Allan Gregg In Conversation (audio)

Ted Fishman is the author of "Shock of Gray", which looks at potential global implications, both political and financial, of an ageing population. He foresees generational conflict and the universal demise of pensions.

Communications entrepreneur Charles Sirois talks about his career. Sirois partly attributes his success to his strengths as a visionary and as a communicator. Early on, he saw the potential of wireless technology and the possibility of delivering internet services through wireless telephones. He is the author of "Organic Management: Creating a Culture of Innovation". (Originally aired October 2000)

Historian Michael Bliss is the author of "The Making of Modern Medicine", which looks at a turning point in the treatment of disease from 1885-1922, during which time medicine started to become more science-based, microbes were discovered and there was much more investment in health care.

Health care expert Sholom Glouberman is the author of "My Operation" . When he recently had to undergo a stay in hospital, he saw the health care system from the inside and was disgusted. Because of his experience, he started the advocacy group "Patients' Association of Canada".

Naturalist Sir David Attenborough explains why he believes wildlife documentaries have become so popular. He adds that new technology allows him greater access to his subjects, be they plant or animal. (Originally aired Octobetr 1995)

British constitutional historian David Starkey has written a biography of Queen Elizabeth I, about whom there is an enduring fascination. It is called "Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne." (Originally aired May 2001)

British-Chinese journalist Xinran is the author of "China Witness: Voices From A Silent Generation". Her research is based on years of interviews with Chinese people of the last two generations. Older people were not used to being asked their opinions on anything and tended to be quite suspicious at first. Despite having lived through extreme hardship, many still share a nostalgia for the days of Mao.The younger generation knew nothing of the Cultural Revolution or of the sacrifices and efforts made by their parents.. (Originally aired Deceber 2009)

Psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman is the author of "Working With Emotional Intelligence". Goleman believes that I.Q. is not longer as valued as it once was as being an indicator of a person's success. Now it is Emotional Intelligence that has become the new yardstick. Emotional Intelligence refers to areas like self-awareness, empathy and social skills, and it is these qualities that employers are now looking for. (Originally aired February 1999)

Economics Professor Loretta Napoleoni, is the author of "Maonomics: Why The Chinese Make Better Capitalists Than We Do". In it, she ascribes China's success to their flexibility. Having witnessed the demise of communism in Russia, China, in a bid to ward off a similar fate, decided to pump money into the infrastructure. This they did by tempting foreign investors with the promise of cheap labour, which in turn, gave many Chinese people an opportunity to earn money, and thus create a middle class. She thinks the West can learn a lot from China but that we are too ideological, too rigid. The West must produce more in order to slow the shifting balance of power from West to East.

Native activist and professor Taiaiake Alfred is the author of "Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto". In it, he acknowledges that the Canadian government has tried to redress historic unjustices and to raise the economic well-being of indigenous peoples. However, their offer of help often comes with too many strings attached. Quite often, some band leaders respond to government-offered incentives and end up becoming assimilated into western government culture. Self-government is desirable but it must be a government that is reflective of their own culture by being more consenus-based. It is imperative that the younger generation of indigenous peoples re-connect with their traditions. (Originally aired April 2008)

David Suzuki is co-author of "Tree: A Life Story", (augmented by illustrations from Robert Bateman) which spans the 700-year life cycle of a Douglas fir. How the survival of the tree is interlinked with a myriad of plant and animal life, is a metaphor for humans, whose lives are also part of a diverse ecosystem. Suzuki believes that one of the root causes of environmental problems is that there is often a disconnect between human behaviour and its outcomes. He also mentions the Nature Challenge and gives tips on some effective ways to conserve nature. (Originally aired November 2004)

Astronomer Ray Jayawardhana is author of "Strange New Worlds", which is about our search for new planets and alien life. In the last 15 years, astronomers have discovered hundreds of new planetary systems and if some of these planets have life-sustaining properties, then they may support alien life, even if only at the bacterial level.

Controversial Bishop John Spong has written another book, "Liberating The Gospels", the sub-title of which is "Reading The Bible With Jewish Eyes". In it, he says that because the Gospels were written by Jews in a midrashic style, the stories should not be taken as literal narratives but rather as portraits to capture the impact of Jesus. (Originally aired February 1997)

Joseph Nye is Dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and former Assistant Secretary of Defence in the Clinton administration. His new book is called "Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics." He defines "soft power" as being the power to attract others to your value system. He further explains why America lost a lot of soft power after their invasion of Iraq. An example of a country with increased soft power is Norway, because of its role in peace processes. Canada, he believes, has some soft power but not enough hard power. (Originally aired April 2004)

Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough has written "The Great Journey", which covers account the period 1830-1900 in which many American artists and scientists who lived and studied in Paris. Subjects include Samuel Morse, James Fenimore Cooper and Charles Sumner. Sumner witness racial equality whilst at the Sorbonne and became an abolitionist when he returned to the U.S. McCullough also mentions his past biography of President John Adams and states that the calibre of the Founding Fathers was far superior to that of modern day politicians.

Journalist Chrystia Freeland is the author of "Sale of The Century" which covers Russia's journey from communism to capitalism. The transition caused a huge drop in the standard of living for the average Russian but was also responsible for the birth of the super-wealthy oligarchs, who were given control of the country's natural resources in return for their political support. (Originally aired May 2005)

First guest is Dr. Samantha Nutt, co-founder of War Child Canada. Her new book is "Damned Nations", in which Dr. Nutt writes about her sixteen years working in war-torn countries. She believes, that unwittingly, Canadians have become consumers of war because of the trade in "blood minerals" and heavy investment in arms companies by Canadian pension funds. Second guest is John Ralston Saul, President of PEN International. He talks about the work of PEN in protecting the rights of writers around the world and of his work in preserving indigenous languages.

John Ralston Saul is President of PEN International. He talks about the work of PEN in protecting the rights of writers around the world and of his work in preserving indigenous languages.

George Elliott Clarke explores violence, racism and poverty in the Maritimes in the 1940s in his book, "George and Rue". It is a part fiction, part fact story based on a real event; that of his two cousins who were executed for murdering a cab driver. Apart from the book, Elliott Clarke says that black history has very little presence in Canadian history books. He also comments on his involvement with trying to get "To Kill A Mockingbird" replaced in the school curriculum with a book by an African writer who would have a different take on racism. (Originally aired February 2005)

Medical Ethicist Dr. Philip Hebert reviews the nature of medical mistakes that occur in doctor's offices, labs and hospitals, and what medical professionals and patients can do to help prevent them. Dr. Philip Hebert is Director of Clinical Ethics at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto. (Originally aired May 2003)