Thursday, January 8, 7 p.m.
SIDNEY HARMAN
Sidney Harman, CEO of Harman International and founder of the Program on Technology, Public Policy and Human Development at John F. Kennedy School of Government discusses his visionary ideas on leadership in "Mind Your Business: A Maverick's Guide to Business, Leadership, and Life."

Wednesday, January 14, 7 p.m.
URSULA HEGI
“Sacred Time: A Novel”
The best-selling author of “Stones from the River” reads from her new novel, an unforgettable story of an endearing yet flawed Italian American family that spans three generations, from the 1950s in the Bronx to contemporary Brooklyn.

Thursday, January 15, 7 p.m.
BERNAT ROSNER & FREDERIC C. TUBACH
“AN UNCOMMON FRIENDSHIP: FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HOLOCAUST”
Bernat Rosner, a Hungarian-born survivor of Auschwitz and a retired San Francisco Bay Area lawyer, and Frederic Tubach, the son of a Nazi officer and a retired Professor of German at the University of California at Berkeley, will lead a video screening and discussion on “This Daunting Task: Conflict, Consequence and Reconciliation.” Together they prove what goodwill and intelligence can accomplish in the cause of reconciliation. Commissioned by the California Council for the Humanities' California Story Fund.

Tuesday, January 20, 7 p.m.
LYNNE COX
“Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of A Long-Distance Swimmer”
Lynne Cox captures the almost mystical act of swimming and describes training for swims in the most inhospitable waterways in the world without a wet suit; the 15-mile Straits of Magellan; Lake Baikal, and 32º water in Antarctica. Cox was inducted into the Swimming Hall of Fame in 2000.

Wednesday, January 21, 7 p.m.
NICHOLAS A. BASBANES
“A Splendor of Letters: The Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World”
An authority on books and bibliophiles (“Among the Gently Mad”), discusses the pressing issues that surround the role of books in contemporary society, such as the willful destruction of libraries in Iraq, Sarajevo, Tibet, and Cambodia, and the spirited efforts to restore them.

Tuesday, January 27, 7 p.m.
LINDA FAIRSTEIN
“The Kills: A Novel”
The author of the popular Alexandra Cooper crime mystery series reads from her newest novel. An assistant District Attorney in Manhattan for 30, Fairstein is America's foremost authority on the investigation of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Wednesday, January 28, 7 p.m.
ANCHEE MIN
“Empress Orchid”
The author of “Red Azalea” and “Becoming Madame Mao” describes a gorgeous lost world seen through the eyes of a vibrant and strong-willed woman who reigned as the infamous last empress of China.

Wednesday, February 4, 7 p.m.
AZAR NAFISI
“Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books”
Expelled from the University of Tehran for refusing to wear the veil, Nafisi—now teaching in the U.S.--defied Islamic morality squads to teach forbidden Western classics in Iran. With Iran-born novelist Gina Nahai, she discusses her remarkable memoir and the freedom that literature can bestow. Library Associates Reception to follow.

Tuesday, February 10, 7 p.m.
CHRIS ABANI
"Graceland: A Novel"
Abani discusses the coming-of-age story of a teenage Elvis impersonator, set in the sprawling, swampy, cacophonous underworld of Lagos, Nigeria. A remarkable examination of postcolonial Nigeria.

Wednesday, February 11, 7 p.m. RESCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, JULY 13
KHALED HOSSEINI
"The Kite Runner: A Novel"
The story of Amir, a young boy who escapes to the West with his father in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Afghan-born Hosseini, now a doctor in the Bay Area, discusses his passionate tale of betrayal and redemption with writer/editor DAVID ULIN.

Tuesday, February 17, 7 p.m.
ANA MENÉNDEZ
"Loving Che"
The acclaimed young author of "In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd," reads from her new novel-- an intimate portrait of revolutionary Cuba as witnessed by an elderly woman recalling her secret love affair with Che Guevara.

Wednesday, February 18, 7 p.m.
CHALMERS JOHNSON
"The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy and the End of the Republic"
The author of the prophetic national bestseller "Blowback," offers a vivid look at the new caste of professional warriors who have infiltrated multiple branches of government, for whom the manipulation of the military budget is of vital interest. In conversation with journalist WARREN OLNEY ("To the Point").

Sunday, February 22, 3 p.m.
TIBETAN MUSIC CONCERT, PERFORMED BY MONKS FROM DREPUNG GOMANG MONASTIC UNIVERSITY IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
Monks from Drepung Gomang, in Southern India perform harmonic overtone chanting of Tibetan traditional prayers accompanied by temple instruments including horns, flutes, bells and drums.

Wednesday, February 25, 7 p.m.
AN EVENING OF READINGS AND CONVERSATION WITH ANNIE REINER AND CARL REINER
Comedy legend and writer/director, Carl Reiner, will read from his new memoir, "My Anecdotal Life." This is Mr. Reiner's first reading with his daughter, Annie, a poet, playwright and psychotherapist, who will read from her new book of poems, "Beyond Rhyme & Reason," and from her book of short stories, "This Nervous Breakdown Is Driving Me Crazy." Presented by The Council fo the Library Foundation and sponsored by City National Bank.

Thursday, February 26, 7 p.m.
JOEL BEN IZZY
“The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness”
To Izzy, stories are not only a way of life but also a way to heal. This story begins one morning, fifteen years into his successful career as a storyteller, when he awoke to find he could no longer speak. The true story of a man who found happiness just when he thought he’d lost everything.