Author Talks Online
Join live online author talks where you can watch and participate, send in questions to the authors, in real time. If you can’t attend the live sessions, recordings are available to watch later at your convenience. These engaging talks are offered up to four times each month.
For more information, to view upcoming events, or to watch live or recorded sessions, click the link below.
https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary
Upcoming Talks in May:


Join us in conversation with Ruchika Sikri and Dr. Patrick Porter as we chat about their book, Brain Fitness Blueprint, in which they present a 30-day action plan to supercharge your brain and achieve peak performance.
Your brain wasn’t built for the world we live in. Poor sleep, excessive screen time, and modern stressors have disrupted brain function, leading to mental fatigue, decreased focus, and emotional imbalance. So how are we going to thrive?
Dr. Patrick Porter, founder of BrainTap, and Ruchika Sikri, founding partner of Wisdom Ventures and former Head of Well-being Learning at Google, will help you restore your cognitive clarity, find emotional balance, and achieve lasting vitality with an integrative framework that harnesses the tools of holistic spiritual practices alongside the insights of cutting-edge research.
Their groundbreaking blueprint will reveal:
- Why modern life is hijacking your brain—and how to reclaim control
- How meditation, breathwork, and nature-based rituals reset your nervous system
- How emerging technologies can enhance focus, sleep, and emotional regulation
- Daily habits to support mental sharpness, resilience, and purpose
- A 30-day action plan to rewire your brain for energy, clarity, and joy

What if the only thing standing between you and the seemingly impossible…was belief? This is the question posed by bestselling author Nir Eyal in his new work, Beyond Belief.
Most of your limits aren’t physical. They’re psychological. In Beyond Belief, Nir Eyal reveals how the hidden assumptions you carry shape what you see, how you feel, and what you do—and how to replace them with beliefs that unlock your true potential.
Grounded in neuroscience, psychology, and unforgettable case studies, Eyal introduces the Three Powers of Belief: Attention, Anticipation, and Agency. Mastering these powers transforms how you see challenges, feel about the future, and act when it matters most.
You’ll learn how to:
- Spot hidden opportunities and solutions others overlook.
- Reclaim your mood, energy, and confidence by reshaping your beliefs.
- Stay calm, decisive, and in control when life feels uncertain.
- Break free from beliefs that sabotage your health, relationships, and career.
- Push further, last longer, and achieve beyond your limits.
View all past Author Talks Online: https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary

Join us for a fascinating discussion with Smithsonian Curator Mary Savig on the history and significance of craft at state fairs—from blue-ribbon quilts to sculpted butter cows, and so much more!
A Dolly Parton crop art portrait. Size-96 cowboy boots. A button quilt. State Fairs: Growing American Craft features more than 100 photos of extraordinary and unconventional crafts from state and tribal fairs, including needlework, basketry, jewelry, ceramics, crop art, butter sculpture, and saddles. The catalog highlights personal stories and regional and cultural traditions, creating a vibrant portrait of American life. Come one, come all! State Fairs has a little something for everyone.
Register now to hear about the fascinating (and often surprising) world of American state fair crafts!

Award-Winning Bioethicist, Oncologist, and Chocolatier
Join us for an empowering conversation with health expert Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel as he shares his vision for living well and aging with purpose. In Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life, he explores how to embrace health, happiness, and longevity without falling for quick fixes or unrealistic promises.
Everyone wants to live a full and healthy life―and every day brings a tidal wave of attention-grabbing misinformation, faddish ideas from “wellness” influencers, and bizarre advice from news outlets. The “Wellness Industrial Complex” prescribes conflicting and complicated regimens while promising us more time to enjoy in the future―though it sure is demanding a lot of time right now. But what actually matters most to our health and longevity?

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Matt Dinniman is a writer and artist from Gig Harbor, Washington. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series along with several other books about the end of the world.
He doesn’t really hate Cocker Spaniels, and he plays bass in one band.
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Join us as we chat with Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy about The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook, which celebrates beautiful, simple, and seasonal cooking with 85 recipes adapted from India and Sri Lanka’s best family spice farms.
Diaspora Spice Co. sources the most flavorful, fresh spices in the world from 150 regenerative farms across South Asia—from elders, indigenous communities, young changemakers, and brilliant multi-generational farming families across India and Sri Lanka who are leading the way in sustainable and climate change–resistant agriculture. Filled with culinary storytelling, The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook highlights these farmers and their spices with profiles and evocative photography, plus 85 recipes for simple, seasonal, and powerfully delicious meals.
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