We’re pleased to announce Zócalo’s third annual Book Prize winner: Jonathan Haidt.

Who wants the mayor? This week, Zócalo launches its Adopt-A-Mayor program. Tell us why your neighborhood would be a good place for the soon-to-be-ex-mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. You might even win a Zócalo prize.

The Sky Is Falling, Again. Director of the Aerospace History Project Peter Westwick writes about how the budget cuts of Washington’s sequester will affect the Southern California aerospace industry. With a history of booms and busts, will the aerospace industry be able to recover, or will this be the final bust?

Why California IT Keeps Crashing. California has been faced with a slew of expensive IT failures lately, and the government’s solution of hiring big outside contractors and IT experts doesn’t work. Alissa Black, who directs the New America Foundation’s California Civic Innovation Project, suggests that governments should collaborate and tackle these issues together.

TMZ’s Charles Latibeaudiere in the Green Room. Before participating in a panel on infotainment and political journalism, Charles Latibeaudiere revealed his hair-care regimen, his hidden talent, and what’s on his DVR.

A Korean War Veteran, a Stalker, and a Physicist Meet in a Bar. Ever wonder what it feels like to be stalked? James Landun, author of Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked, recounts how a mildly flirtatious e-mail correspondence took a very bad turn. Read about this and more in this week’s Six Point Inspection.

Speaking for the Children … and the AK-47. California poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera describes his book Senegal Taxi as a “performance poem.” In it, he tries to channel the many voices of Africa–from the village ant to a television broadcast. Herrera says, “At another level, I like to give the poem room to do its thing, so it can cross-over the wire onto new turf and unwind from its tight, polite journey.”

Next week …

Zócalo’s very own California Editor Joe Mathews launches his new weekly column, “Connecting California.”

Why is the Black-White wealth gap bigger today than it was thirty years ago?