Hi everybody, I'm John Don Van, host and moderator of Intelligent Squared U.S. and this

is another one in our series of conversations, not debates, but conversations where I have

been sitting down with some people who have had really significant impact on the public

discourse today, the way we talk to each other.

We're calling this series Discourse Disruptors and it's where I chat with people who really

are adding some new shape to the public debate, looking past partisan talking points and

they are definitely bringing civility and also substance back to the conversations that

they care about most and as a result we care about them too.

My guest today leads one of the most recognizable forums for public discourse ever, Ted or the

Ted Talks.

Chris Anderson, thanks so much for being with us Chris.

It's great to be here.

As I said to you, the curator of Ted, you're also the author of the book Ted Talks, the

official Ted guide to public speaking, which I confess to having the benefit of having read.

So I got a lot of insight to where Ted came from and what your goals and aspirations are.

So I want to chat a little bit about that.

But I want to start with a memory of 2007 coming, my wife wakes up, she's an early riser

and gets up about an hour earlier than me and something like 12, 13 years ago I came downstairs

and she said, you've got to listen to this and she had listened to Ted Talk, I guess

in the first 100 series that you posted.

And she had been doing this for several days in a row and I said, what is it?

And she said, is Ted Talks?

...