Jennifer Ouellette was an English major who long “avoided all math,” as she put it. Today, the science writer and author of The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse recalled asking her math teacher what every student wants to know: why does math matter in every day life? “He gave the usual stock answers,” she said. “But when you start to see where calculus is in the real world, that’s when you start to see where it’s useful.” Ouellette dropped by Zocalo’s offices to chat with Swati Pandey about how calculus can help you win in Vegas, anticipate the next dip or turn of a roller coaster, and why we should all aim for mathematical literacy to give us a richer view of the world around us.
At the Office
Why Does Math Matter?
September 2, 2010At the Office: Archives
Monica Ganas on the Meaning of California
On August 16, 2010Before Monica Ganas began teaching California, she lived it. A native of the state and a 30 year veteran of the entertainment industry and now a professor at Azusa Pacific University, Ganas explained how her personal background inspired her book, Under the Influence: California’s Intoxicating Spiritual and Cultural Impact on America. “I think I’ve been trying to make sense of my personal experience for a lot of my life,” she joked. It wasn’t until she left the state that she began to see its strangeness, and the way it impacts the country. Ganas stopped by Zocalo’s offices to explore California culture — from the glamor of movies to the ordinariness of traffic, from car obsession to spiritual diversity.
How Democratic is Iran?
On August 12, 2010Stephen Kinzer has reported from over 50 countries on five continents, including those with some of the most vexing relationships with the U.S. In his latest book, Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future, Kinzer argues that the U.S. should look to some unexpected partners for a smarter Middle East strategy — Iran and Turkey, the only Muslim countries with deep democratic roots. He also argues for a reconsideration of our tight ties with Israel and Saudi Arabia. Kinzer stopped by Zócalo’s offices to chat with Swati Pandey about the history of democracy in the Middle East and what Americans miss in all the media hype about Iran.
A World Without Nuclear Weapons?
On July 28, 2010As “Countdown to Zero” producer Lawrence Bender discovered, making a movie about nuclear weapons isn’t exactly easy. Most people don’t think about them, and those who do don’t necessarily want to talk, Bender explained. Still, Bender and director Lucy Walker secured commentary from an impressive catalog of world leaders, some of whom had to be booked over a year in advance — from former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Though they all agreed that the ideal number of nuclear weapons in the world is zero, Bender found, getting to zero is a major political challenge. Bender stopped by Zócalo’s offices before Zócalo and KCRW’s screening of “Countdown to Zero” to talk about why the world is more dangerous today than it was during the Cold War, and what we can do about it.
Nicole LaPorte on DreamWorks
On June 24, 2010A veteran Variety reporter, Nicole LaPorte wrote The Men Who Would Be King at the risk of never lunching — or breakfasting or dining — in this town again. Her book catalogs in precise detail — from boardroom blow-ups to red carpet premieres — the rise and fall of DreamWorks studios, the brainchild of Hollywood’s biggest moguls since the golden age of the studio system. “There was money, it was the 90s, Clinton was in office,” LaPorte said. “The movie business is always a risky business, but back then, there were many more people willing to place bets.” Unfortunately, no matter how big the men behind it or how many hits it made in the early years, it didn’t keep DreamWorks alive, as LaPorte explained to Swati Pandey at Zócalo’s offices.





