Talks at Google

Sir Barry Cunliffe has been Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford for 35 years and is a Fellow of the British Academy. In this talk, he discusses his book "The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe.” Brilliant horsemen and great fighters, the Scythians were nomadic horsemen who ranged wide across the grasslands of the Asian steppe from the Altai mountains in the east to the Great Hungarian Plain in the first millennium BCE. Their steppe homeland bordered on a number of sedentary states to the south - the Chinese, the Persians and the Greeks - and there were inevitably numerous interactions between the nomads and their neighbors. The Scythians fought the Persians on a number of occasions, in one battle killing their king and on another occasion driving the invading army of Darius the Great from the steppe. Relations with the Greeks around the shores of the Black Sea were rather different - both communities benefited from trading with each other. This led to the development of a brilliant art style, often depicting scenes from Scythian mythology and everyday life.  It is from the writings of Greeks like the historian Herodotus that we learn of Scythian life: their beliefs, their burial practices, their love of fighting, and their ambivalent attitudes to gender. It is a world that is also brilliantly illuminated by the rich material culture recovered from Scythian burials, from the graves of kings on the Pontic steppe, with their elaborate gold work and vividly coloured fabrics, to the frozen tombs of the Altai mountains, where all the organic material - wooden carvings, carpets, saddles and even tattooed human bodies - is amazingly well preserved. Barry Cunliffe here marshals this vast array of evidence - both archaeological and textual - in a masterful reconstruction of the lost world of the Scythians, allowing them to emerge in all their considerable vigor and splendor for the first time in over two millennia. Originally published in December of 2019. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://youtu.be/XFsd_LyYZdo?si=_xVKxs5aC4Zl7LMr] to watch the video.

Simon Sinek, optimist, author, and founder of The Optimism Company, visits Google to discuss how adopting an optimistic mindset can help you rediscover your purpose and thrive even when it seems like everything around you is changing. Simon Sinek is an unshakable optimist, who believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. He has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are, and fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon may be best known for popularizing what he calls the concept of WHY, which he described in his first TED Talk in 2009. That talk went on to become the second most watched TED Talk of all time, and is still in the top five with over 50 million views. His interview on millennials in the workplace broke the internet in 2016. With over 80 million views in its first week, it has now been viewed hundreds of millions times. This led to Simon being YouTube’s fifth most searched term in 2017.  His unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention. From the airline industry to the entertainment industry, from finance to fashion, from big business to entrepreneurs to police forces, Simon has been invited to meet with a broad array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. He has also had the honor of sharing his ideas with multiple agencies of the US government and with the senior-most leaders of the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Army and Coast Guard. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://youtu.be/Wq6cv7V0cTo] to watch the video.

Muhammad Yunus, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and bestselling author of "Banker to the Poor," visits to Google to talk about his book "A World of Three Zeroes." Muhammad Yunus is one of today's most vigorous social critics. Now he declares it's time to admit that the capitalist engine is broken, and that in its current form it inevitably leads to rampant inequality, massive unemployment, and environmental destruction. He advocates for a new economic system that unleashes altruism as a creative force just as powerful as self-interest. Is this a pipe dream? Not at all. In the last decade, thousands of people and organizations have already embraced Yunus's vision of a new form of capitalism, launching innovative social businesses designed to serve human needs rather than accumulate wealth. They are bringing solar energy to millions of homes in Bangladesh; turning thousands of unemployed young people into entrepreneurs through equity investments; financing female-owned businesses in cities across the United States; bringing mobility, shelter, and other services to the rural poor in France; and creating a global support network to help young entrepreneurs launch their start-ups. In "A World of Three Zeros," Yunus describes the new civilization emerging from the economic experiments his work has helped to inspire. He explains how global companies like McCain, Renault, Essilor, and Danone got involved with this new economic model through their own social action groups, describes the ingenious new financial tools now funding social businesses, and sketches the legal and regulatory changes needed to jumpstart the next wave of socially driven innovations. Originally published in November of 2017. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://youtu.be/8YHtLGI172k?si=Fpnms6ItyYv0RdMe] to watch the video.

Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling join us to discuss their book “A Confident Cook,” where they share empowerment and excitement with those who are just beginning to cook. This book is packed with scrumptious recipes as well as cocktails and mocktails. Throughout, Lish and Tamron chat, teach, learn, and inspire you to keep it going in the kitchen. Tamron Hall is an Emmy Award-winning television host and executive producer of the syndicated talk show, "Tamron Hall," a best-selling author, and a self-taught cook. Born and raised in Texas, Tamron had her culinary senses ignited at an early age by her grandfather, BBQ pitmaster Louis Mitchell, and their bond developed around food. She has guest judged on the Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” and “Emeril Live,” and she’s a longtime supporter and participant of leading culinary events such as the James Beard Awards, Food & Wine Classic, and New York City Wine & Food Festival. Lish Steiling is a chef, food stylist, recipe writer, and James Beard-Award and Emmy Award-winning culinary producer. She is a co-founder of the brand The Taste Curators and is a regular chef on Epicurious’s YouTube channel. Lish was also a champion on Food Network's “Chopped.” She has worked for and contributed to the Today show, Food Network, The New York Times, the Tamron Hall show, Vanity Fair, and the Kitchn, among others. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDKC9-eldjM] to watch the video.

Christopher McDougall visits Google to discuss his book “Born to Run.” Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, and cutting-edge science, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world's greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.  Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara resistant to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence.  With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, Christopher was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder. With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run. Originally published in October of 2009. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://youtu.be/Y_usxrvKvus?si=owlRMEPMY8IfyvZo] to watch the video.