Video Friday: "I blame Disney," says Neil deGrasse Tyson

The Pluto Files is premiering Tuesday, March 2 on PBS! In this new NOVA special, Neil deGrasse Tyson — director of New York's Hayden Planetarium — explores why Americans got so upset over Pluto's demotion. And as we said before, he blames Disney. 

Tribute to Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn was a tremendous intellectual who influenced many with his work.  

To celebrate his life and accomplishments, friends of Zinn gathered at Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC to pay tribute to the historian and political activist who died on January 27, 2010.  

Speakers include Ralph Nader. Marian Wright Edelman, Amy Goodman, and Bernice Johnson Reagon, among other. The program also includes music by Bernice Johnson Reagon.

Watch this tribute on CSPAN's BookTV on Saturday, February 27 (1PM ET) and Sunday, February 28 (12AM ET). Learn more here. 

In the news...Lisa Dodson, Ted Conover & Charles Johnson

• In a new Boston Globe article, journalist Kathleen Burge explores Lisa Dodson's new book "The Moral Underground. The piece, titled "Tracking a new kind of civil disobedience," tells the backstory of Dodson and her book, while also emphasizing the interesting debates and discussions the book is causing. Read the article here or learn more about Lisa Dodson here. 

• The New York Times just named Ted Conover's new book "The Routes of Man" and Editor's Choice. Learn more about the book, and Conover, here. 

• Charles Johnson ponders how Buddhism may help Tiger Woods on his road to recovery. . . Read the article here or learn more about Charles Johnson here. 

Congrats to Jessica Valenti!

Congratulations to Feministing founder Jessica Valenti, who was recently named one of the top 25 progressive journalists in the country by the Daily Beast!


Valenti is the author of multiple books including:

• “Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters,” a primer on why feminism is important.
• “He's a Stud, She's a Slut...and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know,” which calls out the double standards that affect every woman.
•  “The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession With Virginity is Hurting Young Women,” which Dahlia Lithwick of Slate explained by saying: “Valenti seeks to turn back thousands of years of history, a bourgeoning cult of abstinence-only education and purity balls, and a deeply entrenched myth that so long as a girl is ‘pure’ she is moral.” 

Slate says her writing is slangy, profane and disconcertingly funny. BUST magazine admits that “it’s hard not to love Jessica Valenti” and The Guardian recently wrote a lengthy piece on Valenti, simply titling it “The Interview.”

Learn more about Jessica Valenti, and how you can bring her to your college or organization, here. 


PS: Did you see Valenti's piece in Sunday's Washington Post? Titled "For women in America, equality is still an illusion,"  Valenti argues that although women have come far, "There is so much more work to be done." Read the full article here. 

New Book: Philosophy" by Dr. Charles Johnson

Set to be released tomorrow, "Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction"by Dr. Charles Johnson and Michael Boylan features a unique, engaging approach to introduce students to philosophy. 

It combines traditional readings and exercises with fictive narratives starring central figures in the history of the field from Plato to Martin Luther King, Jr. The book makes innovative use of compelling short stories from two writers who have prominently combined philosophy and fiction in their work. These narratives illuminate pivotal aspects of the carefully selected classic readings that follow. 

This gives students two ways to understand the philosophical positions: through indirect argument in fiction and through direct, deductive presentations. Study questions and writing exercises accompany each set of readings and help students grasp the material and create their own arguments.

“'Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction' is an exciting book that promises to invigorate courses in philosophy, ethics, and the humanities.The authors’ innovative approach pairs the philosophies of major figures such as Plato, Kant, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with short stories that engage those figures in thought-provoking ways. The result is that the philosophical tradition is brought to life for students as abstract ideas become vivid and compelling.” —Linda Furgerson Selzer, Penn State University

“This unusual introduction to philosophy has broad appeal without sacrificing intellectual rigor.” —Felicia Nimue Ackerman, Brown University

“This book is a tour de force. . . . Designed not only to inform but also to stimulate our feelings and imagination, the creative imagery of the fictional stories accompanying the philosophical texts succeed in instantly transporting us to the everyday lives of these famous philosophers." - Edward Spence, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Charles Sturt University


Purchase "Philosophy" on Amazon here. 

Video Friday: Daniel Seddiqui

Learn more about Daniel Seddiqui, and his adventures, here. 

Upcoming Events: Bernice Johnson Reagon

Live in Boston? Or at least near Boston? 

Then be sure to check out Bernice Johnson Reagon and daughter Toshi Reagon at Berklee Performance Center on Thursday, February 18 at 8:15PM. Part of the Roots and Reason concert series and the Warrick L. Carter Lecture series, these two will celebrate the richness of America’s roots music traditions. 

Learn more here. 

"For Love of Liberty"

"For Love of Liberty," co-written by Jeff Stetson and director Frank Martin, is a four-hour documentary that explores the role and contributions of African American men and women in the military from pre-Revolution to the Iraq War. 

Airing tonight on PBS, the documentary examines how a people so often denied freedom fought heroically to preserve the freedom of their fellow countrymen.

"At a time when Hollywood so easily and consistently depicts African American men as gangsters, brutes, drug dealers and abusers of their children and families, I am very proud to share the typical and normal experiences of ordinary black men and women who did extraordinary things so that we, their descendants, might celebrate their achievements and enjoy the freedom they secured," says Stetson. 

Learn more about this project at www.forloveofliberty.org and click here to see what time "For Love of Liberty" is playing in your city. 

Not familiar with Jeff Stetson?  He's the author of "The Meeting" and "Blood on the Leaves,"  as well as an internationally acclaimed, and award-winning, playwright and screenwriter. Learn more here. 

Video Friday: "The Pluto Files"

Take a cross country journey with Neil deGrasse Tyson to explore the rise and fall of America's favorite planet. Learn more about the adventure here and be sure to watch the program beginning March 3, 2010. 

Bernice Johnson Reagon at The White House

The fabulous Bernice Johnson Reagon was a guest performer at The White House for Tuesday's distinguished Black History Month event.  “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement” featured Johnson, as well as Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, Natalie Cole, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and other talented musicians. 


The New York Times called Johnson and her Freedom Singers "fierce" and "jubilant," also noting that "it was not lost on anyone that Mr. Obama is America’s first African-American president."  Read the full article here. 


Learn more about the event here and be sure to check your local listings for your chance to watch Reagon tear into classic songs that will capture your heart and mind. 


And listen to Reagon (and daughter Toshi) chat with Neil Conan on NPR's Talk of the Nation here. 


* And did we mention that our fearless leader Jodi Solomon accompanied Bernice Johnson Reagon to The White House? And while she may be stranded in D.C. due to snow, we're excited to hear stories upon her return! 

Ted Conover: "The Routes of Man"

This week, Ted Conover's new book "The Routes of Man" comes out. 

It's a look at roads as a powerful force that changes the world, including the people on them. Conover writes about roads in his usual way - by traveling them himself, in the company of those to whom they matter. These include woodcutters in the Amazon, teenagers in Ladakh, truck drivers in East Africa, soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank, ambulance crews in Lagos, and Chinese businesspeople, many in their first cars, who want to drive really, really fast. It's Conover's first book since "Newjack" and we're thrilled to read it. (And The Economist was also thrilled with the book! Read a review here.) 

Please visit Conover's website at www.tedconover.com to see what people are saying, check out upcoming events and order the book! 

Howard Zinn Memorial at Evergreen State College

Many have been influenced by Howard Zinn and his book "People's History of the United States." Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau had scheduled Howard to speak in Olympia WA tomorrow (Feb. 6), at 3 PM, but he passed away last week. He'd be delighted to know people still gather to celebrate his life and remember his work.

So come honor and celebrate Howard Zinn's life and work at The Evergreen State College in Olympia WA. The program will feature a recent interview of Zinn with David Barsamian and a recording of the address "Three Holy Wars" that Zinn had promised to bring to Olympia.

Local educators and activists and artists will testify to the ways that Howard Zinn has touched their lives and work. The event will close with music, led by David Rovics.

The event is free. Donations will be collected in Howard Zinn's name to fund peace and justice work here in the US and in Haiti.

For more information, contact Larry Mosqueda, 867.6513.

And a big thank you to the committee organizing the Howard Zinn Celebration of Life Memorial:  Jana Dean, Sandy Yannone, Victoria Larkin, Larry Mosqueda and Pete Bohmer. Learn more here. 

*And please check out this amazing clip of speaker/cartoonist Steve Brodner as he pays tribute to Howard Zinn.  

What our Customers are Saying...

...About Annie Leonard:

"Annie was just exceptional.  There are speakers and then there are speakers who engage, connect, inspire, etc... Annie is all of that.  She spoke to almost 400 people and at the end the room was on their feet with a loud applause.  The head of the communication department told me this morning that Annie delivered the best speech she has seen in years and one of the best speeches she has ever seen.  Needless to say, the campus and community are buzzing about The Story of Stuff." - Juniata College 

Jodi Solomon and Stephen Colbert

On Friday evening, New Jersey's Montclair Kimberley Academy hosted a star-filled evening of entertainment and education. Celebrated astrophysicist, director of the Hayden Planetarium and Bureau speaker Neil deGrasse Tyson was interviewed live on stage by Stephen Colbert. 

Jodi Solomon was lucky enough to attend the evening and even managed to spend some time hanging out with Colbert and Tyson prior to the event. 

Her words to describe the evening: "Great fun!"