Authors / Common Read (U)

Considered the greatest chess player that ever lived, Russian world champion Garry Kasparov shares insights on strategy, innovation, leadership, and risk. 

Garry Kasparov is widely regarded as the greatest chess player in history, becoming the youngest world champion ever at 22 in 1985 and spending twenty years as the world’s top-rated player. His legendary matches against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in 1996 and 1997 made him a central figure in artificial intelligence and the evolution of the human-machine relationship. 

<p>A leading voice on race and racism, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum shares unique insights and strategies for productive conversations that lead to effective social change. </p><p>Good leaders know that you can’t solve a problem without talking about the tough topic of race. Yet many feel unprepared to exercise the leadership needed to address racial issues and take the necessary steps to create truly inclusive communities on their campuses, in their corporations, or in their communities. </p><p>Dr.

<p>Alison Mariella Désir inspires audiences to find meaning and wellbeing through the transformational power of running, movement and the outdoors. </p><p>Research shows a powerful connection between movement and positive health outcomes. For Alison Mariella Desir, the bestselling author of <em>Running While Black</em>, running saved her life, connected her to community, and helped her find her purpose. </p><p>Alison got her start in the running and outdoor industry unintentionally, after seeing a Black friend train and complete a marathon.

<p>A renowned cultural critic who coined the term “Know-Your-Place Aggression,” Koritha Mitchell created the C19 Podcast episode, <em>The N-Word in the Classroom: Just Say No!</em> </p><p>In 2013, Koritha published <em>Love in Action: Noting Similarities Between Lynching Then and Anti-LGBT Violence Now</em>. She found that what lynching and anti-LGBT violence most have in common is the targeted group’s success.

<p>An award-winning journalist constantly in demand for her comprehensive coverage of Trump and the future of democracy, Andrea Bernstein is the<strong style="font-size: 12pt;"> </strong><em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of<strong style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><em> </em></strong><em>American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps and the Marriage of Money and Power.</em></p><p>Bernstein most recently reported and co-hosted with Ilya Marritz the acclaimed podca

<p>This UC Berkeley Law Professor and Supreme Court expert shares stories from the book she co-wrote with friend and mentor Ruth Bader Ginsburg and gives audiences a behind-the-curtain look at the inner workings of the nation’s highest court.</p><p>A Supreme Court, civil liberties and constitutional law expert who served early in her career as a law clerk to the late and Honorable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amanda Tyler is currently the Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Law at UC Berkeley and an author.

<p>Maria Ressa is an award-winning journalist and the co-founder, CEO of Rappler.com, an online news organization in the Philippines.</p><p>Maria’s courage and work on disinformation and ‘fake news’ culminated in being awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” Her numerous awards include being named <em>Time’s </em>2018 Person of the Year and listed among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019.</p><p>Maria advises organizations and

<p>Daryl Davis is committed to helping people ignite positive change—using conversation to build bridges.</p><p>His jaw-dropping experiences speak for themselves. For nearly 40 years, he’s engaged leaders of the KKK and White supremacist groups face to face to find the answer to a question: “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” </p><p>That question stemmed from his first encounter with racism at age ten when he was pelted with rocks, bottles, and soda cans by a handful of White spectators while marching in a parade.

<p>The former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and bestselling author of the memoir <i>Lessons from the Edge </i>shares insights on the region and the current crisis as well as experiences from her 33-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service.</p><p>Marie Yovanovitch served three times as U.S. Ambassador, most recently in Kyiv as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. Previously, she served as U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic (2005-2008) and the Republic of Armenia (2008-2011).

<p>American history is in Gayle Jessup White’s blood. A direct descendant of both Thomas Jefferson and those enslaved at his famous Monticello estate, her story is a real-life version of <i>Roots</i> – a 40-year struggle to prove that her family’s belief about its links to the author of the Declaration of Independence were true. Along the way, she unearthed not only a fascinating family saga, but sharp and searing insights into America’s conflicted past and the unsettled future.