middle-class American family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we really on a path toward destruction? Or do we just embrace despair far more easily than we do progress? Hear why Harvard’s Steven Pinker believes thriving on “outrage” is actually the more destructive path. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven A. Cook is the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Tune in as he and Zachary share a conversation covering many interesting topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zachary sits down with Wences Cesaras, a technology entrepreneur with global business experience specializing in technology and financial ventures. He is an advocate of bitcoin and he has said he believes that bitcoin will be bigger than the Internet.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.