Rachel Solomon

Madeleine Albright was the first woman to hold the Secretary of State position for former president Bill Clinton. She became known as an advocate for peace in the Middle East and for bringing war criminals to justice. In her new memoir, she chronicles her traumatic early life in Prague during the Nazi occupation, through the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War.

Khan Academy started when Salman Khan posted a video online to help his 12-year-old cousin pass a math test. Today, Khan has made more than 3,000 videos about topics like organic chemistry and photosynthesis. Khan's videos have been viewed more than 200 million times, and in his new book he talks about how human interaction could be the root to solving America's education crisis.

Wind can be a very significant power provider in the United States, especially in the Midwest. Environmental lawyer and writer Philip Warburg talks about wind as a resource, including how it relates to the economy and climate change. He spoke at Seattle's Town Hall on December 4, 2012. The talk was introduced by Denis Hayes, CEO of the Bullitt Foundation and coordinator of the first Earth Day.

The name Muhammad is powerful and iconic, but what do we know about his life story? Lesley Hazleton brings Muhammad to life in this talk, recorded at Seattle's Town Hall on January 24, 2013.

Lesley Hazleton has written about the Middle East for The New York Times, The Nation, and Time magazine. Her most recent book is "The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad."

How do organized religion and politics intersect in the United States? Ray Suarez, a senior correspondent for PBS's NewsHour, explores this topic in his new book, "The Holy Vote: The Politics of Faith in America." Ray Suarez spoke at Town Hall on January 11, 2013. The talk was presented by Seattle University as part of its Faith and Values in the Public Square lecture series.

Anna Muraco calls the relationships between gay men and straight women, and straight men and gay women, "intersectional friendships." By interviewing many intersectional friendships, Muraco found the stereotypical reason these relationships are formed is false and limiting in the way we view family, friendship and social norms. Muraco spoke at the University Book Store on January 16, 2013.

Finland’s public education system consistently ranks among the top in the world in terms of achievement and efficiency. Professor Pasi Sahlberg’s presentation talks about what the United States can learn from Finland, where education policies focus more on professional development rather than standardized tests, and pedagogy above technology. Sahlberg spoke at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall on November 14, 2012.

"Psychopath" is a weighted, sometimes terrifying word. But psychologist Kevin Dutton makes the argument that not all psychopaths are violent. In fact, some of their qualities -- fearlessness, confidence, charisma -- set them up for success in today's society. Dutton spoke at Seattle's Town Hall on Oct. 30, 2012.

How can we thrive in an uncertain world? Nassim Nicholas Taleb identifies a category of things that not only depend on disorder -- they thrive on it. For example: human bones get stronger when subjected to stress, and riots intensify when someone tries to suppress them.