Antonio Dimasio - The Conscious Brain from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Dr. Moira Gunn talks with USC professor and author, Antonio Dimasio, about the connection between mind and body and how they related to consciousness. Download the podcast here.

Kevin Kelly - What Technology Wants from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Dr. Moira Gunn talks with former Wired magazine Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Kelly, about his new book, What Technology Wants, and his theory that technology is undergoing its own evolution.

Download the podcast here.

Jeff Papows - The Impact of Faulty Software from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Dr. Moira Gunn talks with author and former Lotus Development President, Jeff Papows, about the three forces which create software glitches, how they are effecting society at large, and how we can fix them.

Download the podcast here. Industry Week had this to say about the ideas in the book:

For the on-the-go business professional or tech-savvy teen, that might be welcome news. The question, Papows asks, is "whether we are using technology to add value on behalf of the consumer or simply doing it because we can." "Automobiles are becoming moving wide-area networks," Papows tells IndustryWeek. "They are more and more digital and less and less mechanical. So it logically follows that given all of the challenges that information technology professionals are facing, the more digital [vehicles] become, the more risks there are inherently." In his book, Papows points to Toyota Motor Corp.'s February recall of approximately 148,000 Prius and Lexus models to update the software in the vehicles' antilock brake systems (ABS). At the time, Toyota noted that some owners of 2010 Prius hybrids and 2010 HS 250h Lexus vehicles "have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the ABS is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction."

The cautionary article and cursory introduction to the book, can be found here. See also: The Software Conspiracy: Why Companies Put Out Faulty Software, How They Can Hurt You and What You Can Do About It, Fault Tolerance in Distributed Systems, Making Software: What Really Works, and Why We Believe It

Carmine Gallo - The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Apple's Steve Jobs has a reputation for innovation, particularly Apple's company slogan of "Think Different". Carmine Gallo wrote a book that reviewed Jobs' presentation secrets and now details his innovation secrets. Gallo discusses his book, including the seven points of innovation followed by Steve Jobs. Gallo also talks about the thought process that led to this follow-up to his previous successful book.

Download the podcast here. See also: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience, 10 Simple Secrets of the World's Greatest Business Communicators, Fire Them Up!: 7 Simple Secrets to Inspire Colleagues, Customers, and Clients; Sell Yourself, Your Vision, and Your Values; Communicate with Charisma and Confidence

Robert Kaplan - Monsoon from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Dr. Moira Gunn talks with author, Robert Kaplan, about the Indian Ocean and his new book Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power. Looking at everything from the history to the regions geopolitics, Kaplan gets us up to speed on affairs of the region.

Download the podcast here. See also: Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power, The Coming Anarchy: Shattering the Dreams of the Post Cold War, Eastward to Tartary: Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus, Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea, and on the Ground (Vintage Departures)

Micheal Krasny - Finding God from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Dr. Moira Gunn talks with prominent public radio host, author and agnostic, Micheal Krasny, about the contents of his new book, Spiritual Envy … An Agnostic's Quest.

Download the podcast. See also: Spiritual Envy: An Agnostic's Quest, Sound Ideas

Bill Bryson - History of Private Life from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Dr. Moira Gunn chats with author, Bill Bryson about his new book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life. In it, he examines how common household items have transformed the way people lived, and how houses have evolved around certain items.

Download the podcast here. See also: At Home: A Short History of Private Life, A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir, In a Sunburned Country

Thomas Goetz - The Decision Tree from IT Conversations - Tech Nation Podcast

Dr. Moira Gunn and David Ewing Duncan talk personalized medicine with Wired magazine Executive Editor, Thomas Goetz.

Download the podcast here. See also: The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care, Landmark: The Inside Story of America's New Health Care Law and What It Means for Us All (Publicaffairs Reports), Who Killed Health Care?: America's $2 Trillion Medical Problem - and the Consumer-Driven Cure