Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

See the Conversations with History Blog See a webcast of this interview: Brilliant Links: | Google.org | The Seva Foundation | The Well

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Larry Brilliant, who is an MD and a Master of Public Health. He is a former professor of epidemiology, a former high-tech entrepreneur and a former public health official. On February 22, 2006, he was appointed executive director of Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google. He is also the Director and Founder of the Seva Foundation.

1. Background ... influence of parents ... death of father ... medical school ... "civil rights specialist" in San Francisco ... impact of the sixties ... Alcatraz Island doctor ... media then and now ... bus tour ... illness ... traveler to the East
2. Doing What You are Meant to Do ... study in the East ... lessons of a guru ... surrendering to one's own destiny ... illusory nature of success
3. Eradicating Smallpox ... guru's prescience ... working with giants ... hard work ... cultural obstacles ... ACLU values put to the test ... from smallpox to blindness ... the Seva Foundation
4. One Thing Leads to Another ... discovering survey research ... helicopter crash in Nepal ... using Internet conferencing to fix the copter ... leadership and creativity ... appreciating the value of others ... establishing the first virtual community
5. Aftermath of 9/11 ... inspired to combat bioterrorism ... world changed by our response ... U.S. post-WW II behavior and popularity ... overreaction of immune system ... interfaith work on violence, ecology... spiritual questions ... analogy of mono-cropping ... meaningful, pluralistic dialogue ... advice to students

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