Global Values 101 grew out of one of the most popular courses ever offered at Harvard University, in which some of the most original thinkers of our day sat down with students and explored how ideas have made them—and can make us—more engaged, involved, and compassionate citizens. They addressed the topics of war, religion, the global economy, and social change: Amy Goodman, host of the popular radio program Democracy Now as well as the author of The Exception to the Ruler, speaks about the role of the citizen and the media in a free society; Lani Guinier reveals that students' SAT scores more accurately describe the kind of car their parents drive than the grades they will earn in college and shows the way to a more equitable college admissions system; Juliet Schor, author of Born to Buy and The Overspent American, discusses the evolution of personal responsibility in a consumer culture; and Robert Reich, author of Locked in the Cabinet, tells us to get involved in politics because, if you want to see change, you have to make change happen.

For anyone who has been moved by idealism and wondered how to become an engaged citizen, this collection offers a range of stories on how progressive ideals can inform, inspire, engage, and ultimately change lives.

Other contributors include Harvey Cox, Katha Pollitt, Howard Zinn, Diana Eck, and Naomi Klein.