NYT Best Seller Laurence Bergreen on 530th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus Discovering the New World

On this special Columbus Day edition of “The Learning Curve," guest host Pioneer Institute's Mary Z. Connaughton talks with Laurence Bergreen, a prize-winning biographer, historian, chronicler of exploration, and the author of Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492-1504. Mr. Bergreen discusses what people should know about the life, career, and myths around Christopher Columbus, the courageous, ruthless, and complicated explorer and navigator, on the 530th anniversary of his history-changing and ever-controversial discovery of the New World. They review questions about Columbus’ background, faith, and education, as well as details about his four voyages’ differing objectives and his mistreatment of the “indios.” They delve into some of the controversies surrounding his legacy, especially his tragic influence on some of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, and the complex political reasons why President Franklin D. Roosevelt made Columbus Day a national holiday in 1937. The interview concludes with Mr. Bergreen's reading from his Columbus biography.

Guest:
Laurence Bergreen is a prize-winning biographer, historian, and chronicler of exploration. Among his books are biographies of Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, Ferdinand Magellan, Giacomo Casanova, Louis Armstrong, Al Capone, and Irving Berlin, which have been translated into 25 languages worldwide. Bergreen’s book Columbus: The Four Voyages was a New York Times bestseller, selected for the Book-of-the-Month Club, the History Book Club, and the Military Book Club, and was a New York Times Book Review “Editor’s Choice.” He has written for many national publications including The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Newsweek, and the Chicago Tribune. Bergreen taught at the New School for Social Research, and served as assistant to the president of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. He is a member of PEN American Center, and is a trustee of the New York Society Library. He graduated from Harvard in 1972 and lives in New York.

The next episode will air on Weds., October 12th, with Jeff Wetzler, co-founder of Transcend Education, a nonprofit focused on innovation in school design.

The Learning Curve Special Edition Guest Host:

Mary Z. Connaughton, CPA, is Pioneer Institute’s Director of Government Transparency and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Pioneer, she was a partner in the business development firm of Ascentage Group. Her professional experience also includes being an accounting instructor at Framingham State University and senior manager on the audit staff at Ernst and Young in Boston. Mary served on the former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board of directors. She was a member of the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct and was on the board of directors of Commonwealth Corporation. She was Chief Financial Officer of the Massachusetts State Lottery and served in the State Treasurer’s Office. Mary was formerly vice chair of the Framingham Finance Committee. Mary earned an M.B.A. from Assumption College in 2009, as well as a B.B.A. in Accounting and a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.