Political Awakenings: Conversations with History
Starred Review. For more than 25 years, the University of California's Kreisler has been conducting hour-long interviews with "the distinguished men and women who pass through Berkeley on a daily basis" for a series he calls "Conversations with History." In this remarkable collection, Kreisler selects 20 converations, spotlighting some of the most important activists, academics, and journalists of our generation, including Elizabeth Warren, Michael Pollan, Tariq Ali, Howard Zinn, and Oliver Stone. Having honed his craft over decades, Kreisler poses provocative, open-ended questions leagues deeper than typical sound bite-centered journalism. While discussion ranges from apartheid with Justice Albie Sachs to the Iranian revolution with Nobel Peace Prize-winning lawyer Shirin Ebadi, Kreisler also investigates the formative experiences of each subject. Offering insight into world events, as well as the life and career paths of those who work for change, this study in the art of thoughtful dissent should fascinate anyone interested in activism and world events, especially new and soon-to-be graduates.