Listening ideas for 17 May 2011

Elucidations
Quassim Cassam discusses transcendental arguments
In this episode, Quassim Cassam discusses an influential strategy for arguing against the idea that (for example) we're all in the Matrix.
(review, feed)

Center for Near Eastern Studies
From the Shah to the Ayatollah, Continuities and Ruptures
A lecture by Abbas Milani, Stanford University
(review, feed)

Some Books Considered
Program 133
Isabel Allende says the inspiration for her latest novel started with a visit to New Orleans. Her research on the culture of the Big Easy took her back to Haiti during its colonial era and the revolution at the turn of the 19th century. The novel spans four decades in the life of a woman named Zarite, who was born a slave on the island of Saint-Domingue and eventually travels to New Orleans in search of love and freedom. Isabel Allende was born in Peru, raised in Chile, and now lives in California. Her books have been best sellers across four continents. In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
(review, feed)